“His debut was Super Saiyan special”: Iconic DC Hero’s Debut Was Inspired by Goku in Batman Beyond, 21 Years Later They’re Teaming Up Again

In 2020, producer/director Larry Houston revealed how he had storyboarded the debut of an adult Vergil Hawkins in the Batman Beyond crossover episode in Season 4 of Static Shock, titled ‘Future Shock.’ In a Facebook post, he revealed how the debut was designed to pack the same punch as Goku’s first Super Saiyan transformation in the Dragon Ball series. He said:

While this episode may be more than two decades old now, people still look back at it and relive it. Fortunately, DC is all set to bring back the team of Hawkins and McGinnis to the forefront with an upcoming comic series.

Static Shock and Batman Team Up Again in DC’s Batman/Static Beyond

In a press release made by DC Comics in August this year, it was announced that Vergil and Terry will be suiting up as their superhero alter-egos again in Batman/Static Beyond, a limited six-part series. The first issue of the series will be released on November 12, 2025, and will be part of the Elseworlds catalog.

This will be their next team-up since the iconic crossover episode, which aired all the way back on January 17th, 2004. As for the story, it is set to depict the tales of Terry McGinnis, patrolling Neo-Gotham as the new Batman, while Vergil Hawkins makes strides in terms of technological advancements in the energy sector.

And just as Earth prepares to enter a new galactic alliance called The Collective, our heroes and the Justice League Beyond are confronted by a mysterious enemy, who causes a worldwide blackout. Now, it is up to these heroic individuals to save the world from plunging into chaos.

And as for what to expect, if the story carries on the same grounded and emotional storytelling, then we might have a Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker masterpiece in visual literature format soon.

3 Times Anime and Manga Managed to Inspire Comic Book Characters

While it may not be that apparent when looking at it from a distance, the influences of anime and manga on comic books and their characters have always been there. From recreations of iconic anime moments to direct story inspirations, we have seen it all, but can’t quite figure out how and from where. Thus, here are some instances of animanga influences in comics.

3. Psylocke

While her original character was of a British telepath, her reinvention in the ’80s made her into a superhero with sleek armor, a bodysuit, and martial-arts discipline. This was an influential decision which was brought about by the Manga and Anime industry’s ‘Ninja Boom’ in Japan.

2. Deadpool

Iconic for his gags and fourth-wall-breaking humor, the creation of Deadpool stems from Japanese gag manga that incorporated wild slapstick humor with self-inserted jokes in the ’80s and ’90s. The exaggerated expressions and actions were also a product of the Japanese anime and manga influence.

1. Cannonball

While his creation may have taken place before the creation of Dragon Ball, the later iterations of Cannonball showed him generating explosive propulsion fields that look extremely close to Super Saiyan flight auras.

Below is a table providing more information on these heroes and their influences.

Are you excited for Static Shock’s return to the comics? Tell us in the comments below.

Batman Beyond is available to stream on HBO Max (US).