A popular young superhero will be joining the Teen Titans later this year. Said hero has a huge following among DC Comics readers. However, they’ve never been a part of DC‘s biggest team of teen heroes in any appreciable capacity.
The hero in question is Static. The electric teen hero was originally created for Milestone Comics in 1993. However, he soon found greater fame through his own solo animated series, Static Shock. He was then folded into the DCAU and had several crossovers with the Justice League. Later, he was introduced into the Young Justice animated series. However, apart from a brief period just before the 2011 New 52 revamp of DC’s comic line, Static has never been officially associated with the Teen Titans.
DC announced this will change with the upcoming New Titans #38. Static will appear in the book as part of an encounter with the young Superman, Jon Kent. This leads to a mission in the Amazon rainforest and Static permanently joining the latest incarnation of the Teen Titans.
Why Static joining the Titans is long overdue
Given the popularity of Static and the Teen Titans, it is shocking the two franchises haven’t done more together outside of animated adaptations. The reason for this is a combination of bad timing and internal politics.
Static was one of the few teen heroes to get a solo series following the 2011 New 52 revamp. It seemed likely he would join the new incarnation of the Teen Titans; However, this particular version of the Titans was incredibly unpopular and Static’s solo book was cancelled before he could be established in the new DC Universe.
However, further complications arose following a 2015 effort to reestablish the Milestone Comics heroes in a new Milestone Universe. Charlotte Fullerton, the widow of Static co-creator Dwayne McDuffie, sued Milestone Media Group after being excluded from the revived company. At the time, she owned 50% of the shares in the original Milestone Media company. A settlement was eventually reached, and Milestone Returns launched in 2020. A new 2026 special, The Dakota Incident, later explained how Static and the other Milestone heroes fit into the new history of the DC Universe.
Static’s membership in the Teen Titans is long overdue. Beyond being one of the most popular teen heroes in comic history, Static is also one of the most powerful. Both as a genius and in terms of raw energy, he has a lot to offer the New Titans as a teammate. He’s also remained popular with the young readers DC needs to attract thanks to reruns of his cartoon and the YA novel based on him. For all these reasons, Static has more than earned a place among the Titans after all this time.
New Titans #38 arrives in comic shops everywhere on August 19, 2026.
