Random Happenstance

We've seen one Hawkman last issue before; today we'll double-down with two more! From 1993, Hawkworld #32, "Final Chapter" Written by John "Tim" Ostrander, pencils by Timothy Truman, inks by Timothy Bradstreet; and from 1996, Hawkman #33, "Prey" Written by Priest, pencils by Mike Collins, inks by Barb Kaalberg.

Following Tim Truman's three-issue prestige reboot, Hawkworld ran for 32 issues, even though the continuity pre- and post-Crisis was already starting to get iffy: the "Hawkman" that appeared in a lot of JLA stories was a separate guy from this new Katar Hol. Same for Hawkgirl and Hawkwoman. Ah, that clears that right up...This was the conclusion to the six-part "Flight's End," as Katar and Shayera faced off against bad guys Viper and Thrasher, who were controlling the freaks and metahumans trying to live outside of society in 'Netherworld.' Viper's pitch to Katar is candy-coated fascism: he wants to be a tyrant, to save America, and will voluntarily restore democracy after all those pesky social problems are fixed. And Katar could be a big part of that new order, because boy howdy, you sure could achieve some order by suspending civil liberties here and there...To his credit, Katar isn't that tempted; he knows if democracy dies it doesn't come back.

In the fight that follows, Viper tries to use his mental attack on Shayera, but was unprepared for her alien mind, and seemingly kills her. As Katar flies to avenge her, oddly masked medical types take her body; but Katar is interrupted by the meta Null, who seems to think Viper's control wasn't random enough, and launches a tow truck into a building, which explodes. Viper escapes by transferring his mind to a "Hairball," a ratty-looking meta; while Katar is caught in the explosion and falls to the ground, seemingly broken...

I feel like Ostrander hit some of these same political themes in his Spectre run, but I haven't read all of that. Or all of Hawkman's next, self-titled series! Which ended with the conclusion of the three-parter, "Hunter, Hunted, Prey!" It was set around the tailend of the Justice League series before Grant Morrison took over; as Katar, accused of murder, had asked to be locked up in the League's headquarters. Wearing a student uniform from Justice League Task Force, Katar breaks out, fights his way through Obsidian and Nuklon, and under the spell of Wonder Woman's lasso, tells who the real killer is. The "Avatars of the Hawk God" had staged the murders, now possessed the Martian Manhunter, and had Shayera and Arion on the ropes before Katar gets there, back in his wings. (Why the rest of JLA doesn't accompany him, well...)

Katar manages to have one final moment with Shayera, before what might be his final battle: he felt he was "a counterfeit and a liar" for his crimes way back in the Hawkworld mini-series. He starts a pretty big fire, to try and shock J'onn out of the Avatars' control; then Arion uses a spell to send Katar and the Avatars "to the Hawk God's realm." Is this the end of Katar Hol? Maybe? Carter Hall might have come back, but Katar might be gone...for a bit. Hawkman was considered "radioactive" after this one; DC wouldn't return to him (in-continuity) until 2001's JSA #22. Which I think had done a pretty good job of fixing things, but some or all of that fix probably got unfixed later. So it goes.