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Hawk and Dove
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Hawk and Dove are the names used by a number of DC Comics superheroes who fight crime together as duos, despite their sharply differing methods and attitudes about violence. This difference is signified by the bird iconography: the hawk typically representing aggression, and the dove representing pacifism.
ted by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates, brothers Hank and Don Hall first appeared in Showcase #75.
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Hawk and Dove are the names used by a number of DC Comics superheroes who fight crime together as duos, despite their sharply differing methods and attitudes about violence. This difference is signified by the bird iconography: the hawk typically representing aggression, and the dove representing pacifism.
Fictional character biography
Hank and Don Hall
Created by Steve Ditko and Steve Skeates, brothers Hank and Don Hall first appeared in Showcase #75. The pair gained their powers of heightened strength and agility from a mysterious voice (later Secret Origins #43 explained the voice was from two Lords of Chaos and Order fallen in love) and fought crime together as Hawk & Dove, despite their diametrically opposed opinions about the use of force. The conservative Hawk (Hank) was hot-headed and reactionary, whereas the liberal Dove (Don) was more thoughtful and reasoned (but prone to indecisiveness). Their father, a judge, displayed more balanced political beliefs and firmly disapproved of vigilantism, not knowing his sons were costumed adventurers.
Their own title, The Hawk and the Dove, ran for six issues from 1968 to 1969. Ditko only plotted the first issue, and left after the second one. Skeates was reportedly unhappy with the direction the book was taking, feeling that Don was being portrayed as an ineffective wimp, rather than a pro-active pacifist. Ditko by contrast felt that Skeates had turned Hawk into a fool whose answer to every problem was unreasoning violence, compared to the "liberal" Dove, now the only one of the two who made any sense at all. Ditko had wanted a more balanced approach, showing that both "hawks" and "doves" had valid points. Skeates would leave after the fourth issue, leaving artist Gil Kane as writer through the last issue.
After their series ended they became semi-regulars in Teen Titans, eventually joining Titans West. Dove died in 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths while saving a young boy being attacked by the Anti-Monitor's shadow demons. The creature that killed him came from behind and Hawk was too far away to do anything about it.
A statue of Don is part of the memorial at Titans Tower in San Francisco.
Hawk continued on his own, but without Dove to restrain him, he became excessively violent to the point where many of the superhero community considered him nearly as much trouble as the supervillains.
They both made a cameo appearance in the non-canon graphic novel The Dark Knight Strikes Again during the popularity of costumed vigilantes, as old and fat. They live on Christopher Street; Hawk is asking Dove "We can still squeeze into the tights. What do you say, partner? Ready for action? It's all the rage" and Dove responds "But, Haank! Back then, all we did was argue!" A caption above them read "The Hawk and The Dove - don't ask..."
Hank Hall and Dawn Granger
In 1988, a new Hawk and Dove mini-series written by Karl and Barbara Kesel reintroduced Hawk and Dove in a 5-issue mini series. This series introduced a woman named Dawn Granger, the second Dove, and a new enemy, Kestrel. The new Dove mysteriously received her powers while attempting to save her mother from terrorists. At the end of the mini-series, it was revealed that Dawn received her powers the moment Don had been stripped of them. This Dove, while considerably more aggressive and self confident than Don, also has greater-than-average strength and dexterity, faster-than-human speed, and expanded mental capabilities. Dove fights mostly defensively, preferring to out-think and remain in control of her opponent. Like Hawk, she also heals incredibly quickly and cannot revert to Dawn if her wounds or some other condition would be fatal to Dawn. It was later revealed that Hawk & Dove become beings that are direct conduits of the respective planes of chaos and order.
Set in Washington, D.C. (where the duo attended Georgetown University), the series introduced several supporting characters, including Hank's girlfriend, Ren Takamori, and friends Kyle Spenser and Donna Cabot. They also worked with police Captain Brian 'Sal' Arsala, who would develop a mutual admiration with Dawn. It also introduced Kestrel, an evil spell created by M'Shulla, and Barter, owner of BARTER TRADING: Exotic Goods and Services.
In issues #14-17 of the ongoing series, Kestrel, in the body of Ren Takamori, lured Hawk & Dove to the mystical land of Druspa Tau - also home to the Lords of Chaos and Order. Hawk & Dove cut a deal with Barter to transverse dimensions to Druspa Tau. On Druspa Tau, the two, as Hawk and Dove, were able to remove their costumes, revealing their true forms, and found their abilities were heightened exponentially. They arrived as a war was brewing between M'Shulla, The Lord of Chaos, and followers of Arriya, the Lord of Order. Finding themselves on opposite sides, Hawk and Dove were forced to do battle. M'Shulla tells a captive Rome that he cast a spell long ago, that Arriya is not the name of Druspa Tau's former Order goddess. No one knows her true name any longer, and therefore she cannot return to Druspa Tau. Just as M'Shulla is about to claim final victory, Barter tells Rome the true name of the world's Order lord: Terataya. Her name is spoken, and a dragon wearing an amulet appears. The dragon/amulet is a combined being: Terataya, lord of Order, and T'Charr, lord of Chaos, and is now called The Unity. The Unity fight with M'Shulla and because it is maintaining the Hawk and Dove spell, The Unity cannot fight him as well. M'Shulla deals The Unity a fatal blow, and The Unity retreats to a hidden cave.
Dove is able to use her logical powers to see how the Kestrel demon is attached to Ren... and separate them. Hawk then absorbs the Kestrel force (since it's part of Chaos, and Hawk is one with the primal source of Chaos while on Druspa Tau), effectively annihilating it and freeing Ren. Hawk and Dove then fly off to find The Unity, leaving Ren behind. In the cave where The Unity hides, Hawk and Dove find their creators, T'Charr and Terataya, dying. The Unity explains that it created Hawk and Dove to prove to the other Lords of Chaos and Order that the two forces could work together. It did this because T'Charr and Terataya are in love, and have been hunted by their respective houses ever since. However, they are dying. So, Hawk and Dove absorb the essence of their respective creators. This merging gave both Hawk and Dove enhanced powers, but it meant there will be no new Hawk or Dove if either of the current heroes died. Hawk and Dove also learned their abilities were upgraded: Dove could fly and Hawk was stronger and bulletproof.
In Hawk and Dove #20, Dove was trapped inside a shopping mall, having to battle Christmas-themed robbers, after she sends her mother away for the holidays.
Armageddon 2001 and Zero Hour
In 1991, in an editorial snafu concerning the miniseries Armageddon 2001, word leaked out that the central time-travelling villain of the piece (known as Monarch) was actually Captain Atom. Monarch had originally been conceived as a future identity of Captain Atom (post-psychotic break); Waverider had even 'checked' Hawk's future in Hawk & Dove Annual #2 (which had them fighting Monarch eliminating them as possible candidates). In a last-ditch effort to provide a 'surprise twist', DC changed the storyline. Sales on Hawk & Dove had dipped, and the series was slotted for cancellation, so Monarch's identity was revealed as the future Hank Hall. Monarch attacked Hawk and Dove and managed to murder Dawn in front of Hank, causing him to suffer the psychotic break, kill Monarch, and assume the villainous identity. He briefly became a recurring foe for Captain Atom before absorbing Waverider's time-travel powers, subsequently changing his form and name to Extant in Zero Hour. Later, he challenged the Justice Society of America, an encounter that led directly to his demise when Atom Smasher used the New God Metron's mobius chair to transfer Hall onto a doomed plane in place of the Atom-Smasher's mother. Despite this, a statue of him is in the Titans Tower memorial in San Francisco.
In JSA, Dove's apparent death and Hawk's turning evil was revealed to be part of a larger plan by the evil sorcerer, Mordru.
In Teen Titans #31, Hank and Don Hall reappear as zombies, brought back to life by Brother Blood, who was freed as a result of the events of Day of Vengeance.
A New Hawk and Dove
Another Hawk (Sasha Martens) and Dove (Wiley Wolverman), appeared in a five-issue mini-series in 1997, written by Mike Baron. In this version, completely unrelated to the concept of the Lords of Chaos and Order, the duo's conflicting personalities manifested as "military brat" and "slacker dude," respectively. They gained large bird wings and a telepathic link by receiving experimental medical treatments as children.
Following the mini-series, the new Hawk and Dove made a handful of cameo appearances in Titans-related books, once protecting the town of Woodstock, New York, during a worldwide crisis.
Holly and Dawn Granger
In 2003, JSA issues #45-50 told of a mysterious woman in a coma who was taken into the care of the Justice Society. Initially thought to be the comatose body of Hector Hall's missing wife, Hippolyta Trevor, the woman was revealed to be none other than the presumed-dead Dawn Granger. Dawn's "death" was revealed to be a hoax orchestrated by the villain Mordru, who was also revealed to have caused Hank's insanity. Dawn later gained a new partner when her estranged and aggressive British sister, Holly Granger, was granted the mystical powers of Chaos, becoming the third Hawk. Holly's first appearances was in Teen Titans vol. 3, #22-23, joining her sister and many other former Titans against a newly evil Dr. Light. The duo later re-teamed with the Titans to rescue Raven's "soul self" from their old nemesis, Kestrel.
In the Day of Vengeance limited series, the Spectre attacks and apparently destroys T'Charr and Terataya (who apparently were temporarily no longer dead), leaving Hawk and Dove supposedly powerless. Despite this however, Hawk and Dove were shown during a worldwide prison break, being contacted telepathically by J'onn J'onzz. Both were in costume, and Dove was carrying Hawk while flying.
Hawk and Dove have also appeared in Countdown to Mystery, in which Dawn Granger is one of a number of heroes possessed by Eclipso.
In Teen Titans vol. 3, #34 (post Infinite Crisis), Holly and Dawn are shown in Titans Tower sometime during the previous year, with dialogue from Hawk implying that they were at the time members of the Teen Titans. Their association with the team was temporary though they resurfaced in the Titans East Special as part of a new team organized by Cyborg. The sisters were both shot by energy beams from Trigon and were left for dead. They are in serious condition but stable.
Other media
Animated versions of Hawk and Dove I were featured alongside Wonder Woman in an episode of Justice League Unlimited titled "Hawk and Dove."
This version of the duo depicts a stronger relationship between the brothers; Don is more self confident, and their philosophical bickering is more like a brotherly teasing. They are voiced by Jason Hervey and Fred Savage, both of whom starred in the TV series The Wonder Years as brothers Wayne and Kevin Arnold. Ironically, there is a role reversal: Savage, who played nerdy Kevin, voices the violent Hawk, while Hervey, who played the bully Wayne, voices the pacifist Dove. They were oriignally to have voiced their more obvious roles, but tried switching during rehearsals, to the approval of the director.
In this episode, their fighting styles were thoroughly contrasted. Hawk employs brute-force, aggressive tactics, at times resembling nothing so much as an American football-player. Dove, on the other hand, uses a blend of techniques reminiscent of aikido or perhaps judo, using his attacker's movements to fling them aside. Wonder Woman enlisted them to help stop Ares' plot from causing war in Kaznia. They are successful due to Dove and him not striking out at the Armor causing it to stop.
They are last seen in the series finale 'Destroyer', where they fight off parademons alongside several other league members. They later appear in the final scene running down the steps of the metro tower with the rest of the league.
External links
- Don and Hank Hall at the DC Animated Universe Wiki
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