"Child's Play" is the seventh episode of Static Shock. It first aired on December 3, 2000.
Plot[]
At Freeman Community Center, a man is urging passersby to repent their sins. Suddenly, the water in the fountain in front of the building turns red. Robert and Virgil go outside to investigate. Virgil determines the water has been changed to cherry soda. Kids gather around for a drink, including a young boy with a green jacket, looking around suspiciously. Later during school, Virgil, Richie, and Daisy discuss recent weird happenings, including an apartment complex getting a snow of vanilla ice cream. Virgil then notices that a student, Aron, was recently released from reform school. Virgil tries being friendly, but Aron rebuffs him. Virgil and Richie agree that Aron seems to have not changed during his time away.
Back at the community center, a group of boys are playing basketball, and talk about the best players. The boy from earlier, Dwayne, says that a video game character, Dreadbot 3000, could easily beat any basketball player. The rest of the boys laugh at him for his answer. Dwayne gets mad and walks out but notices a dog in front of him. A few seconds later, Dreadbot 3000 rampages his way into the community center, destroying walls, chasing the other kids, and even making time to dunk a basketball. Robert evacuates the building just as Virgil and Richie arrive. Virgil changes into his Static outfit and blasts the robot, but it has no effect. The robot then goes after Static, trying to blast him out of the air. Dwayne watches on from nearby. He is then approached by Aron, his stepbrother. Aron asks if the commotion is related to "bang babies." Dwayne dodges the question and asks if Aron wants to play video games later. Aron says no, wanting to watch the fight. The robot suddenly vanishes, leaving behind the dog form earlier.
Dwayne and Aron walk home together. Aron gripes about missing the Big Bang, and Dwayne describes it how it looked. Aron is suspicious of Dwayne and becomes convinced after Dwayne conjures a hotdog from a popsicle stick. Dwayne pleads with Aron to not tell anyone, and Aron says he wouldn't do such a thing to his brother. Later, Aron tries getting Dwayne to create things, like money or a key for a sports car. Dwayne explains that he can only create things if he knows what they look like. He adds that taking the car is stealing. Aron says that it is wrong to steal, so the two of them should get back at people who do steal. Namely, the people in a nearby bank.
While contractors assess the damage from Dreadbot's rampage, Richie and Virgil look over the records of kids that use the center's services. They notice one kid lives in the area where it snowed ice cream earlier that week. The pair go to the Fenton Projects and go to Dwayne's home. They tell Mrs. Price that they are junior counselors at the community center, and she invites them in. She says that she is glad Dwayne is doing better emotionally, since he kind of shut down after she married Aron's father. He only focused on video games and cartoons, but thanks to Mr. Hawkins, Dwayne is opening up more. She also indicates that Dwayne was out looking for their dog near the Dakota docks when the Big Bang happened.
At the bank, Dwayne has conjured an action figure character, Sumokiri the sumo wrestler. Sumokiri attacks the bank and breaks in, causing people to flee. Static arrives to stop Sumokiri before he can tear off the bank vault door. Static and the wrestler fight, but Sumokiri damages a water pipe, drenching Static and making him short out. Static is cornered, but police start to arrive. Aron tells Dwayne to call off Sumo-Kiri so they can both leave. Dwayne does so after Aron yells at him, and Sumokiri vanishes. Richie helps Static up, and they both notice Aron and Dwayne fleeing the scene.
At the community center, Dwayne plays basketball alone. Virgil arrives to talk to him. He tries warning Dwayne about Aron taking advantage of his brotherly love, but Dwayne gets angry. Virgil backs off, then regroups with Richie. Their word against Aron's won't be enough, so they decide to record Aron's true nature as proof. Virgil goes to Aron at school and invites him to a party. Aron isn't interested until Virgil mentions Freda will be there. Virgil then asks if he plans on bringing Dwayne since the two of them have gotten so close recently. Aron snaps at Virgil saying Dwayne is just his stepbrother, so they aren't really brothers. Aron leaves, and Richie approaches with a Walkman attached to his Shock Vox, which recorded the whole conversation.
Virgil and Richie go to the community center to find Dwayne, but he's not there. Virgil asks his father where Dwayne is. Robert tells him that Dwayne went with Aron to the mall to shop. Robert admits he has bad feelings about Aron, thinking that he is a bad influence on Dwayne and all the progress he has made. Virgil and Richie rush to the mall.
At Dakota Mall, Dwayne has conjured up Loco-Martian, a caterpillar-like alien, and it robs a store of its clothing. Aron has convinced Dwayne that whatever clothes they don't want will go to poor people. Static arrives and tries to fight the monster, but no avail. He then remembers Loco-Martian's weakness: fire. Static shoots bolts at trash cans, causing small fires. Loco-Martian flees from the fires, and eventually gets cornered. With no other options, Loco-Martian fades away. Static sees Aron and Dwayne, then flies up to them. Aron lies to Dwayne that Static is trying to turn them against each other. Despite Static's warning, Dwayne uses more illusions to fight Static: the cabbage-like Plant Man and the four-armed Kung Pow. Static quickly defeats them, but notices PA speakers along the walls. He uses his power to hook Richie's Walkman up to the speaker and plays the recording. Everyone in the mall is able to hear Aron talking about his brother.
Dwayne also listens to this, but Aron lies and says that Static is trying to fool them. Aron's voice continues "We're not tight. He's not my brother, he's just a stepbrother". Hearing this, Dwayne summons a giant robot T-Rex to fight Static. The robot knocks him down, and Aron orders Dwayne to finish Static off. Dwayne (and the robot) hesitate, not wanting to kill Static. Aron demands that Dwayne obey him, while Static pleads with Dwayne to do the right thing. Finally realizing that Aron was using him the whole time, Dwayne stops the illusion and runs to Static.
Dwayne says he isn't sure what to do, so he will wait to learn what the right thing is. Static assures him he will, and they go to leave. Aron tries to stop Dwayne, but Static zaps him onto the wall, leaving him to be arrested by police who have just arrived. Static then decides to head back to the community to let Robert know he had a stronger impact on Dwayne than Aron did.
Background information[]
Home video releases[]
Production Notes[]
- In this episode, the opening theme song has been slightly modified.
Production Inconsistencies[]
- When Loco-Martian is turned back into the train, the clothes he put inside himself vanish between shots.
Trivia[]
- The imaginary Martian's weakness to fire is a reference to J'onn J'onzz, who (in the comics at least) is afraid of fire.
- When Virgil is telling Aron who will be at the party he's supposedly throwing, he says someone named Felix will be there. In the comics, Felix was a friend of Virgil's.
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Phil LaMarr | Static/Virgil Hawkins Worker (uncredited) |
| Jason Marsden | Richie Foley |
| Blayn Barbosa | Dwayne McCall |
| R.J. Knoll | Aron Price |
| Kevin Michael Richardson | Robert Hawkins Sumokiri (uncredited) |
| Garrett Morris | Preacher |
| Crystal Scales | Daisy Watkins |
| Rickey D'Shon Collins | Ray First boy (uncredited) |
| Cameron Finley | Second boy |
| Laraine Newman | Mrs. Price |
Uncredited appearances[]
- Tommy (basketball player)
- Plant Man (character)
- Kung-Pow
Quotes[]
Aron: We're not tight. And he's not my brother, he's just a stepbrother. |
Aron: (grins) Frieda? She's gonna be there? |
Aron: These stores keep the prices so high, nobody can afford to buy anything. What we don't keep, we'll give to the poor. |