Shayera Hol
Hawkgirl | |
---|---|
Thanagarian | |
Team affiliations | Justice League Justice Society of America |
Partnerships | Hawkman (Katar Hol) John Stewart (Green Lantern |
Notable aliases | Hawkgirl Hawkwoman |
Abilities |
|
Shayera Thal, later married with the name Shayera Hol, is a fictional
The character has since appeared in various media following her inception in the comics, most notably in the DC Animated Universe voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera.
Publication history
With the fading popularity of superheroes during the late 1940s, the Hawkman feature ended in the last issue of Flash Comics in 1949. In 1956, DC Comics resurrected the Flash by revamping the character with a new identity and backstory. Following the success of the new Flash, DC Comics revamped Hawkman in a similar fashion with The Brave and the Bold #34 in 1961. The Silver Age versions of Hawkman and Hawkgirl were married alien police officers from the planet Thanagar who came to Earth to study police techniques. Silver Age Hawkgirl is introduced as Shayera (phonetically identical to first Shierra, then Shiera Hall), who appears in costume as of her first appearance. Although Silver Age Hawkman joins the Justice League in Justice League of America #31 in 1964, Silver Age Hawkgirl was not offered membership because Justice League rules only allowed for one new member to be admitted at a time. Many years later, Silver Age Hawkgirl joined the Justice League of America with issue #146 in 1977. In 1981, Silver Age Hawkgirl changed her code name to Hawkwoman in the Hawkman backup feature of World's Finest Comics #272.
With the establishment of DC's multiverse system, the Golden Age Hawkgirl was said to have lived on Earth-Two and the Silver Age Hawkgirl on Earth-One.
Fictional character biography
Shayera Thal, the Silver Age version of Hawkgirl / Hawkwoman, was a law enforcement officer from the planet Thanagar and wife of Katar Hol, the Silver Age Hawkman and was a member of the Justice League of America.
She was born and raised on Thanagar, which had a scientifically advanced civilization in which crime was virtually unknown. As an adolescent, Shayera Thal
Together, they captured the Dragonfly Robbers in their stronghold found behind a waterfall; while on the case, Shayera saved Katar's life and the two fell deeply in love. A few weeks later, Katar proposed to Shayera in front of the same waterfall. She accepted and they were married. Ten years later, the couple was sent to Earth in pursuit of the criminal
As Hawkwoman, Shayera eventually joined her husband as a member of the Justice League. She was the first League member admitted as part of the League's vote to lift its prior twelve-member limitation.[3] Her membership set precedent for the admission of Zatanna as the League's fifteenth member. Both Zatanna and Shayera became close friends since Hawkman vol. 2 #4.
As Shiera, she first worked as Carter's secretary, but later became co-director of the Midway City Museum. She has a sort of rivalry with the museum naturalist Mavis Trent who has her eyes on both Hawkman and Carter Hall.
Later, Thanagar had established itself as a military dictatorship bent on conquering other planets. Hawkman and Hawkwoman thwarted Thanagarian plans to invade Earth, destroying their own starship in the process. Hawkman and Hawkwoman remain on Earth, regarded as traitors by everyone on Thanagar. She helped her husband come to terms with the deaths they caused during the battle. Eventually, she changed her codename to Hawkwoman.[4]
Following the events of DC's miniseries, Crisis on Infinite Earths, the histories of Earth-One and Earth-Two are merged. As a result, both Golden Age and Silver Age versions of Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman live on the same Earth. Initially, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman were kept in continuity unchanged. They took Superman to Krypton (now a gas planet),[5] briefly joined Justice League International, teamed-up with Atom,[6] and helped Animal Man defuse a Thanagarian bomb during Invasion. However, DC reversed this decision and rebooted Hawkman continuity after the success of the 1989 Hawkworld miniseries. Originally, Hawkworld retold the origins of Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. After becoming a success, DC Comics launched a Hawkworld ongoing series set in the present resulting in a complete reboot of Hawkman continuity. By doing so, several continuity errors regarding Hawkman and Hawkwoman's Justice League appearances needed to be fixed.
Following the Convergence storyline, Shayera Thal is featured in the Hawkman: Convergence. She is shown working as a curator in Gotham City museum while fighting as Hawkwoman also. At the end of the story her universe vanishes due to the Crisis happening, she is last seen flying with Hawkman.
DC Rebirth
Following Rebirth's continuity, Shayera Hol appeared in the Hawkman (vol. 5) series. She was shown in Thanagar alongside her partner Katar Hol. Later, Shayera appeared in the Justice League (vol. 2) issues #14-16 where she was shown as the empress of Thanagar Prime. Initially presenting herself as a friend and ally to the Justice League, she was revealed to be hiding many secrets from them, including a surviving Martian elder known as the Keep. It is revealed that Shayera used a device known as the Absorbacon and the Martian elder to create a fake construct of a restored Thanagar Prime, her people, and Katar Hol (the Savage Hawkman). After the death of the Martian elder, Shayera tries to keep her constructed reality from fading away but is unable to, saying goodbye to Katar one last time. It is revealed by Starman that the reason Shayera still exists despite being Kendra Saunders' immediate predecessor in their chain of resurrection is due to the Totality breaking said chain and splitting the two, making Shayera a completely independent being from Kendra. This was done by Perpetua as she feared what would happen if a whole Hawkgirl faced her at the end. Shayera assists the Justice League in their failed attempt to heal the Source Wall.[7]
Shayera reappears in Justice League (vol. 2) #32, shown aboard a Thanagarian ship, trying to prevent Lex Luthor from reaching the Anti-Monitor.[8]
Shayera came back to Earth to help Carter Hall, who was infected by The Batman Who Laughs. As of that issue, Hawkwoman started acting as co-protagonist of the book alongside Hawkman.[9]
Shayera is revealed to be the reincarnation of the Herald Shrra, a being akin to a biblical angel. She served an unnamed deity which had deemed the universe unworthy and condemned it to be destroyed by the Lord Beyond the Void. She sensed something that was good in Ktar Deathbringer, the original incarnation of Hawkman, and intervened in the deity's plans by appearing before Ktar in the aftermath of each battle, pushing him by guilt and shame to turn on the Lord Beyond the Void. As Ktar had made a bargain with the deity to reincarnate until he had saved as many people as he had killed, it punished Shrra for her defiance by stripping her of her divinity and condemning her to share his fate.
Hawkwoman teams up with Carter's old friends the Atom and Adam Strange to capture and cure Carter of his infection. They catch up to Sky Tyrant on an alien world where one of his previous incarnations named Titan Hawk had hidden an artifact known as "The Key" which would have released the Lord Beyond the Void. They recover the Key and imprison Sky Tyrant on Carter's starship. When she touches the Key, her memories of all her past lives are unlocked. Sky Tyrant manages to escape his cell and brawls with the three heroes, he and Shayera touch the Key together and are transported to the realm of the Lord Beyond the Void. In the process, Carter is cured of his infection (all infected heroes were cured by Lex Luthor in the Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen oneshot). The pair are attacked by Deathbringers who recognise Carter as Ktar, and, although the Deathbringers are defeated, they draw the attention of the Lord Beyond the Void.
The Lord easily overpowers them and binds them to a great stone monolith, planning to absorb the energy from all their lives, which will give him sufficient power to cross over into the universe. Carter and Shayera release the power of their thousands of lives, overloading and destroying the Lord, while also killing themselves. They awake in the afterlife, reverted to Ktar and Shrra. The deity explains that Ktar's debt is repaid, and offers to allow him to pass on and to restore Shrra as a Herald, however, the two do not wish to be parted. Therefore, the deity offers them another reward, to be reincarnated a final time in their favourite lives, where they will be extremely long lived but mortal. The two agree and are restored to life in the 1940s as the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl and reunite with their old friends in the Justice Society of America.
During a fight with the Injustice Society, Carter freezes with fear at a moment when the villains have the upper hand. Shayera throws her mace into Carter's, creating an explosion which incapacitates the Injustice Society and turns the tide of the fight. The JSA assumes Carter was simply providing a distraction for Shayera, but he privately admits to her that now he is mortal, he fears dying. Meanwhile, Anton Hastor, an incarnation of the Hawks' ancient enemy Hath-Set, learns that Prince Khufu and Chay-Ara have been reincarnated, and this time, they can be killed permanently. Hastor steals his Nth Metal dagger from JSA headquarters and draws the Hawks out to a train where he has killed the passengers and resurrected them as zombies. Shayera is tackled off the train by zombies while Hastor attacks Carter, who is too fearful to fight back until Hastor threatens Shayera. Carter disarms Hastor by stabbing himself with the dagger just as Shayera catches up to the train and destroys the dagger. Shayera spends the following centuries as a hero alongside Carter, surviving into the 40th Century.[10]
Shayera appeared as a member of the Justice Society of America in the Dark Crisis event.[11]
Powers and abilities
Other versions
Elsewords
Shayera and Katar are featured in the Elseworlds three-part series Legend of the Hawkman (2000). The story takes place in the Earth-One timeline, some time after The Brave and the Bold #34. She is shown wanting to return home to Thanagar while Katar has grown accustomed to life on Earth. Although this mini-series was never labelled as an Elseworlds project when originally published, it is now accepted as being one, with this story clearly based on the Silver Age versions of Hawkman and Hawkgirl during the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths era.
Legend of the Hawkman
Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol) and
JLA: The Nail & JLA: Another Nail
In
Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
In
Justice
In Alex Ross's Silver Age-toned Justice, Hawkgirl is a member of the Justice League and co-director of the Midway City Museum, alongside her husband. With the entire JLA's secrets and weaknesses in hand, the Legion of Doom stages a simultaneous attack on nearly every member of the League. Hawkgirl and Hawkman are surprised by Toyman in the Midway City Museum, but manage to survive and decide to investigate his warehouse, where they are assaulted by his forces, and discover that he is making multiple Brainiac androids. She also appears in Secret Origins and Liberty and Justice.
DC New Talents Showcase
Hawkgirl was chosen for one of the seven features in the one-shot comic book. She lives in Chicago, working as a police detective. She is from Thanagar, her mace vibrates like a smartphone when Nth-Metal Thanagarian weapons are near and she has a secret Hawkroom. It is revealed that she did not leave Thanagar on good terms, after some time collecting Thanagarian weapons from crime scenes she started suspecting something was wrong. This led to her fighting against an ancient Thanagarian that wanted her dead since she chose humans instead of Thanagarians.
Erica Schultz, said she was inspired by Justice League version of the character, "I've always been drawn to strong characters, but what really solidified my love for Shayera was the Justice League cartoon show."[16]
Scooby-Doo Team-Up #33
During a crossover with the cast of Scooby-Doo, Silver Age version of Hawkgirl is featured alongside Hawkman in the Midway City Museum, working as curators. The heroes team-up with the characters from the animated series to discover who were stealing from their workplace. Later they uncover that Shadow Thief, Matter Master and Fadeaway Man were behind it. After a fight against the villains the heroes retrieve the stolen items. Like Shiera Sanders Hall, Shayera is a reincarnation of Prince Khufu's consort Chay-Ara, and have been reborn as Lady Celia (love of Silent Knight) and Cinnamon (love of Nighthawk).
Justice League Infinity
Shayera is a core member of the new Justice League series, Justice League Infinity, written by James Tucker and J.M. DeMatteis. The new series serves as a continuation to Justice League Unlimited, as the League band together to face new dangers that not only threaten Earth, but the multiverse itself.
In other media
Television
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl appears in The All-New Super Friends Hour, voiced by Shannon Farnon.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl appears in Super Friends, voiced by Janet Waldo.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera.[17] This version is a member of the Thanagarian Armed Forces who wields an Nth metal mace capable of disrupting magical and energy-based forces, is an expert hand-to-hand combatant, and came to Earth as an advance scout and spy for the Thanagarian military. Furthermore, during development, the series producers reworked her personality to contrast with Wonder Woman and included her over Black Canary so that a member of the "Hawk family" was represented.[citation needed]
- Shayera first appears in Justice League.[citation needed] In the three-part series premiere "Secret Origins", she becomes a founding member of the eponymous team after they join forces to fend off an alien invasion of Earth. Throughout the series, Shayera maintains a distant relationship with the League, but develops a sibling-like bond with the Flash and a romantic relationship with Green Lantern. In the three-part series finale "Starcrossed", Shayera reveals her true colors after her people arrive to gain Earth's support in their war with the Gordanians. She initially rejoins her kind as well as her commanding officer and fiancé Hro Talak, which creates a rift between her and Lantern. When she learns of their plan to attack the Gordanians' homeworld by building a warp gate, which will destroy the Earth in the process, she betrays her people and returns to the League to inform them. The League eventually defeat the Thanagarians, who leave Shayera behind as a traitor. While the League vote to decide whether she should stay on the team, she resigns before hearing their verdict.
- Additionally, an alternate universe incarnation of Hawkgirl who became a member of the Justice Lords appears in the two-part episode "A Better World".[citation needed]
- Shayera appears in the Static Shock two-part episode "A League of Their Own",[citation needed] which takes place during Justice League and prior to "Starcrossed". She and the League join forces with Static and Gear to defeat Brainiac after he rebuilds himself in the League's Watchtower.
- Shayera appears in Warhawk. By the series finale "Destroyer", Shayera and Stewart resolve to remain friends. Series creator Bruce Timm said in an interview that while he was deliberately ambiguous about the future of their relationship and understood some fans disliked where it was left at the series finale, it was his opinion that "You can put two and two together and imagine what happens".[18]
- Shayera first appears in Justice League.[citation needed] In the three-part series premiere "Secret Origins", she becomes a founding member of the eponymous team after they join forces to fend off an alien invasion of Earth. Throughout the series, Shayera maintains a distant relationship with the League, but develops a sibling-like bond with the Flash and a romantic relationship with Green Lantern. In the three-part series finale "Starcrossed", Shayera reveals her true colors after her people arrive to gain Earth's support in their war with the Gordanians. She initially rejoins her kind as well as her commanding officer and fiancé Hro Talak, which creates a rift between her and Lantern. When she learns of their plan to attack the Gordanians' homeworld by building a warp gate, which will destroy the Earth in the process, she betrays her people and returns to the League to inform them. The League eventually defeat the Thanagarians, who leave Shayera behind as a traitor. While the League vote to decide whether she should stay on the team, she resigns before hearing their verdict.
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl makes cameo appearances in Harley Quinn, voiced by Quinta Brunson.[19]
Film
- Shayera Hol makes a cameo appearance in Justice League: The New Frontier.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl was originally going to appear in Black Adam, but was ultimately cut.[20][21][22]
- Shayera Hol appears in Green Lantern: Beware My Power, voiced by Jamie Gray Hyder.[23]
Video games
- Shayera Hol appears as a playable character in Justice League: Injustice for All.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol appears as a playable character in Justice League: Chronicles.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl, with elements of Kendra Saunders, appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by Lana Lesley.[17]
- Shayera Hol appears as a modifier in Injustice 2's "Multiverse" mode.[citation needed]
- Shayera Hol appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Tiffany Smith.[17]
Miscellaneous
- The DCAU incarnation of Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl appears in the tie-in comics Justice League Adventures and Justice League Beyond.[citation needed] In the latter, she rekindles her relationship with Green Lantern after Vixen is murdered by the Shadow Thief and they go on to get married, have Warhawk, and retire from the Justice League to focus on raising him.[24][25]
- Shayera Hol / Hawkgirl appears in All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #10, DC Comics, December 1985, Entry Hawkwoman
- ^ The Brave and the Bold #42, July 1962, "Menace of the Dragonfly Raiders", page 15.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ World's Finest Comics #274. DC Comics.
- ^ Superman (vol. 2) #18. DC Comics.
- ^ Power of the Atom #4. DC Comics.
- ^ Justice League (vol. 2) Annual #1. DC Comics.
- ^ Justice League (vol. 2) #32. DC Comics.
- ^ Hawkman (vol. 5) #19. DC Comics.
- ^ Hawkman (vol. 5) #26-29. DC Comics.
- ^ Dark Crisis #2
- ^ Legend of the Hawkman #1 (July 2000)
- ^ Legend of the Hawkman #2 (August 2000)
- ^ Legend of the Hawkman #3 (September 2000)
- ^ "mg-jluONCEANDFUTURETHING2". Fanboplanet.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ^ DC New Talent Showcase (January 2017)
- ^ a b c "Hawkgirl Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved February 2, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
- ^ "TVPast Forums - Interview with Bruce Timm About JLU and DC Anim". www.tvpast.org.
- ^ Campione, Katie (6 February 2023). "Quinta Brunson & Tyler James Williams to Voice Hawkman & Hawkgirl in 'Harley Quinn' Valentine's Day Special at HBO Max".
- ^ "Dwayne Johnson's 'BLACK ADAM' Confirmed to Introduce Hawkgirl". 23 December 2019.
- ^ "Dwayne Johnson's 'Black Adam' Reportedly Features Hawkgirl". 23 December 2019.
- ^ @TheRock (August 23, 2020). "@boybenzedrine @SevenBucksProd Hawk..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Johnson, Jim (July 23, 2022). "SDCC: Green Lantern: Beware My Power World Premiere, Panel and Upcoming Features". CBR. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ Justice League Beyond #7(May 2012)
- ^ Justice League Beyond #8(June 2012)