“Tin Foil Hat’s Off” 5/14/08

Welcome to today’s installment of Tin Foil Hat’s Off, the hottest rumor column in the world of comics!

 

NORTHSTAR OUTTED AS A SKRULL!!!

• TFHO has received information from multiple credible sources that it will be revealed that former X-Man and member of Alpha Flight, Northstar, will soon be revealed as a long-time Skrull in disguise.  The story is that the Real Northstar was kidnapped years ago and has had a Skrull impersonating him ever since.  The reasoning behind this is that Marvel wishes to undo the decision for the character to be homosexual.  The timeline will show that Northstar coming out as a homosexual was in fact a Skrull impersonating Northstar pretending to be homosexual.  When the real Northstar returns Marvel plans on hooking him up in a stable, heterosexual relationship with another former member of Alpha Flight.  Some guy named Steve informs us that it will not be Snowbird or the young, female Puck, leaving few options open for our woman-lusting speedster Cannuck.

NEW CREATIVE TEAMS TO BE ANNOUNCED FOR GREEN LANTERN, JSA AND LEGION OF 3 WORLDS

• Multiple totally credible sources have informed TFHO that they will be unveiling new writers for Green Lantern, Justice Society of America and the upcoming Legion of Three Worlds.  When asked to comment on this, DC Editor Extraordinaire, Dan Didio confirmed that the changes in writers had been discussed, but there was nothing that they were ready to announce at this time.  When asked if this was tied into Geoff Johns’ rumored escape from DC Comics’ offices, a confrontational Mr Didio informed TFHO that Geoff Johns had never been held against his will, forced to write comics in exchange for food and water, and that the chains on his desk were Mr. Johns’ idea as he felt that they made him a better writer.  Mr. Didio did state that if anyone does happen to see Mr. Johns, not to call the police or his family, but rather contact a local Time-Warner Repossesion Squad immediately, and to tell no one.

SEAN McKEEVER’S SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN PUBLIC PARK

• According to multiple sources, writer of the Teen Titans and the upcoming Terror Titans miniseries was seen recently sitting in a park eating a sandwich.  It is not known at this time what kind of sandwich it was, but according to multiple, completely credible sources it was possibly of the Egg Salad or Chicken Salad variety.  When TFHO contacted DC Comics on this issue we received the following statement: “who in the hell are you people and how did you get this number?”  TFHO will stay on this story and bring you developments as they happen.

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE TO ACTIVIST GROUP

• TFHO has learned from this totally credible source that Brian Michael Bendis still refuses to apologize to the American Paleontological Society after he was overheard telling a friend that he was glad that the Dinosaurs were extinct because they were “big, stupid, smelly, cold-blooded monsters who would likely eat us all if they were still alive.”  Enraged Dinosaur-lovers have demanded at the least an apology from the creator and his employer, Marvel Comics; however some more militant factions of those activist groups are demanded that Bendis be fired for his insensitivity, even tho they conceded that the Dinosaurs probably would eat us if they had a chance.  When asked to comment, We were told that Bendis was not available, but in the background we overheard someone sounding remarkably like Bendis yelling “The Hell?  Is that another one of those #@$%in’ Dino-Lovers?”  We cannot confirm that it was Bendis, but according to this guy named Steve, it probably was.

 

Join us next time for the best comics rumors found anywhere on the internet!  If you have any juicy gossip that you’d like to share, just let us know – the only thing we ask is that you have totally, like, completely credible sources or at least have it verified by that guy, Steve.

“Tin Foil Hat’s Off” – Welcome to the HOTTEST comics rumor column!!!

It has been a LONG time since I have posted here – been busy.  During that time I’ve wondered what I should talk about.  Yes, I am going to continue the Hawkmanology Project, and yes, I’ll continue to post on random thoughts running through my scary mind…but what could I do with this site?  What could I do to really give it some “Oomph” and some “hey-hey!”

Then it hit me: comics rumors sites are all the rage, so I’ve decided to get in on that scam.  Welcome to the first installment of “Tin Foil Hat’s Off” where we’ll expose the dark underbelly of the seedy comic books industry.

 

JUDD WINICK IN HOT WATER WITH PETA!!!

• Comic Writer and reality TV Superstar, Judd Winick, is reportedly in hot water with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  Winick was spotted by several credible sources (most of whom do not have criminal records) as meeting with three PETA officials where they lambasted him repeatedly over issues they have with the writer and his record in regards to animal rights while sitting in a Hot Tub.  One credible source was quoted as saying “who the hell are these people?  They told me that Britney’s little sister sunbathes topless back here. Dammit!”  Another totally reliable source informed us that “Judd and his wife are way, way blacker than they appear on television!”  Finally, some guy named Steve told me that it wasn’t actually Judd Winick all of these people were spying on, but rather a starting power forward for an unnamed NBA team, his girlfriend and his friends.  The player’s wife could not be reached for comment.

Tin Foil Hats contacted Winick, but he refused to comment on this article.  Next time Tin Foil Hats will try to actually find a real phone number rather than press a random series of numbers.

DC EDITOR DAN DIDIO ARRESTED FOR BREAKING & ENTERING

• Dan Didio, editor supreme of DC Comics, was arrested yesterday in Marshalltown, Iowa, at the home of a comic book collector of 25 years.  The fan, who’s name is being withheld for his own protection, returned home from vacation early only to find Mr. Didio in his comic collection, taking inventory of his comics.  When the police arrived at John McDavid’s home…..dammit, remind me to edit out his name, ok?  Anyway – when they arrived at 2238 Morseville Drive, a defiant Mr. Didio boldy proclaimed to the police and media gathered from 58 countries that “I did it!  I broke into his house to look at his collection!”  When asked why, Mr. Didio stated “nothing gives me as much joy as targetting individual comic book fans, discovering their favorite characters and ruining them!”  Mr. Didio laughed maniacally as they took him away in the squad car, screaming “I’ll get you, comics fans!  I’ll get you all!  Every one of you!  No one is safe!  The next person I’m targetting is…” and at that point I couldn’t keep up with the squad car I had been running along as it drove off.  It was cool of them to leave the window down so that I could get that quote, tho.  The unnamed victim, John McDavid, has since gone into hiding as the whereabouts of Joe Quesada are unknown.  Hopefully Joe won’t look for a guy named Pedro Sanchez in Waxahachie, Texas, because that’s so totally McDavid in disguise!

Several names in this story have been changed, except for Mr. Didio, Mr. Quesada and Mr. McDavid…so I guess none of the names have been changed….

KEITH GIFFEN HAS BEEN NAMED A “PERSON OF INTEREST” IN CALL GIRL RING

• Legendary DC Comics writer Keith Giffen may not be Bwa-Ha-Ha-ing so much these days.  According to some guy named Steve, Giffen has been named as a possible person of interest in the investigation into a high class call girl service in San Angelo, Texas.  When asked to comment on the case, Giffen was said to reply “My hoes know when to keep tha shizzle hizzle.”   Further research on the subject eventually revealed that we did not actually contact Giffen, but rather some little 15 year-old white kid from the suburbs named Trey.  In retrospect we could have left all of that out of this report.  When asked about this case, the San Angelo Police Department issued the following statement: “SIr, if you call 911 about this again we will arrest you.”   More on this story as it develops.

editor’s note – that guy, Steve, now says that it may have been Merv Griffin, or possibly Melanie Griffith involved in this, and promises that next time he won’t drunk-dial the story in.

 

TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR THE HOTTEST COMICS RUMORS ON THE INTERWEB THINGY!!!

 

Understanding Hawkman: Part 2.c – More Family

Welcome back to another installment of the Hawkmanology Project.  In our last part of this chapter we focused on the son of Hawkman, Hector Hall.  In this we will look at more members of his extended family.  One thing to remember with Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Sheira) through the years is that they did not have children until this past reincarnation, so the family aspect is new to their long lives.

 

Northwind – Norda Cantrell is the adopted son of Carter and Sheira Hall.  He comes from the hidden city of Feithera and is born of a native Feitheran mother and a human father.  The Halls often travelled to that hidden land and over time they eventually adopted Norda.  Norda was already caught up in the curse of Hath-Set, and he would stand in opposition to his eventual friend and teammate, Hector, the birth son of his adopted parents.  Norda along with several other sons and daughters of the JSA formed a group of their own called Infinity, Inc.  They eventually disbanded and Norda was not seen for some time.  He was next seen as an ally of Black Adam in Khandaq, his form radically changed to the appearance seen above.  We learn that Feithera was destroyed by the actions of humans and their entire race went through hyperevolution to survive.  His people still reside in Khandaq.

Fury (Lyta Trevor-Hall) – Lyta is the daughter of the Golden Age Heroine, Fury, and was raised by Derek and Joan Trevor (aka Joan Dale, Miss America).  Along with several other sons and daughters of the Golden Age heroes she joined the group Infinity, Inc, taking the name of her mother: Fury.  It was while a member of that group that she met and fell in love with Hector Hall, eventually becoming pregnant with his child before his death.  It was later revealed that Hector had gone on to take the mantle of the Sandman and had been visiting Lyta.  Eventually she joined him in the dreaming where they finally married.  She had a prolonged pregnancy while in the Dreaming before Hector’s spirit was cast away by a returning Morpheus of the Endless and Lyta was banished from the dreaming.  Their son Daniel was finally born, but his ties to the Dreaming were powerful.  He was kidnapped and Lyta was forced to play a part in the killing of Morpheus of the Endless, causing her son Daniel to take his place.  Lyta was lost for many years afterwards before Hector, now returned to life as Dr. Fate, found her and they enjoyed a short time of happiness together before they were killed by a rampaging Spectre.  Hector and Lyta’s souls were seen departing to the Dreaming once again, their family reunited.

 

Daniel, Dream of the Endless – The son of Hector and Lyta Hall spent most of the time in his mother’s womb while they resided in the realm known as the Dreaming.  Lyta was pregnant for far longer than a normal term as the child became connected with the Dreaming.  He was kidnapped shortly after being born and used in a revenge plot against Morpheus of the Endless, Lord of the Dreaming.  His ties to the Dreaming and his role in this plot marked the child, Daniel, as the new avatar of Dream of the Endless, replacing Morpheus.  A child who was never given a chance to grow up became one of the most powerful beings in creation, but he did reach out at the end of the lives of his parents to bring their souls to reside with him within the Dreaming.

OK, we’re going to end this part of the chapter now and next we’ll discuss the various close friends and allies of Hawkman.

Understanding Hawkman: Part 3.b – More Villains

 

Welcome back for another installment of Hawkmanology.  At this time we’re going to revisit the villains of Hawkman with a focus on a recent storyline.  A couple years back the creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Michael Bennett put together an ambitious, mulit-part story bringing back several of Hawkman’s enemies from years past; many of whom had not been seen since the Golden Age.  This storyline is collected in a trade paperback titled “Rise of the Golden Eagle.”

Leading this motley crew of hired thugs is a man who also plagued Batman and other heroes back in the Silver Age:

The Fadeaway Man – Dr. Anton Lamont was an art history professor who came into the possession of the Cloak of noted occultist Alessandro Cagliostro.  Lamont learned of the Cloak’s mystical properties and used it to lead a life of crime.  The Cloak of Cagliostro has many abilities, but most notable is it’s ability to teleport its wearer anywhere in the world.  Lamont used that particular ability to become a master thief, running afoul of the likes of Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Batman.  Looking to retire, Lamont took up an offer for one last job: to completely and utterly destroy his old foe, Hawkman.   He assembled a collection of villains from Hawkman’s past for the job and they seemed to succeed; but Hawkman returned with a vengeance, brutalizing the Fadeaway Man and his allies and taking the Cloak of Cagliostro as his own.  At last sighting, the Fadeaway Man managed to steal the Cloak back, but what he decided to do afterwards has yet to be written.

Lion-Mane – Ed Dawson was an archaeologist and a big-game hunter who came into contact with a meteorite with mystical properties called Mithra.  This turned Dawson into a were-lion, with the beast’s power and ferocity amplified a hundred-fold.  Lion-Mane would clash with Hawkman many times, and after the Hawkworld re-imagining we discover that Lion-Mane is a Lion Avatar, just as Katar Hol was a Hawk avatar.  The character went unused for years until he became one of the Fadeaway Man’s mercenaries.  Lion-Mane added his incredible savagry to that group, but he would soon find that his savagry was no match for an angry Hawkman.  The last time we saw Lion-Mane he was horribly beaten and possibly blinded in one eye.  His whereabouts since are unknown.

Hummingbird – Not much is known about this character, save for the fact that she is…well, not entirely sane.  That may actually be an understatement.  When she was a child she witnessed her mother kill her father (over pancakes…seriously), and she then tied her mother to her bed and set her on fire so that her father wouldn’t be lonely in the afterlife.  She is an absolutely brilliant inventor, but she makes a point to invent devices such as cluster bombs designed to bring as much pain, death and destruction as possible to her targets.

Lasso – I have to admit…I know little to nothing about this character, Lasso.  I know that he is  villain from Hawkman’s golden age.  He was one of the mercenaries brought together by the Fadeaway Man to take Hawkman down once and for all.  For all of his troubles, Lasso ended up a snow bunny.

Satana – She is as stylish as she is utterly evil.  She is one of Hawkman’s villains from way back in the day, brought together under Fadeaway Man’s banner to end Hawkman once and for all.  Satana fancies herself as a sort of modern day Circe, using her science to meld humans with animals, all under her control.  She, undet the guidance of Hawkman’s foes, used her science to breed a version of the dreaded Manhawks.

Manhawks – The Manhawks are vicious, carnivorous hunters who plague system after system in the galaxy.  They will find a world to conquer like locusts and then wear masks with the face of those that they are about to conquer.  This species cannot be reasoned with; they know no compromise; they exist merely to conquer.

Understanding Hawkman: Part 2.b – Hector

Continuing our examination of the character Hawkman, we go back to our chapter on Family, Friends and Allies.  In our first part we looked at the many loves of Hawkman’s lives.  In this installment we look at the family of Hawkman, beginning with their son. 

In all of the lives of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, the one thing that they never had was children…not until this lifetime.  The curse that gave them life immortal showed it’s first sign of strain with the anomalous birth of the son of Carter and Sheira Hall.  For the first time there was another part of their cycle of death and rebirth: one who soon showed that he was a lot like his mother and father.

Hector Hall (aka: Silver Scarab; aka Sandman; aka Dr. Fate)

Hector is the son of Carter and Sheira Hall.  He followed in their footsteps as a crime-fighting adventurer, taking a name with ties to his family’s Egyptian roots: the Silver Scarab.  He, along with other sons and daughters of the JSA formed their own team of super-heroes: Infinity, Inc.  It was while a member of this group that Hector fell in love with Lyta Hall, the heroine known as the Fury.  It was eventually revealed that he was caught up in the curse of Hath-Set, and was inteded to be a soulless vessel to destroy the Hawks.  He was killed in action while Lyta was pregnant, and the inherint goodness of the child he conceived was the curse’s undoing.  But like his parents, Hector was not one to be stopped by death.

Hector would next show up as the Sandman – a hero based out of a segment of the Dreaming which was cut off by two rogue nightmares during Morpheus’ absence.  He would visit Lyta in her dreams, eventually discovering that she was pregnant with his child.  She became aware of him and they married, and she followed him into the Dreaming.  They existed there for some time – far beyond the gestation time of a normal pregnancy.  When Morpheus eventually returned he dispatched the rogue dreams and Hector along with them.  He allowed Lyta to leave the Dreaming, noting that due to the development of the child in his realm, he would be eternally tied to it.

 Hector was reborn for the third time in the pages of Johns and Robinson’s initial storyarc of JSA.  Hector’s soul was reborn into a baby’s body which was the perfect balance of Order and Chaos.  The biological parents were eventually revealed to be Hawk (Hank Hall) and Dove (Dawn Granger).  The child was sought after by the dark lord, Mordru, but before he could possess it, Hank’s spirit took control as the new host for Nabu’s power: his champion, Dr. Fate.  Hector seemed destined to become the greatest bearer of Nabu’s power, but it was quickly set into motion that he and the giver of his powers would be at odds.  Constantly distracted from his learning by his desire to find his love, Lyta, again, the relationship between Student and Mentor was cleary strained.  Attempting to impose a level of control over his champion that he never tried with Kent Nelson or Eric and Linda Strauss, Nabu would become more of a hinderance to Hector’s development rather than a proper mentor.  Their antagonistic relationship came to a head during the JSA-Hawkman crossover, Black Reign, when Nabu took control of Hector’s body, trapping his soul away in the world inside his amulet in order to ally himself with an ancient ally: Black Adam.  It was then that Hector discovered that Nabu had been keeping Lyta prisoner, as to keep her out of the way of what he considered Hector’s proper learning path to be.  Other former bearers of Nabu’s power were also imprisoned, and equally fed up with the old, controlling wizard.  Working together they managed to subdue Nabu and restored Hector to power in his own body, and freed Lyta to be at his side.

Hector and Lyta’s time together would be brief as they fell victim to an editorial “new direction” for Dr. Fate.  They were essentially killed off unceremoniously in a distant, cold place.  While their bodies died, however, their souls lived on – returning to the Dreaming at the behest of their son, whom we shall discuss at a later time.  Since their death and the re-emergence of the Helm of Nabu in the DCU, not a mention has been made of Hector or Lyta by their friends, family or teammates.  Their bodies remain in cold, unknown place with only the snow to cover them.

At this point, DC does not seem interested in following up on this story.

War is Upon us: Fables #71

There are just a handful of comics that I put ahead of just about any other: Ostrander’s Spectre; Gaiman’s Sandman; and Robinson’s Starman are probably at the top of that list.  Coming up fast behind them, and very likely to overtake them is what may be the best ongoing comic published today: Fables.

I arrived to this show late, but it did not take long for me to catch up.  I devoured the first 8 trade paperbacks as well as the 1001 Nights of Snowfall hardcover; and jumped on board for the monthlies with the recently-concluded storyline: The Good Prince.  Now everything that Bill Willingham has built up to in this comic appears to be coming to a head.  The War with the Homelands is no longer just talk: it is a reality.

And who better to get kick things off in this war than the most fashionable, foul-mouthed, super-sneaky, butt-kicker supreme: Cinderella!

PLEASE NOTE: There will be SPOILERS for this issue (#71) in this post, so if you don’t wish to read them, then check back here after you have! 

That is the cover to issue #71; and for those unfamiliar with Fables, it should be apparant that this isn’t Walt Disney’s little princess.  She does, however, owe a lot of her power to the Maker of the Mouse, who has kept her legend alive and well-known by millions.  The better-known the Fable, the more powerful they are.  So it only makes sense that She of the Glass Slipper would be one of the strongest, toughest Fables out there.

Already more powerful than your average Mundy (that’s the Mudane folk – the people of this world who only know these characters through fairy tale legends); Cinderella enters into the stratosphere of near SuperFable.  We’ve already seen what some of the more popular Fables have endured: Snow White survived being shot in the head; Jack Horner seems to be impaled or blown up every other issue; and Goldilocks…oy vey – where to begin?  The story of Cinderella is as well-known, or possibly even better-known than those Fables, so we can only imagine her power, which was hinted at in this issue (being able to flip over a large SUV without breaking a nail).

The thing about Cindy, tho – most Fables believe her to be a spoiled, foul-mouthed brat who by some miracle manages to keep a small shoe store in operation when she is not out galivanting about the globe.  None of them realize what we have known for some time: that she is essentially Fabletown’s number one spy and secret agent.  Recruited and trained by Bigby Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf and essentially the hero of this overall tale), Cindy has proven to be born for the life she now secretly leads.  Her latest adventure in this current issue take her to one of the Homeland’s open gates (soft spots between dimensions where one can travel between worlds) all the way down in Tierra del Fuego at the tip of Argentina.  She has been sent down to retrieve a package deemed so important that she is the only person that Bigby Wolf and her scoundrel of an ex-husband (but brilliant military commander) Prince Charming will trust to retrieve and return it safely to Fabletown.

 Her arrival in Tierra del Fuego gets off ot the wrong start immediately, as the man who was supposed to meet her to transfer the package brought two rather large goons along rather than come alone as agreed.  It turns out that the duplicitous and foolish, foolish little man had decided that instead of giving her the package, thta he would take her – a stunningly beautiful woman travelling alone – and attempt to sell her into human slavery to someone who would handsomely for a woman of her qualities.  Yes…well, this was a bad idea.

Within seconds, Cindy blinds one goon by jabbing his eyes out with her thumbs, shoots the other one and causes the vehicle that they are in to flip, knocking the very foolish man unconscious.  It is during this time that Cindy reveals her strength by flipping the vehicle back over while ot even questioning for a moment if she could.  When the foolish little man awakens she makes him take her to the package, even though that it is clear to her that he is setting her up again.  She willingly walks into this trap of his for the sake of checking on the package’s safety: and it is revealed to be Pinocchio – the runaway son of the Adversary and former citizen of Fabletown.  It turns out that he wants to come back, and that Bigby and Charming have decided that his knowledge is worth the risk of getting him.

Oh yeah – that trap?  Another bad idea.  Cindy dispatches the entire room full of goons quickly and without quarter, all the while mocking them in her thoughts, making fun of spy movies and looking absolutely fabulous while doing it.  We’ve seen her in some cloak and dagger action, but this is the first time that we really get to see her cut loose, and it is a sight to behold.  The single greatest mystery in the Fables comics is clearly this: how on Earth did Prince Charming survive pissing this woman off?

After the foolish, little man and his goons are dispatched, Cindy takes Pinocchio off the beaten path to get them home while avoiding trouble.  She makes some very funny comments about not standing out when she may as well be an albino in Kenya with her fashion choices.  She arrives back in the room that she and Pinocchio are staying in…only to discover that they have been found by one of the Adversary’s most nefarious agents: the murderous Hansel.

Once we get the veiled threats and veiled counter-threats out of the way, we get to the business of Hansel trying to pump her for information…but once again it seems that Hansel is a day late and a dollar short.  He wants to know when the War will begin.  He wants to know when Fabletown intends to strike, and we get a wonderful, Watchman-esque reaction from a laughing Cindy: the war began over 19 hours ago when Fabletown attacked from the Cloud Kingdoms.

Every so often this comic makes me declare a favorite character, only to declare a new favorite character a month later.  For a long time now I have been a Cindy fan and I have been looking forward to this spotlight issue, and now I am even more enamoured with the character than when I began.  Cindy, in the words of Jesus, totally freaking rules.

The War has begun, and for us readers the hardest part is upon us: the wait until the next issue comes out.

p.s. – I very nearly forgot to add that Prince Charming resigned as Mayor of Fabletown, leaving the recently-appointed King Cole to once again assume the duties as mayor.  His first act was to re-instate Beauty as deputy mayor and then to appoint Prince Charming as Director of Homeland Reclamation.  Prince Charming’s sole duty now is the generalship of the war.

Understanding Hawkman: Part 3.a – The Villains

Welcome to part one of our third installment of the Hawkmanology Project, in which we explore the character and history of DC Comic’s Winged Warrior: Hawkman.  As with every classic comics character there are three essential aspects to cover: their origin and personality; their supporting cast; and of course, their villains.  In our first installment we touched upon the various histories, and how they have been merged by Geoff Johns, James Robinson and David Goyer into the current background and origin of Hawkman.  In the second installment we began exploring the friendly supporting cast of Hawkman, starting with the many loves of his life.  In this installment we’ll begin looking at the many villains of Hawkman through his many incarnations.

While not as well-known as the villains of other heroes, such as Lex Luthor, the Joker, Sinestro, or even Captain Cold; Hawkman is not without an interesting cast of his own foes.  We’re going to begin with some of his better-known foes to the comics-reading community as a whole.  Long-time fans such as myself may not put these foes as high as others, but with this entire Hawkmanology Project I am trying to make it relevant to the character as he exists today.

 The Shadow-Thief

Carl Sands, aka, the Shadow-Thief is probably the most recognizable villain in Hawkman’s rogue’s gallery.  He was a somewhat incompetant saboteur and thief who saw his fortunes changed when he came across Thanagarian technology known as the “Dimensiometer,” or simply the “shadow-vest” for us non-alien types.  This granted Sands with the ability to phase into a two-dimensional shadow-like state.  He can become two or three-dimensional at will, he can travel through shadows and across and through most materials.  He became an accomplished thief after acquiring these abilities, but the vest has had terrible side effects on his mental state as well as having become an addictive property to Sands.  He recently killed Ronald Raymond, who was the former host of the Firestorm Matrix.

 Gentleman Ghost

“Gentleman” Jim Craddock was the bastard son of a British aristocrat who turned to a life of the Highwayman, thieving his way across the ocean to America where he encounted the western heroes, Nighthawk and Cinnamon, who were that era’s incarnation of Hawkman and Hawkgirl.  In a fit of rage, Nighthawk killed Craddock, but due to their Nth metal exposure he became caught up in their curse and has haunted them in every lifetime since.  Sometimes a friend, sometimes a foe…the true nature of Craddock was not known to Hawkman util the past few years where he made it clear that despite sometimes appearing to be an ally, he harbors nothing but hatred for the Hawks and will continue to haunt them through their days.

 Byth

Byth Rok was a Wingman of Thanagar, who’s corrupt ways made him a criminal on his planet.  He acquired shape-shifting abilities through the use of illegal drug, Krotan, which he used to escape Thanagar, eventually hiding on Earth.  It was the pursuit of this criminal that led Katar Hol and Shayera Thal to Earth, where they became caught up in the Hawkman mythos.  When last seen, Byth had been taken down by Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Hawkgirl and Animal Man.  He is rumored to be an intergalactic arms dealer, and his outfitting of Carl Sands with the Dimensiometer fit in with those rumors.

 Blackfire

Kommand’r, Queen of the vagabond remnants of the Tamaranean race, has but two purposes in her life now: to find a home for her people; and to acquire great power and influence in the process.  She inserted her people into the middle of the Rann-Thanagar War, working both sides against each other.  When her duplicity was revealed she murdered Shayera Thal, better known as Hawkwoman.  This made her an eternal enemy of Hawkman, who spent the better part of a year trying to take her down (albeit in an uncharacteristic “by the book” way), which he succeeded in doing, while stripping her of her own solar energy based powers.  The burning animosity between the two all but guarantees that we have not seen their last conflict with one another.

  Onimar Synn

One of the Seven Devils of Thanagarian mythology – Onimar Synn has proven to be all-too real.  His complete mastery of the mysterious Nth metal has made him one of the galaxy’s most powerful beings, with the ego and pride to go with it.  He had conquered Thanagar, which directly led to the rebirth of Carter Hall as Hawkman on that planet.  After Hawkman and Hawkgirl (with the JSA’s assistance) defeated Synn, he waited until the moment was right to strike again, which led to the ongoing war between Rann and Thanagar.  Seemingly banished once again, there is little doubt that Onimar Synn will not only return, but return even more powerful than before.

OK – that’s closing this part of the chapter.  I know that some may question the rhyme or reason for selecting these five when discussing Hawkman’s villains, and not some of his more classic foes, but I will get to them soon.  I wanted to touch on the five that I feel are most relevant to the character as he stands now.

Understanding Hawkman: Part Two.a – Family, Friends and Allies

Welcome back to another lesson in Hawkology, where we will continue to open your eyes to the world of Hawkman.  In today’s lesson we begin our examination of the family, friends and allies of Hawkman.

As with all comics characters, there are there are three essential aspects that go towards making a hero great.  The first, obviously, is the hero him or herself.  After that the keys are a good supporting cast (friends, family, allies, etc); and then the last part, of course, are the villains.  Don’t worry – we’ll get to the bad guys soon enough.  We’re going to start with the good guys first…tho in the case of Hawkman, there are times where his friends, lovers or allies may be worse than his enemies!

We’re going to begin the exploration of Hawkman’s supporting cast by focusing on that greatest element of any story: the Lovers.  These are the women of Hawkman’s lives.  We’ll start at the beginnning…and as you know for Hawkman: the beginning is a long time back!

  Chay-Ara

Told you we were going way back!  Chay-Ara is where this whole love story began.  She was the wife of Prince Khufu in Ancient Egypt.  She and her husband crafted armaments from the Nth Metal recovered from the crashed Thanagarian ship.  She and Khufu were killed by the jealous traitor, Hath-Set – stabbed with a knife crafted from Nth Metal.  This began the Hawk’s blessing and curse, as they would be reborn time and time again to fall in love, only to die at the hands of Hath-Set.  This leads us to…

   Hawkgirl (Sheira Hall)

The Golden Age Hawkgirl was the wife of Carter Hall.  They fought side by side during World War II, and continued to operate long after the rest of their JSA allies hung up the tights.  She is the best-known re-incarnation of Chay-Ara, and it was during her life (and her death) that the things that would break the curse would be set in motion.  She and Carter had a son, Hector, and they adopted a son, Norda.  Hector was the first child they have ever had in all of their lives.  Sheira was “reborn” after dying in Zero Hour by possessing the body of her niece, Kendra Saunders, who had killed herself.  The transferrence was jarring, and she believed that she actually was Kendra.  Before passing on to her final reward, Sheira helped Kendra break Hath-Set’s curse and reclaim her own soul.

   Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal)

Shayera Thal and her partner, Katar Hol, were police officers from the planet Thanagar who came to Earth in pursuit of the villain, Byth.  They decided to remain on Earth to learn about it’s culture, and the media dubbed them as the new Hawkman and Hawkgirl…but Shayera took issue with being called a girl, hence “Hawkwoman” was born.  Shayera and Katar did develop a relationship (he was her “peacock”), and when he was killed alongside the Halls during Zero Hour, Shayera left Earth.  Upon the return of Hawkman, Shayera came back to Earth to find out what had truly happened to her old partner.  She was later killed at the hands of Blackfire during the Rann-Thanagar War.

Shayera Thal is the basis for the “Hawkgirl” character from the animated “Justice League” and “JLU” series.

 Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders)

 The modern-day Hawkgirl is Kendra Saunders, niece of Sheira Saunders.  She was a film student in Austin, Texas when she took her own life.  Her uncle, Speed, took her to the hospital, but when green-eyed Kendra died…then opened her eyes again 10 minutes later with Sheira’s brown eyes, Speed knew that Kendra was gone and Sheira was back.  The shock of the rebirth was too much for Sheira, who went on to believe that she was Kendra.  She was instrumental in the return of Hawkman, but very resistant to the idea of their immortal love.  Eventually, Kendra accepted the truth about her soul, and Sheira helped Kendra’s soul return to it’s body by defeating Hath-Set and breaking their curse.  Kendra is once again fully herself, and she and Hawkman are no longer romantically involved, even though a deep, genuine friendship has developed between them.  She has stepped out on her own as a member of the Justice League of America, where she is now seeing fellow teammate, Red Arrow.  Kendra has a child whom she gave up for adoption when she was much younger, that tragic event was part of what led her to suicide in the first place.  Now, for the first time in her life, Kendra is at peace with herself.

OK – those are the major ones, but there are a few more whom we will discuss briefly as they are notable in Hawkman’s past…and possibly his future.

  Cinnamon

Cinnamon was a DC comics character from the Old West boom in comics.  She was revealed to be a former incarnation of Chay-Ara, with Khufu being the hero from that era known as Nighthawk.  Cinnamon and Nighthawk are the most notable incarnation of Chay-Ara and Khufu before the Halls came onto the scene in the Golden Age.

  Mavis Trent

 Ahh…Mavis!  This vampy co-worker has appeared in several versions of Hawkman over the years.  She was usually a co-worker with Carter, a fellow archaeologist, I believe, who made no secret of her lust for both Hawkman and Carter Hall, usually making the moves on him in front of his wife.  Not exaclty a lover of Hawkman…but she just wanted him so badly that I had to include her!  I was introduced to Mavis in the Shadow War of Hawkman back in the 80s, and I have always liked the character.  No list could be complete without Mavis trying to sink her claws in!

  Power Girl (Kara Zor-L)

What is the exact nature of this relationship?  Undefined at the moment.  We do know that they had a fling, and it’s been hinted that it may be ongoing in some sense.  Personally, I’m cheering for this one as they are great together.  I encourage all of you to write to Geoff Johns, Dan Didio, DC Comics, your House Representative, your Senators, your President and your Pope (or Pope-equivalent) demanding to see this become a reality!  Viva la Revolucion!!!

OK, when the rabble-rousing begins, that means that it is time for this portion of the lesson to come to an end.  In our next installment we will begin our look at Hawkman’s rogues gallery before revisiting this topic with more friends and allies.  Thank you, and make sure that you tip your waitress.

Understanding Hawkman: Part One – the new origin

 

 Hawkman – why is he so difficult for some to understand?

Sure, he’s had a bit of a convoluted history with all of the reboots and re-imaginings, but Hawkman as he exists today, who was “fixed” by Geoff Johns, James Robinson and David Goyer, is not too difficult to understand at all.  But before we break down the current history, let’s get a general overview of this character. 

Hawkman debuted in 1940 in Flash Comics #1, created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville.  He was named Carter Hall, an archaeologist by trade who realized that he was the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian prince.  He fought crime as the winged warrior, Hawkman, and became a member of the Justice Society of America, serving as it’s chairman for a long time alongside his girlfriend, Sheira Sanders, who became Hawkgirl.

Like most other war-era mystery men comic characters, Hawkman fell off the radar, but was introduced later in what came to be known as the “Silver Age” where several mystery men were re-introduced with science fiction influences popular at the time.  This Hawkman was Katar Hol, a policeman of the planet Thanagar.  Along with Shayera, also known as Hawkwoman.  We discovered that the first Hawkman, Carter Hall, existed on a planet called Earth 2, whereas Katar existed on Earth 1.

After Crisis on Infinite Earths destroyed the concept of the Multiverse in the 80s, Hawkman was one of the most profoundly affected characters.  In an attempt to shoehorn him back into the DCU, writer Tim Truman re-imagined the Silver Age origins of Hawkman in the pages of the miniseries, Hawkworld.  Thanagar was far more militaristic, and Hawkman was far more severe.  Later on they introduced the concept of the Hawk Avatar, essentially a god-like character who used Hawkman as it’s champion.

By this point, Hawkman had about 73 origin stories, give or take 26.  DC decided to simply do away with the character in the Zero Hour event, and Hawkman wasn’t seen again for a few years.

Then we get to the modern age of comics, and the title JSA, written by David Goyer and Geoff Johns; and later the new Hawkman ongoing comic written by Geoff Johns and James Robinson combined to take on the task of cleaning up the varying histories of Hawkman into one nice, neat package.   What follows is the result of that undertaking.

THE ORIGIN OF MODERN DAY HAWKMAN

 

Don’t worry – we’ll get to Hawkman caving in some Nazi’s faces soon enough!  Our story actually begins a long time ago, in a galaxy really, really close by.  We begin on Ancient Thanagar, one of the galaxy’s first star-spanning empires.  Mastering the mysterious “Nth Metal,” the Thanagarians spread amongst the stars.  One spacecraft made it as far as Earth, but it was damaged and it crashed into the sands of Ancient Egypt.  The craft and it’s dying occupants were found by the Prince Khufu, along with his court of Nabu (the future Dr. Fate) and Teth-Adam (Black Adam).  Coming in contact with the Nth Metal passed on the racial memory that all Thanagarians enjoy to Prince Khufu and he became aware of the potential power of this substance.  Fashioning a armaments partially inspired by his own religion, and paritally by the new Thanagarian memories he did not fully understand, Khufu and his bride, Chay-Ara used the Nth metal to become mighty champions of their empire, ruling with love and justice.  They were betrayed, however, by one of their closest allies, known as Hath-Set.  A combo of the Nth Metal and a curse placed upon them by Hath-Set put into motion thousands of years of re-incarnations of Khufu and Chay-ara, dooming them to meet, fall in love, but ultimately be killed by Hath-Set, who was also caught up in the curse.

The three were reborn time and time again.  Among the notable reincarnations for them were DC’s western heroes, Nighthawk and Cinnamon.

 The 20th Century saw Khufu reborn as Carter Hall, and like his original origin, he was an archaeologist by trade and a museum curator.  The Nth metal of the armaments that had been passed down through time drew the attention of a Thanagarian agent named Paran Katar, who recognized a sort of kindred spirit in Carter.  Like many of the day, Carter and his girlfriend (eventual wife) Sheira Saunders adopted costumed identities during the second World War: the winged heroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

They stayed active as heroes longer than most, being a part of the JLA as well as the JSA, and even had a son named Hector, who became a hero named the Silver Scarab.  This was the first time in their many lives that they had children.  During this time they met two police officers from Thanagar named Katar Hol and Shayera Thal.  The two Thanagarians became active on Earth as Hawkman and Hawkwoman for some time, but during the time crisis known as Zero Hour which saw many of the Justice Society die, the original Hawkman, Hawkgirl and Katar Hol were seemingly killed by the villain extant.  Only Shayera surived that event, but she would end up leaving Earth.

Zero Hour was essentially the end of Katar Hol, but not the end of Sheira or Carter.  Sheira was the first to return, but in an incomplete way.  Her neice, Kendra Saunders, a film school student in Austin, Texas, killed herself after a troubling life.  She was taken to the hospital by her uncle, Speed Saunders, who saw her die…but then be reborn.  He recognized that Kendra was gone and that the soul who came back was in fact Sheira Hall.  The rebirth was not fully complete, and Sheira woke up believing herself to still be Kendra.

“Kendra” would end up joining the reborn Justice Society of America, albeit somewhat reluctantly.  Always a confused, troubled individual she began to slowly open up to a few members of the team; notably then-chairman Sand (Sandy Hawkins), and Dr. Fate, who was actually Hector Hall reborn (having been killed years earlier).  She was eventually confronted by the angel, Zauriel (a replacement-character for Hawkman created during his long comics absence) who informed her that she was not Kendra, but rather Sheira.  Before she could even begin to process this she was whisked away to Thanagar, who needed her to help Carter Hall return from the grave.

It turned out that Carter, Sheira and Katar fell into a well of souls.  As previously stated, Sheira escaped first; and Katar was actually killed and had passed on, but not before his soul had somewhat merged with Carter Hall’s.  Using the centuries-old bond between them, the Thanagarian mystics used “Kendra” as a tether to pull Carter Hall’s soul from the well.  Hawkman, now with the memories of Carter Hall, Katar Hol and indeed every one of his previous lives, was reborn.  With the help of the JSA, Hawkman and Hawkgirl defeated the villainous god, Onimarr Synn and freed Thanagar from his tyranny.  Now a man of two worlds, Carter Hall returned to Earth…but unlike previous lives not all was familiar.

In this life they had a child, who like them had been reborn (in the form of his trusted advisor from ancient times); and “Kendra” did not love him, despite his attempts to reclaim her heart.   Eventually the two would become closer, and even feel love, but their millenia-spanning bond had been shattered.  Further breaking the curse, Hawkman and Hawkgirl defeated and banished the re-incarnated Hath-Set, and along the way Kendra’s soul returned and Sheira passed on to her final reward.  Now, for the first time in their many lives they are no longer slaves to fate.

 Why is that so hard to understand?

Coming up next, we’ll explore the friends, loves and allies of Hawkman

Superman & the Legion of Super Heroes

Wow…been a while since I updated this!  A couple weeks ago saw the release of Action Comics #861, which is part 4 of Geoff Johns’ re-introduction of the Legion of Super-Heroes into the Superman Mythos.  As with many of his recent projects, this has been a wonder to watch unfold.  He has taken our Legionnaires to a darker future, but one where they still represent hope.  Superman has been brought from the past by Brainiac 5 to help them, but so far (as with many of Brainy’s schemes) it has not gone according to plan.

Here are the particulars of this storyarc:

1. Xenophobia runs rampant on Earth
2. Earth’s sun has turned red (as have 75% of the rest of the stars in the UP, we’ve learned)
3. A gaggle of Legion rejects present themselves as the pro-human “Justice League”
4. The JL pushes an agenda which states that Superman was human, not alien
5. Several Legionnaires are working underground to help get aliens off the planet
6. Many Legionnaires are captured or missing
7. The United Planets is about to declare war on Earth

The villains of this arc so far have been the “Justice League,” which consists of several Legion rejects and a couple former members of the Legion of Super-Villains.

• Earth Man – previously known as Absorbancy Boy – he’s the leader of this group
• Spider Girl – cold, calculating and vicious
• Radiation Roy – a victim of his own powers
• Golden Boy – Midas in the form of a spoiled brat
• Tusker – finally feels useful
• Storm Boy – driven to self-mutilation by his rejection
• Eyeful Ethyl – racist schoolmarm with eyes literally in the back of her head

They are an intersting group cobbled together from the Legion’s past.  Most of them were Rejects, but they all have one thing in common – they are from Earth, and are more than happy to push the anti-alien propaganda stating that Superman was born on Earth.  After being told they weren’t Legion material, or fighing against the Legion it is now their time: they are the top dogs on Earth.  They are the beloved heroes, and they are milking it for all that it’s worth, giving us another age old example that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

When this story began we saw that opposing the “Justice League” were the Legion’s own members with Terran origins: Colossal Boy, Wildfire and Dawnstar (Starhaven being described as an Earth Colony).  We find that things have not been going well for them, but learn quickly that they have no idea how bad things actually are.  This isn’t just about Superman’s legacy; the actions of Earth have really rubbed the rest of the galaxy the wrong way, and they are about to declare war on that unsuspecting world.

This leads me to only one logical conclusion: there is a grand architect of these events.  The Justice League, for all of their potential, seem to be nothing more than pawns to me at the moment.  Someone is pulling these strings, tho the puppeteer will probably find that the Justice League; Earth Man, in particular, may come to resent the thought that they are pawns and may strike back at their masters.  With the Legion’s long history of villains, several possiblities come to mind as to who may be behind this: Universo, Pulsar Stargrave, and Mordru are some of the biggest guns who may be working behind the scenes.  Something about this whole thing screams to me that Pulsar Stargrave is behind this…either that or he’s working with others.  One person whom I feel he may be working with is Dr. Regulus, but more on the speculation in a bit.

As for our heroes: some are on the run; some are missing; and many are captured.  Let’s do a good, old-fashioned Legion Roll Call:

On the Run:

• Superman
• Dawnstar
• Colossal Boy
• Wildfire
• Polar Boy
• Brainiac 5

Captured:

• Saturn Girl
• Cosmic Boy
• Lightning Lad
• Shadow Lass
• Night Girl (yes!  She’s a member!)
• Lightning Lass
• Timber Wolf
• Invisible Kid II
• Phantom Girl
• Ultra Boy
• Shrinking Violet
• Blok
• Chameleon Girl (Yes!  Yera’s working undercover for Brainy, much to Gim’s chagrin)
• Sun Boy (This one is important – more on him in a bit)

All of these Legionnaires are being used essentially as power batteries for Earth Man, who, like the Composite Superman, has all of the powers of the Legion.  The difference is that earth Man must occassionally draw upon those powers in order to sustain his abilities.  This obviously will not end well for Earth Man, but don’t we all love a nice case of the comeupance?

Missing:

• White Witch (prisoner of Mordru to keep him out of this…but will he really?)
• Quislet
• Tellus
• Bouncing Boy
• Karate Kid (lost in time)
• Starman (lost in time)
• Una (one of Triplicate Girl’s bodies, but I have a feeling that she’s the only one left – lost in time)
• Chameleon Boy
• Element Lad
• Sensor Girl
• Dream Girl
• Tyroc (Make it happen, Geoff!!!)
• Mon-El (rumored to be imprisoned in the Phantom Zone)

So, as we see – there are substantial forces left out there to help out the Legionnaires on the run.  I’m hoping that we see some of them (I won’t ask for all…yet) before this is said and done.  Also – there are these guys out there getting ready to take on the Justice League:

 

Stone Boy, Fire Lad, Chlorophyll Kid, Rainbow Girl…that’s right – the SUBS are joining the battle!  Night Girl told us that they were planning a little retribution for one of their fallen comrades (Porcupine Pete, if I recall correctly), and as we’ve seen so many times in the past: Do not underestimate the Subs!

Now…I want to get back to some of that speculation, specifically concerning Dr. Regulus.  The reason that I am convinced that he is involved is because of the plight of Sun Boy.  Of all of the captured Legionnaires, he is the only one not in Earth Man’s battery chamber: he is being used to alter the wavelength of Earth’s sun, changing it to a Red sun which  takes away all of Superman’s abilities.  They are desperate to put forth the lie that Superman is a native human as truth, and with the Red Sun his powerless reappearance was dismissed as simply another Legion lie. 

That said – now that those in the know are aware that Superman is back we’ve discovered that 75% of the suns in the UP have suddenly gone Red, renderring Superman powerless on many worlds.  I do not think that they can tap Sun Boy’s abilities to do all of that, which to me brings Dr. Regulus into the equation.  I could see Dr. Regulus being responsible for the technology which turned Sun Boy into a star-altering weapon, and perhaps he has found ways to duplicate that; possibly using the likes of Sun Emperor, or Beauty Blaze or even by duplicating the experiments which gave Sun Boy and himself their powers.

This is much bigger than Earth Man and the Justice League, so my official prediction for the villains behind this are Pulsar Stargrave, Universo and Dr. Regulus.  Truly a formidable collection of Legion foes who have, to the best of my knowledge, never worked together before.  That’s just a guess on my part tho.

 Now, before ending this I would be remiss if I did not mention the absolutely stunning artwork that Gary Frank has been turning in for this storyline.  I know that his art may not be for some (why, I don’t know), and this is up there with some of the best work he did on Supergirl and Supreme Power.  Clean artwork, good facial expressions and a truly grand, cosmic sense to this story.  Geoff Johns is bringing life back to my favorite era of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and it has left me wanting for more.  I cannot wait to hear what may be next for the Legion this year with the rumors of “Legion of Three Worlds” hinted at on Rip Hunter’s chalkboard.  Good times ahead – Long Live the Legion!