Night Shyamalan receives a lot of heat for some of his creative choices, but whatever you think of him, the twists and turns in his films are all deliberate. Consider the case of Split. The film’s central character is a man suffering from such severe Dissociative Identity Disorder that he must juggle between 24 personas (and his sanity) at all times merely to operate. While Kevin Crumb’s splintered personal past and waning sense of self-identity might be attributed to his mental health concerns, DC has no such excuse for sabotaging Hawkman.
Carter Hall’s origins have changed so much since he first appeared in 1940 in Flash Comics issue #1, created by Gardner Fox and Dennis Neville, that he might as well be seeing the same therapist as Kevin. Hawkman is known for having the most complicated origin in DC history, owing to the publisher’s re-boot-happy mentality.
He is still one of the coolest (or douchiest, depending on your point of view) Golden Age Superheroes of all time. We simply hardly wait to see Hawkman in action, especially after seeing Aldis Hodge’s magnificent metallic wings in full extension in the latest Black Adam video. This is Hawkman’s Origins – Explained, where we will break down all you need to know about DC’s most perplexing superhero.
Who is Hawkman?
Well, technically, there is no one person who can call himself “Hawkman”, though it wasn’t always this way. The first person to don that mantle on the pages of DC comics was an archaeologist and scientist who went by the name Carter Hall. Hall was a museum curator by profession and worked with ancient Egyptian artifacts primarily. One of those artifacts happened to be a dagger made from a mysterious element classified by scientists as the Nth Metal.
Though he had been personally handling ancient weaponry and priceless exhibits for years, nothing could have prepared Hall for what happened next. When he touched the dagger, it sent him into a trance-like state and that showed him his history; but not the one you’re thinking of.
Millennia ago, during the reign of Ramses the Second, there lived a Prince who would come into contact with a strange material that crash-landed on his land from the Heavens. The Prince and his lover would be kidnapped by his mortal enemy, Hath-Set; an ancient priest and sorcerer. Using a dagger fashioned from the same mystery element that was found at the crash site, Hath-Set murdered his adversaries in cold blood.
But neither party was aware of the mystical nature of the dagger’s material, and all three parties would be subjected to a reincarnation curse that would dog them for centuries to come. Hath-Set’s eternal task was to ensure that every time he was reborn on Earth, he would seek out and eliminate the reincarnations of his centuries-old victims; Chay-Ara (pronounce: Shay-Ara) and her Prince, Khufu Kha-Tarr.
Carter Hall was the reincarnation of the prince, his lover Shiera was the reincarnation of his immortal soulmate, and Dr. Anton Hastor was the 1940’s version of the malevolent Hath-Set. Using this knowledge to his advantage, Hall fashioned a belt and a wing-suit from the Nth Metal that was used to forge the blade that killed him all those years ago and became the crime-fighting superhero Hawkman.
As Hawkman, Carter Hall’s first action was to apprehend Hastor and prevent him from fulfilling his destiny. Hawkman would then go on to fight evil alongside his lover/partner Hawkgirl and the Justice Society of America, eventually becoming the JSA’s Permanent Chairman. The first incarnation of Hawkman would retire from superhero duties after being active for over a decade, and eventually, have a child with Shiera.
During the Silver Age of Comics, a new Hawkman would emerge from the distant planet of Thanagar; the origin point of the spaceship that crash-landed on Earth all those years ago and was found by Prince Khufu Kha-Tarr. Kator Hol was an imperial prince of Thanagar and the son of Paran Katar; a renowned inventor and ornithologist.
When Thanagar came under attack from invading Manhawks, Kator was charged with infiltrating their nests and bringing back information that could help them turn the tide in their favor. With the information he’d gathered, Kator Hol fashioned a wingsuit from his planet’s native element- Nth Metal- and became the new Hawkman. Hol was a champion of Thanagar and one of the most prominent members of the Hawk-Police. He, alongside his companion Shayera, was sent to Earth on a diplomatic mission but ended up staying there in order to research better ways of policing Thanagar.
Here, they became the crime-fighting duo known as Hawkman and Hawkgirl; later Hawkwoman. During the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, when Earth-One and Earth-Two were merged together, Hawkman’s story found itself in a state of constant flux. For decades, fans were left wondering which Hawkman was the true Hawkman and what exactly was the deal with the whole reincarnation thing anyway.
Scott Snyder’s run with DC helped simplify things for us by revealing that Carter Hall’s history as Prince Khufu was the one that was real. Hall had been reincarnating on Earth alongside Shiera for centuries. And with Hawkman Vol. 5, Bryan Hitch and Robert Venditti managed to explain how Carter Hall and Kator Hol were linked to each other.
Turns out, Carter Hall hasn’t been reincarnating simply across time; he’s been reincarnating across space as well. There have been hundreds of incarnations of Hawkman across the DC Multiverse. Kator Hol was the chosen one for the planet Thanagar. There were others as well; Hawkmen from Rann, Krypton, and even universes beyond the positive one.
Thanks to Hitch and Venditti, we can now clearly state that there isn’t one person known definitively as Hawkman; instead, it is a spiritual mantle that is taken on by every reincarnation of a being who existed when the multiverse was in its infancy. Carter Hall and Kator Hol are just the two most prominent names to emerge from that pantheon. Now that we’ve solved the mystery of who he is, let’s look at how he does what he does; specifically, the element that is practically sewn into his identity.
What is the Nth Metal that Hawkman has?
The Nth Metal is an inter-dimensional element that is intrinsically linked to Hawkman’s eons-spanning legacy. Originally, it was believed to have originated on the planet Thanagar. The ancient wizard Nabu had prophesized that an alien being would soon crash land in Egypt and bring with them a force capable of great creation; and destruction. When it came to pass, Prince Khufu Kha-Tarr’s entourage encountered a mortally-wounded Thanagarian pilot trying to survive the wreckage.
With her dying breath, she uttered the words that would become the very basis for Hawkman’s abilities. Nth Metal is one of the strongest elements in the DC Universe, and its full abilities haven’t even been revealed yet. This versatile substance can take the shape of anything that its user imagines and forms a symbiotic relationship with its wielder. Nth Metal is capable of nullifying gravity itself, which is what gives Hawkman the power of flight.
It protects its wearer from all environments except the truly inhospitable- from the Sahara Desert to the vacuum of space; Hall can spread his wings wherever he wishes to. It also imbues its user with enhanced strength, durability, and a ridiculously powerful Healing Factor that can restore severed limbs. Nth Metal negates all magical attacks, significantly weakens psionic attacks, and can store large amounts of energy, making projection-based offense practically useless against Hawkman.
It also makes him effectively immortal and is the reason for his space-time-bending existence. For a long time it was assumed that since it was available in abundance on Thanagar, it must be native to the planet. That perception was shattered when Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo kicked off their DC-altering Dark Knights: Metal and Death Metal series’. It was revealed that even though Nth Metal was seemingly everywhere on Thanagar, it was mined from the Dark Multiverse.
In his quest to dominate every multiverse in existence, the malevolent Bat-God Barbatos took a piece of the perfection that is Element X and then sent it hurtling through the timeline, back to the very dawn of time. Somehow, this shard of metal crash-landed on Thanagar and became the legend it is today.
Since Nth Metal originated from the Dark Multiverse, it is the only material that can cause physical damage to its denizens; a crucial factor in battling Barbatos and his Dark Knights. The Dark Multiverse version of the metal lives up to its source’s nature. It grants its users cosmic awareness, allowing them to peer beyond the veil of reality and understand who a person is at their very core, allowing them to manipulate actions to whatever ends they deem fit.
It also allows inter-dimensional travel, which is how Barbatos invaded the Prime Universe in the first place. All these features put Nth Metal a cut above Vibranium, Adamantium, and even Element X, making it easily the most OP element in comic book history in our eyes.
Hawkman’s Major Story Arcs
Hawkman was a featured JSA character for much of the Golden and Silver Ages and has tangled with evil on both Thanagar and Earth for centuries. Some of the most-notable early Hawkman story arcs include him meeting Adam Strange; an inhabitant of Thanagar’s sworn enemies, the inhabitants of Rann.
Hawkman and Strange have used their camaraderie to end multiple conflicts between their respective homeworlds over the years. Another notable storyline would be the Shadow War of Hawkman, most recognized for introducing the rarely-talked-about third Hawkman; Fel Andar. During this storyline, it was revealed that the Hawkman who had been working with the JSA after Hall came out of retirement was in fact an imposter sent from Thanagar. When Hawkman and Hawkgirl refused to side with their homeworld in their expansionist campaigns, Thanagarians decided their ex-patriots needed to be taught a lesson.
They sent Fel Andar to Earth to disguise himself as Hawkman and open the doors to a global invasion. While the plan was put into motion, it didn’t succeed, and Fel Andar hasn’t been heard from since. In the post-Crisis continuity, one of the key storylines to feature this iconic character was Hawkworld.
It reset Hawkman’s origins and transformed him from an uppity aristocratic conservative to a moral crusader. It’s this moral alignment that DC has chosen to continue with for future titles. After the events of Zero Hour, every version of Hawkman was merged into one, becoming the Hawk God; a mentally unstable supreme being-type figure who had to be banished to Limbo in order to stop his mindless rampaging.
This is where Kator Hol was written out of continuity, as it was explained that his consciousness dissipated in Limbo alongside the Hawk God’s. In more recent times, Hawkman has become a much more crucial member of the DC Universe. He was killed during the events of Brightest Day by the Life Entity-possessed Alec Holland as part of a 12-labor process that would see humanity expunged from Nekron’s last remaining soldier; Black Lantern Swamp Thing.
Carter Hall’s Journal served as a guide for the DC audience and Wonder Woman during the events of Metal and Death Metal. It was Hawkman’s journal that held the key to unlocking the Omniverse. But that might not have been such a good idea. Carter Hall’s most recent adventures have brought him closer to understanding his true nature, and the realization is terrifying.
Hawkman Vol. 5 revealed that Prince Khufu/Kator Hol/ Carter Hall were all reincarnations of a cursed primordial entity. Millions of years ago, there existed a tribe of malevolent beings known as Deathbringers; a race of winged, humanoid aliens who cut a swathe through the galaxy in an effort to summon the Lord of the Void.
Carter Hall used to be Katr Deathbringer; a ruthless, genocide-friendly fanatic who slaughtered millions on every planet he stepped foot on. After centuries of service, Katr saw the fault in his ways and tried to break away from the Deathbringer but was cursed to be reincarnated on every planet where he had spilled innocent blood for eternity. This is the true origin of Hawkman; and one of the best storylines to feature the winged hero in a very, VERY long time.
What Makes Hawkman So Powerful?
Do you mean besides the Nth Metal? Well, a lot of things. While it’s true that most of his insane, reality-warping abilities have been married to his genetic code in a ceremony staged by the Nth Metal, they wouldn’t be half as dangerous in someone else’s hands; in Carter Hall’s hands, they’re the wings of death.
Hawkman is a superhero for whom morality doesn’t necessarily equate to leniency. There have been several occasions where Hawkman has chosen to let his victims die or actively participated in the act himself. Unlike Batman, he does not waver from taking a life when it can benefit the omniverse at large, and it’s his rigid determination to dispense justice that makes him such a threat.
Carter Hall can speak millions of languages and possesses the scientific knowledge of a thousand different worlds, making him one of the smartest people on Earth. While he prefers to use maces as opposed to sniper rifles, it’s because he has perfected the use of archaic weapons. Having spent many of his lifetimes in pre-modern conditions, Hawkman is extremely proficient in the use of melee and ranged weapons that harken back to the Dark Ages.
And besides, blunt force trauma isn’t his signature attack style; that would be a bolt of lightning so intense it can level a moon if Hall tried hard enough. With literal centuries of combat experience, Hawkman is one of the deadliest strategists and fighters in DC history, and is the ideal blend of brains and brawn, neatly packaged in shimmering, golden-hued wings.
Marvelous Versions Of Hawkman In Various Forms Of Media
Despite being one of the most confusing characters that DC has ever created, Hawkman has continually found himself being featured in multiple mainstream adaptations of the Justice League’s adventures. The Kator Hol version of Hawkman has been immortalized in animation, thanks to the myriad of DC-themed TV shows he’s been featured in. Kator Hol’s Hawkman appeared in at least 6 animated Super Friends titles and was also heavily featured in Young Justice as well as a couple of Batman’s animated TV shows.
A character loosely based on the Katar Hol, called Hro Talak, appeared in the Justice League three-part episode “Starcrossed”, voiced by Victor Rivers. While Carter Hall has also received his fair share of animated appreciation, he’s had far more exposure to a “conventional TV audience”. He has been a highlight of the CW diverse, appearing across Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.
This version of Carter Hall looks like the Scott Snyder version of the character, as he remembers 5000 years of his life while his counterpart/lover remembers naught. Hall was also featured in Smallville, Stargirl, and a 1997 Baby Ruth commercial; not the baseball player, the chocolate. But despite all these appearances, Hawkman has never reared his head in a proper DC movie. At least that’s changing this year.
Black Adam Producer Teases Fight with Hawkman
During his reign as a high Prince of Egypt, Khufu Kha-Tarr was always accompanied by one person; his sworn shield, Teth-Adam. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, betrayals, and a spell that went wrong, Khufu’s former protector turned into a ruthless avenger. Upon his death, his evil deeds had made people forget his actual first name, and his sarcophagus referred to him as Black Adam.
Producer Hiram Garcia has been making the rounds promoting the film and the one thing even he can’t help but be excited about is the eventual encounter between Black Adam and Hawkman. In an interview with CBR, he spoke extremely highly of Aldis Hodge- the man who’s playing Carter Hall in the upcoming DCEU film- saying, “Aldis [Hodge] is so amazing as Hawkman and just brings a weight and an energy to this character that, if you’re a fan of Hawkman, you know his history, that [he] has lived many lifetimes, to [bring] a real nuance to the way Aldis plays him”.
He followed it up by teasing just how hard-hitting Hodge’s portrayal will be when he let slip that the way he and Black Adam will go at each other is “going to be a lot of fun for fans to see.” If the trailer is anything to go by, we’re already sold on his claims; now all we can do is wait for July 29th to finally arrive, so we can see if they actually live up to the hype.