The following contains major spoilers for Static: Shadows of Dakota #1, on sale now from DC Comics.
Since his triumphant return to the world of comics, Static (Virgil Hawkins) has made some of the biggest waves of his entire career, and he isn't the only one. Unfortunately, not everyone has managed to leave behind the legacy they had hoped for, least of all Curtis Metcalf, aka Hardware. Not only did Curtis never want to become a hero, in the first place, he never imagined that trying to save his reputation would mean turning into Dakota City's very own superpowered pariah.
Only three short months after the disastrous encounter between police and protesters that saw the latter exposed to an experimental tear gas, the citizens of Dakota City are still adjusting to their post-Big Bang life. Apart from the threat of the superpowered Bang Babies who have emerged in the wake of that day's events, the city is suffering from a spate of attacks. Thankfully, that hasn't kept the city from celebrating its best and brightest, although as seen in the pages of Static: Shadows of Dakota #1 (by Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Vita Ayala, and Andworld Design), they are far from willing to do the same for the man who made it all possible.
The Legacy of Milestone's Hardware is Seemingly Fading Away
Much like the version of the character who first appeared in 1993's Hardware #1 (by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan), the current iteration of Curtis Metcalfe is a super genius with a passion for science and engineering. Before long, his efforts fell on the radar of Alva Industries' founder and famed inventor Edwin Alva, who brought Curtis in as a protégé. Of course, Alva never really respected Curtis, seeing him only as someone to be exploited and profited from rather than a real heir of any sort.
In fact, it was Curtis who was framed for the Big Bang as he was Alva's scapegoat. This not only drove him to take up the mantle of Hardware and fight back against Alva's villainy but made him enemy number one for nearly the entire city. As Hardware, Curtis has certainly left an impact on his former benefactors, yet his name has been slowly scrubbed from the public eye in almost every way. Static is quick to notice that there is no mention of Curtis anywhere near the programs he started. On its own, this would be distressing for anyone who looked up to him, but for Static it is particularly concerning, especially when it comes to his own future.
Is Static Following in Hardware's Tragic Footsteps?
Static might not know every detail regarding Hardware's story, but he at least knows enough to recognize the general injustice of erasing Metcalfe's name from Dakota's history. However, he does recognize the harm that has been wrought in Curtis' name, and the shadow it has cast over his legacy as a man and as Hardware. This is more than enough for Static to wonder whether his legacy will end up being remembered for the people he's hurt rather than his heroic acts.
No matter how understandable Static's concerns are, the fact is that nothing about what has happened to Hardware's name was ever deserved. If anything, this stark truth is a horrifying indication of just how little it matters what good someone does when the rest of the world is set on making them out to be the villain. Hopefully, it is a future that Static will be able to avoid, even though it isn't really up to him.