In the latest issue of New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident, Beacon (real name Amistad Augustus Ervin, son of Raquel Ervin, aka Rocket) is at the end of an anomaly that destroyed his future. This forces him to do the heroic thing and travel to the past and fix what eliminated his timeline.
After seeing the moment that changed the future, Beacon goes to the present to see his era's greatest hero, his uncle, Virgil Hawkins, aka Static. After some frustration from Amistad, Virgil got the message and understood what needed to be done. He then goes home, grabs his superhero costume, and says, “It’s time for Static to fight back.”
The return of Static was great, but that’s only part of the story. At the beginning of the issue, readers see that the anomaly destroyed Beacon’s future and brought Milestone’s timeline into the DC Comics continuity. And it also tells a story that will hit on a level beyond comic books.
After an incident heightened by the involvement of President Lex Luthor and Amanda Waller, Virgil, along with other Milestone heroes, Icon, Rocket, and Hardware, was forced to stop using their abilities in the City of Dakota. It was a disheartening moment that hurt even more when Luthor forced the heroes to shake his hand to seal the deal. Nevertheless, they did what they thought was best for the community. That moment is something that comes into play in the Black community regularly.
Protest and freedom of speech are supposed to be two of the pillars of America. Sadly, when those are done peacefully, we are still looked at as rioters, looters, and criminals. In New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident, the heroes of Dakota are Black and are told to stop using the same powers and gadgets that Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman use daily. This happened to Adam Brashear (Blue Marvel), who was forced to stop being a hero (read Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel for that story) because the public found out he was Black.
I’m hopeful that this is only the beginning of Milestone Comics’ characters being a part of DC’s regular continuity. People have loved Static since his cartoon (Static Shock) debuted in the early 2000s. Since then, outside of comics, he's teamed up with Batman and appeared in Justice League and Young Justice. Plus, having Virgil in a future comic book with Terry McGinnis (Batman/Static: Beyond) and being on the last page of such a monumental issue means that DC Comics has plans for him. However, it shouldn’t just be Virgil.
Icon, Rocket, and Hardware must be among the heroes we see, and the villains of Dakota shouldn’t be discounted. They’re part of the legacy that Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle built and should be used to elevate Milestone Comics' history.
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