I recently became interested in Hawkman due to his great-looking DCUC figure, much as I became interested in Deathstroke last year for the same reason. As a result, I’ve started looking into the character. And holy shit, is his continuity a mess.
And I once thought Marvel had ruined Wolverine’s history. As much as I hate stuff like the bone claws, at least Wolverine doesn’t have three or four other versions of him that may or may not exist at any given time running around the canonical universe.
I think I’ve managed to get a grip on Hawkman’s continuity as it stands right now, though. Here’s the timeline I’ve put together. Feel free to correct me on any inaccuracies, as I’m sure there are many.
- Thousands of years ago, a Thanagarian ship crashes in ancient Egypt;
Khufu and Chay-Ara, two Egyptians, find the Nth metal and end up being reincarnated over the centuries; - Khufu incarnates as the human Carter Hall in the 1940s along with Chay-Ara, who incarnates as his girlfriend Shiera Sanders (whom he later marries), and they become the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl;
- At some point, the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl meet Paran Katar of Thanagar, who returns to his home planet to found the Thanagarian police force, using Carter Hall’s Hawkman as his inspiration;
- Paran Katar also names his son Katar Hol in honor of his friend Carter Hall;
- The Thanagarians Katar Hol and his wife Shayera Hol come to Earth in the 1960s and become the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl;
- Both Carter Hall and Katar Hol are active throughout the 1960s-early 1980s, with Hall serving in the JLA while Hol defends Midway City (i.e., all JLA appearances of Katar Hol are now considered retconned to in fact be Carter Hall coming out of retirement to help the JLA out);
- The whole Hawkworld reboot happens. Shayera is no longer Katar Hol’s wife, but his partner, and is now called Shayera Thal.
- Carter Hall, Katar Hol and Shiera Saunders Hall are merged into the Hawkgod in the DC crossover event Zero Hour;
- Shayera Thal retires from the Thanagarian police and becomes a regular Earth cop in Detroit;
- The Hawkgod gets banished to limbo, along with Carter, Katar and Shiera Saunders Hall;
- The soul of Shiera Saunders Hall, the Golden Age Hawkgirl, enters the dying body of Kendra Saunders, her young cousin;
- Via Kendra Saunders/Shiera Hall’s mystic connection to Carter Hall via the whole Egyptian reincarnation thing, Thanagarian priests resurrect Carter Hall’s soul in Katar Hol’s body.