The Strange History Of DC Comics' Hawkgirl
The world of DC Comics can be an increasingly strange place, especially when a character's history is rewritten, rebooted, and reimagined more times than one could count. Of all the heroes in the vast expanse of the DCU, none have a more confusing history than Hawkman and his companion Hawkgirl. These winged avengers have been around since their first appearance in "Flash Comics #1" alongside original Flash Jay Garrick, and though Hawkgirl didn't appear in costume until 1941's "All-Star Comics #5," she has remained as vital to the greater DC Universe as ever.
But Hawkgirl's history in the DCU isn't exactly what it seems. Contrary to popular belief, there's more than one Hawkgirl. In fact, there are several who have taken up the mantle over the years, and though they have a shared history (and shared characteristics), they're also individual characters in their own right. Whether you know her from the DC Animated Universe, the Arrowverse, or the original DC Comics, there's no denying that Hawkgirl is a hero worth highlighting.
In light of the superhero's confirmed appearance in James Gunn's upcoming "Superman: Legacy," played by Isabela Merced (though we don't know which version she'll be playing), Hawkgirl is a force to be reckoned with. So, without further ado, let's jump into the strange history of one of the finest DC heroes out there.
The original Golden Age character was a Hawkman carbon copy
The original Hawkgirl — named Shiera Sanders (eventually Shiera Sanders Hall) — was introduced at the same time as the original Hawkman (Carter Hall), back in 1940. Within the next year, Shiera donned her own set of wings and began to fight crime alongside her eventual husband. They worked side-by-side for decades, though the character was largely replaced by her successor in the 1960s. Nevertheless, Hall returned in the mid-1970s and continued to reappear until she was killed during the "Zero Hour: Crisis in Time" event in the mid-'90s.
While that seems tragic, it wasn't the end of Shiera's story. In the years prior to her death, Hall continued to serve as a member of the Justice Society of America opposite her husband and had a son named Hector, who grew to become a hero as well (more on him later). Though Shiera died in battle, her soul was merged with that of her distant cousin Kendra Saunders, the current Hawkgirl, and for years she aided her younger counterpart from the unknown.
By the time Geoff Johns' "Brightest Day" series came about in 2010, Shiera had been revived in the wake of Kendra's death and was reunited with her husband for a brief time. Tragically, the DC Universe was rebooted via "The New 52" shortly after, and the original Hawkgirl has yet to reappear since her second death.
The Silver Age heroine was a complete rebrand
With the rise of science fiction, many DC Comics' heroes were rebranded to fit in better with the times. Instead of using a magic lantern, the new Green Lantern was part of an alien space corps, and likewise, the origins of Hawkman and Hawkgirl changed entirely. Reassigning the original versions to the alternate "Earth-2," the new Hawkgirl and her hubby first appeared in 1961's "The Brave and the Bold #34" as two space cops from the hawk planet of Thanagar, now named Katar and Shayera Hol.
Although the Halls still existed on a counter Earth, the Hols replaced them in every other sense, including in the Justice League of America (which itself replaced the JSA). They even used the names Carter and Shiera Hall as their human aliases to hide their alien origins. Though Hawkman became a member of the League in the early '60s, Shayera wasn't officially a part of the team until "Justice League of America #146" in 1977, though she'd aided the group on missions prior.
Shayera and her husband remained with the JLA until the team disbanded in 1984, and soon after, the company-wide reboot event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" took place, shifting the Hawks' origins again, this time a bit more drastically.
From Hawkgirl to Hawkwoman
The next time around, Hawkgirl rebranded herself before the reality-changing Anti-Monitor could do it for her. That's right, in a backup story in "World's Finest #272" in 1981, Shayera officially changed her superhero moniker from Hawkgirl to Hawkwoman after disliking some negative connotations of the word "girl" on Earth. Now rebranded, Hawkwoman continued to aid Hawkman in protecting Earth. She even found a new life for herself outside of the superhero business, getting into the museum game as the co-director of the Midway City Museum.
During their time on Earth, the Silver/Bronze Age Hawks became true heroes, even fighting against their own people when Thanagar planned an invasion of the planet. But eventually, they were rebooted once again, and erased from DC history in favor of new versions of the characters. But the original Shayera and Katar made it back once more during the "Convergence" storyline in 2015, which allowed them to fly off into the sunset together one final time.
Like Katar Hol, who returned during "The Savage Hawkman" and was killed off a few years later, Shayera also appeared in modern DC continuity during the 2011 "New 52" rebrand, albeit as an antagonist. During the DC Rebirth's soft reboot, which revived the Carter Hall version of Hawkman, Shayera shows up as Hawkman's ally and partner. Having lost her husband Katar, Shayera works with her reincarnated love Carter as Hawkwoman. But Shayera Hol is not the only Sheyera out there.
Hawkworld and another Shayera
Before we continue exploring modern Hawkgirls, we first have to dive into the gritty '80s reboot. After "Crisis on Infinite Earths," DC Comics planned to reimagine Katar and Shayera Hol's origins into something a bit more modern, just like they did with Batman, Superman, and others. So in 1989, DC published "Hawkworld," a new origin that was meant to explain how Hawkman and Hawkwoman still existed in the DC continuity following the reboot. Starring new versions of Shayera and Katar, the three-issue miniseries was a massive success, and DC immediately published an ongoing series that ran for another few years.
This version of Shayera was a bit more intense than her counterparts. Called Shayera Thal II, this Hawkwoman was born illegitimately and was always at her best when acting as a cop. After working with her partner Katar Hol to stop Thanagar from invading Earth, they eventually became Hawkwoman and Hawkman, fighting crime as they fell in love. But like most Hawks, their story ends in tragedy.
Though Shayera survived "Zero Hour," her partner did not. Instead, Katar Hol was merged with the Carter Hall version and became a new version of Hawkman entirely, albeit with Katar's memories. This forced Shayera into superhero retirement as she became a cop in Detroit for a number of years before eventually returning to Thanagar. By 2005's "Rann-Thanagar War" miniseries, Shayera had died after trying to stop the titular conflict, reunited with Carter in the end.
The fake Hawks
Sometime during Shayera II's tenure as Hawkwoman, another pair of Hawks took center stage at DC Comics. Since the new ongoing "Hawkworld" series created a massive continuity problem for DC following "Crisis on Infinite Earths," including the inclusion of Katar and Shayera as members of the Justice League, new characters were introduced to explain away these differences. Thus, for a brief time between 1988 and 1992, the Thanagarian spy Fen Andar and his human wife Sharon Parker were said to be the Hawkman and Hawkwoman of Earth.
But Andar's love of country was stronger than his love for his wife, and after being told by his Thanagarian superiors to take over as Hawkman and infiltrate the Justice League, he had his wife mindwiped into believing that her name was actually Sharon Hall. Andar took on the identity of Carter Hall, Jr., the supposed "long-lost son" of the JSA's original Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Thus, for a number of years, Sharon was the official Hawkwoman of Earth. That is, until she discovered the truth.
After revealing what happened to Martian Manhunter and Maxwell Lord, Sharon was killed by her husband, who shed his fake Hawkman identity and returned to Thanagar. Andar was killed during the "Rann-Thanagar War," but that didn't make Sharon's tenure as Hawkwoman any less tragic. Still, in her brief time as a member of the Justice League, she was a hero in her own right.
Enter Kendra Saunders, the modern Hawkgirl
First appearing in 1999's "JSA Secret Files and Origins #1" as the JSA returned, Kendra Saunders became the modern Hawkgirl and the primary character to hold the mantle in the new millennium. A very distant relative of the original Shiera Sanders Hall, Kendra is a young woman who, after dying by suicide, was returned to life with the spirit of Shiera housed within. Though she has Shiera's fighting techniques and eye color, this reborn Hawkgirl has all of Kendra's memories.
Soon after debuting as a hero, Kendra partners up with the newly reborn Carter Hall and joins the JSA. But eventually, the modern Hawkgirl strove to graduate past Hawkman. Unsatisfied with her past selves' history with Carter, Kendra forged a life of her own apart from just being the main Hawk's sidekick. As such, she left Hawkman and the JSA for a time to join the newly reformed Justice League of America, though she soon recognized her true feelings for Carter just before her death in "Blackest Night."
But following the DC Rebirth rebrand, Kendra was reborn in 2017 as the leader of the Blackhawks before becoming Hawkgirl herself, rejoining the Justice League soon after. This time around, Kendra's wings are made of Nth metal (which all the Hawks and Thanagarians use), making her all the deadlier. Finally able to separate herself from Hawkman, Kendra is the only Hawkgirl to receive not just one solo series, but two.
Endless deaths and resurrections
One thing you must know about Hawkgirl and her lover is that they're caught in a seemingly endless cycle of deaths and resurrections. Originally, their origins were tied back to the time of Ancient Egypt, when Prince Khufu and his love Chay-Ara were killed by the jealous priest Hath-Set, who desired Chay-Ara for himself. But because of the Nth metal dagger he used, the three of them were cursed to be reincarnated throughout time so that Khufu and Chay-Ara must continually watch the other die.
Thus, they've lived countless lives throughout time and space, with some lives even occurring simultaneously. This concept of reincarnation is used to explain why the Hawk's timeline is so messed up, never fitting together seamlessly. During the DC Rebirth rebrand, it's revealed that the original Hawks were actually Ktar and Shrra, a Deathbringer created by the villainous Lord of the Void and an angel who fell in love and rebelled.
Because of this, the Presence (DC's version of God) cursed them to live endless lives. But in "Hawkman #29", the finale of their most recent series, Carter and Shayera are released from their curse after defeating the Lord of the Void. As a gift, they receive one new extended life, returning to the 1940s to live as Hawkman and Hawkwoman all over again.
Banished to Earth-2
After Shayera and Katar Hol appeared during the Silver Age, their human counterparts Shiera Sanders and Carter Hall were moved to Earth-2, along with the rest of the JSA. While their tenure as Hawkgirl and Hawkman has since been reestablished, there was a brief time during "The New 52" reboot that DC once again moved Hawkgirl to another Earth. While Hawkman returned in the standard continuity, Hawkgirl was banished to "Earth-2."
First appearing in "Earth-2 #2," Kendra Munoz-Saunders, an updated version of Kendra Saunders, took over as Hawkgirl on the titular parallel Earth. A part of the World Army tasked with battling Darkseid, this Kendra had wings grafted onto her back and was given the codename Hawkgirl to help battle the forces of Apokalips. Eventually, Hawkgirl joins the Wonders of the World (the New 52 version of the JSA) and they were forced to evacuate their planet, restarting humanity elsewhere.
Though she hasn't been seen since 2017 (when the mainstream universe Kendra returned), this version of Hawkgirl was one of the stars of the "Earth-2" series, taking the place of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman alongside a rebooted Green Lantern/Alan Scott and Flash/Jay Garrick as Earth's new superhero leaders.
Hawkgirl became popular through animation
Of all the variations of Hawkgirl to exist in the DC Universe, none are more popular than the one from the DC Animated Universe. Sure, Hawkgirl first appeared in animation in various "Super Friends" cartoons in the '70s and '80s, and she later showed up on "Young Justice," "DC Super Hero Girls," and Max's "Harley Quinn," but the most notable will always be the Hawkgirl who helped found the Justice League in original 2001 animated series and its sequel.
Voiced by Maria Canals-Barrera, this version of Shayera Hol shares plenty with her counterparts. She's Thanagarian law enforcement like her namesake, is tough-as-nails like Shayera Thal II, and she's as independent as Kendra Saunders. But, like Fel Andar's Hawkman before her, she's actually a double agent for Thanagar, using her status as a superhero to spy on Earth's people. Revealed in the three-part finale "Starcrossed," Shayera eventually turns her back on Thanagar to help the Justice League save Earth.
Though she left the League afterward, Shayera eventually returned in "Justice League Unlimited," where she made peace with her former teammates and restored her status as a hero. In fact, Shayera's arc on the two "Justice League" shows is the character at her best, proving that Hawkgirl is a superhero worth revisiting again and again. DC even gave the rebooted Shayera her "Starcrossed" outfit in recent stories.
Her live-action journey was short-lived
Though Hawkgirl first appeared in live-action on "Smallville," played by Sahar Biniaz opposite Michael Shanks' Hawkman/Carter Hall, it's not her most notable appearance. Shiera/Hawkgirl also cameos alongside the JSA via a photograph in the CW's "Stargirl" series, though the actress is uncredited. Sadly, we've yet to see Shiera or Shayera in (live) action.
Unsurprisingly, the first real on-screen appearance of Hawkgirl comes in the Arrowverse. First appearing in "The Flash" before crossing over to "Arrow," Ciara Renée plays the Kendra Saunders version of the hero. Unlike most incarnations, this Kendra sprouts wings from her back, and eventually joins Hawkman/Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel) and the time-traveling Legends to stop Vandal Savage from corrupting time itself in "DC's Legends of Tomorrow."
Sadly, Renée exited the Arrowverse following the first season and never returned. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played Kendra one final time in a non-canon capacity with the 2020 Hawkman fan film "Cooped Up," where she starred opposite Hentschel's Carter Hall, distraught that Kendra broke his heart. Though neither hero suits up, it's fun to see Renée again as the character after such a prolonged absence.
Hawkman or Green Lantern?
There's no doubt that the traditional pairing is Hawkgirl and Hawkman: Ever since their comic debut, these two have been inseparable. That said, some versions of Hawkgirl pull away from their male counterpart, occasionally pursuing other superheroes. The most notable example of this is the Shayera Hol Hawkgirl's relationship with Green Lantern John Stewart (Phil LaMarr) in the "Justice League" animated series.
Prior to the second season finale, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern made it official and soon admitted their love for one another. Sadly, Shayera's Thanagarian fiancee Hro Talak (his name an anagram of Katar Hol) interrupted their bliss. By the time "Justice League Unlimited" came around, Stewart had moved on to Mari McCabe/Vixen (Gina Torres) and Shayera was pursued by Hawkman/Carter Hall (James Remar), though it's implied that they'll eventually make it work. Because of their popular romance, Hawkgirl (voiced by Jamie Gray Hyder) appeared in the animated "Green Lantern: Beware My Power," which highlights the John Stewart version of the character, now voiced by Aldis Hodge (who ironically played Hawkman in 2022's "Black Adam").
Additionally, the Kendra Saunders Hawkgirl has been known to be interested in other heroes too, most notably Red Arrow/Roy Harper in the "Justice League of America" comics, Cisco Ramon/Vibe (Carlos Valdes) on "The Flash" TV series, and Ray Palmer/the Atom (Brandon Routh) on "Legends of Tomorrow."
She's the mother of a number of superheroes
Given how long the different incarnations of Shrra and Ktar have lived, it's no wonder that they would have many children and descendants throughout time. Believe it or not, different versions of Hawkgirl have been the mother to some exceptional heroes. The most famous is Hector Hall, son of the original Carter and Shiera Hall. Following in his parent's footsteps, Hector became the Silver Scarab (building his suit from Nth metal) and joined Infinity, Inc. — a group of heroes made up of the children of the JSA. Eventually, he became the next Sandman before settling in as the new Doctor Fate, taking on the magical Helmet of Naboo as his own before his death.
In other continuities, Hawkgirl has more children. In Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Strikes Back," she and Hawkman have a son and daughter, with the former aiding Batman under the alias of Hawkboy. In the future of the DC Animated Universe (seen in "Batman Beyond"), Hawkgirl and Green Lantern's son Rex Stewart, aka Warhawk, aids Superman and the future Batman in Justice League Unlimited. Additionally, Superman's adoptive father Jonathan Kent is also Hawkgirl's descendant, as is the second Dream (aka Daniel) from Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" series, proving that no DC character is entirely out of Hawkgirl's reach.