Est. 2016 / Art by Prentis Rollins (2017, Commissioned by Tim Board)
Hawkworld Rogues
Hawkman and Hawkgirl have one of the greatest Rogues Gallery in comics! This year is the Year of the Villain in DC Comics, so during June and July, I'll highlight 30 of the Hawks' greatest villains every other day so check back for new additions! Click on the picture to see the original size. Click the name to go to the character's DC Database website.
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Maybe next you can give us a list of their Allies/Friends
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Board,
ReplyDeleteAmong them, I was wondering who are the "core" rogues. In my opinion, the 10 predominate villains might be:
1) Gentleman Ghost
2) Shadow Thief
3) Hath-Set
4) Byth
5) I.Q.
6) Matter Master
7) Lion-Mane
8) Manhawks
9) The Monocle
10) Fadeaway Man
Honorable Mention: Onimar Synn
What do you think?
Best Regards,
GG
That's a pretty good list! For my list, I would probably replace I.Q. with Count Viper from the Hawkworld Vol. 2/Hawkman Vol. 3 series. He was probably that era's biggest threat to the Hawks and maybe the most interesting.
DeleteThank you so much!
DeleteIndeed, Count Viper is an interesting case, a relatively little-known archvillain although it's undeniable that this character was conceived as a major antagonist. I think this is due to the brevity of his reign (between 1993 and 1995) and the fact that John Ostrander & William Messner-Loebs' runs are currently less well-known than Tim Truman's limited series that preceded them.
However, in the specific case of Hawkman's villains, it's worth noting that a very long time can pass before one of them returns from comic book oblivion. For example, this is precisely what happened to Hastor/Hath-Set and the Monocle, who reappeared several decades after their one and only first appearance in the 1940s. As for Hastor/Hath-Set, more than 40 years had passed between his first and second appearance!
I understand why you find Count Viper interesting. He ticks several boxes that fit with the main characteristics of some members of the Rogues Gallery: an animal-themed villain (like Lion-Mane & the Manhawks), somebody that can cheat death & go unnoticed (like Hath-Set & Gentleman Ghost) and a mind over matter ability (akin to Matter Master). It is entirely conceivable that this character could interest a writer in the future. Currently, he has appeared in comic books about as much as Konrad Kaslak, another almost forgotten Hawkman villain.
Regarding Ira Quimby, you are absolutely right, the question remains whether I.Q. is still a major antagonist for Hawkman.
DeleteI remain undecided on this point because even though the character is still regarded as a classic Silver Age Hawkman villain by most, since the beginning of the 21st century, he has appeared more often in other DC books.
That being said, the same question arises for other villains, notably Matter Master and Monocle for example.
I will probably let Ira Quimby on the list, but I might reconsider the ranking taking other criteria into account.