A Guide Through the History of Hawkman and Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl (In Progress)

   Hawkman and Hawkgirl are two of the most iconic characters in American comics history. In the 80+ years since their first appearances, there have been over 600 comics that featured one or both heroes. They have also been a part of many superhero teams and numerous crisis/crossover events that DC Comics has specialized in over the last few decades. They have been through many reboots, rewrites, and restarts. For a new comic book reader, it's natural not to know where to start with a character that has been around for 80+ years. That's where I come in! I have been a Hawk fan since 1977 when I discovered Hawkman on the back of an out-of-date 1976 DC Calendar. I have followed the twists, turns, flips, and flops over the years to keep it in order. This article is to help you see the amazing journey that these two characters have been on. I'll post a link to the list of comic books that they have a prominent role in, so if you want to look for something and the dates, you'll probably find it there. Enjoy the journey! 

Link: Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman Comics Lists 

Cover/Center page by Bryan Hitch / Art on right by Fernando Pasarin

The Origin of Hawkman and Hawkwoman
   Before we start with the first appearance of the Hawks in 1939, I want to explain the origin that was revealed in the latest Hawkman series by Robert Venditti. This origin is vital because it helps us understand the story of the Hawks as we go through their history. The true origins of Hawkman and Hawkwoman are revealed in Hawkman Vol. V No. 7 and No. 25. 
At the beginning (beginning of man), Ktar (Hawkman) was created by an evil entity called the Lord of the Void to conquer planets and sacrifice lives to his lord. He was the general of the Deathbringers, an army of winged soldiers and giant robots that killed and destroyed as they went. They conquered many planets; Thanagar, Earth, Rann, Krypton, Qward, Starhaven, and countless others. Ktar and his army murdered billions and billions of people as a sacrifice to his lord. But then two things happened. First, Ktar suddenly began to question his existence and why he was endlessly killing innocent lives. Although he had been created to serve his lord, he was starting to question it. Second, a red-haired woman named Shrra (her name is revealed in Hawkman No. 22) mysteriously began to appear before Ktar on each planet. Her presence was what pushed Ktar away from the control of his master and made him realize that the killing must be stopped. In issue No. 25, it is revealed that Shrra (Hawkwoman) was a herald angel who served a being that appears to be God. She saw something good in Ktar and interfered with God's plans by helping Ktar defeat the Deathbringers and send them into another dimension, preventing the Lord of the Void from entering their universe and destroying it. 

Art: Bryan Hitch / Writer: Robert Venditti

   During the battle with the Deathbringers, Ktar was mortally wounded. With Shrra at his side and holding his hand, he died and awoke to find himself standing in a vast field of skulls, all his victims. A god-like entity (identity is never revealed) appeared before him and said that he had sensed something good in Ktar, so he gave him a choice; pass into the unlife or receive the power of reincarnation. He would live to save lives and he would continue to reincarnate until he had saved as many lives as he had taken, no matter how long it took. Ktar accepted the power and his cycle of reincarnation began. 
Note: writer Robert Venditti has mentioned in interviews that he thought of Ktar as a "reverse-Lucifer," Instead of being made to serve God and then turn evil, Ktar was created to serve a demon-god but rebelled and turned good. 

Art: Marco Castiello / Writer: Robert Venditti 

   Hawkwoman appears in the Hawkman Vol. V series in issue No. 18 and her true origin is finally revealed in issue No. 25. Shrra was a herald of God and she had been assigned to watch over Ktar so that he would not interfere with God's plans. However, Shrra saw something good in Ktar and helped him find the will to go against the Lord of the Void and defeat the Deathbringers. As punishment for disobeying God, she was stripped of her wings and turned into a mortal. She was also condemned to follow Ktar through reincarnation, dying over and over again, until he atoned for all the death he had caused. Shrra vowed to complete the task with Ktar and stand before her God once again. This is how the reincarnation cycle of Hawkman and Hawkwoman began. 

The Ocean Theory and Memory Triggers

   Over the years, there have been times when there were two different versions of Hawkman in the same story. There have also been times when there were new revelations about his past lives, or Hawkman never made any reference at all to his past lives. How can this be? Why wouldn't he remember? How could there be two Hawkmen talking to each other? There are two theories to keep in mind as we read Hawkman's stories. 

Hawkman Vol. V No. 5 (2018)

   In Hawkman Vol. V No. 5 (2018), Atom (Ray Palmer) explains how Hawkman is able to visit with his past selves. Instead of the river theory, where time flows in only one direction, Atom describes the Ocean Theory. Basically, each life is on the surface of the ocean and an event or trip back in time can cause ripples in the water so that the two lives interact with each other. This theory would explain how the Golden Age Hawkman and Silver Age Hawkman met each other during the JSA/JLA crossovers. Atom even says that Hawkman's lives may not have happened in chronological order. Let that bend your mind. 

Hawkman Vol. V No. 5 (2018)

   Atom also describes how Hawkman has left behind a part of his consciousness in each life which explains why he can't remember some of his lives. An item or a place would act as a memory trigger and help him remember a past life. We saw this happen in the very first story of Hawkman in Flash Comics No. 1 (1940) when Carter Hall remembers his past life as Prince Khufu when he comes into contact with a Nth metal knife.
   With these two theories in mind, let's go through the histories of Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman. There have been six main stages of the Hawks over the years. 
Note: In the article, I have placed links to the comics where certain events happened. The link logo is (*). Clicking on the (*) link will take you to the issue the event happened in. 

Carter Hall I and Shiera Sanders I: The Golden Age

First Appearance: Flash Comics (January 1940)
Origin: Prince Khufu and Chay-ara of Ancient Egypt

Base: Earth-2, New York City, Chicago

Team: Justice Society of America, All-Star Squadron

Sandy Jarrell

   Carter Hall was a wealthy artifacts collector and research scientist in New York City. An archaeologist sent him a package that contained an Nth metal knife which caused Carter to fall into a deep sleep. He dreamt about his past life as an Egyptian prince named Prince Khufu. Through the dream, he remembered his past, his eternal love for Chay-ara, and his death by Hath-Set. Carter Hall awoke from his dream and realized the power of the Nth metal. He believed that the Nth metal had given him the power to reincarnate and that it connected him and Chay-ara to Hath-set forever. During a subway disaster, he was reunited with Shiera Sanders, the reincarnation of Chay-ara. He also discovered that Hath-Set (now Anton Hastor) was behind the disaster. He designed a costume after the god Horus and used the Nth metal to fly. After defeating Hastor, Carter went on to develop many weapons with the Nth metal. Shiera also joined his side as Hawkgirl.(*) Carter was a charter member of the Justice Society of America and served as its chairman for over eight years. In a retrospective series, Carter and Shiera were also members of the All-Star Squadron.

   Carter and Shiera were soon engaged and later married (never shown in the comics). During World War II,  Carter joined the U.S. Air Force and served as a pilot while Shiera joined the Nurses Corp. It was also revealed that Shiera had inherited a fortune and owned a mansion where Carter and Shiera sometimes used to enjoy their time off together. (!) During a fight with the villain Ian Karkull, Carter and Shiera as well as the other members of the Justice Society were blasted by a strange energy that slowed down their aging process, keeping them young until the end of the 20th century. (*) Hawkman and Hawkgirl continued their adventures until 1951 when they were forced into retirement when the Joint Un-American Activities Committee ordered them to reveal their true identities.(*) 
   Carter and Shiera had one son, Hector. Hector joined the Infinity Inc. as the Silver Scarab, but he later adopted the identities of Sandman and Doctor Fate as well. He married Lyta Trevor, the daughter of the Golden Age Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. They had a son named Daniel, who is now the Dream of the Endless in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. (*) Carter and Shiera also had a godson named Norda Cantrell. He was a Human-Feitheran boy who was living with the Feitherans, a bird-like people in Iceland that the Halls visited often. Norda would eventually become Northwind. Shiera was also the cousin of Speed Sanders, the Golden Age adventurer. (*)

Mike Machlan / Mike Machlan / Greg Capullo

   After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Carter and Shiera found themselves on a new Earth. Soon afterward, they were transported to Ragnarok with the other Justice Society members. They would remain there in an endless battle until 1992. (*) In 1992, they were finally able to escape and return to Earth during the Armageddon Inferno event. (*) Soon after, they met Katar Hol II and Shayera Thal of Thanagar in a brief battle. They would meet again in 1994 during the Zero Hour Crisis in Time. () During this event, Carter, Shiera, Katar Hol II, and a Hawk god were merged together. This formed a new Katar Hol but Shiera was killed in the process, while only Carter's consciousness remained in Katar. Carter and Shiera's story was not finished, but this ended the continuity of the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

Dan Jurgens

Important Moments:

1940: First appearance of a mace
1940: Poseidon gives Hawkman the power to breathe underwater
1940: Hawkman joins the Justice Society
1940: Hawkman becomes the chairman of the Justice Society
1941: Shiera becomes Hawkgirl for the first time
1941: Hawkman learns the bird language
1945: First appearance of The Monocle
1946: First appearance of the Feitherans
1947: First appearance of The Gentleman Ghost
1948: Hawkman wears the Yellow Cowl for the first time
1963: First Justice League-Justice Society crossover
1976: Justice Society returns in All-Star Comics
1978: First appearance of Hawkman's metallic helmet designed by Shiera
1981: Carter helps start the All-Star Squadron 
1982: Shiera joins the All-Star Squadron 
1986: Carter, Shiera, and the Justice Society trapped in a never-ending Ragnarok
1992: Carter and Shiera return from Asgard
1994: Carter is merged with Katar Hol II and a Hawk god, Shiera is killed 

Comics series to find Carter Hall I and Shiera Hall I
Flash Comics 1940-1949
All-Star Comics 1940-1951
The Big All-American Comic Book 1944
JSA/JLA Crossover 1962-1986
All-Star Comics 1976-1978
Adventure Comics #461-466, 1978-1979
All-Star Squadron 1981-1987
Infinity Inc. 1984-1988
America vs. the Justice Society of America 1985
Last Days of the Justice Society of America 1986
Justice Society of America 1991
Armageddon Inferno 1992
Justice Society of America 1992
Sensation Comics 1999
Thrilling Comics 1999
All-Star Comics 80-page Giant 1999
JSA Strange Adventures 2004-2005
Convergence Justice Society of America 2015

Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I: The Silver-Bronze Ages 

First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #34 (February-March 1961)
Origin: Katar Hol and Shayera Hol of Thanagar

Base: Earth-One (also known as Earth-1985), Midway City

Team: Justice League of America

   Katar Hol was born on the planet Thanagar, a utopian-like planet that had not seen any crime for centuries. His father was Paran Katar, a leading scientist and ornithologist. Nth metal gave them the power to negate gravity, so Paran invented wings to be able to fly with more speed and agility. When Katar was 18 years old, the planet was attacked by Man-Hawks, giant Hawk creatures with masks. Patar devised a helmet to help Katar and others defeat them, and this led to the creation of the winged forces of Thanagar. (*) A few years later, Katar was an officer on the winged police force, and he was paired up with a rookie officer named Shayera. They gradually fell in love and Katar proposed to her in front of the Veil of Vallmora, a giant waterfall on Thanagar. (*)

   A few years later, a criminal named Byth escaped to Earth, and Katar and Shayera, who were now married, were assigned to capture him and bring him back. During their trip to Earth, they used the Absorbascon to learn Earth's culture, languages, and history. Byth was a shapeshifter so Katar figured it would take them a long time to capture him. With the help of Midway police commissioner George Emmett, they went undercover as Carter and Shiera Hall, museum curators for the Midway City Museum. They eventually captured Byth, but Katar was impressed by Earth's police force, so he decided to stay and learn more about their police methods. (*)
   They eventually caught the attention of the Justice League and Hawkman joined them in 1964 (*), but Hawkgirl was not invited until 1977 because of their similar powers. (*)

Justice League of America #31 (November 1964)

   In 1974, Hawkman and Hawkgirl were called back to Thanagar and Katar resigned from the Justice League. (*) After they returned, Thanagar was hit by the Equalizer Plague, a disease that stole everyone's individuality. Hawkman and Hawkgirl eventually got help from the other Justice League members to be cured of the disease and returned to Earth. (*) In 1978, they were caught up in a war between Thanagar and Rann. During the war, they discovered that the villain Hyathis had cured the Thanagarians of the Equalizer disease but had also become their ruler. During the battle, Hawkman saved Hyathis' life and ended the war. Hawkman refused to accept her as his ruler and the Hawks were banished from Thanagar. They settled on Earth permanently. (*)

Justice League of America #109 (Jan-Feb 1974)

   In 1982, Hawkman enlisted the help of Superman and Batman to finally overthrow Hyanthis (Hyathis). The Thanagarians wanted Katar to take her place, but they wanted a dictatorship, so Katar refused the offer and returned to Earth. (*) Thanagar lost most of their science and technology during the Equalizer plague, so a group of Thanagarian spies came to Earth to steal the Thanagarian technology that Katar and Shayera had brought with them. This started the Shadow War of Hawkman and eventually led to the ruling council of Thanagar being overthrown again. The people of Thanagar once again asked Katar to be their ruler. Katar refused and left Thanagar for good. (*)

   At the same time, the Crisis of Infinite Earths threw everything into chaos. Katar and Shayera were on Earth-One (later retconned as Earth-1985). They discovered about the coming Crisis (and the Convergence event). After stopping the enemies from destroying Gotham, they saw the apparent end of all things and flew up to meet it. This ended the story of Hawkman and Hawkwoman of the Silver-Bronze Age (1961-1987). (*)

Convergence Hawkman #2 (July 2015)

   This version of Hawkman and Hawkwoman is considered the most difficult to fit into DC continuity mainly because of two events: the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985) and Hawkworld (1989-1993). The Crisis on Infinite Earths was published after The Shadow War of Hawkman and the Hawkman Special had been written. After CoIE, Hawkman Vol. 2 was released. Writer Tony Isabella has said that he wrote this as a stand-alone, with CoIE having no effect on the story. 
   Then in 1989, the Hawkworld series by Tim Truman was released. It was meant to be a darker, retro retelling of the Silver-Bronze Age Hawkman. The 3-issue series was a hit, so Hawkworld Vol. 2 started in 1990. But instead of being placed in the 1960s when the Silver Age Hawkman began, it was placed in current times. So now we had two Hawkmen from Thanagar. Since then, DC Comics has done four things to make it fit. (sorta)

Doomsday Clock #12 (February 2020)

1. The Golden Age Hawkman (Carter Hall I) and the Silver-Bronze age Hawkman were the same guy. He came out of retirement in the 60s to serve as an adviser for the Justice League. Paran Katar came to Earth in the 1930s and met Carter Hall I. Paran showed Carter how to use the Nth metal, and Carter inspired Paran to create the winged police force after returning to Thanagar. Paran also married a Cherokee Indian woman named Naomi and took her back to Thanagar with him, where she gave birth to Katar Hol II (the Hawkman of the Hawkworld series). (Source: Hawkman Vol. 2 Annual #1, 1990)

2. The Hawkman and Hawkwoman who appeared on Earth between 1987 and 1992 were revealed to be Fel Andar, a Thanagarian spy, and Sharon Parker, an Earth woman who Andar brainwashed into believing they were the true Hawks. She was also the mother of New Earth's Golden Eagle. She discovered the truth and was murdered by Andar, but not before she revealed everything to the Martian Manhunter and Amanda Waller. (Source: Hawkworld Vol. 2 #23, 1992) 

3. Parts of Hawkman Vol. 2 now overlapped with the Fel Andar story, so Hawkman from the Vol. 2 series was placed on Earth-85, a non-continuity Earth. 

4. In the Doomsday Clock series, Earth-One which appeared during the Silver-Bronze age is now called Earth-1985, another reboot. (Source: Doomsday Clock #12, 2020)

Note: My own interpretation is that Earth-One (Earth-1985), Earth-85, and Convergence Hawkmen are one character. It's also good to remember that all of the Hawkmen and Hawkwomen are connected through the reincarnation cycle of Ktar the Deathbringer and Shrra the Herald. 

Important Moments:

1961: First appearance of Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I (*)

1961: First appearances of Byth, Commissioner Emmett, Mavis Trent (*)

1961: First appearances of the Matter Master, Shadow Thief (*) (*)

1961: First appearance of the Absorbascon (*)

1962: Katar earns his Honor Wings (*)

1962: First appearance of the Man-Hawks (*)

1963: First meeting with Atom (Ray Palmer) (*)

1963: First meeting with Adam Strange (*)

1963: First appearance of I.Q. (*)

1964: Hawkman joins the Justice League (*)

1965: Carter Hall I and Katar Hol I in the same issue for the first time. (Don't meet!) (*)

1967: First appearance of Lion-Mane (*)

1974: Hawkman resigns from the Justice League (*)

1974: First appearance of the Golden Eagle (*)

1975: Equalizer plague hits Thanagar (*)

1975: Hawkman rejoins the Justice League (*)

1977: Hawkgirl joins the Justice League (*)

1978: Hyathis cures the Equalizer disease and becomes the ruler of Thanagar (*)

1978: Hyathis banishes Hawkman and Hawkgirl from Thanagar (*)

1979: Hawkman fights Superman with his Polaris Punch (*)

1979: Carter Hall I and Katar Hol I on the same cover for the first time (*)

1981: Hawkgirl saves Superman (*)

1981: Hawkgirl changes name to Hawkwoman (*)

1982: Hawkman, Superman, and Batman overthrow Hyanthis (*)

1986: First appearance of Deron Ved (Darkwing) (*)

1987: Thanagarians ask Katar Hol I to rule them but he refuses (*)

1987: First appearance of Hawk imposters Fel Andar and Sharon Parker (*)

2015: Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I disappear with the apparent destruction of their universe (*) 

Comics series to find Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I:
The Brave and the Bold (1961-1982)
Mystery in Space #87-90 (1963-1964)
Hawkman Vol. 1 (1964-1968)
Justice League of America (1964-1984)
The Atom and Hawkman (1968-1969)
Detective Comics (1972-1981)
Showcase #101-103 (1978)
World's Finest Comics (1979-1982)
The Shadow War of Hawkman (1985)
Hawkman Special (1986)
Hawkman Vol. 2 (1986-1987)
Convergence Hawkman (2015)

Katar Hol II and Shayera Thal I: The Modern Age 

First Appearance: Hawkworld Vol. 1 #1 (August 1989)
Origin: Katar Hol and Shayera Thal
Base: Thanagar, city of Thalrassa
Team: Justice League America

 Many centuries ago, the Thanagarians were enslaved by the Polara empire. One slave named Kalmoran rose up against the oppressors and led his fellow Thanagarians in a revolt. They eventually overthrew their rulers and returned to their homeworld of Thanagar. Kalmoran became their ruler and built great cities. Thanagar eventually became an imperialistic society and began conquering many worlds in the Polaris Galaxy. (*)

   In the early 20th century, a young scientist named Paran Katar traveled to Earth to scout the planet. While there, he met Carter and Shiera Hall, before they became the superheroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl. They had discovered the Nth metal from an archaeological site in Egypt but they were not sure how to use it. Paran showed Carter the powers it gave the wearer. (*) During this time with the Halls, Paran met one of their translators; a Cherokee woman named Naomi. They fell in love and were married. After a short while, Paran returned to Thanagar, taking Naomi with him. Paran went on to be a great scientist, using the Nth Metal to build the floating cities. Naomi hated life on Thanagar and when she became pregnant, she decided she would return to Earth with her child. Several months later, Naomi gave birth to a son and named him Katar after the Thanagarian tradition of giving the son the last name of the father. Paran refused to let Naomi take his son and he sent her back to Earth alone, and she was cut off from her son completely. (*)

From Hawkman Vol. 3 No. 6 (February 1994)

   On Thanagar, the winged forces were commanded by Commissioner Andar Pul. He became involved with a 13-year-old girl named Shayera Thal, the daughter of Thal Provis, the Administrator of Thanagar. Shayera became pregnant and gave birth to a girl. It would have been a huge scandal if the public found out, so Andar and Shayera abandoned their daughter in the Downside, the slum cities on the ground that were overrun by criminals and aliens who had been captured and brought in from other planets. (*) 

Hawkworld Vol. 2  No. 11 (May 1991)

   Katar grew up idolizing Kalmoran and desired for the authentic culture of Thanagar to be restored. He joined the wingmen police force and during his first mission in the Downside, he rescued a group of children from an arms smuggler. Drugs were rampant among those who lived in the floating cities, and Katar was no exception. At a party after his first mission, he was introduced to Thal Provis’ daughter, Shayera. She was a selfish, arrogant, and cruel woman who looked at the other aliens as worthless slaves. However, Paran and Thal hoped for Katar and Shayera to get together. While the two were getting to know each other, Shayera was killed by a terrorist bombing. In trying to track down the killers, Katar mistakenly shot and killed Paran, his own father. It was revealed later that Byth, the commander of the wingmen, had set Katar up because he hated how Paran was always trying to help the aliens in the Downside and interfere with his smuggling operations. Katar was charged with the murder and sent to the penal island called the “Isle of Chance.” He would remain there for 10 years.

Hawkworld Vol. 1 No. 2 (September 1991)

   When Katar first arrived there, he noticed there were two aliens called Wingors living there. He discovered that one of them was building a set of wings. In a drug-addled state, Katar murdered the alien to take the wings for himself and escape the island, but the other alien revealed to him that his brother had been building the wings for Katar all along, as they already had organic wings on their back. The Wingor was a holy man named R’D Nar T’So and he became Katar’s teacher and mentor. Katar slowly recovered from his drug addiction, and he became skilled in the combat forms that T’So taught him. After a few years, T’So died, leaving Katar all alone on the island.

   It was not long after, however, when he was finally released from the island. He was dropped off in the Downside, where he soon started an underground operation to help the aliens who were suffering under Thanagar’s rule. His operation eventually caught the attention of a winged officer named Shayera Thal.

Hawkworld Vol. 1 No. 3 (October 1989)

   Shayera Thal had been abandoned by her parents in the Downside but when she was still young, she was one of the children who was rescued by the police force during Katar’s first mission. She was taken to an orphanage in the high towers, but after her mother was killed in the terrorist bombing, her grandfather Thal Provis came looking for her. He gave her her mother’s name and raised her himself, but she had no knowledge of who her real parents were until much later. When she became of age, she joined the police force and soon became aware of Katar’s underground activities and suspected he was smuggling drugs and weapons.
   The two met for the first time when Shayera confronted Katar about his operation. She soon realized that Katar was working to help the sick and helpless aliens. Shayera discovered who Katar was and she revealed to him that she was one of the kids he saved during his first mission. Shayera gave a pair of wings to Katar so that he could finally confront Byth. After a massive battle, Byth was defeated but escaped to Earth. Katar was celebrated as a hero on Thanagar and returned to the wingmen with Shayera as his partner. They were given the task of capturing Byth and bringing him back to Thanagar. 

Hawkworld Vol. 1 No. 3 (October 1989)

   After they arrived on Earth, they settled in Chicago where the Thanagarian ambassador to Earth was based. They joined Chicago’s police force and began to learn about America and its laws and customs. Katar was especially shocked by the Constitution of the United States. He wondered at how such a fragile system with lofty ideals could survive. A short time after they were there, they discovered the history of the Golden Age Hawkman and their connection to Paran Katar (see the Golden Age Hawkman/Carter Hall’s story). (*) Katar realized he was half-human. They gradually rebelled against the Thanagarian government, so Andar Pol (Shayera’s father) sent Fel Andar (Shayera’s cousin) to kill them but they defeated him and sent him back to Thanagar. Finally expressing their love for one other, Katar and Shayera wanted asylum on Earth, but the American government made a deal with Thanagar and ordered them to be arrested and sent back to Thanagar. Now fugitives, Katar and Shayera escaped into the Netherworld, a district in Chicago that was run by metahumans, psychics, and castoffs.

Hawkworld Vol. 2 No. 4 (September 1990)

   In Netherworld, they ran into the Count Viper, a villain with the ability to swap bodies with others. During a battle with the Count, Shayera appeared to have been killed and Katar was badly wounded. Carter Hall I came to Katar’s aid and took him to Naomi, Katar’s true mother. (*)

   

   Seven months later, Katar reappeared in a new costume with a deeper connection to animal avatars. After defeating Count Viper, he was reunited with Shayera, but he began to struggle more and more with dreams of a Hawkgod, and the true nature of the being was revealed.

Hawkman Vol. 3 No. 6 (February 1994)

   According to Thanagarian theology, the beginning of Thanagar came from 14 gods; seven brothers and seven sisters who created Thanagar and the entire universe. Many millennia passed in harmony but the brothers and sisters began to fight and despise one another. After many centuries of war, they split into two groups, the seven virtuous beings chose realms of light and the seven sinful beings chose realms of darkness. The Thanagarians believed this to be heaven and hell, but Paran Katar believed them to be different dimensions that were held apart by time and energy. He also discovered that one of the virtuous beings, a Hawkgod, had been captured and chained in one of the dark realms, so Paran found a way to defy the laws of physics and make this Hawkgod the source of Nth metal’s anti-gravity power. (*) 

Hawkman Vol. 3 No. 12 (August 1994)

   About the time when the Zero Hour: Crisis in Time event started in 1994, everything started to get distorted. Disruptions in time began to be more frequent, and these disruptions caused the chained Hawkgod to start to gain back control. Anyone who wore the Nth metal was plagued by dreams and visions of the Hawkgod, as it started trying to use them to help him break free. Naomi buried Shayera’s wings and gravity belt in a pit as a ritual to appease the Hawkgod and save Katar and Shayera, but this gave the Hawkgod the power to finally break free and enter this realm. Katar used the full power of the Nth metal to draw the Hawkgod to him and the two begin to battle. During the battle, Carter Hall I and Shiera Sanders appeared with the Waverider who had discovered that some of the disruptions in time were being caused by the reincarnations of the Hawks over the centuries. Carter and Shiera joined Katar in the battle with the Hawkgod, as all the past forms of the Hawks were being pulled into one. As instructed by Katar, Mongrel, a mutant from the Netherworld with darkforce energy, blasted Katar, Carter, Shiera, and the Hawkgod to completely release it from its imprisonment. (*) (*) 

Zero Hour: Crisis in Time No. 3 (September 1994)

   This had several consequences. The Hawkgod passed through Katar, Carter, and Shiera and returned to its own Hawk realm. Carter and Shiera were apparently killed, but with Carter’s consciousness being merged with Katar. Katar became a new version of Hawkman. He no longer needed metal wings but he had organic wings that grew out of his back as he needed them, and he also had the eyesight of a hawk which gave him the ability to read people’s auras.

   Right after the Hawks were merged, Katar discovered that he was the sole beneficiary of Carter and Shiera Hall’s penthouse in the center of Chicago. He used this as his base for the remainder of the series. But gradually, Katar’s ability to read other avatars drove him insane. In order to keep himself from killing others and to avoid going mad, Katar had the Martian Manhunter and Arion use their powers to send him to the Hawk realm. This essentially killed Katar Hol II. (*)

Hawkman Vol. 3 No. 33 (July 1996)

   As for Shayera, her relationship with Katar started to break down before Zero Hour. Katar became increasingly distant and unresponsive to Shayera. After he became a new Hawkman, he completely shunned her and she left Chicago. She moved to Detroit and joined the police force. She occasionally returned to Chicago but felt like she was just in his way. However, right before Katar was sent into the Hawk realm, they expressed their love for each other once again. (*) Shayera returned to Detroit and worked there as a police officer until 2004 when Thanagar contacted her to go to Chicago to recapture Byth. She got her wings back and appeared before Carter Hall II and Kendra Saunders I. (*) After capturing Byth, Shayera left Earth for good and returned to Thanagar. She joined the Thanagarian Army and fought with Carter and Kendra in the Rann-Thanagar War. During the war, she was betrayed by Blackfire (Komand’r) and died in the arms of Carter. Captain Comet sent her body into the Polaris sun, the traditional final resting place of Thanagarian heroes. And so ended the life of one of the most tragic heroes in DC Comics. (*) 

Rann-Thanagar War No. 5 (November 2005) 

Note: As mentioned in Part 3, Hawkworld was originally intended to be a retelling of the Silver Age Hawkman and set in the 1960s, but DC Comics decided to put the story in the current year it came out (1989). This made it necessary to rewrite the Golden Age's Hawkman and Hawkgirl, introduce the imposters Fel Andar and Sharon Parker, and rewrite, reboot, and erase other stories of Hawkman's past. It was not until Geoff Johns and Robert Venditti actively brought in the reincarnation angle as a way to bring it all together in some form that made helped the storylines connect. 

The original Hawkworld series by Tim Truman is one of the greatest comic book series ever by DC Comics and one has to wonder how Hawkman and Hawkwoman's history would have changed if they had set the story in 1961 as originally planned. 

Important Moments:

1989: First appearance of Katar Hol II (*)

1989: First appearance of Shayera Thal (*)

1990: Carter Hall II is revealed to be the Hawkman during the Golden and Silver Age. (*)

1991: Hawkman uses the Katar weapon for the first time. (*)

1992: Fel Andar murders Sharon Parker (*)

1992: Katar Hol II Appears in the Justice League series for the first time. (*) 1993: Naomi Carter appears for the first time. (*)

1994: First appearance of the Hawkgod (*)

1994: Katar Hol II, Carter Hall I and Shiera Sanders are merged (*) (*)

1995: Shayera Thal separates from Katar Hol II and moves to Detroit (*)

1996: Katar Hol II is sent into the Hawk Realm (*)

Comics series to find Katar Hol II and Shayera Thal:

Hawkworld Vol. 1 (1989)
Hawkworld Vol. 2 (1990-1993)
Hawkman Vol. 3 (1993-1996)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994)
Justice League America (1990-1996) 

Carter Hall II and Kendra Saunders I (1999-2011) 

First Appearance: Hawkman (Carter Hall II), JSA No. 23 (June 2001)
                             Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders I), All Star Comics No. 2 (May 1999)
Origin: Hawkman: Carter Hall II (Katar Hol II)
             Hawkgirl: Kendra Saunders I (Shiera Saunders)
Team: Justice League of America, Justice League of America

   After Hawkman Vol. 3 ended in 1996, the Hawks were set aside for a few years, only returning in some alternate universe stories. In 1999, they were brought back in a way that had never been done before, and the reincarnation theme was heavily used for the first time in their history. Both of their origins for this era are simply bat-crap crazy, so buckle your seatbelts. It's gonna be quite a ride.

   Shiera Saunders (Golden Age Hawkgirl) had a first cousin named Speed Saunders (*), who first appeared in Detective Comics No. 1 way back in 1937. (*) Speed had a family; Michael (son), Trina (daughter-in-law), and Kendra (granddaughter). When Kendra was 13 years old, she and her mother were almost raped by two corrupt policemen. Kendra was able to grab an officer's gun and shot one of them dead. This traumatic incident started her downward spiral. She would start cutting herself and make a few suicide attempts from this time. She also gave birth to a daughter (Mia Mendoza) who she gave up for adoption at about the age of 16. (*)
    When Kendra was 16 years old, Michael and Trina were murdered during a trip to St. Roch, and this led to her final suicide attempt.  She took an overdose of drugs but Speed found her and got her to the hospital. However, it was too late and they pronounced her dead. Ten minutes later, she miraculously regained consciousness. However, according to Speed, it was not Kendra anymore. Shiera Sanders' soul, which had been in limbo after being killed during Zero Hour, had entered Kendra's body. (*)

JSA No. 22 (May 2001)

   Shiera retained much of her knowledge and abilities but the shock of what happened may have confused her and caused her to keep much of Kendra's consciousness as well. So Speed trained her and Kendra became the new Hawkgirl. It appears that Kendra's initial motivation for becoming Hawkgirl was to find the murderer of her parents. 

   Why did it happen this way? My personal theory is that two things were the cause. One was Carter and Shiera's "deaths" during Zero Hour. When Katar Hol II merged with the Hawkgod, Carter and Shiera appeared to have been killed. However, Katar took on Carter's consciousness so Carter was not truly dead. However, Shiera was killed. Because of their reincarnation cycle, Hawkman and Hawkgirl probably are reborn at the same time. So if one dies before the other, the one who died first is in some sort of "statis" or "waiting period" until the other dies and then they are reincarnated at the same time and on the same planet. 
   However, even when Katar was sent to the Hawk realm to stop his insanity, he still wasn't dead. He was waiting for a way to come back to his reality. Shiera was the key. She would be the beacon for Hawkman to find his way back to this realm. So when Kendra apparently died, Shiera took over her body. But throughout the rest of Kendra's story in the 2000s, she is in constant battle with herself, believing she is Kendra, but acting like Shiera at times. Even in her relationship with Carter Hall II, she flipped-flopped back and forth between love for him and a desire to make her own destiny. 

JSA No. 22 (April 2001)

   Even the angel Zauriel appeared to tell Kendra that she was dead. But I think Speed and Zauriel could not understand what actually happened. Kendra didn't die that night, but she was still Kendra. However, she now had a split personality with Shiera. For much of the beginning of the JSA and Hawkman Vol. 4 series, Kendra is confused, unsure, hesitant, and difficult to deal with. Shiera's memory and abilities flash in and out. Shiera's death in Zero Hour and Katar II's banishment to the Hawk realm, for all intents and purposes, threw a giant wrench into the reincarnation cycle that would last until the events of the Blackest Night. I told you it would be a wild ride!

The Evolution of Hawkman and Hawkgirl (1993-2001)

   So, Kendra with her split personality was now a member of the Justice Society. Several members, including Doctor Fate, began to sense that Hawkman was returning. Right after Kendra found out that she was "dead," the Flash (Jay Garrick) traveled to ancient Egypt and met Prince Khufu (the future Hawkman), Nabu (the future Doctor Fate), and Teth-Adam (the future Black Adam). They also predicted Hawkman's return and gave Flash the Claw of Horus, a powerful war gauntlet made entirely out of Nth Metal  It was to be handed over to Hawkman when he returned. Flash returned from ancient Egypt as Kendra was suddenly transported to Thanagar. (*)

   Thanagar had been taken over by the demon Onimar Synn and the high priests of the Downsiders wanted to bring back Hawkman from the Hawk realm he was trapped in, but they could not do it without Kendra's help. Their past love and history with each other would act as a beacon for Hawkman to find his way back. Kendra stepped up to the Well of Spirits and extended her hand, and Hawkman immediately found her and emerged from the realm. After five years, Hawkman had finally returned. But there was a difference. (*)

   Back in 1993, when Katar Hol II merged with Carter Hall I and the Hawk avatar, he had black hair and organic wings. He basically kept his Thanagarian body but Carter's consciousness was with him. Katar had all of Carter's memories and experiences in his mind. However, when Hawkman returned from the Hawk Realm, it flipped. Hawkman now had brown hair and looks similar to Carter Hall I but with Katar Hol II's memories in his head. This new Hawkman is what we call Carter Hall II. (*)

   There was also another major change but it was on Kendra's part. She had no feelings of love whatsoever for this new Carter Hall. For Carter, it was just another reincarnation cycle in a way, and he was once again with the woman that he had loved for thousands of years. She wanted no part of a relationship with Carter because "it's our destiny." 

JSA No. 25 (July 2001)

   For the next ten years, it would be an endless parade of moments like this; Carter wants his eternal love by his side, while Kendra doesn't want her destiny decided for her. When one finally comes, they either push each other away or a crisis event gets in the way. They play each other like yo-yos again and again. Kendra tried to start up a relationship with Roy Harper (Red Arrow), but all she would talk about was Carter this and Carter that, so Roy got fed up and left. Even Power Girl had a brief affair with Hawkman and got burned for it. She tried to warn Roy but it ended badly anyway. (*) 

   The relationship between Carter and Kendra was never truly resolved. Shiera left Kendra's body at the end of the Hawkman Vol. 4/Hawkgirl series (*), but they still tried to get a relationship going until the Blackest Night event. More on that later. I don't know if writers of Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders will ever read these pages but for the sake of both Hawks, I would say just let these two keep a platonic relationship and be partners only, if they HAVE to team up, and it would be even better if they are kept apart and go their own separate ways. 

Justice League of America No. 9 (July 2007)

Another important factor that Geoff Johns introduced back into the Hawkman series in a major way was reincarnation. Ever since it was first introduced in Hawkman's first appearance back in 1940, it was rarely ever referred to through the 1990s. It would occasionally pop up, like in the All-Star Squadron or Hawkman Vol. 3 series, but it was usually ignored. However, Johns really leaned on it as a plot line for Hawkman Vol. 4. In the series we discovered several past lives, besides the ones we already knew about. 

Prince Khufu / Chay-ara
Brian Kent (The Silent Knight) / Lady Celia Penbrook

10th-century Catholic priest
15th-century Japanese Samurai
Captain John Smith / Pocahontas 
Koenraad von Grimm (16th-century German blacksmith)

Hannibal Hawkes (Nighthawk) / Cinnamon 
Detective James Wright / Sheila Carr 

The Many Lives of Hawkman and Hawkgirl Revealed during the 2000s

Reincarnation was now officially a major plot in Hawkman and Hawkgirl's story. Some of the best stories during the run were about his past lives. During this run and in the JSA series, it was established that Hawkman could speak thousands of languages. He had a history in almost every country on Earth. The legend and outreach of Hawkman began to grow further and deeper into the DC Universe. 

 

More to come!

Important Moments:
1999: Hawkgirl's first appearance (*)

1999: Hector Hall, Carter and Shiera's son, becomes Doctor Fate (*)
1999: Hawkgirl officially joins the Justice Society (*)

2001: Hawkgirl's origin is revealed (*)

2001: Claw of Horus' first appearance (*)

2001: First appearance of Onimar Synn (*)

2001: Hawkman returns from the Hawk Realm (*)

2002: Hawkman and Hawkgirl settle in St. Roch, Louisiana (*)

2002: First appearance of Stonechat Museum (*)

2002: Hawkgirl joins the Justice League (*) 

2003: Kendra's daughter Mia Mendoza is introduced. (*)

2005: Black Reign (*) 
2005: Rann-Thanagar War (*) 
2005: Shayera Thal (Hawkwoman) is killed by Blackfire (*)
2005: Carter and Kendra start a relationship, then only to split later
2006: Fel Andar is killed by Blackfire (*)
2006: Hawkman Vol. 4 ends at No. 49 and Hawkgirl begins at No. 50 

2006: Carter stays on Thanagar after the Rann-Thanagar War and becomes police commissioner 

2007: Kendra starts a short-lived relationship with Red Arrow (*) 

2007: After defeating Hath-Set, Shiera leaves Kendra's body, making her whole. (*)