Hero Profile: Hawkman

I’ve mentioned this a few times, but DC Comics have a rather confusing canon. The various reboots that they have had has led to multiple iterations of the same characters. They may have similar names, and looks, but their stories can vary vastly. One such instance was with Hawkman and Hawkgirl. In Hawkgirl’s Hero Profile, I covered the silver age story, where the Hawks are members of an alien race known as the Thanagarians. They get stranded on Earth and use their alien biology and weaponry to be superheroes. A pretty standard story, but it’s not the original. The Golden Age tale of Hawkman and Hawkgirl was much… stranger. Let’s get to it.

I wonder if it's hard to see around the beak.

Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s story began centuries ago in ancient Egypt. This is going to be weird. In this era, the man that would be Hawkman was known as Prince Khufu. He was a fair and just ruler, beloved by the people and all that jazz. Example of his greatness? He was served by Ancient Egypt’s version of Superman, Teth-Adam. Mighty Adam, in English. Things were good under Khufu’s rule. And then an alien ship crash landed. That’s when the trouble started. Khufu, Teth-Adam and a wizard named Nabu investigated the ship, and found the crew dead or dying. The aliens were Thanagarians, and one lived long enough to whisper “Nth Metal” before dying. Teth-Adam flew the ship back to Khufu’s palace, where they fiddled with the alien tech. They learned that the Nth Metal had many usual properties, such as negating the effects of gravity, and giving the wielder enhanced strength. They made several creations, including a scarab that let Khufu fly, an impressive looking, knife, and a battle glove. Khufu also made some gifts for his wife, Chay-Ara. The metal had an unusual effect on the two, imprinting them with the knowledge of Thanagar, and binding their “souls” together. Things probably would have gone pretty well, if it wasn’t for the priest Hath-Set. Set was a cruel and vengeful priest, and wished to rule Egypt. He stole the impressive knife, kidnapped Khufu and Chay-Ara, and killed them with the knife.

Then the weirdness happened. Because of their exposure to the Nth Metal, Khufu and Chay-Ara souls are forced to reincarnate each time they died, meet in their next life, fall in love, just to die again at the hands of the reincarnated Hath-Set. Khufu, Chay-Ara, and Hath-Set are reincarnated many times across the ages. They were knight and a lady in 5^th century Europe, a blacksmith family in the 14^th century, he was John smith in Colonial Virginia, gunslingers in the Old West, and detectives in the early 1900s. It’s why I like the idea of reincarnation, leads to a lot of interesting stories. In the modern era, Khufu is Carter Hall, an Egyptian Archeologist. He uncovers many artifacts from Khufu’s time, including the knife that killed him ages ago. This knife triggered Carter to recall his past life, and learns that an evil scientist named Dr. Anton Hastor is the reincarnation of Hath-Set. Carter uses the Nth metal he found to create a gravity defying belt, fashions a costume, and goes to get vengeance on Hastor. Hastor, in the meantime, has also relearned about his past, kidnapped a bunch of scientists, and built a giant fly fortress. He also kidnapped another archeologist, Shiera Sanders, who was the reincarnation of Chay-Ara. What are the odds? Carter is able to defeat Hastor, save Shiera, and the two become major heroes. The Hawks become founding members of the Justice Society of America. Since then, they’ve helped shape several generations of superheroes, battled great cosmic forces, jumped across time and space, died and been revived several dozen times. Who knew that this life would be different than all the others combined?

I can't take him seriously in that mask.

Carter Hall derives his powers from the Nth metal that makes up his equipment. He uses a few ancient artifacts to create a harness, belt, boots, and giant wings made from the stuff. These items allow Carter to defy gravity, they also enhance his strength, eyesight, healing abilities, and also helps him regulate his body temperature. Why is that last one important? Because it’s what lets him fly at high speeds and altitudes without freezing to death. He also has knowledge of all of his past lives, which gives him proficient in a number of weapons, fighting styles, cultures, and languages. It must help to be an archeologist with knowledge of the ancient past. Must make finding dig sites really easy.

Carter Hall has appeared in a few series outside the comics. He and Shiera haven’t had their own standalone series, but they’ve been regulars on a couple of shows.

He was portrayed by Michael Shanks in the final two seasons of Smallville. He’s introduce in the two-hour TV special, “Absolute Justice.” He was the leader of the Justice Society of America back in the 1960s, before the team was dismantled by a distrustful US Government. In the 2000s, Carter spends most of his time in the JSA’s old headquarters, looking after the mentally damaged Dr. Fate. He’s initially distrustful of the modern heroes like Green Arrow, Cyborg, and the young Superman. They’re forced to work together, as the villainous Icicle Jr. murders former members of the JSA. After defeating Icicle, Carter is something of a mentor to various characters. He’s ultimately killed in the episode “Icarus.” In it, tensions between vigilante superheroes and the rests of the world boil over. Clark Kent orders the other heroes underground until things blow over. The evil General Wilson is obsessed with capturing “The Blur,” Clark’s current hero alias, and brings in his friends for questioning. Hawkman flies in to save Lois, but is killed when his wings are set ablaze. Wilson makes a pretty sick joke about it, the operation to get the heroes was called Icarus, and it ultimately ended with a winged man falling to earth. As payback for Carter, Clark banishes Wilson to the Phantom Zone. Don’t mess with Superman’s friends. He’s taken to Egypt and buried beside his wife.

Newest look. Four stars.

He has a minor role in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. He’s chosen alongside Shazam to protect a special government instillation for President Lex Luthor. The two pair off and take on one hero each. Shazam goes against Superman, and Hawkman takes on Batman. Shazam is Superman’s physical match, and his magic abilities give him an edge over Superman, and Hawkman’s close to Batman’s intellectual equal, and his superstrength and flight gives him an edge. On paper at least. The heroes are able to overpower them, and steal their costumes to get up close to the corrupt president.

We see Carter in the DC Animated Universe a handful of times. He's introduce in "Shadow of the Hawk." In it, he's an archaeologist that discovered Thanagarian technology in a Egyptian Tomb. He was hit with a memory recording device, mixing his thoughts with the ancient Thanagarians that crash landed there. He creates a costume, finds Shiera, and tries to convince her that they were lovers in a past life. They're attacked and nearly killed by a creature called the Shadow Thief. They escape the tomb, and Shiera does her best to let him down gently. The final moments of the episode shows two mummies holding hands, implying that Carter might not be completely nuts. He returns in "Ancient History," where the Shadow Thief kidnaps him, Shiera, and GL John Stewart. It shows them a vision of their past together, Carter and Shiera as Khufu and Chay-Ara, and John as a royal adviser. Love triangle ensues, which ends with them all dying. Shadow Thief is revealed to be a fragment of Carter's mind, released when he got his mind scrambled. Carter reabsorbs Shadow Thief, and leaves. He's a background character in the series finale, fighting the forces of Darkseid along side the other heroes. 

Carter has appeared as part of the CW-DC Universe. He’s part of the crossover episode between Arrow and The Flash. He arrives in the Flash’s Central City to protect the current incarnation of Chay-Ara from their age old nemesis. Not Hath-Set in this Universe, but Vandal Savage. He kidnaps Chay-Ara, called Kendra in this lifetime, and tries to force her to remember her past. He has to fight the Flash and Green Arrow to do so, but is overpowered. They form an alliance, and work together to keep Kendra safe, and stop Savage. Savage is destroyed by the Flash and Arrow, and Kendra leaves with Carter to learn about her new found bird powers. They both appear in the spin off series Legends of Tomorrow.

He’s a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. I only mention it because of the pretty funny cut scenes involving him. At the start of the game, Hawkman is kidnapped by Lex Luthor and his cronies. They keep Hawkman in a bird cage in the sewers, and dress Luthor in his costume. They occasionally cut back to Hawkman trapped in throughout the game. His best line is towards the end, when he begrudgingly sighs and says, “I hope someone calls my wife.” It’s a silly, but fun game. Give it a shot.

Overall, Carter is an interesting character. He’s one of the oldest of the DC Heroes, and has had a lot of iterations. His origins as an eternally cursed Egyptian Prince is rather strange, but also very unique. He’s a founding member of one of the original super teams, and has mentored several heroes.  Plus, how many heroes swing an oversize mace at folks. Other than his wife. I’ve enjoyed him in the series that he’s appeared in, and I hope to enjoy him when I finally sit down and watch Heroes of Tomorrow. He’s the high flying, mace wielding, forever reincarnating hero of ancient Egypt, the Hawkman. Next time, we’ll end the theme week with the mother of all birds, the Phoenix Force. 

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