Hawkwoman is the name of several
superheroine
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
s all owned by
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
and existing in that company's
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
. They are partners, and sometimes spouses or lovers, of the various versions of
Hawkman
Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...
, and share many features with the character
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
. The first version appeared in ''
The Brave and the Bold
''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varied ...
'' #34 (February/March 1961).
Fictional character biography
Shayera Hol
Sharon Parker
Years before the events told in the ''Invasion'' story arc,
Fel Andar, a
Thanagarian
List of alien races in DC Comics is a list of fictional extraterrestrial races that have appeared in comic book titles published by DC Comics, as well as properties from other media that are listed below, with appropriately brief descriptions and ...
spy
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
, was sent to Earth to infiltrate among humans. Eventually he met and married an Earth woman, Sharon Parker, who would soon give birth to Charley Parker, later known as the
Golden Eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...
.
When Charley was four years old, Thanagar called Andar to active duty, so he joined the
Justice League International
Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...
claiming to be
Carter
Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to:
Geography United States
* Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Montana, a census-designated place
* Carter, ...
and Shiera Hall's son Carter Hall, Jr. Andar never told the Thanagarian Empire about Charley, so he
mindwipe
A mindwipe is a fictional memory erasure procedure in which the subject's memories and sometimes personality are erased. Often those are replaced by new memories more useful to those who are carrying out the mindwiping. It is a more thorough for ...
d Sharon, forcing her to take the identity of Hawkwoman Sharon Hall, wife of Carter Hall Jr.
When Sharon learned about the masquerade she exposed the truth to
J'onn J'onzz
The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...
and
Maxwell Lord
Maxwell Lord IV is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''Justice League'' #1 (May 1987) and was created by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire (artist), Kevin Magui ...
. Confronted by both, Andar escaped back to Thanagar and Sharon perished.
Shayera Thal
Shayera Thal II is the illegitimate daughter of Shayera Thal I and Andar Pul, Thanagar's Administrator of Protection and close friend of Shayera I's father Thal Provis. Andar Pul had seduced the then 13-year-old Shayera I and her pregnancy became a political scandal that threatened to put her father's political activities to a hold. As a result, Shayera II was abandoned in Downside by her mother shortly after her birth.
When she was ten, she first met Wingman ensign
Katar Hol
Hawkman (Katar Hol) is a DC Comics superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her po ...
during his first mission to the Thanagarian ghettos. Her mother was killed in a terrorist bombing.
When Shayera lost her Downside guardian as a result of a police action she was sent to an orphanage in the High Towers. Here she was found and adopted by Thal Provis, whose grief over the loss of his own daughter, had led him to find and reclaim his granddaughter. She was unaware Provis was really her grandfather until much later.
As a young woman, Shayera became a Wingmen and eventually meets Katar Hol again. She helped him stop Byth's drug smuggling.
In the early 1990s, Thanagarian policemen partners Katar Hol and Shayera Thal arrived on Earth (following an attempted Thanagarian invasion of Earth) with the mission to capture the Thanagarian shapeshifting criminal Byth. They were part of a force which used the hawk as their symbol, and also had a winged, gravity-defying harness. Together they fought crime on Earth and corruption on Thanagar for some time, eventually falling in love and deciding to remain on Earth and build a life there rather than return to their homeworld. Then came the events of
Zero Hour where Katar was merged with Carter and Shiera Hall in a new Hawkman version, who was then possessed by a creature from the red known as the Hawk Avatar. Fundamentally changed, he swore off his relationship with Shayera, and she retired from superhero work to become a cop in Detroit. The "new" Hawkman adventured for a brief time before going insane and being banished into
limbo
In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
.
Shortly after that, Kendra Saunders became the new
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
, and Carter Hall, the original Hawkman, was resurrected. Shayera met them during her final battle against Byth when the three Hawks, aided by
Animal Man
Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" t ...
, defeated the Thanagarian criminal for good.
In the ''
Rann-Thanagar War'' miniseries, Shayera Thal reappeared as a reinstated soldier of the Thanagarian Army, last seen fighting with the invasion force of Polara. She considered reborn Hawkman Carter Hall and Hawkgirl Kendra Saunders friends of
Thanagar, but grew angry with their ally
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional space adventurer appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by editor Julius Schwartz with a costume designed by Murphy Anderson, he first appeared in ''Showcase (comics), Showcase'' #17 (November ...
blaming Rannian science for the destruction of her birth world. Despite this, she reluctantly served alongside him as a comrade-in-arms during the war.
Shayera was betrayed and murdered by
Tamaranean Queen
Komand'r. Her body was sent on a trajectory into Thanagar's sun,
Polaris
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
, the heroes' resting place in Thanagarian tradition.
Following DC's
2011 relaunch, Shayera Thal is revealed as the princess of Thanagar and the former lover of Katar Hol. Initially, she is depicted as a villain, after erroneously believing her lover Katar Hol has killed her brother, Emperor Corsar, vowing vengeance upon him. But after it is discovered that Corsar survived and was manipulating the situation Shayera betrays him and saves Katar's life, seemingly sacrificing her own for it, although, it is later revealed that she survived.
Other versions
*In Alex Ross's Silver Age-toned ''
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
'', Shayera Hol is a member of the Justice League and co-director of the Midway City Museum, alongside her husband. She also appears in ''Secret Origins'' and ''Liberty and Justice''.
*Shayera and Katar are featured in the
Elseworlds
''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realitie ...
three-part series ''Legend of the Hawkman'' (2000). The story takes place in the Earth-One timeline, some time after ''The Brave and the Bold'' #34. She is shown wanting to return home to Thanagar while Katar has grown accustomed to life on Earth. Although this mini-series was never labelled as an ''Elseworlds'' project when originally published, it is now accepted as being one, with this story clearly based on the Silver Age versions of Hawkman and Hawkwoman during the pre-''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to March ...
'' era.
*In ''
JLA: The Nail'' and ''
JLA: Another Nail'', Hawkwoman is a member of a much-hated Justice League, and remains so even after her husband's death by
Amazo
Amazo () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky and first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #30 (June 1960) as an adversary of the Justice ...
. In ''Another Nail'', she appears to be close friends with Zatanna. She has forgiven
Oliver Queen
Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
(in Amazo's body) after he admits feeling responsible for getting Katar killed, and mentions that her husband was proud to call Oliver a "comrade... and a friend." Her role as the sole Hawk with League membership is much like her animated counterpart in the ''
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
'' animated series.
*In ''
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again'', the Hawks tried to return to Thanagar to flee from
Lex Luthor
Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: Apr ...
's military dictatorship, only to crash in the rain forests of
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
. They decided to remain in hiding. They gave birth to a son and daughter, giving them natural wings. Katar and Shayera were killed in a military strike ordered by Lex Luthor, embracing each other in their final moments. The children were brought up in the jungle ever since. They were bent on revenge against Lex. As Hawkboy, the son ultimately kills Lex with Batman's permission, since he understands what he has been through.
*The Silver Age Hawks made a cameo appearance in ''Adventures in the DC Universe 80-Page Giant'' as
Chronos
Chronos (; grc-gre, Χρόνος, , "time"), also spelled Khronos or Chronus, is a personification of time in pre-Socratic philosophy and later literature.
Chronos is frequently confused with, or perhaps consciously identified with, the Tit ...
II travels across space and time. He witnesses them in a battle against the Manhawks.
* Katar and Shayera Hol appear in ''
JLA/Avengers
''JLA/Avengers'' (issues #2 and 4 are titled ''Avengers/JLA'') is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, with ...
'' due to time distortions caused by
Krona.
* Shayera appears in ''
JLA: Created Equal'', now calling herself "
Hawk
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
" after
her husband died in the Fall.
* Shayera appears in ''
Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl'' as a member of the Justice Society.
* Shayera is featured with Katar in ''Scooby-Doo! Team-Up'' #33. She resembles her counterpart from the DC Animated Universe. Like Shiera Hall and similarly with her DCAU counterpart, Shayera is a reincarnation of Chay-Ara, and have been reborn as Lady Celia and Cinnamon.
In other media
Television
A hybridization of the Shayera Hol and Shayera Thal incarnations of Hawkwoman appears in ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes.
The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'', voiced by
Zehra Fazal
Zehra Fazal is an American voice actress, known for voicing Nadia Rizavi in '' Voltron: Legendary Defender'' and Halo and Bluebird in '' Young Justice: Outsiders''. Greg Weisman, the co-creator of ''Young Justice: Outsiders'' said "I wrote the rol ...
.
She and her husband
Hawkman
Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...
are members of the
Justice League
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived ...
and primarily make minor recurring appearances. In the episode "Auld Acquaintance", she and the Justice League fall under the
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
's control and are forced to attack the planet Rimbor. In the episode "Alienated", the Leaguers involved in the attack return to Rimbor to be put on trial. In the episode "Endgame", they are found guilty, but
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
,
Miss Martian
Miss Martian (real name: M'gann M'orzz; alias Megan Morse) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Sharon Leal portrayed the character in the second season of the Arrowverse series ''Supergirl''. Leal returne ...
, and
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional space adventurer appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by editor Julius Schwartz with a costume designed by Murphy Anderson, he first appeared in ''Showcase (comics), Showcase'' #17 (November ...
present new evidence and force the Tribunal to reverse their verdict.
Film
* Shayera Hol makes a cameo appearance at the end of ''
Justice League: The New Frontier''.
* An unidentified Hawkwoman appears in ''
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
''Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'' is a 2018 American animated superhero comedy film based on the television series ''Teen Titans Go!'', which is based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. This film is directed by Peter Rida Mi ...
'', alongside
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
and
Hawkman
Hawkman is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1, published by All-American ...
.
See also
*
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...
References
External links
*
Hawkman FAQHawkfan- A fansite dedicated to Hawkman and Hawkgirl.
{{Justice League characters
Characters created by Gardner Fox
Characters created by Joe Kubert
Characters created by Graham Nolan
Characters created by John Ostrander
Characters created by Timothy Truman
Comics characters introduced in 1961
Comics characters introduced in 1989
Comics characters introduced in 1992
DC Comics aliens
DC Comics characters with accelerated healing
DC Comics characters with superhuman strength
DC Comics female superheroes
DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes
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Fictional archaeologists
Superheroes who are adopted
Wingmen of Thanagar
Hawkgirl