Shayera Hol
Shayera Hol is a female extraterrestrial comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
She arrived on Earth alongside her husband and partner, Katar Hol. The pair were dispatched by the Thanagarian police force to capture the shape-shifting criminal Byth Rok, who had fled to Earth. Upon arrival, Shayera adopted the human identity “Shiera Hall” and posed as Katar’s wife in Midway City, where they worked in close coordination with Police Commissioner George Emmett. Throughout the issue, Shayera demonstrated her investigative skills, combat training, and aerial maneuverability as she and Katar tracked Byth’s movements. She played a direct role in the final confrontation, using advanced Thanagarian weaponry and tactics to subdue the fugitive. (Brave and the Bold v1 #34)
Hawkman and Hawkgirl discovered a Shang statue and A Celtic cup in their museum collection, but had no knowledge of how they got in their collection. Hawkman flew to the city of Yin in China, and Hawkgirl flew to the Hill of Tara in Ireland in hopes of getting clues. They each found bandits raiding relics, and defeated them. They also both discovered an immobile sorceress, Zatanna. They brought the two Zatannas to their Thanagarian spaceship, and she merged into one person. She told them that she was Zatara's daughter, and after her father disappeared she searched the world to find him. She attempted to split herself in two, but being unfamiliar with some spells, she found herself mystically drained and immobile, and sent the relics from Yin and Tara to Midway, knowing the hawks would save her. Hawkman used the absorbascon to search Earth, but found no one had knowledge of Zatara's location, and with heavy heart Zatanna left to pursue other avenues. Thieves from the year 11964 came to the past and engaged in a robbery spree. Hawkman and Hawkgirl tried to foil their robbery of an art gallery, but the thieves' human magnetor pinned them down. Hawkman analyzed fibers from the thieves costumes, and developed a chemical that wouldn't be affected by the magnetor. After covering himself and Hawkgirl in the chemical they confronted the robbers, who made another raid on the past. Knowing that the thieves couldn't bring anything from the past into the future that wasn't inside of their magnetor car, they covered it in modern paint. The thieves were sent to jail, and Hawkman suggested auctioning off their futuristic possessions to compensate the victims of their robberies. (Hawkman v1 #4)
Lucius Crane, an elderly gem collector, decided to donate his collection to the Midway City Museum, but when Carter and Shiera came to pick up the valuables they found Shadow-Thief stealing them. As Hawkman and Hawkgirl they pursued him, but a booby trapped gun Shadow-Thief wielded took Hawkman out of action and allowed the villain to escape, and he let it be known to them that he'd guessed their secret identities because of their immediate appearance after they met him in their civilian identities. After another robbery they confronted him, but Shadow-Thief used his dimensiometer to send them in the form of shadows to the shadow dimension of Xarapion from which her got his powers. He used a paralysis beam to imprison their shadows, and as a consequence their earthly bodies were also immobilized. The Thief detailed a plan to use his dimensiometer to bring an ice age to Earth, and left the heroes in their prison, along with Thar Dan, who'd initially given him the dimensiometer and now regretted it. Hawkman used telepathy that was a side effect of the beam to contact a hawk on Earth that moved his body, and on Xarapion he was now free of the beam. Thar Dan gave them a dimensiometer that let them return to normal and physically attack Shadow-Thief on Earth. Once captured Shadow-Thief threatened to reveal their identities, but Hawkman had Dal use a paralysis ray on the Thief's human form on Xarapion to keep him from talking, while his shadow was imprisoned in an Earth prison. (Hawkman v1 #5)
Archaeologist Paul Colby unearthed a golden mask created by Vulcan in Greece and presented it to Carter and Shiera Hall of the Midway Museum. It was once the mask of a giant automaton that wrecked havoc in Greece centuries ago. As he was hanging it in the Hellas Hall it possessed him and subdued Carter. The mask took him back to Mount Olympus with the Halls in their superhero identities of Hawkman and Hawkgirl in hot pursuit. The mask uncovered its body and reunited, bringing the Giant in the Golden Mask back to life. The Ginat went on a rampage until the hawks found the case where Colby discovered the mask, and once again separated the giant and his face, leaving him immobile. The giant was kept on display as a tourist attraction to bring in money to restore the town it wrecked. The mask was brought to the Midway Museum, where it was unveiled to the public for one minute daily, not enough time for it to take mental possession of anyone nearby. Hawkman and Hawkgirl planned a dinner date, but before their night out Hawkgirl spent the afternoon cleaning their Thanagarian ship. Kalvars, aliens that crash-landed on Earth thousands of years ago, awoke and needed an intact spaceship to depart the planet. Their leader Fal Tal attacked Hawkgirl mentally and made off with the Hawks ship. The Hawks repaired the Kalvar ship and overtook the aliens, temporarily disabling their Thanagarian craft, and took them to Thanagar to stand trial for the theft. (Hawkman v1 #6)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
As a member of the Wingman, she was part of the Thanagarian police force alongside Katar Hol. Her activities involved assisting Katar during his operations in the city of Thanagar, specifically in the apprehension of smugglers and criminals trafficking in off-world technology. She flew into battle armed with her nth-metal harness and mace, often working in tandem with Katar by flanking aerial opponents and neutralizing threats with precision strikes. (Hawkworld v1 #1) Shayera participated in raids against the interplanetary drug trade and pursued those responsible for spreading illegal substances across Thanagar. She fought side by side with Katar in aerial engagements above the cityscape, wielding her mace to shatter enemy transports and restraining fugitives for questioning. When Katar’s disdain for Thanagar’s ruling elite began to surface, Shayera nonetheless maintained strict adherence to her duty, focusing on the mission at hand. (Hawkworld v1 #2) Her activities later extended into undercover assignments where Shayera infiltrated gatherings of Thanagar’s criminal underworld. This saw her posing as a mercenary to collect intelligence while Katar pressed forward with more direct confrontations. Once exposed, she fought her way out of a gang stronghold, wielding her mace with lethal accuracy and using her wings to maneuver through narrow corridors and upper platforms. (Hawkworld v1 #3) She and Katar were deployed to investigate corruption within Thanagar’s political class, a mission that forced them into violent confrontations with bodyguards and private militias protecting their patrons. Shayera’s actions were marked by her decisive strikes against heavily armed enforcers, engaging them both in the skies above the city and within fortified complexes. She defended Katar when their cover was compromised, intercepting attackers mid-flight and breaking enemy formations with a combination of mace strikes and aerial maneuvers. (Hawkworld v1 #4) Shayera then took part in a high-risk mission against a smuggling operation running through the off-world trade routes. She flew directly into hostile ships, using her nth-metal harness to withstand high-velocity clashes and disabling enemy craft with precise blows. Inside one freighter, she fought through waves of traffickers, disarming them and smashing weaponry with her mace, ultimately securing the vessel’s control systems for Thanagarian forces. (Hawkworld v1 #5)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
The New 52
Rebirth
With the power of the Totality, Perpetua splintered the soul of Chay-ara causing her to reincarnate as both Kendra Saunders on Earth after the death of Shiera Hall and as Shayera Hol of Thanagar. This was because she was deemed a threat and thus separating her from parts of herself would prevent her from being a threat to Perpetua. (Justice League v4 #16)
Whilst going through his past incarnations, Carter Hall ended up on Thanagar where he was confronted by his older reincarnation of Katar Hol where the two battled until he managed to convince him of his mission. It was then that the Thanagarian Wingmen arrived with Shayera present who believed Carter was a criminal from Downside with Katar kicking him over the edge. They returned back to patrol whilst Carter gathered a relic and returned back to the modern day on Earth. (Hawkman v5 #4)
After the destruction of Thanagar by Despero, the Thanagarian people were fractured and numbering only in the thousands thus making them weak. During this time, Shayera was crowned empress of her people and desperately sought a means of restoring their strength. She came upon a solution in the wake of the crisis that broke the Source Wall where she used the power of the Absorbascon with that of the powerful mind of the Martian Keep to change reality according to her desires. With this power, she restored the Thanagarian empire based on Thanagar Prime but kept the circumstances a secret. Members of the Justice League came to Thanagar Prime to search for clues regarding the mysterious new powers emerging in the universe where they uncovered Empress Shayera's plot. She attempted to stop them until she could cause the thought manifestations from the Absorbascon to become more permanent. However, this was stopped when the Martian Keep died and she faced arrest for her actions as she showed guilt over her actions as she only wanted to save her people. At that point, the other members of the League arrived on Thanagar through the aid of Starman Will Payton who was host to the power of the Totality. With it, he merged the missing piece of Shiera Hall's soul within Shayera back to Kendra's body thus restoring her self completely. As a result, Shayera was not free from the destiny of Shiera Hall and her soul was truly her own. Rather than face arrest, she was allowed to remain free and continue to be a leader to her people as she was needed to help the Thanagarians to rebuild which she vowed to do without using the Absorbascon again. (Justice League v4 #16)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Hawkwoman was a humanoid female of Thanagarian heritage who possessed a tall, athletic build and features consistent with her extraterrestrial origin. She had long, flowing auburn hair, fair skin, and large expressive eyes. In her first appearance, she wore the standard Thanagarian wing harness — an elaborate back-mounted apparatus of metallic frame and anti-gravity nth metal wings, which allowed for sustained and highly maneuverable flight. Her costume consisted of a yellow, sleeveless, skin-tight tunic with a green lower section, high red boots, a wide red belt with a circular buckle, and red gauntlets. A yellow hawk-themed cowl with a stylized beak extended over her head, framing her face and leaving her mouth and chin exposed. (Brave and the Bold v1 #34)
Shayera was depicted as professional, composed, and unwavering in her duty as a Thanagarian police officer. She displayed quick thinking and adaptability in foreign environments, adjusting rapidly to Earth’s conditions and investigative methods. Her interactions with Katar were characterized by mutual respect, camaraderie, and an easy partnership in the field. While confident and direct in her approach to law enforcement, she also displayed patience and understanding, particularly when engaging with Midway City’s inhabitants unfamiliar with alien technology or culture. Her demeanor was one of disciplined competence, tempered by a genuine willingness to collaborate. (Brave and the Bold v1 #34)
Powers and abilities
Shayera Hol was a Thanagarian, belonging to a humanoid race evolved under a heavier planetary gravity, granting her enhanced strength, stamina, and durability compared to an average human. She was not born with the ability to fly; instead, she relied on a wing harness made from nth metal — a rare and powerful substance native to Thanagar. This metal negated gravity, allowing for controlled flight, and provided additional benefits such as environmental adaptability and limited protection from injury. Her natural agility, combined with advanced combat training and weapon proficiency, made her a formidable opponent even without the advantages of her gear. (Brave and the Bold v1 #34)
Notes
- Shayera Hol was created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert where she made her first appearance in Brave and the Bold v1 #34 (March, 1961).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In the DC Animated Universe, Shayera Hol made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In Justice League, Shayera Hol first appeared as Hawkgirl in the animated television series where he was voiced by actress María Canals Barrera. Shayera Hol was a lieutenant and an instructor in espionage on the planet Thanagar, engaged to be married to Commander Hro Talak. Shayera was sent in advance of the Thanagarian invasion as a scout to determine Earths' weaknesses should Thanagar's enemies, the Gordanians, attack. Her cover story was that she was tracking criminals to their fortress when she was unexpectedly teleported to Earth. Shayera eventually established herself on Earth and became known to the populace as Hawkgirl. During the Imperium invasion, she was telepathically summoned by J'onn J'onzz to assist in repelling the invaders. Hawkgirl was teamed with Superman to take out the aliens' factories, which propelled smoke into the air to block out the sun. They were unsuccessful and were both captured. J'onn, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern attempted to rescue the two but were themselves captured. The six heroes were held for the alien invaders leader. After Batman had successfully faked his own death and infiltrated the factory, he reversed the smoke process. The group was able to free themselves and destroy the factory and its duplicates around the world. In fact, Hawkgirl was responsible for destroying the Imperium when he attempted to escape on board his personal shuttle craft. Due to her efforts during the invasion, Hawkgirl was invited aboard the Watchtower, and formed the Justice League along with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and J'onn.
- In Young Justice, Shayera Thal appeared as Hawkwoman in the animated television series where she was voiced by actress Danica McKellar.
Films
- In Green Lantern: Beware My Power, Shayera Hol appeared in the setting of the animated film where she was voiced by actress Jamie Gray Hyder. They encounter Thanagarian warrior Shayera Hol, who indicates security footage showing a Rannian ship docking at Oa just before the attack. Shayera explains that the Thanagarian-Rannian war had briefly ended, with Jordan overseeing a joint project using Zeta-Beam technology to benefit both planets. The experiment was a success at first, then went haywire, transporting Thanagar into Rann's atmosphere, upsetting the ecosystem of both planets, restarting the war, and apparently killing Jordan and thousands of Thanagarians and Rannians. Shayera accuses Rann of sabotaging the experiment and attacking Oa, but Stewart and Green Arrow insist they investigate further. Shayera and Strange review footage from past attacks and discover that a third party has been impersonating both Rannian and Thanagarian ships to further the war. Shayera departs from Earth, in Ganthet's spaceship, promising to Green Arrow and Stewart they would meet again soon knowing Rann and Thanagar will need the new Green Lanterns and the Justice League to help rebuild both worlds when a ceasefire is ordered.
Appearances
- Brave and the Bold v1: (1961)
- Hawkman:
- Hawkworld v1:
- Hawkman v5:
- Justice League v4:
External Links
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