10 Most Heartbreaking Moments In The DC Animated Universe

8. Static Tries To Save His Mother - Static Shock

Given just how positively the TV show was received, it's kind of wild to think about just how much DC has neglected Static as a character in the years before and since it aired. Virgil Hawkins has barely managed to keep a hold of a single series in the comics over the last two decades, and that is frankly ridiculous.

But that's a topic for another time. For now, let's talk about just how good Static Shock was, and how this particular episode, "Flashback", is one of the most emotional in the entire series.

One of the saddest things about Static's origin is the death of his mother. She died treating the wounded during the Dakota Riots three years before the events of the Big Bang, and it weighs on Virgil throughout the series.

Enter Nina Crocker, a Bang Baby who has the power to travel through time. Virgil decides this would be the perfect opportunity to travel back and try to save his mother, despite protestations from Richie that this could, y'know, irreparably alter the space-time continuum. Either way the trio move ahead, pursued by Ebon, who wishes to use Nina's powers for nefarious reasons.

While in the past, Virgil does indeed come face to face with his mother and is finally able to get some closure on their relationship. She tells him that she's incredibly proud of what he's doing as Static. And, while he's unable to change her fate, when he comes back to the present, his dad reveals to Virgil that his mother couldn't stop calling him her "superhero" the night she passed, the implication being their encounter was always meant to happen.