#Anton Hastor

[hawkgirlz]

my idea for a hawkmates film in the 40s is that there's actually a love triangle between anton, shiera, & carter with anton & carter being childhood friends and anton + shiera being engaged to marry when the film starts. i have a whole plot planned out where carter & shiera find an absorbacron but the twist is, when they find the memories of ancient egypt, they have no clue who is who because the actors will actually be egyptian this time. it messes with them completely because now shiera has to figure out whether carter or anton is khufu and who is hath-set.

there will be an entire plot where anton lets jealousy consume him so much that it ultimately leads to his demise. i have a plot written out where shiera wants to leave anton out of guilt for cheating despite carter breaking up with her prior to this but anton forces her to marry him saying he'll kill carter and that's when shiera realizes it was anton who was hath-set all along.

[sebeth]

All-Star Squadron #10, 11, 12 (Revised 1/28/24)

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

All-Star Squadron #10 – 12 by Roy Thomas, Adrian Gonzales, and Jerry Ordway

“If An Eye Offend Thee!”

The issue opens in San Francisco. It is early January 1942 and Hawkman has snuck away from the military base for a late evening flight. Carter notes he feels guilty for taking a “joy ride” while regular citizens are bracing for gas rationing. I enjoy Roy’s additions of historic details of life in the United States during World War II.

Carter’s guilt can be assuaged as his wings don’t require gas.

The majority of the Justice Society retired their heroic identities to enlist in the various branches of the military.

Carter joined the Air Force and is set to make “pilot in record time” but “it’s liable to be months before I’ll see action in the army air force.”

Hakwman witnesses a fleet of B-17 Bombers arriving at the base from Randall Field, Texas.

Carter muses: “Those flyboys will do America a lot more good than one former playboy swooping around in a beaked masks and wings.”

“Speaking of former playboys, I just remembered Randall Field’s where Starman – Ted Knight – is based. I wonder if he might be – no, not likely. He couldn’t have his officer’s commission yet.”

Carter is wrong, as Ted is flying one of the planes. Ted’s co-pilot can’t get over how fast he made pilot status.

Ted suspects his co-pilot feels Ted’s money cut through the red tape but, in fact, as Starman, Ted has been “flying high for a year now.”

I’m not sure how flying under your own power allows easy mastery over flying a plane but I’ll go with it.

Starman admits missing using his gravity rod to fly under his own power. Ted is in one of the B-17 fleet bombers that Carter is flying next to.

A flying UFO appears out of nowhere, “glowing so blindly I can barely look at it.” The UFO attacks the planes.

A plane plummets to the ground. Hawman races after, knowing it’s futile, but hoping his Ninth Metal harness can stop the impending crash.

Fortunately for Carter, Ted makes excuses to head to the back of his plane. He promptly changes into his Starman costume, grabs his gravity rod, and exits the plane.

A relieved Hawkman has Ted save the plane while he prevents the UFO from attacking more planes.

An unconscious man falls out of the UFO. The UFO flies away to parts unknown.

Starman has to get back aboard the plane but Carter wants to know how Ted made pilot so fast.

Ted: “I got the President himself to fix it up for me.”

Ted admits he hates “using our ‘in’ with F.D.R.” but “winning this lousy war that’s important” and he would “mangle every rule in the book” if he had to.

Carter realizes he needs to return to base before he’s reported A.W.O.L. but first he needs to find help for the unconscious man. Unfortunately, the man dies in his arms before Carter can reach the ground.

Carter believes he knows the dead man and if it’s who he thinks it is “the secret behind that ‘Flying Eye’ may be even more sinister than I’d imagined.”

A caption box informs us we’ll have to wait an issue or two before discovering the full meaning of Carter’s words.

I enjoyed the quick check-in with Hawkman and Starman. The military enlistment was used throughout the All-Star Squadron run to explain why the members of the Justice Society weren’t featured heavily in the series.  It’s still nice to have the occasional appearance from a Society member.

We switch to Washington DC.

The Shining Knight, Hawkgirl, and Johnny Quick are careening past the Washington Monument.

I still don’t understand how Shiera hasn’t died of hypothermia while fighting crime in a bikini top during an East Coast winter.

I don’t have a problem with certain female super-heroes fighting crime in swimsuits, hot pants, or skirts. For example: She-Hulk, Supergirl, Power Girl, or Mary Marvel. All four women are mostly invulnerable and largely immune to temperature extremes. If it’s true to their personality, those women can wear what they want – they don’t have practical concerns to worry over.

However, women like Black Canary, Huntress, and Hawkgirl are neither invulnerable or immune to temperature extremes. Their costumes should reflect their need to protect their body from physical harm.

Side-note: Huntress’s abdomen-baring, hot-pants costume was one of the most idiotic outfits of all time. Both for the reasons listed above and because shorty before its debut, Helena was shot multiple times in the abdomen by the Joker. And the life-saving surgery was performed in Gotham during No Man’s Land. There was no plastic surgeon nearby to minimalize the scars. Yet no artist ever drew Helena with a scarred abdomen. Stupid!

Johnny compliments Shiera on the design of her new mask.  Shiera took the time to modify her mask but not to add sleeves to her top? Okay.

Johnny mentions he’d “better get some newsreel footage of all this, or Johnny Chambers is gonna be looking for a new job.”

Johnny is a cameraman for See’s All/Tells All News.

Sir Justin tethers Winged Victory and notices an unconscious man: “Here lies a man unconscious and he wears the regalia of an American soldier.”

Johhny has entered the Washington Monument in time to stop a sabotage attempt.

Johnny stops the actual explosion while Shiera and Justin deal with the saboteurs.

Sir Justin: “We thank you for letting us deal with these Nazis, Johnny Quick, for, in sooth, ‘twould be most unseemly to have let you fight the good fight unattended.”

Johnny: “Knight, you sure do talk pretty sometimes.”

The trio take the unconscious man (wounded guard) to the hospital.

Johnny mentions this is the second national monument he’s saved in a month and “I wonder how things are going out at Mount Rushmore?”

Hey, every hero needs a specialty. Superman fights alien invasions, Batman solves crimes, and Johnny Quick protects national monuments.

We switch locations to “one of the few American outposts in the distant Pacific Ocean which has not yet fallen to the Japanese juggernaut” where a “total blackout has been rigidly enforced for the past month.”

We have another check-in with a JSA member.

Dr. Charles McNider is on the island researching tropical fever. And he’s brought Hooty!

Charles serving in a research role for the military is a perfect fit. Charles wouldn’t be able to actively enlist in the military as he is blind.

Enemy planes and the “Flying Eye” attack the island. Charles changes into his “Dr. Mid-Nite” uniform to help the soldiers on the ground.

A solider is very confused: “Dr. Mid-Nite?! How the heck did you get over here?”

I understand Charles’ natural impulse is to change into costume at the first sign of danger but making an appearance on an isolated island is not a good way to maintain a secret identity.

The Flying Eye causes multiple plane engines to stall and crash. Fortunately, the pilots bail out.

The Flying Eye retreats and Charles heads back to his lab: “Better get back before my assistant Myra Mason notices Dr. McNider’s missing.”

Charles, trust me, Myra knows you run around as Dr. Mid-Nite. She may not say anything but she knows.

Did Charles use the “FDR card” in order to have Hooty and Myra accompany him? Myra is a nurse and Charle’s long-time assistant, used to working with the blind Charles, so she’s a logical choice to accompany him but Hooty?

I mean, I love Hooty, I’m just now sure how Charles convinced the military brass to allow his owl on the island.

We switch to the Russia’s Crimean Peninsula where the Flying Eye attacks both the Russian and the German forces and flies away.

Back to Washington. Robotman examines Steel. Robotman declares Steel free of any influence from Baron Blitzkrieg.

Firebrand accompanies the duo outside in time to witness the arrival of the Flying Eye.

The Flying Eye causes the hospital generatiors, along with Steel and Robotman, to shut down.

The Flying Eye heads to the White House. Firebrand along with a recovered Robotman and Steel race to the White House.

The trio arrive at the White House and meet up with Liberty Belle, Hawkgirl, the Shining Knight, Johnny Quick, and the Atom.

A shadowy, seven-foot man emerges from the Eye and battles the All-Star Squadron.

The man removes his helmet and proclaims: “I am Akhet, and I have come from the second planet of the star you call Proxima Centauri to annex this world, and all upon it, in the name and by the power of the Binary Brotherhood!”

The Fact Files at the end of the issue feature Starman, Liberty Belle, and the Atom. The only new information is Starman has never received an origin from his debut in the Golden Age until now but will receive one in an upcoming issue of All-Star Squadron. We’re told we will receive more information on Liberty Belle’s adrenal powers in a future issue. The fact file notes the Atom appeared in more Justice Society stories than any hero except Hawkman.

Up Next: “The Spaceman’s Sinister Secret!”

Akhet issues an ultimatum: “All of Earth’s nations must surrender that a united planet may be ruled by myself, as emissary of the Brotherhood. Any nations which resist – be it one or all – will be obliterated by such power as my starcraft has already demonstrated. You have one earth-day to choose between abject surrender and total annihilation!”

The All-Stars want to attack but Liberty Belle correctly states that they should wait for the President’s signal.

Half the Squad attacks anyway, and when it goes badly, the rest rush in to help.

Sir Justin, as always, has the best battle cry: “Nor shall any man or maid set a foot further than does the Shining Knight! Forward to the fray, Winged Victory!”

The fight doesn’t go well and Ahket, also known as the Star-Smasher, absconds with Steel, Hawkgirl, Atom, and Robotman.

Johnny laments: “What a time for the big guns in the Justice Society to have decided to enlist in the Army as privates!”

The Flying Eye attacks random locations across the globe.

The remaining All-Stars meet with the President, Prime Minister Churchill, and a military general.

Liberty Belle is suspicious of Akhet’s claims: “I’m convinced there’s more to this than meets the eye.”

Hawkman arrives at the White House. He informs the others of his and Starman’s encounter with the Flying Eye.

Carter tells the group the identity of the man who fell out of the ship: “Garret Owens, a pioneering bio-chemist. He’d gone out for a stroll near his Illinois home in 1933 – and hadn’t been seen since!”

Carter notes the emblem on Owens’ uniform is an old alchemist’s symbol for the Middle Ages, it is the sign for “the spirit of the world”.

Hawkgirl and Atom awaken in the Eye. Shiera’s a bit over-whelmed as she’s not a “full-time masked hero type. I’ve just put on this outfit to help the Hawk a time or two – and now this happens!”

Atom informs her “It’s a little late to fall back on your amateur standing.”

Atom and Hawkgirl explore the Eye.

Hawkman and the non-captured All-Stars race to the estate of Elwood P. Napier, a physio-mathematician.

Elwood is another scientist who has gone missing in the last decade.

Johnny Quick has discovered the missing scientists were part of a government brain trust that ran out of funds in 1930.

Elwood was the last of the scientists to go missing. Before that one of the scientists went missing every six months.

Firebrand uses her powers to light up the interior of the house.

Sir Justin: “Odd’s blood, lass, but in my long-ago day, they’d have burned ye for a witch.”

Good thing Firebrand’s a modern woman. Also, good luck with the burning thing considering the nature of her powers.

Hawkgirl and Atom encounter Akhet and easily knock him out. The duo discover Akhet is a robot.

The duo discovers the rest of the captured All-Stars along with the missing scientists.  All individuals are placed in clear tubes.

Hawkgirl and Atom discover the true mastermind behind the plan: Dr. Hastor, Hawkman’s arch-enemy.

“Doomsday Begins At Dawn!”

Hawkman and his fellow All-Star leave Elwood’s estate.

Carter recognized Hastor in the photos found at the estate, “a man I saw die more than two years ago”.

Carter recaps his origin and debut as Hawkman. This is familiar ground for DC fans but I’ll offer a quick summary: Ancient Egypt – Carter/Prince Khufu and Shiera – murdered by Hath-Set, a priest of Anubis, all three re-incarnate to their present day lives.

Carter battles Dr. Anton Hastor in his first adventure. Hastor presumed dead after his fight with Carter.

Carter informs his fellow All-Stars that there is no alien invasion – only Hastor’s machinations.

Hastor explains to Shiera his plans and how he became involved with the missing scientists.

Hastor took control of the group of scientists and the Flying Eye, starting the events of the last few issues.

The All-Stars reach the Flying Eye via a hot-air balloon! No engine to knock out in the balloon.

Carter, Shiera, and Hastor battle by using their past lives’ astral forms.

The Hawks win, the Flying Eye is deactivated, and Hastor falls into a comatose state.

I love the All-Star Squadron but this is a pretty “meh” arc. Too many twists needlessly over-complicated – and stretched out - the plot. The highlights were the recap of Hawkman’s origin and some character development for Hawkgirl. She has been mostly wallpaper during the series but we got to see her fear over her inexperience compared to the heroes and her determination to be an asset and not a “debutante” hero.

[why-i-love-comics]

Hawkman #29 - "The End" (2020)

written by Robert Venditti art by Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, & Jeromy Cox

[incognitomoustache]

Hawkman vol.5 #28 (2020)

Writer: Robert Venditti Penciler: Fernando Pasarin Inkers: Oclair Albert & Wade Von Grawbadger Colourist: Jeromy Cox

[goobergunch]

from Secret Origins #11 (February 1987) by Roy Thomas and Luke McDonnell

[dc-earth53]

0014 - Hawkwoman (Kendra Saunders/Shayera Thal/Shiera Saunders)

Age: 33

Occupation: Director, adventurer.

Marital status: Single

Known relatives: Shiera Saunders Hall (great-aunt, deceased), Carter Hall (great-uncle), Cyril “Speed” Saunders (grandfather, deceased), Michael Saunders (father, deceased), Trina Saunders (mother, deceased).

Group affiliation: Justice League of America, formerly Justice Society of America.

Base of operations: Los Angeles, California, formerly St. Roch, Louisiana, New York City.

Height: 5′9″

Weight: 135 lbs.

History:

c. 1280 B.C: Princess Chay-Ara is born in Egypt.

c. 1255 B.C: Chay-Ara, along with her beloved Khufu, the wizard Nabu, and champion Teth-Adam, come across the wreckage of a Thanagarian ship, laden with the mysterious Nth metal. The two use the alien technology to bring peace to their land and build incredible wonders.

C. 1240 B.C: Khufu and Chay-Ara are murdered by the priest Hath-Set, destined to be reincarnated into new bodies.

1917 A.D: Chay-Ara is reincarnated into the body of newborn Shiera Saunders.

1940 A.D.: 

Shiera meets Carter Hall, the reincarnation of Khufu, and her memories of her past lives return. She dons a costume similar to his and becomes Hawkgirl.

Hall and Saunders first encounter Dr. Anton Hastor, the modern reincarnation of Hath-Set.

The pair become founding members of the Justice Society of America, with Hall acting as their first chairman.

1941 A.D: President Franklin Roosevelt calls on Hawkgirl and the rest of the JSA to join the war effort, fighting on the home front as members of the All-Star Squadron.

1947 A.D: Hall and Saunders first encounter Jim Craddock, the Gentleman Ghost.

1951 A.D: As part of a scheme from Per Degaton, the Justice Society is called before the House Un-American Activities Commission, and forced to either reveal their true identities, or disband. Saunders, alongside many of his comrades, chooses to disband the team.

1953 A.D: Hall and Saunders are married, and have a son, Hector. They also discover the kingdom of Feithera, and adopt one of the avian humanoid natives, Norda, as their godson.

1979 A.D: Hall and Saunders are murdered by Hastor, and reincarnate as Thanagarian police officers Katar Hol and Shayera Thal.

18 years ago: Hol and Thal come to Earth, becoming members of the Justice League of America, and fast friends with Ray Palmer, the Atom.

14 years ago: Thal severs ties with Thanagar after the planet declares war on neighboring planet Rann.

10 years ago: Thal dies and Hol is gravely injured while helping to repel the invasion of Earth by an alien alliance that included Thanagarians among their number. Chay-Ara’s spirit enters the body of Kendra Saunders, Shiera’s niece, after Kendra fails to commit suicide.

7 years ago: 

Attempting to avoid the destiny that people say is written out for her, Saunders joins the Justice Society, becoming romantically involved with Sanderson Hawkins.

The reborn Carter joins the new JSA as well, and successfully convinces Kendra to relocate with him to St. Roch, Louisiana. Kendra finishes her film degree at St. Roch University.

6 years ago: Kendra answers Batman’s summons to join the Justice League after the active membership vanishes to ancient Atlantis.  

5 years ago: 

Ray Palmer is murdered by his ex-wife, Jean Loring, under the control of Eclipso. In response, Hall nearly murders Loring in cold blood, only stopped by the intervention of Kendra.

Kendra and Carter are called upon to fight in the war between Rann and Thanagar. While Carter remains on Thanagar, Kendra returns to Earth to put some distance between the two of them.

4 years ago: Kendra moves to Los Angeles, also joining the restructured Justice League and starting a relationship with Roy Harper.

3 years ago: Carter returns to Earth, only to be swept up in the Blackest Night. He and Kendra are seemingly killed by the reanimated Black Lantern corpse of Ray Palmer, but survive thanks to the curse placed on their reincarnation.

1 year ago: Kendra reluctantly accompanies Carter when he invites her to learn the secret of their past lives together.

Present day: Kendra is offered the reins of a major motion picture, and struggles to divide her time between her job and hero work.

Commentary:

And now: Kendra “screw destiny” Saunders. I went into most of the detail on the Hawks in Carter’s post, so here I’ll be focusing on what’s unique to Kendra, her ongoing fight against the pull she feels toward Carter, which is Chay-Ara’s spirit guiding her back toward her “soulmate.”

Due to a wrench thrown into the works of Khufu and Chay-Ara’s reincarnation cycle, Kendra doesn’t have the privilege of having memories of her past lives. Being Kendra Saunders is all she’s ever known, and she doesn’t care what her fate is, she wants to live her life how she chooses, especially if that means dating other men just to spite Carter.

Kendra’s got a troubled past and a fierce independent streak as she toes the line between embracing her destiny and outright rejecting it - despite everything, she still wears a variation on Shiera’s uniform, and still finds herself by Carter’s side more often than she’d really like. Will she fall victim to fate and end up linked to him again? Only time will tell.

Next up: the Atom and Jason Woodrue!

[why-i-love-comics]

Hawkman #28 - "The Nth Degree" (2020)

written by Robert Venditti art by Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Wade von Grawbadger, & Jeromy Cox

[why-i-love-comics]

Hawkman #29 - "The End" (2020)

written by Robert Venditti art by Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, & Jeromy Cox

[why-i-love-comics]

Hawkman #29 - "The End" (2020)

written by Robert Venditti art by Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, & Jeromy Cox

[sebeth]

All-Star Squadron #10 - 12

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

 All-Star Squadron #10 – 12 by Roy Thomas, Adrian Gonzales, and Jerry Ordway

“If An Eye Offend Thee!”

The issue opens in San Francisco. It is early January 1942 and Hawkman has snuck away from the military base for a late evening flight.

The majority of the Justice Society retired their heroic identities to enlist in the various branches of the military.

Carter joined the Air Force and is set to make “pilot in record time” but “it’s liable to be months before I’ll see action in the army air force.”

Hakwman witnesses a fleet of B-17 Bombers arriving at the base from Randall Field, Texas.

Carter muses: “Those flyboys will do America a lot more good than one former playboy swooping around in a beaked masks and wings.”

“Speaking of former playboys, I just remembered Randall Field’s where Starman – Ted Knight – is based. I wonder if he might be – no, not likely. He couldn’t have his officer’s commission yet.”

Carter is wrong, as Ted is flying one of the planes. Ted’s co-pilot can’t get over how fast he made pilot status.

Ted suspects his co-pilot feels Ted’s money cut through the red tape but, in fact, as Starman, Ted has been “flying high for a year now.”

I’m not sure how flying under your own power allows easy mastery over flying a plane but I’ll go with it.

Starman admits missing using his gravity rod to fly under his own power.

A flying UFO appears out of nowhere, “glowing so blindly I can barely look at it.” The UFO attacks the planes.

A plane plummets to the ground. Hawman races after, knowing it’s futile, but hoping his Ninth Metal harness can stop the impending crash.

Fortunately for Carter, Ted makes excuses to head to the back of his plane. He promptly changes into his Starman costume, grabs his gravity rod, and exits the plane.

A relieved Hawkman has Ted save the plane while he prevents the UFO from attacking more planes.

An unconscious man falls out of the UFO. The UFO flies away to parts unknown.

Starman has to get back aboard the plane but Carter wants to know how Ted made pilot so fast.

Ted: “I got the President himself to fix it up for me.”

Ted admits he hates “using our ‘in’ with F.D.R.” but “winning this lousy war that’s important” and he would “mangle every rule in the book” if he had to.

Carter realizes he needs to return to base before he’s reported A.W.O.L. but first he needs to find help for the unconscious man. Unfortunately, the man dies in his arms before Carter can reach the ground.

Carter believes he knows the dead man and if it’s who he thinks it is “the secret behind that ‘Flying Eye’ may be even more sinister than I’d imagined.”

A caption box informs us we’ll have to wait an issue or two before discovering the full meaning of Carter’s words.

I enjoyed the quick check-in with Hawkman and Starman. The military enlistment was used throughout the All-Star Squadron run to explain why the members of the Justice Society weren’t featured heavily in the series.  It’s still nice to have the occasional appearance from a Society member.

We switch to Washington DC.

The Shining Knight, Hawkgirl, and Johnny Quick are careening past the Washington Monument.

I still don’t understand how Shiera hasn’t died of hypothermia while fighting crime in a bikini top during an East Coast winter.

I don’t have a problem with certain female super-heroes fighting crime in swimsuits, hot pants, or skirts. For example: She-Hulk, Supergirl, Power Girl, or Mary Marvel. All four women are mostly invulnerable and largely immune to temperature extremes. As long as it’s true to their personality, those women can wear what they want – they don’t have practical concerns to worry over.

However, women like Black Canary, Huntress, and Hawkgirl are neither invulnerable or immune to temperature extremes. Their costumes should reflect their need to protect their body from physical harm.

Side-note: Huntress’s abdomen-baring, hot-pants costume was one of the most idiotic outfits of all time. Both for the reasons listed above and because shorty before it’s debut, Helena was shot multiple times in the abdomen by the Joker. And the life-saving surgery was performed in Gotham during No Man’s Land. There was no plastic surgeon nearby to minimalize the scars. Yet no artist ever drew Helena with a scarred abdomen. Stupid!

Johnny compliments Shiera on the design of her new mask.  Shiera took the time to modify her mask but not to add sleeves to her top? Okay.

Johnny mentions he’d “better get some newsreel footage of all this, or Johnny Chambers is gonna be looking for a new job.”

Johnny is a cameraman for See’s All/Tells All News.

Sir Justin tethers Winged Victory and notices an unconscious man: “Here lies a man unconscious and he wears the regalia of an American soldier.”

Johhny has entered the Washington Monument in time to stop a sabotage attempt.

Johnny stops the actual explosion while Shiera and Justin deal with the saboteurs.

Sir Justin: “We thank you for letting us deal with these Nazis, Johnny Quick, for, in sooth, ‘twould be most unseemly to have let you fight the good fight unattended.”

Johnny: “Knight, you sure do talk pretty sometimes.”

The trio take the unconscious man (wounded guard) to the hospital.

Johnny mentions this is the second national monument he’s saved in a month and “I wonder how things are going out at Mount Rushmore?”

Hey, every hero needs a specialty. Superman fights alien invasions, Batman solves crimes, and Johnny Quick protects national monuments.

We switch locations to “one of the few American outposts in the distant Pacific Ocean which has not yet fallen to the Japanese juggernaut” where a “total blackout has been rigidly enforced for the past month.”

We have another check-in with a JSA member.

Dr. Charles McNider is on the island researching tropical fever. And he’s brought Hooty!

Charles serving in a research role for the military is a perfect fit. Charles wouldn’t be able to actively enlist in the military as he is blind.

Enemy planes and the “Flying Eye” attack the island. Charles changes into his “Dr. Mid-Nite” uniform to help the soldiers on the ground.

A solider is very confused: “Dr. Mid-Nite?! How the heck did you get over here?”

I understand Charles’ natural impulse is to change into costume at the first sign of danger but making an appearance on an isolated island is not a good way to maintain a secret identity.

The Flying Eye causes multiple plane engines to stall and crash. Fortunately, the pilots bail out.

The Flying Eye retreats and Charles heads back to his lab: “Better get back before my assistant Myra Mason notices Dr. McNider’s missing.”

Charles, trust me, Myra knows you run around as Dr. Mid-Nite. She may not say anything but she knows.

Did Charles use the “FDR card” in order to have Hooty and Myra accompany him? Myra is a nurse and Charle’s long-time assistant, used to working with the blind Charles, so she’s a logical choice to accompany him but Hooty?

I mean, I love Hooty, I’m just now sure how Charles convinced the military brass to allow his owl on the island.

We switch to the Russia’s Crimean Peninsula where the Flying Eye attacks both the Russian and the German forces and flies away.

Back to Washington. Robotman examines Steel. Robotman declares Steel free of any influence from Baron Blitzkrieg.

Firebrand accompanies the duo outside in time to witness the arrival of the Flying Eye.

The Flying Eye causes the hospital generatiors, along with Steel and Robotman, to shut down.

The Flying Eye heads to the White House. Firebrand along with a recovered Robotman and Steel race to the White House.

The trio arrive at the White House and meet up with Liberty Belle, Hawkgirl, the Shining Knight, Johnny Quick, and the Atom.

A shadowy, seven-foot man emerges from the Eye and battles the All-Star Squadron.

The man removes his helmet and proclaims: “I am Akhet, and I have come from the second planet of the star you call Proxima Centauri to annex this world, and all upon it, in the name and by the power of the Binary Brotherhood!”

Up Next: “The Spaceman’s Sinister Secret!”

Akhet issues an ultimatum: “All of Earth’s nations must surrender that a united planet planet may be ruled by myself, as emissary of the Brotherhood. Any nations which resist – be it one or all – will be obliterated by such power as my starcraft has already demonstrated. You have one earth-day to choose between abject surrender and total annihilation!”

The All-Stars want to attack but Liberty Belle correctly states that they should wait for the President’s signal.

Half the Squad attacks anyway, and when it goes badly, the rest rush in to help.

Sir Justin, as always, has the best battle cry: “Nor shall any man or maid set a foot further than does the Shining Knight! Forward to the fray, Winged Victory!”

The fight doesn’t go well and Ahket absconds with Steel, Hawkgirl, Atom, and Robotman.

Johnny laments: “What a time for the big guns in the Justice Society to have decided to enlist in the Army as privates!”

The Flying Eye attacks random locations across the globe.

The remaining All-Stars meet with the President, Prime Minister Churchill, and a military general.

Liberty Belle is suspicious of Akhet’s claims: I’m convinced there’s more to this than meets the eye.”

Hawkman arrives at the White House.

Hawkman informs the others of his and Starman’s encounter with the Flying Eye.

Carter tells the group the identity of the man who fell out of the ship: “Garret Owens, a pioneering bio-chemist. He’d gone out for a stroll near his Illinois home in 1933 – and hadn’t been seen since!”

Carter notes the emblem on Owens’ uniform is an old alchemist’s symbol for the Middle Ages, it is the sign for “the spirit of the world”.

Hawkgirl and Atom awaken in the Eye. Shiera’s a bit over-whelmed as she’s not a “full-time masked hero type. I’ve just put on this outfit to help the Hawk a time or two – and now this happens!”

Atom informs her “It’s a little late to fall back on your amateur standing.”

Atom and Hawkgirl explore the Eye.

Hawkman and the non-captured All-Stars race to the estate of Elwood P. Napier, a physio-mathmematician.

Elwood is another scientist who has gone missing in the last decade.

Johnny Quick has discovered the missing scientists were part of a government brain trust that ran out of funds in 1930.

Elwood was the last of the scientists to go missing. Before that one of the scientists went missing every six months.

Firebrand uses her powers to light up the interior of the house.

Sir Justin: “Odd’s blood, lass, but in my long-ago day, they’d have burned ye for a witch.”

Good thing Firebrand’s a modern woman. Also, good luck with the burning thing considering the nature of her powers.

Hawkgirl and Atom encounter Akhet and easily knock him out. The duo discover Akhet is a robot.

The duo discovers the rest of the captured All-Stars along with the missing scientists.  All individuals are placed in clear tubes.

Hawkgirl and Atom discover the true mastermind behind the plan: Dr. Hastor, Hawkman’s arch-enemy.

“Doomsday Begins At Dawn!”

Hawkman and his fellow All-Star leave Elwood’s estate.

Carter recognized Hastor in the photos found at the estate, “a man I saw die more than two years ago”.

Carter recaps his origin and debut as Hawkman. This is familiar ground for DC fans but I’ll offer a quick summary: Ancient Egypt – Prince Khufu and Shiera – murdered by Hath-Set, a priest of Anubis, all three re-incarnate to their present day lives.

Carter battles Dr. Anton Hastor in his first adventure. Hastor presumed dead after his fight with Carter.

Carter informs his fellow All-Stars that there is no alien invasion – only Hastor’s machinations.

Hastor explains to Shiera his plans and how he became involved with the missing scientists.

Hastor took control of the group of scientists and the Flying Eye, starting the events of the last few issues.

The All-Stars reach the Flying Eye via a hot-air balloon! No engine to knock out in the balloon.

Carter, Shiera, and Hastor battle by using their past lives’ astral forms.

The Hawks win, the Flying Eye is deactivated, and Hastor falls into a comatose state.

I love the All-Star Squadron but this is a pretty “meh” arc. Too many twists needlessly over-complicated – and stretched out - the plot.

[dc-earth53]

0013 - Hawkman (Katar Hol/Carter Hall)

Age: 43 (physical), 103 (mental).

Occupation: Museum curator, adjunct professor, adventurer.

Marital status: Widowed

Known relatives: Shiera Saunders Hall (wife, deceased), Hector Hall (son, deceased), Hippolyta Trevor Hall (daughter-in-law, deceased), Daniel Hall (grandson), Norda Cantrell (godson).

Group affiliation: Justice Society of America, formerly All-Star Squadron.

Base of operations: Stonechat Museum, St. Roch, Louisiana

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 195 lbs.

History:

c. 1280 B.C: Prince Khufu is born in Egypt.

c. 1255 B.C: Khufu, along with his beloved Chay-Ara, the wizard Nabu, and champion Teth-Adam, come across the wreckage of a Thanagarian ship, laden with the mysterious Nth metal. The two use the alien technology to bring peace to their land and build incredible wonders.

C. 1240 B.C: Khufu and Chay-Ara are murdered by the priest Hath-Set, destined to be reincarnated into new bodies.

1917 A.D: Khufu is reincarnated into the body of newborn Carter Hall.

1940 A.D:

When on a trip to Egypt as an archaeologist, Hall regains the memories of his life as Khufu, using the hawk imagery of the Egyptian deity Horus to become Hawkman.

Carter meets Shiera Saunders, the reincarnation of Chay-Ara, and she becomes Hawkgirl, fighting by his side.

Hall and Saunders first encounter Dr. Anton Hastor, the modern reincarnation of Hath-Set.

The pair become founding members of the Justice Society of America, with Hall acting as their first chairman.

1941 A.D: President Franklin Roosevelt calls on Hawkman and the rest of the JSA to join the war effort, fighting on the home front as members of the All-Star Squadron.

1947 A.D: Hall and Saunders first encounter Jim Craddock, the Gentleman Ghost.

1951 A.D: As part of a scheme from Per Degaton, the Justice Society is called before the House Un-American Activities Commission, and forced to either reveal their true identities, or disband. Hall, alongside many of his comrades, choose to disband the team.

1953 A.D: Hall and Saunders are married, and have a son, Hector. They also discover the kingdom of Feithera, and adopt one of the avian humanoid natives, Norda, as their godson.

1979 A.D: Hall and Saunders are murdered by Hastor, and reincarnate as Thanagarian police officers Katar Hol and Shayera Thal.

18 years ago: Hol and Thal come to Earth, becoming members of the Justice League of America, and fast friends with Ray Palmer, the Atom.

14 years ago: Hol severs ties with Thanagar after the planet declares war on neighboring planet Rann.

10 years ago: Thal dies and Hol is gravely injured while helping to repel the invasion of Earth by an alien alliance that included Thanagarians among their number. When Hol comes to, Carter Hall’s memories and personality have re-asserted themselves.

7 years ago: 

Hall joins the newly reformed Justice Society alongside Kendra Saunders, the latest reincarnation of Chay-Ara and Shiera’s grand-niece.

Hall becomes the curator of the Stonechat Museum in St. Roch, Louisiana.

5 years ago: 

Ray Palmer is murdered by his ex-wife, Jean Loring, under the control of Eclipso. In response, Hall nearly murders Loring in cold blood, only stopped by the intervention of Kendra.

Hall is called upon to fight in the war between Rann and Thanagar. He remains on Thanagar after the war to help mediate the newly brokered peace between the planets, serving as a member of the Thanagarian police force.

3 years ago: Carter returns to Earth, only to be swept up in the Blackest Night. He and Kendra are seemingly killed by the reanimated Black Lantern corpse of Ray Palmer, but survive as they weren’t killed by Hath-Set.

1 year ago: Carter learns of many of his past lives in a vision, and embarks on a journey to rediscover himself.

Present day: Carter continues serving as a member of the Justice Society of America, while also trying to reconcile his past lives with his present existence.

Commentary:

Oh, Hawkman. You and your partner are somehow only the second most confusing characters in all of DC continuity, thanks to Donna Troy and her rat’s nest of backstories. For the uninformed, there are essentially two major incarnations of Hawkman: the reincarnated Egyptian prince and the space cop. DC themselves had one hell of a time figuring out which Hawkman they wanted to use, merging them both into one Hawk-God figure during Zero Hour before eventually settling on Carter Hall as the primary Hawkman. (And then, of course, the Justice League cartoon had to use the Thanagarian versions of the Hawks just to complicate matters.)

Thankfully, Robert Venditti came up with a simple and elegant explanation in his Hawkman series: Khufu and Chay-ara’s spirits reincarnate through space and time. Khufu = Katar = Carter = about a hundred others, including Hawkmen of Rann and Krypton. It’s a really simple retcon that adds a lot of depth to the character’s history and opens up new avenues for storytelling, and that’s what I’m going with here.

Another interesting wrinkle in this timeline is that only the reincarnated Hath-Set can kill the Hawks, and is fated to eventually in every reincarnation. That means that during the Blackest Night, the Black Lanterns’ attempts to recruit the Hawks to their cause are all for naught. In addition, something unprecedented happens during the Invasion, when Shayera dies but Katar survives, meaning their spirits don’t move on quite as intended, resulting in Kendra Saunders being Hawkgirl with no memories of her past lives while Carter asserts control of Katar’s body.

Character-wise, Hawkman is sort of a blend between Indiana Jones and Conan the Barbarian, being an adventurer-archaeologist scouring the world for treasures, but also giving no quarter in combat and unafraid to roll some heads.  He’s very dedicated to his partner, even if she’s hesitant to embrace destiny and reciprocate his feelings, as Kendra is.

Carter Hawkman’s appearance has stabilized into the look you see above after several costume changes during the Golden Age. It’s suitably badass and Conan-esque. Katar’s costume, being a Thanagarian police uniform, had more coverage and actual armor befitting his role.

Next: Hawkwoman and then Ray Palmer.