Hawkwoman

Origin

Shayera Thal II was raised in the Downside ghettos of Thanagar by her grandfather, Thal Porvis. She was abandoned by her father, Chief Andar Pul, and her mother, Shayera Thal I, died in a bombing set by Thanagarian rebels. She was a successful Wingman in the Thanagarian police force and a partner of veteran Wingman, Katar Hol.

After the Invasion! story arc, Shayera Thal II and Katar Hol arrived on Earth in 1990 for a Thanagarian goodwill tour. They also had a mission to capture Thangarian shape-shifting criminal Byth. Shayera and Katar stopped Byth's drug smuggling activities and captured him. They became known as Hawkman and Hawkwoman and fought crime with the local police.

After the new 52 relaunch, she was relaunched (and brought back from the dead) in the ongoing Savage Hawkman series. She is revealed as a princess of Thanagar and formerly the lover and wife of Hawkman. She comes to Earth seeking vengeance for what she saw as Hawkman's betrayal.

Creation

As with many of the other landmark DC Comics characters, during the early silver age changes came to Hawkgirl which Julius Schwartz, who created or re-created most DC characters, had decided to introduce. This was partially because of a decision by the publisher to pursue superhero comics which were science fiction based as opposed to fantasy settings. The new Hawkgirl debuted in The Brave and The Bold #34, written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Joe Kubert. The new Hawkgirl was Shayera Hol, a member of the winged police force on Thanagar. Hawkgirl's husband and partner on the police force was Hawkman. Hawkgirl changed her name to Hawkwoman in World's Finest Comics #272 (12/1981) written by Bob Rozakis and drawn by Alex Saviuk (pencils) and Rodin Rodriguez (inks).

Hawkworld

In 1989, Timothy Truman wrote and drew the Hawkworld mini-series which featured the debut of Shayera Thal II as a revised Hawkwoman. Unlike the Silver Age Hawks, Shayera Thal II was not married to Katar Hol but they were partners as Thanagarian police officers. Shayera started her professional career as Hawkwoman and never used the name of Hawkgirl.

She should be the official hero. She did the real work in exposing Byth's treachery.

Hawkworld was originally set in the past as an origin reboot with the intent of updating the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman for the Modern Age in this continuity. However the Hawkworld mini-series proved to be far more popular and successful than expected by DC Comics.

The decision was made to set Hawkworld in the present day which rebooted more than Hawkwoman's origin and removed the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman from this continuity to be replaced with other versions of the Hawks. Several months later, DC Comics was publishing the on-going Hawkworld series in 1990. Shayera Thal II died in Rann-Thanagar War #5 (11/2005).

DC Comics had to fix continuity errors caused by the Silver Age Hawkwoman's removal from this continuity. In one retcon, an earth-woman named Sharon Parker replaced the Silver Age Shayera Hol as Hawkwoman in story arcs such as Millennium in 1988 and in Invasion! in 1989.

Sharon Parker first appeared in Hawkworld #21 (3/1992) written by John Ostrander and drawn by Graham Nolan. Sharon Parker was murdered by an alternate version of Hawkman named Fel Andar in Hawkworld #23 (5/1992).

Character Evolution

Bronze Age

Shayera Hol was a dedicated member of the Justice League of America as Hawkgirl and later as Hawkwoman. She, along with Hawkman, eventually resigned from the team as their civilian identities and threats from Thanagar required their full attention. The Hawks continued to defend Earth against all threats including an invasion from Thanagar during the Shadow War of Hawkman. The Hawks fought alongside the rest of Earth's super-heroes during Millennium and Invasion!

Modern Age

During her time on Earth, Shayera Thal II continued her role as Hawkwoman while her partner, Katar Hol, continued being Hawkman. They protected Earth's citizens and enforced Earth's laws in cooperation with the local police. They also fought against the corrupt system that existed on Thanagar.

Soon information about an earth-woman, Sharon Parker, and a Thanagarian spy, Fel Andar, revealed that they had assumed the identities of Hawkwoman and Hawkman prior to the arrival of Shayera and Katar on Earth.

Fel Andar murdered Sharon Parker when she revealed this information to the Martian Manhunter and Maxwell Lord. Then Fel Andar returned to Thanagar. Sharon Parker and Fel Andar had a son, Charley Parker, who grew up to be Golden Eagle.

Shayera and Katar eventually became romantically involved with each other and decided to stay on Earth instead of going back to Thanagar.

Major Story Arcs

In the story line Legend of the Hawkman, Katar and Shayera are considering having a child together. This does not occur when Shayera becomes unable to have children due to an attack by the corrupt Thangarian Thasaro. Thanagar's Trinity gives her the ability back after she and Hawkman defeat Thasaro and banish him to the earth's underworld.

After the Zero Hour story arc, Shayera Thal II was no longer involved with Katar Hol. Shayera retired from being Hawkwoman to become a policewoman in Detroit. Some time later, Shayera teamed up with Animal Man and the latest versions of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders, against the Thanagarian criminal called Byth.

During the Rann-Thanagar War, Shayera was reinstated as Wingman of the Thanagarian Army, last seen fighting with the invasion force of Polora. Back in her Hawkwoman uniform, she fought alongside Hawkman and Hawkgirl as trusted friends but had conflicts with their ally, Adam Strange, who she believed his adopted world of Rann, and that planets science had destroyed her birth planet. She reluctantly served as an ally with Adam and the Hawks.

As Hawkwoman continued fighting in the war, she was murdered by Blackfire, an ally who turned traitor. Hawkwoman's body was discovered by her true friends and allies. They sent Hawkwoman's body into Polaris, the sun of Thanagar, believed to be the resting place of heroes in Thanagarian culture.

In the New 52, Shayera Thal is revealed as the princess of Thanagar, former lover of Katar Hol and sister of the Emperor Corsar. Initially, she is depicted as a villain, seeking revenge against Katar for the murder of Corsar. It later evident that Katar was innocent and Shayera is surprised when she discovers her brother alive and behind Katar's arrest in the attempt to part Katar from the Nth metal and own it for himself. Shayera has no choice but to comply to his orders as the Emperor but later sabotages a machine that was to teleport the Nth metal from Katar to Corsar. In rescuing Katar from being killed by the transfer, Shayera leads Katar and Emma Ziegler to an escape pod while remaining in the Aerie ship to face Corsar. While Katar and Emma escape to Earth, Shayera and Corsar are left alone and die as the ship drifts off into the Sun.

Following DC Rebirth, Shayera Hol is shown as the Empress of Thanagar Prime and very protective of planet's secrets. She first appears when Kendra Saunders, current Hawkgirl, makes a trip to Thanagar, there they both meet and realize that they are essentially the same person. It's later revealed that Hawkgirl now reincarnates through time and space, making this possible

After Kendra tries to assault a secret vault of Thanagar while looking for answers about her Nth Metal wings and the secrets the universe was hiding from her, Shayera tries to stop her, since she believes it's her duty as Empress to protect Thanagar's secrets. It's revealed that Shayera was using the Absorbascon's power to protect Thanagar's integrity making the planet seem more powerful than it actually is.

After being defeated by Kendra and Martian Manhunter, Shayera had to deal with reconstructing Thanagar. She was later shown aiding the Justice League heal the Source Wall in the Justice League Annual.

Powers and Abilities

Nth Metal

Hawkwoman uses Nth Metal to grant her flight, as the metal defies gravity and the abilities are controlled mentally. The Nth Metal also allows some form of protection against high pressures, allowing Hawkwoman to reach high altitudes. Another thing the Nth Metal does is grants her enhanced strength, though during the Golden Age, it seemed to come naturally. Hawkwoman uses traditional melee weapons, the primary of which being her Nth Metal Mace, but she also has skill with swords, spears and shields as her skills allow better use with them rather than the modern day weapons. The nth metal also grants Shayera a degree of resistance to injury and boosts her enhance strength (from her baseline of 600lbs to roughly 1 ton).

She has been seen to be able to carry at least 1 ton of weight. she has also withstood blows from the powerhouse Solomon Grundy and survived. (something not many can do) Thet Nth metal also gives her the ability to see for miles. She's also stated that she has enhanced hearing, but it is unknown whether it comes from the Nth metal.

Other Abilities

Hawkwoman has shown the ability to talk to birds on multiple occasions.

Personal Data

• Real Name: Shayera Hol
• Height: 5'7"
• Weight: 130 lbs.
• Eyes: Blue
• Hair: Red

Status

• Race: Thanagarian
• Place of Birth: Thanagar
• Marital Status: Married
• Occupation: Thanagarian Soldier/Spy, Police officer, vigilante
• Known Relatives: Katar Hol (husband)