Superman Meets Hawkman

It's a meeting of aliens on Earth....Superman, the caped Kryptonian with Hawkman the Thanagarian police officer (at least, that's what he was when he was having semi-regular meetings with the Man of Steel).

What circumstances brought these two heroes together in the Bronze Age (other than the Justice League, of which they were both members?).

Let's take a look!

World's Finest Comics 209

First up for the Superman/Hawkman team ups is World's Finest Comics #209 (February, 1972) when they would "Meet The Tempter -- And Die!", under a cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano, with story by Mike Friedich, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella.

Meet the Tempter, who appears to be a supernatural menace, that preys on people, to act on their worse instincts.  The Tempter gets Hawkman to act more savage (being more violent with criminals) and Superman to be more concerned about his failures (like failing to enlarge Kandor).  The Tempter even works on others, like Kro-Al of Kandor, to seek out Hawkman to use Thanagarian science to help enlarge Kandor, makes Hawkgirl want to return to Thanagar taking Hawkman with, and Lois Lane investigate Superman's failures while he is receiving an award in Hawkman's Midway City.  This all almost leads to the destruction of Midway City (which also would be the only spot on Earth to safely enlarge Kandor), if not for Hawkgirl and Lois getting a little more sense, and each calming their paramour into not giving into their basic instincts, stopping the Tempter (though none of them ever knew he was there).

DC Comics Presents 11

Next up was a story with a little punch, from DC Comics Presents #11 (July, 1979) by Cary Bates, Joe Staton and Frank Chiaramonte (under a Ross Andru/Dick Giordano cover), with a little "Murder By Starlight".

Superman, after nearly being killed by a bomb in a trophy he got in Paris (and a little side trip to 1944), returns to be attacked by Hawkman over Paris.  After a brief battle, Hawkman escapes, but Superman is now concerned.  A quick meeting with Hawkgirl reveals Katar Hol has been missing for over 2 days (as well as that he planted the bomb).  Following Hawkman's trail, leads to the observatory of Frank Rayles, a petty crook busted by Hawkman who inherited his brother's observatory, including the research into "Polaris Power", how to harness energy from the star Polaris (where Thanagar orbits) to control Hawkman (using a specially made mind control helmet), and enhance his power (so much, that Hawkman becomes a living bomb waiting for an invulnerable target to trigger it....like Superman).  Thankfully, Hawkman had gotten a message to a bluejay before Rayles took over his mind, and it eventually caught up with Superman, so Superman could "defuse" his friend, and the two capture Rayles.

DC Comics Presents 37

Now for something completely different....well, not really.  DC Comics Presents #37 (September, 1981)
 featured a little team-up of Superman and Hawkgirl by Jim Starlin and Roy Thomas, under a Jim Starlin cover, with "The Stars, Like Moths...".

Hawkgirl, as Sheira Hall, got a call from a Dr. Irwin Wright, about a discovery of his, so, as Carter was busy in Cairo, she went to check it out, finding what appeared to be alien writing in an antechamber dating back to the 1800s.  Shayera recognized the writing as Kryptonian, so called in Superman, and the two investigated, finding out it led to a lab that was owned by Superman's great grandfather, Var-El.   Seems Var-El had perfected transport between planets, and kept a lab on Earth (where he also found he had super powers), so he could experiment further, working to find access to other dimensions.  After a brief battle with a Kryptonian security robot, Superman accidentally activated the dimensional portal, which drew him into a near orbit around a red sun (which diminished his powers), so that Hawkgirl need to rescue him.  Superman and Hawkgirl assumed that is what happened to Var-El, but....

DC Comics Presents 74

It was "Wings Against The Stars" under a cover by Alex Saviuk and Romeo Tanghal for DC Comics Presents #74 (October, 1984), with a story by Bob Rozakis, Dan Mishkin, Alex Saviuk and Romeo Tanghal, that filled in the end of the story.

Hawkman and Hawkwoman (Hawkgirl upgraded her name between the last story and this) end up piloting their ship to save a space station and its mysterious inhabitant calling for Kal-El (Superman's Kryptonian name), as it is under attack by the Orgons (aliens who take others' technologies, whom Superman and Atom had faced, back in DC Comics Presents #51).  The aliens attack the Hawks, taking their Absorbacon (the device that allows Thanagarians to gain all knowledge).  Superman arrives to help save the Hawks, thanks to a vision of his great-grandfather, and is surprised to see him in the present (as Var-El learned to travel in time thanks to Professor Hyatt in DCCP #51).

Superman and the Hawks went to stop the Orgon, who using the knowledge gained by the Absorbacon to create automated ships to attack Thanagar, but the Hawks got injured and Superman depowered by red sun rays (thus the need for him to borrow Hawkman's wings).  Still, even his invulnerable costume wouldn't protect him from the Orgons' menace, so Var-El took charged, facing the explosion that would have killed his great grandson, ending Var-El's trilogy of DC Comics Presents stories.

DC Comics Presents 95

Classic Hawkman artist (and frequent Superman inker) Murphy Anderson provided the cover for DC Comics Presents #95 (July, 1986) with "The Big Kill", a story by Tony Isabella, Alan Gold, Richard Howell and Murphy Anderson.

Kasta, a Thanagarian Thrill-Killer, absorbs the energy from a Black Hole.  Superman, brooding in his Fortress of Solitude about the Crisis on Infinite Earths, picks up the strange reading from the Black Hole, and assumes it is the manipulations of Mongul, so goes to investigate, demonstrating to Kasta (hidden behind a cloaked ship) his vulnerability to Black Hole energy (like he just absorbed).  On Earth, Hawkman cares for his sick wife, Shayera, the Gentleman Ghost lets Katar know that Kasta the Hunter is approaching Earth during Thanagar's Shadow War, with the idea of killing Superman.  Gentleman Ghost then vanishes, with Hawkman to go help Superman alone, knowing that, thanks to the Thanagarian possession of the Absorbacon, he cannot explain too much of Thanagar's involvement, so as to keep Earth's heroes safe.  The two send the villain packing, but the friendship between Superman and Hawkman is strained due to Hawkman hiding information from Superman (though, he would get filled in later).

Of course, Superman and Hawkman worked together many times in the Justice League of America book since Hawkman joined, as well as a few times in Action Comics and World's Finest Comics (seems Superman was pretty helpful in freeing Thanagar from invaders, something Hawkman appreciated, to be sure, especially the second time, ending the Shadow War!).

These two heroes changed after the Crisis On Infinite Earths and Hawkworld, and a few times after that as well, but remain high flying friends, eventually.

Gentleman Ghost Makes Mystic Menace In Midway

That supernatural foe of Hawkman, Gentleman Ghost, comes to make trouble right here in Midway City, bringing along magical villains Matter Master and Felix Faust...  ..forcing Hawkman to recruit Hawkgirl and the Atom to help in, in this October vignette from the 1978 DC Calendar Of Super-Disasters by Al Milgrom.

DC Comics Heroines For September

Since the 1976 Super DC Calendar featured this fantastic shot of the fabulous females of the DC Universe by Dick Giordano....

..seemed a good enough time to talk about who these five women are!

Black Canary

Dinah Laurel Lance premiered as Black Canary with what would eventually become her sonic scream to join the JLA in Justice League of America #75 (November, 1969 by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin and Joe Giella), but, at the time, she thought she was Dinah Drake Lance (the original Black Canary), and continued to believe that for years as she transitioned from being a member of the Earth-2 Justice Society to the Earth-1 Justice League.

The story of how the daughter thought she was the mother, and what happened to the original Black Canary was eventually revealed in Justice League of America #220 (November, 1983, by Roy Thomas, Chuck Patton, Romeo Tanghal and Pablo Marcos), which turned the issue where she joined the JLA into a Black Canary first appearance.

Mary Marvel

Mary Bromfield found out she was Billy Batson's twin sister in Captain Marvel Adventures #18 (December 11, 1942 by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze) thanks to them both possessing half of a locket, and Billy revealed that he could change into Captain Marvel by saying "Shazam".  Mary was a competitor in a trivia contest, covered by radio announcer, Billy Batson, and hoods tried to steal the prize of the show....with Billy and Freddy Freeman incapacitated by the hoods and unable to speak, Mary tried the magic word, and with a flash of magic lightning became Mary Marvel!  Mary then defeated the ruffians easily with her new powers.


Mary then worked with Billy and Freddy (Captain Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr.) as the Marvel Family!

 

Supergirl

Kara Zor-El's rocket landed on Earth in Action Comics #252 (May, 1959 by Otto Binder and Al Plastino) in "The Supergirl From Krypton".  Superman found his cousin in her rocket, and helped her adjust to life on Earth, with a secret identity of Linda Lee at Midvale Orphanage for a time, while Kara operated in secret as Superman's secret weapon of Supergirl.


As time passed, Supergirl was adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers, faced a few of Superman's foes like Lex Luthor and friends like Batman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, then Superman revealed Supergirl's presence to the world in Action Comics #285 (February, 1962, by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney) as "The World's Greatest Heroine"...and best of all, these issues were all reprinted in giant sized issues of Action Comics.

Lois Lane

Lois Lane first met a young Clark Kent (Superboy) in Adventure Comics #128 (May, 1948 by Bill Finger and George Roussos) in "How Clark Kent Met Lois Lane" with Clark and Lois competing in a contest for the Daily Planet to get a story published, with Clark unintentionally giving the contest to Lois, as she got two stories on Superboy.

Of course, this was the Earth-1 Lois Lane (who loved the Earth-1 Superman, who was a member of the JLA).  The original, Earth-2 Lois Lane premiered in Action Comics #1 (June, 1938, by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), and that Lois and Clark got married in the 1950s, as later revealed in Action Comics #484 (June, 1978 by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and Joe Giella).

Hawkgirl

Shayera Hol came to Earth with her husband, Katar Hol in Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March, 1961 by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert) as Thanagarian policemen, looking for the shape-shifting criminal, Byth Rok.  They used their advanced science and ancient Earth weaponry to capture the villain, but remained on Earth as museum curators in Midway City, as Carter and Shiera Hall, working with Commissioner George Emmett.

Over the years, the multiple Earths and various Crises weren't kind to the Hawk couple, as Hawkgirl (later Hawkwoman)  and her history got more complex.

Still, these were all wonderful heroines!

Legends Lore: Atom and Hawkman Archives

With a cast as big as CW's Legends of Tomorrow, it can be necessary to shrink it down a bit...

...shrinking is what the Atom does, and Hawkman and Hawkgirl are already part of the show's past, flying off after the first season.

As the summer without new episodes continues, how about looking back to the early days of Atom and Hawkman, and finding those old adventures in DC Archives!

Atom Archives #1

The Atom Archives #1 (June, 2001) features the origin and early tales of Ray Palmer, the Atom.  Issues included in this collection include his three Showcase appearances of Showcase #34, #35 and #36 from 1961/1962, as well as Atom #1 to #5 from 1962/1963 by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson.



Physicist Pay Palmer shrinks himself down to save his girlfriend lawyer, Jean Loring, in Showcase #34 (September-October, 1961) with "The Birth Of The Atom", and gets his Atom name and costume (which only appears when he is shrunken) in the second tale in this issue, as he saves small alien Kulan Dar from criminal Carl Ballard in a "Battle Of The Tiny Titans".

Atom helps a man get his inheritance in the full length tale of "The Dooms From Beyond" in Showcase #35 (November-December, 1961), and finds himself a "Prisoner In A Test Tube" in Showcase #36 (January-February, 1962), saving Jean's professor father from foreign spies (and beginning a relationship with the government), as well as helping out a friend of Jean's from false accusations in "The 'Disappearing Act' Robberies".

Atom faces his major foes as well, starting with Jason Woodrue, the Plant-Master, an exile from an inter-dimensional world in the full-length tale from the Atom #1 (June-July, 1962) in "Master Of The Plant World" and Chronos (David Clinton) in "The Time Trap" from the first half of the Atom #3 (October-November, 1962).  Other stories included are the two from the Atom #2 (August-September, 1962) with "The Oddest Man On Earth" and "The Prisoners Who Vanished" (facing Carl Ballard again), the first appearance of the inventor of the time pool, Alpheus V. Hyatt (and the Time Pool, a device that a small man like the Atom could use to travel time) in "The Secret Of "Al Atom's' Lamp" in the Atom #3 (October-November, 1962), "The Machine That Made 'Miracles'" that guest-starred Snapper Carr from the Justice League of America (which Atom had joined) and "The Case Of The Innocent Thief" from the Atom #4 (December-January, 1962/1963), and "The Diamond Of Deadly Dooms" and "The Specter of 3000-Moons Lake" from the Atom #5 (February-March, 1963), rounding out the Archive.

Atom Archives #2

The Atom Archives #2 (October, 2003) continues the adventures of Ray Palmer's smaller alter ego from the Silver Age, starting with the Atom #6 and running through the Atom #13.


The Atom #6 (April-May, 1963) featured two stories, the first "The Riddle Of The Two-Faced Astronaut" having Ray and Jean help out a stage magician, and second, "The Highwayman And The Mighty Mite" having the Atom secretly use the Time Pool to fight the Highwayman (Dick Turpin, also known as Tom Palmer) in 18th Century London.

The Atom #7 (June-July, 1963) has "The Case Of The Cosmic Camera" and features the first meeting between the Silver Age Atom and Hawkman, with the two facing off against a race of invading aliens called the Thalens.  This started a life-long friendship among the heroes (and helped out Hawkman, who still didn't have his own book at the time, but more on that further on down the page).

The Atom could have used Hawkman's help in the Atom #8 (August-September, 1963), as he faced JLA foe, Dr. Light, in the "Lockup In The Lethal Lightbulb" alone, as the JLA was on a space mission at the time (facing Zazzala, the Queen Bee in Justice League of America #23 of November, 1963).  The second story of the Atom #8, "The Purloined Minatures" is also included.  Atom faces off against "The Atom's Phantom Double" and takes another dip in the Time Pool to 1609 in "The Seaman And The Spyglass" in the Atom #9 (October-November, 1963).  Atom works for the C.I.A., and with a dangerous "Ride A Deadly Grenade" and meets "The Mysterious Swan-Maiden" in the Atom #10 (December-January, 1963/1964).

Ray Palmer meets members of his Ivy University graduating class, and has "Trouble At The Ten-Year Club" with Jack Archer and then goes on a vacation cruise with Jean Loring (and finds more trouble) in a "Voyage To Beyond" from the Atom #11 (February-March, 1964).  Ray's lab assistant, Enrichetta Negrini first appears (and needs Ray's help) in "Danger -- Atom Gun At Work", then the Atom goes into the Time Pool, meets Edgar Allan Poe, while helping out during in "The Gold Hunters of '49" (1849, that is) in the Atom #12 (April-May, 1964).

Finally, the Atom faces Chronos again in "Weapon Watches Of The Time-Wise Guy" as David Clinton uses his clock motif to try to steal jewelry from Anton Teljas and his daugher, Eva, then has to clear his alter ego's name when "I Accuse Ray Palmer -- Of Robbery", both from the Atom #13 (June-July, 1964), ending the Archive collection of Silver Age Atom stories (well short of the Atom's last solo issue of the Atom #38 of August-September, 1968).     

21st Century Atom

But, a few more Silver Age Atom stories from this era did get reprinted.  The full-length story of the "World Of The Magic Atom" facing the Druid from the Atom #19 (June-July, 1965) found itself reprinted in the JLA: Zatanna's Search tradepaperback of January, 2004 (along with Zatanna's original run, including Hawkman #4 from October-November, 1964), and Ray Palmer's meetings with the Golden Age Atom (Al Pratt) from the Atom #29 (February-March, 1967) facing "The Thinker's Earth-Shaking Robberies" and the Atom #36 (April-May, 1968) with the "Duel Between The Dual Atoms" both being reprinted in the Crisis On Multiple Earths: The Team-Ups #2 of 2007 (along with stories of the Green Lanterns, the Flashes and even Starman and Black Canary!). 

Wouldn't you like to see a little more of the Silver Age Atom?

Hawkman Archives #1

The Hawkman Archives #1 (September, 2000) introduces us to Katar and Shayera Hol, police officers from the planet Thanagar, starting with their first tale from Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March, 1961) by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, and includes their solo appearances from Brave and the Bold issues #35, #36, #42, #43, #44 and Mystery In Space #87 to #90 (with Murphy Anderson handling the art on the Mystery In Space issues).

Katar and Shayera come to Earth in pursuit of Thanagarian criminal Byth Rok, "The Creature Of A Thousand Shapes", and after defeating him in Brave and the Bold #34, stay on Earth to help Commissioner George Emmett (who knows their true identities), the Hawks live among us humans as Midway City museum curators and archeologists Carter and Shiera Hall, and work with Mavis Trent, a naturalist who has a fascination for the married Carter (and doesn't know their secret identities). 

The Hawks face their first Earth foe with the Mark Mandrill and his magic wand of Mentachem) in the "Menace Of The Matter Master", then end up in the "Valley Of Vanishing Men" in Brave and the Bold #35 (April-May, 1961).  Hawkman and Hawkgirl face magic expert Konrad Kaslak and his "Strange Spells Of The Sorcerer" and then small time crook Carl Sands who gets a device that allows him to become the "Shadow Thief Of Midway City" in Brave and the Bold #36 (June-July, 1961).

Hawkman returns in Brave and the Bold #42 (June-July, 1962) with "The Menace Of The Dragonfly Raiders", where they have returned to Thanagar, reflect on their time on Earth with police Chief Andar Pul, and fight Byth and his cellmate Jarl, with Hawkman earning his honor wings at the end of this story.  Hawkman reflects on his own life on Thanagar before his first appearance, including time with his father, Paran Katar, as he and Hawkgirl return to Earth to face the Manhawks (which Katar and his father faced before) in "The Masked Marauders Of Earth" in Brave and the Bold #43 (August-September, 1962). 

Hawkman and Hawkgirl deal with a Thanagarian holiday (which falls on the same day as the 4th of July) on "Earth's Impossible Day" (where the Hawks have to perform 3 impossible tasks), and deal with "The Men Who Moved The World" in Brave and the Bold #44 (October-November, 1962).  Hawkman then next appears in the Atom #7 (not in this collection, but you can find it earlier in this article).

Hawkman and Hawkgirl still don't get their own title, but move to Mystery In Space to share the book with Earth spaceman on the planet Rann, starting with Mystery In Space #87 (November, 1963), facing off against Ira Quimby and "The Amazing Thefts Of The I.Q. Gang" (and new Hawkman artist, Murphy Anderson).

Hawkman and Hawkgirl continue their adventures in Mystery In Space #88 (December, 1963) with "Topsy-Turvy Day In Midway City", facing the "Super-Motorized Menace" in Mystery In Space #89 (February, 1964), and having a full-length story teaming with Adam Strange facing "Planets In Peril" in Mystery In Space #90 (March, 1964).

Though not reprinted in this Archive, during this time Hawkman met with Aquaman in Brave and the Bold #51 (December-January, 1963/1964, more on here), and Hawkman and Hawkgirl said goodbye to Mystery In Space in Mystery In Space #91 (May, 1964), before heading to Hawkman #1 (April/May, 1964).

Hawkman Archives #2

The Hawkman Archives #2 (November, 2004) finally deals with the first issue of a regular Hawkman series, with Hawkman #1 (April-May, 1964) and continuing on until Hawkman #8 (June-July, 1965), with stories by Gardner Fox and art by Murphy Anderson.

Hawkman #1 had Hawkman and Hawkgirl report back to Andar Pul, then head back to Earth in "Rivalry Of The Winged Wonders" before facing off against new foe, the immortal Mayan chief Chac in the "Master Of The Sky Weapons).

The alien Thralls came to face Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the "Secret Of The Sizzling Sparklers" and, with Midway Museum press agent Joe Tracy, the Hawks discovered the wings of Icarus in "Wings Across Time" in Hawkman #2 (June-July, 1964).  The Hawks faced the Sky Raiders in "The Fear That Haunted Hawkman", and were "Birds In The Gilded Cage" thanks to some mobsters in Hawkman #3 (August-September, 1964).

Hawkman and Hawkgirl met "The Girl Who Split In Two" (which was really magician Zatanna, in her first appearance, looking for her lost father, Zatara), then had to deal with Time Bandits in "The Machine That Magnetized Men" in Hawkman #4 (October-November, 1964).  Hawkman and Hawkgirl dealt with the return of the Shadow-Thief (who discovered their secret identities) in "Steal, Shadow -- Steal" from Hawkman #5 (December-January, 1964/1965). 

The Hawks dealt with Tantors (evolved Rat-Men), Wingors (devolved flying gorillas) and Tiger Men on the planet Illoral, a "World Where Evolution Ran Wild" in Hawkman #6 (February-March, 1965).  


Hawkman and Hawkgirl dealt with the "Amazing Return Of The I.Q. Gang", then got ready for the "Attack Of The Crocodile-Men" in Hawkman #7 (April-May, 1965). 


Last, but not least, with the stories of Hawkman #8 (June-July, 1965), and facing the "Giant In The Golden Mask" and Fal Tal in the "Battle Of The Bird-Man Bandits", Hawkman's Archive collection concludes.

21st Century Hawkman

A couple of the later tales of Hawkman and Hawkgirl from their first series have been reprinted recently as well.  Hawkman #16 (October-November, 1966) with its story of the "Lord Of The Flying Gorillas" found its way into the collection DC Goes Ape in 2008 (along with Grodd and Titano storie as well) and Hawkman #18 (February-March, 1967) with the "World That Vanished" was reprinted in the Adam Strange Archives Volume #3 of 2008, also quite a few issues shy of the last issue of the Silver Age Hawkman with Hawkman #27 (August-September, 1968), or his continuation title with the Atom, Atom and the Hawkman #45 (October-November, 1969).

Wouldn't you fly high to see more tales of Hawkman reprinted?

Of course, the Hawkman we saw in Legends of Tomorrow was more of the classic, Golden Age Hawkman....and you can find the guide to the Golden Age Hawkman Archive here (with details on the different Hawkgirls and how they fit into Hawkman's lives here); as well as finding the guide to the Golden Age Black Canary Archive here (White Canary being a much more recent invention); with Captain Cold and Heat Wave popping up in Flash Archives (as detailed here).  Sadly, Rip Hunter and Firestorm never got Archives, but new member, Hourman, did have more than a few reprints as well (as detailed here!).

Unlike the Silver Age Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League of America and Adam Strange....no current collections Silver Age material of Atom and Hawkman have been announced (but we can hope!). 

The Many Lives of Hawkgirl

Hawkgirl is one of DC's first heroines, pre-dating Wonder Woman, and she's still relevant today.


But, Hawkgirl has undergone many changes over the decades as well, so, here's a quick little summary of the many lives of Hawkgirl!

Golden Age Hawkgirl

Shiera Sanders had a long history, even before she became Hawkgirl.  Premiering in Flash Comics #1 (January, 1940 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville), Shiera was the reincarnated version of Egyptian priestess, Chay-Ara, who met her eternal love, Prince Khufu in his reincarnated version as Carter Hall.  Shiera ended up being kidnapped by Dr. Anton Hastor, the modern version of the foe of the ancient prince and princess, Hath-Set, which led to Carter becoming Hawkman, using an anti-gravity Nth Metal and ancient weapons to save the girl, and (temporarily) vanquish their foe.

Shiera continued with Carter, eventually donning a costume and wings herself in the Justice Society story of All-Star Comics #5 (June-July, 1941) in a story written by Gardner Fox (but it was more to make villains think she was Hawkman), but Shiera officially became Hawkgirl in Flash Comics #24 (December, 1941 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Sheldon Moldoff)...though, just to add a bit of confusion to this tale, she called herself Hawkwoman in this tale (and this one only).

Shiera continued on working with Hawkman in Flash Comics, and occasionally in All-Star Comics (but not being a member of the JSA team in the original run, unlike Carter, who was), though Hawkgirl did join the World War II team of the All-Star Squadron.  Shiera was mostly retired when the JSA returned at the coaxing of the two Flashes (having married Carter Hall and had their son, Hector, sometime between the end of the JSA and their first revival), but Hawkgirl did go into limbo with the JSA (unlike the newest members of Power Girl and the Star-Spangled Kid) soon after the Crisis on Infinite Earths (and was officially a JSA member when she and the rest of the team came back for a brief time in the 1990s).  Sadly, she and her husband, Carter, didn't make it out of Zero Hour....but did, it's complicated....and that tale requires you to meet the rest of the Hawkgirls and Hawkwomen....   

Silver Age Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman

Shayera Hol was introduced to the world in Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March, 1961 by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert) along with Hawkman as married police officers from the planet Thanagar, looking for fugitive shape-changer Byth, and stayed to learn Earth crime fighting techniques while using her flight, resistance to outer space, technological advances and ancient weapons to fight the new menaces they encountered!

This Hawkgirl also worked with Hawkman exclusively, and even supported his work when he joined the Justice League of America, though it took until Justice League of America #146 (September, 1977) for her to be inducted into the JLA.  Soon after, Hawkman and Hawkgirl got involved in the Rann-Thanagar War (in Showcase #101-103 from June to August, 1978), and that conflict which had the Hawks exiled from their homeworld caused friction between the couple, which also led to Shayera to change her identity from Hawkgirl to Hawkwoman in World's Finest Comics #272 in October, 1981 by Bob Rozakis and Alex Saviuk, though the couple patched things up soon after halting the Rann-Thanagar War (for a time).

The Thanagarians were more blood thirsty after their war, but raged their war as a more silent, shadow war, which kept the Hawks busy during their 17 issue series in the mid-1980s, and up until they faced two other alien threats to Earth, with the Millennium and Invasion! (along with joining the newest version of the Justice League, the Justice League International, after which they pretty much completely disappeared (this, due to an editorial decision at DC, which led to the newest Hawkwoman, and years of confusion for Hawkman fans!).

Hawkworld Hawkwoman

Shayera Thal owes her existence to an accident, and not just the one that killed the original Shayera Thal in Tim Truman's 1989 Hawkworld mini-series (though that wasn't the Silver Age Hawkgirl or  Hawkwoman).  When Hawkworld #1 (June, 1990 by John Ostrander and Graham Nolan) appeared, it was the first appearance of the new Hawkwoman, Shayera Thal (though she was in the mini-series as a civilian, and revealed to be the illegitimate daughter of Chief Wingman Andar Pul), who was a Thanagarian police officer, coming to Earth for the first time, with her single partner, Katar Hol, soon after the events of the Hawkworld mini-series (and yet, after Invasion!), looking for the escaped shape-changer, Byth (who also was coming to Earth for the first time), and using their advanced Thanagarian tech to fight crime (which included flying and blasters).

Being new to Earth, Hawkwoman (and Hawkman) had problems with the local heroes (who had just fought Thanagarian Hawkmen in Invasion!), as well as Earth losing its pair of Hawkmen and a Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman (explained as the original Hawkman and Hawkgirl taking the place of the Silver Age pair up to the Crisis on Infinite Earths, then a Thanagarian double agent taking Hawkman's place, recruiting Earth girl, Sharon, as his Hawkwoman, and his wife....see Hawkworld Annual #1 of 1990 and Hawkworld #23 of May, 1992 for the confusing details, including how the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl seemed to have access to Thanagarian technology).

Be that as it may, Shayera Thal was getting use to life on Earth, and being a hero (and slowly getting to like Katar), and even using crossovers like the War of the Gods to make new friends (like Wonder Woman), though some people, like Eclipso, got in her head (during Eclipso: The Darkness Within).  Hawkman and Hawkwoman even got exiled from their Thanagar, coming to stay on Earth as heroes on their own, getting updated costumes....and were fine on Earth, until Zero Hour: Crisis on Time of 1994, where this new Hawkman, the original Hawkman, and the original Hawkgirl all merged (and all of the original Hawkman's past lives got a lot louder in Hawkman's head).  This also made Hawkman the only possessor of the Thanagarian Nth-metal (which allowed the Hawks to fly), so Shayera was left without her wings (and sadly, mostly abandoned by Hawkman).  Hawkman did finally join the Justice League America, eventually disappearing himself soon after Underworld Unleashed and an encounter with Vandal Savage (who took credit for killing many of the original Hawkman's reincarnated selves).

Hawkwoman did return, after the original Hawkman returned, and Shayera also worked with the new Hawkgirl, at least until a new Rann-Thanagarian War, which spelled the end of Shayera Thal Hawkwoman....

....but, more details of that to follow, as we meet the more current Hawkgirl!

JSA Hawkgirl

Kendra Saunders was a troubled young girl, so much so that she tried to kill herself, and she was almost successful, but then came back as Hawkgirl!  Premiering in JSA Secret Files #1 (August, 1999, by James Robinson, David Goyer and Scott Benefiel), we learn that Kendra was the granddaughter of Speed Saunders (an adventurer who premiered in Detective Comics #1 of March, 1937)...

...and that he saved Kendra (though she did die for a time, and that allowed the soul of Shiera Hall into her body), with Speed realizing what had happened after Kendra awoke in the hospital.  Speed gave her a set of Sheira's old wings, inspiring the young girl to be Hawkgirl.  She soon joined the reforming JSA (which included as members the second Black Canary, Nuklon as Atom-Smasher and the original Flash and Wildcat) as they faced the wizard, Mordru, and continued to distinguish herself as a member of the team, including during the Day of Judgment.

Hawkgirl ended up being taken to Thanagar to face Onimar Synn, who proclaimed himself an eater of souls, who was using the Thanagarian Nth metal to control the population of the planet.  With the help of the current JSA, Hawkgirl frees the people of Thanagar, and helps in the return of the original Hawkman, Carter Hall (who still possesses echos of his previous lives, but not Shiera Hall, nor the Hawkworld Katar Hol, with Carter's return being chronicled in JSA #23 to #25 of 2001 by David Goyer, Geoff Johns, Stephen Sadowski and Michael Bair).  Carter tells Kendra of his and Shiera's eternal love, and keeps trying to convince her they belong together, but Kendra isn't sure, feeling their relationship is more complicated.

The pair move to St. Roch, Louisiana, following a lead on the death of Kendra's parents, and the Hawks settle there for a time (along the way, discovering more about their past lives and each other, like how old West incarnations Nighthawk and Cinnamon, had met in St. Roch, and we learn that Nighthawk was the one who originally killed Jim Craddock, the Gentleman Ghost.....), joining the Justice League of America at this time (in JLA #71 of early October, 2002, with Green Arrow, Atom, Firestorm, Nightwing and others), as well as fighting Helene Astar (who had killed Silver Scarab a.k.a. Hector Hall son of the original Hawkman and Hawkgirl in Infinity, Inc. #42 to #44, and was thought to be the modern reincarnation of Hath-Set, who faced Silver Scarab, and later, the Hawkworld Hawkman in Hawkman #21 and Hawkman Annual #2), and finding Kendra's parents' killer.

Hawkgirl even met the Hawkworld Hawkwoman in Hawkman #14 thru #17 (June to September, 2003), where Shayera learned that the Katar she loved was dead, with Carter, Kendra, Shayera and Animal Man capturing shape-changer Byth who was loose on Earth again, and then Kendra encountered Shayera again during he Rann-Thanagar War 6 issue mini-series of 2005, where Hawkwoman sadly lost her life, just before the Infinite Crisis, with Kendra and Carter, for a time accepting one another.

After the Infinite Crisis, Kendra does what no Hawkgirl before her ever did, getting her own title!  Running from Hawkgirl #50 (May, 2006, taking over the numbering of the Hawkman series), and lasting until Hawkgirl #66 (September, 2007), with Hawkgirl finally dealing with Hath-Set, and settling if it was Shiera Hall or Kendra Saunders in charge, letting Kendra be in control of her own life going forward.


Kendra continued onward as Hawkgirl..

....at least until the Blackest Night event, where she perished in Blackest Night #1 (September, 2009)...

...but continued to menace the world as an undead Black Lantern through the rest of that eight issue series.

The Original Hawkgirl Returns

All of this history led to the return of the original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders-Hall, in Brightest Day #1 (Early July 2010), finally reunited with her Hawkman, Carter Hall, where they continued to fight for us all, facing off with Hath-Set one last time, as well as Chay-Ara's mother (Queen of Thanagar Khea Taramka, also known as Queen Shrike) and learned how Thanagar had been an influence in the original ancient Egyptian life of Khufu and Chay-Ara, until the DC Universe got a reset with Flashpoint, and we eventually got a new Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman in the New 52.

Hawkgirl is a great example of reincarnation and karma..

...truly showing what goes around, comes around, and how true love can be eternal!