Finding Hawkman and Hawkgirl After Each DC Crisis Event

   This year marks the 40th anniversary of the famous, or infamous depending on your point of view, Crisis on Infinite Earths (COIE). Since then, there have been several crisis events to restructure the DC Universe. While it may be all and good for DC Holy Trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, the "lesser" heroes of the DC Universe have often forgotten and made even more complicated than before. 

  

   Two of those heroes are Hawkman and Hawkwoman. "Expert" comics historians continue to complain about how confusing the history of Hawkman and Hawkwoman is, and while I can't disagree, it has become a cliche and when someone starts their article or video with that comment, I wonder if they actually have anything worthwhile to say about the Hawks and often stop reading or watching at that point. 

   Hawkman and Hawkwoman have been around for over 85 years, have been tossed to and fro in every possible way in crisis event after crisis event, and yet they are still around. While I think it applies to every DC character at this point, I will agree that if you haven't been keeping up with an increasingly minor hero like Hawkman, it can get a bit complicated. 

   So, I'm going to brave the murky DC waters and try to explain what happened to Hawkman, Hawkwoman, and Hawkgirl after each crisis event. If you ever try to follow them through the comics, hopefully this will help navigate the incredibly crooked DC road as straightforward as possible. 

If you want to read the details about each version of Hawkman/Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl, check out my guide to the history of the Hawks. 

I. Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986) 

Carter Hall I, Shiera Saunders, Katar Hol I, Shayera Hol I, Katar Hol II, Shayera Thal
Location: New Earth 

   When this event started, there were two mainstream Hawkmen and Hawkwomen; Carter Hall I and Shiera Saunders of Earth 2 and Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I of Earth-1. The two Hawkmen actually ran into each other a couple of times during the annual Crisis events with the Justice Society and the Justice League. We've since learned that the reincarnation cycles actually overlapped each other at times, and these two would be rebooted into the same person in later years. But we'll get into that later. 

   Carter Hall showed up in a few issues of COIE, while Katar Hol and Shayera Hol made some cameos. Katar Hol was actually on the cover of the final issue, but he did absolutely nothing in this event. Carter Hall had some battle scenes and was badly burned but survived. 

A few things happened after the COIE event.
1. Carter Hall, Shiera Saunders and the Justice Society became trapped in Asgard, fighting a never ending battle. This was done to get the Justice Society off of the New Earth, but to keep them around just in case DC wanted to bring them back. 
2. Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I were in a 4-issue series in 1985 during the COIE called The Shadow War of Hawkman. This series was popular enough to bring a new Hawkman series that started five months after COIE ended and continued until the end of 1987. 
   Note: This version of Hawkman and Hawkwoman was later placed on Earth-85, the version of Earth-1 that existed as if COIE never happened. It kind of makes sense since the COIE was totally ignored in Shadow War and Hawkman Vol. 2. SO, they had nothing to do with the versions of Hawkman after the COIE. 
3. The Hawkman and Hawkwoman that showed up during 1987-89 in the Millenium and Invasion series were later revealed to be imposters named Fel Andar and Sharon Parker. 
4. !n 1989, Hawkworld began and Katar Hol II and Shayera Thal were introduced. This was supposed to be a complete reimagining or reboot of the Silver Age Hawkman from Thanagar. In hindsight, that would have been so much better. The series was incredibly popular so DC started Hawkworld Vol. 2. The Hawks came to Earth to capture Byth, just like in the Silver Age version, but then for reasons, the story story was placed in the current timeline. This was the greatest mistake that DC has done with the Hawks. They had a chance to clearly restart Hawkman and they tossed it aside. 
5. In 1992, Carter Hall I and Shiera Saunders returned with the Justice Society to New Earth in a 4- issue series called Armageddon Inferno. There were two versions of the heroes on New Earth again, but not the Silver/Bronze Age Hawkman (Katar Hol I and Shayera Hol I), but the Hawkman of the Modern Age (Katar Hol II and Shayera Thal). 

II. Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994)

Katar Hol II, Shayera Thal, Carter Hall I, Shiera Saunders
Location: New Earth

   Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (I'll call it Zero here) was a 5-issue series with the goal of tying up some lose ends left behind by the COIE. One of those loose ends was Hawkman. Before this event, several things happened to Hawkman and Hawkwoman in the Hawkworld series (1990-1993).
1. The Golden Age Hawkman was revealed to be the Hawkman in the Justice Society in the 40s AND the Hawkman in the Justice League during the 60s up until the COIE event. Remember, the Hawkman that we saw duing the Silver and Bronze Age is on Earth-1985. This is the Hawkman of New Earth. 
2. During the Hawkman series, a Hawk avatar appeared to reclaim its powers from Hawkman. It was at this time that Zero happened. 
4. Waverider transported Carter Hall I and Shiera Saunders to the place where Katar Hol II and the Hawk avatar were battling. The villain named Extrant blasted Carter, Katar, Shiera, and the Hawk avatar with a cosmic energy blast. This killed Shiera but Katar, Carter, and the Hawk avatar were merged into one being. This is how DC first tried to combine all of the Hawkmen into one. 

   To summarize, Katar Hol II was now the only Hawkman on New Earth. He had Katar Hol II's body with the consciousness of Carter Hall I still inside him, so Carter Hall was not dead. 

   Big changes happened to both Hawkman and Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl before the next crisis. Hawkman returned from the Hawk Realm, but this time with mainly with Carter Hall I's body and the consciousness of Katar Hol II. This is who I call Carter Hall II. Meanwhile, Kendra Saudners was the new Hawkgirl, and she had Shiera's consciousness in her because of a "successful" suicide. They were based in St. Roch, Louisiana. A war between Rann and Thanagar would bring them to Rann when the next crisis started. 

III. Infinite Crisis (2005)

Carter Hall II, Kendra Saunders
Location: New Earth, Thanagar, Rann

   Right before the Infinite Crisis event, Hawkman and Hawkgirl are fighting Onimar Synn on Rann. Immediately after they defeat him, the Infinite Crisis begins. They discover that Superboy-Prime caused the war between Rann and Thanagar. After the crisis, Carter Hall II stays on Thanagar to help rebuild and avenge Hawkwoman's (Shayera Thal) death. During his time there, he becomes the commissioner of the Thanagar police force. Kendra Saunders goes back to St. Roch and takes over the Stonechat Museum. Carter eventually returns to Earth. 

IV: Final Crisis (2008-2009)

Carter Hall II, Kendra Saunders
Location: New Earth

   Despite being prominently featured on the house ad for the series, Hawkman and Hawkgirl appear very little in this series. In issue 7, they die when an interdimensional tunnel collapses. It appears that they are dead (they had no ongoing series at the time) but we later learn that they are recovering in a hospital.

 They late appear to be together in St. Roch, where they are killed in the Blackest Night series. 

V. Flashpoint (2011)

No appearances in the event. 

Katar Hol III, Kendra Munoz-Saunders, Shayera Thal (New 52) 
Location: Earth-0 (Prime Earth)

   The Flashpoint story comes immediately after the Blackest Night/Brightest Day series. Kendra Saunders was killed, Shiera Saunders took her place was was also killed and turned into an air elemental, and Carter Hall II's last appearance was him trashing the Stonechat Museum in rage that Shiera was gone once again. Flashpoint then rewrites everything and we enter the New 52 era. 

   We now have Katar Hol III from Thanagar but now on Earth, and Kendra Munoz-Saunders, a Hispanic treasure hunter/detective on Earth 2 who is magically given wings by an unknown entity. Shayera Thal also makes an appearance in the Savage Hawkman series but is quickly killed off. 

IV. Rebirth/Dark Nights Metal (2016-2018)

Katar Hol III, Kendra Saunders II, Carter Hall III, Shiera Saunders II
Location: Prime Earth/Thanagar

   The Rebirth era began but Hawkman and Hawkgirl did not appear in it at first. About six months after Rebirth was launched, DC put out a series called the Death of Hawkman. This series appears to be an attempt at a conclusion for the story of the New 52 Hawkman, Katar Hol III. After his death in the final issue, DC relaunched Hawkman's story in the Dark Days Forging/Casting issues, followed by the Metal 6-issue series. 

1. Hawkman/Carter Hall III
The current Hawkman's story appears to have started in the mid-20th century. His base was on Blackhawk Island, and he began investigating the Dark Multiverse with his wife, Shiera. He eventually goes into the Dark Multiverse and disappears until he is rescued by the Justice League in the Metal series. 

Here is my own personal theory of this story and the New 52. Rebirth did not wipe out everything from the New 52. It took some past versions and altered others, so this is how I think it went down.
When Carter Hall III walked into the Dark Multiverse, he experienced a death-like transformation. First, he was captured by Barbatos and transformed into the Dragon of Barbatos (Hawk kaijyu). Second, when he walked into the Dark Multiverse, it triggered the reincarnation cycle and he was split into two beings, the Dragon of Barbatos in the Dark Multiverse, and the Savage Hawkman in the Multiverse. When the Justice League rescued him from the Dark Multiverse, the Savage Hawkman was killed by Despero, and the Hawkman was made whole again and became Carter Hall III once more. 

2. Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders II
Kendra was also rewritten. After Shiera died, the Totality split her into two beings; Kendra Saunders on Earth and Shayera Hol II on Thanagar. Kendra joined the Blackhawks and became their leader, Lady Blackhawk. After going into the Dark Multiverse, Barbatos awakened her powers of Hawkgirl. She rebelled against him and helped rescue Carter Hall II from the Dark Multiverse and joined the Justice League after they defeated Barbatos. 
3. Hawkwoman/Shayera Hol II
According to writer James Tynion IV, they took the Shayera Thal from the Savage Hawkman series and rewrote her story for the Rebirth era. She was born as the daughter of Lord Thal Provis on Thanagar. After his death, Onimar Synn took over the planet and she led a resistance force against him. During the Metal event, the Justice League helped overthrow Onimar Synn and she became the ruler of Thanagar. It was revealed also that she had been married to Savage Hawkman/Katar Hol III. After his death, she was trying to rebuild Thanagar. 

Two important things happened after the Metal series ended. In Justice League #14-16, Kendra and Shayera were each made whole and their own person. Kendra had a strong connection the Totality, a power source in the center of the universe. Shayera had the reincarnation connection with Carter and they were reunited in Hawkman Vol. V #19-29. Carter and Shayera completed their reincarnation cycle and are now living their last life, although they were given the gift of aging very slowly. Kendra slo ended her reincarnation cycle during the Death Metal event and she is now on her own. She has the memories of her reincarnation with Carter (and Shayera), but she is no longer involved in any romantic way whatsoever with Carter. 

The Death Metal and Infinite Frontier events have not yet affected much about the Hawks in any way as far as I can tell. With the Multiverse now called the Omni-verse, everything in the past counts, so we just have to be able to piece it together until something else comes along to mucj it all up. And this is DC so we can be sure that will happen. 

Currently, Carter and Kendra are fighting together with the Justice Society, and Hawkwoman is trying to find a new home planet for the Thanagarians. 

There you have it! If I missed something or got something wrong, feel free to discuss in the comment section below! Opinions and theories are always welcome. 

The Complete History of Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman