Hawkgirl
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Personal Data
Shiera Sanders Hall. Husband of Carter Hall/Hawkman. Mother of Hector Sanders
Hall/Silver Scarab/Sandman III. Godmother of Norda of Feithera/Northwind.
Mother-in-law of Hippolyta (Lyta) Trevor Hall/Fury. Grandmother of Daniel
Hall. Cousin of "Speed" Saunders and Hank Sanders. Niece of Nestor Sanders.
Residence: New York City
Occupation: Archaeologist, Independently Wealthy
First Appearance (Golden Age): Flash Comics #24 (as Hawkgirl)
(December 1941)
First Appearance (Silver Age): All-Star Comics #62 (October
1976)
Joined JSA: Immediately Pre-Crisis (Revealed in JSA #X)
Pre-Crisis Fate: Active until Crisis
Post-Crisis Fate: Active until Zero Hour; combined with Hawkman
and Thanagarian Katar Hol (Hawkman III) into a unified Hawkman |
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History
Little is known of the early life of Shiera Sanders before fate led her
into the life of Carter Hall. When the criminal known as Anton Hastor attacked
New York, his assualt on the subway system attracted the attention of wealthy
archeolgist Carter Hall. As the tale unfolded, Hall, Shiera and Hastor
were all revealed to be re-incarnated forms of Egyptian nobility, confronting
each other throughout eternity. In ancient Egypt, Shiera had been the lover
of Prince Khufu, as Carter Hall had been known then. Both were slain by
the jealous priest Hath-Set, setting into motion a series of re-incarnations
that would bring the trio together repeatedly in the future.
Hastor, the former Hath-Set, realized as did Hall the portents of the
events and the ancient drama unfolded anew. After Hall secured Shiera in
his home, he pursued the villain to his lair and damaged much of his equipment.
Hastor then recognized the third and missing peice and generated a cloud
of ancient vapors that lured the reincarnated Shiera to his laboratory.
When he realized that Shiera was gone, Hall, now guised as the Hawkman
retured to Hastor's lair just in time to rescue Shiera. He then proceeded
to wreck the laboratory and left Hastor for dead. (Flash Comics #1)
As they had in ages past, Shiera and Carter again became lovers. Hawkman
took up the guise as Hawkman more agressively and later that year, the
fall of 1940, he joined the Justice Society. Initially, Shiera was content
to stay in the background but as Carter shared his fantastic experiences
with her, she became more and more intrigued. She was thrilled, in the
fall of 1941, when Carter loaned her a spare set of wings to use as a party
costume. Standing on a balcony, Hawkman's trained hawks confused her with
their master and led her to a couple in distress. The couple, the Aldens,
were being swindled by a phony hit-and-run racket and Hawkgirl pursued
the criminals in the Alden's behalf. Inexperienced, Shiera was easily captured.
As it happened, Hawkman was in hot pursuit based on clues from his birds
and the criminals were easily thrashed. Winning over Carter's initial objections,
Shiera adopted the identity of Hawkgirl full-time.
Shortly thereafter, America was embroiled in the second World War and
an expanded group of heroes known as the All-Star Squadron formed. While
the Justice Society remained an elite group, Hawkgirl became an active
member of the All-Star Squadron, participating in many homefront cases,
including one against Anton Hastor, who had apparently survived the initial
encounter (All-Star Squadron #10-12).
Hawkgirl remained active as Hawkman's partner through the war, though
the extent of her affiliation with the All-StarSquadron has yet to be revealed.
After the war, both she and Hawkman became more involved in dealing with
America's evolving super-criminals including the Hummingbird (Flash
Comics #52, 60), the Monocle (Flash Comics #64) and the Gentleman
Ghost (Flash Comics #88,90,92,103)
In 1951, the JSA was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Affairs Committe,
a body manipulated into accusing the group of possible treason. When their
identities were demanded, the JSA chose to retire rather than comply (Adventure
Comics #466). At some point either shortly before or shortly after
this, Carter Hall and Shiera Sanders were wed. With the lack of costumed
adventures, the two returned to Hall's true love, archeology. Working in
digs in Egypt, Syria and Turkey, the Hall's earned acclaim as adventurous
explorers of the distant past.
In 1963, Shiera gave birth to a son, Hector, while on a dig in Egypt.
When Carter resumed his identity as Hawkman to rejoin the Justice Society,
Shiera stayed behind to raise their son. In the late 1970's, Shiera got
a healthy dose of adventure when she was kidnapped by the ancient alien
Xanadu but was rescued by the Justice Society shortly thereafter (All-Star
Comics #61-62)
In the 1980s, Hector left home and attended college at UCLA. While there,
he developed his own costumed identity as the Silver Scarab and petitioned
for membership in the JSA, along with several other junior heroes (Infinity
Inc #1). Rejected, the group when on to form a new team known as Infinity
Inc and assist the JSA in defeating the Ultra-Humanite (Infinity Inc
#3-10). Shortly thereafter, at Infinity Inc's first press conference, Hector
revealed known his identity but those of his parents as well (Infinity
Inc #12).
Not long after the Hector left home, Shiera resumed her role as Hawkgirl.
In a case not yet revealed, Hawkgirl was finally granted membership to
the Justice Society as they group confronted the Crisis on Infinite Earths
(revealed in JSA #X). During the conflict, Hawkman was badly burned
by Dr. Phosphorous (Crisis on Infinite Earths #9) and the couple
retreated to Fiethera for medical assistance.
After he had healed in Feithera, Hawkman and Hawkgirl attended the memorial
ceremony for the JSAers who had fallen during the Crisis. From there the
JSA and the Halls entered Limbo, where they remained for three years (Last
Days of the JSA #1). While in Limbo, Hastor returned in the reincarnated
form of Jame Rock, an Egyptian woman. Hastor/Rock murdered Hector Hall,
transforming him into the foretold "child without a soul" (Infinity
Inc. #42-44). Hector's spirit then entered the dream world to become
the new Sandman (Infinity Inc. #49-51). When the Halls returned
from Limbo, they learned of Hector's death, and discovered that Lyta Trevor
Hall had disappeared with their grandson. They beseeched the Spectre to
return him, but the Spectre denied them and left them to their grief (Spectre
vol. 3 #21).
Hawkgirl remained active with the JSA and she and Carter joined them
as they prepared for their assault on Extant. At the critical moment, however,
they were whisked away and then fused with all other incarnations of Hawkman
(Zero Hour #3, Hawkman vol. 3 #13). Hence, the minds of Carter
and Shiera Hall survived the Zero Hour, but they lack independent physical
form. What the future holds for them in this state remains to be seen.
Powers/Skills
Hawkgirl used a pair of wings composed of a material alternately called
the Nth Metal or Ninth Metal. This substance defies gravity, permitting
its wearer the power of flight. Hawkgirl was also skilled in the use of
a variety of ancient weapons, which he preferred in combat.
Weaknesses/Limitations
Hawkgirl, without her gear, was a mortal woman and could be slain or injured
as such.
Principal Adversaries
(See Hawkman)
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