Issue # 3

"Who is Hawkman?"
Part Three

Written by Barry Reese

Part the First : Battle, Joined

The Hawk-God, existing in both this dimension and his native one simultaneously, hesitated. He had flown here after ravaging untold numbers of worlds, eager to feast upon this place called Earth, home to the one called Hol, the one who had thought himself capable of containing the glory and terror that was the Hawk-God. He had never expected to find not one, but three men wearing the garb of his hated enemy.

Here, above the hot sands of Arizona, it would end.

The young man known commonly as Condor, for he had no other name that he regarded with more affection, watched with moutning concern as the Hawk-God hovered above him. He couldn't tell if the creature were growing smaller, becoming closer to being the size of a man, or if he and his comrades were growing larger, but something was definitely happening. A psychic buzz flooded his mind, background noise that was generated by the powerful god-thing before him.

The Condor glanced at the men who flew beside him. Both of them wore the face and name of Katar Hol, though their differences were immense. The one dressed in leather pants and dark garb was his the Katar Hol who had offered to help Condor become a true hero. He was still recovering from injuries he'd received alongside his teammates in the Justice Squadron, but he held his katar in his hand now, ready to do battle.

The other Katar Hol was a visitor from another reality, one that he called "Earth-One." This version of Hawkman wore red and green, his mace held tightly in one hand. It was he who spoke first, regarding the Hawk-God with an expression of open distaste. "I think there might have been something similar in my universe -- at least in terms of appearance. Have you ever battled something called Thasaro*?"

(*As the Earth-One Hawkman and Hawkwoman did in Legend of the Hawkman (limited series) # 1-3.)

"Afraid not. But if Thasaro was anything at all like the Hawk-God, you know how dangerous this will be." Hawkman glanced at the Condor. "Are you ready? Just do exactly what we discussed."

The Condor nodded. He felt somewhat out of place here. Both of the men beside him were heroes through and through, members of the Justice League in their respective universes. Though the Condor himself had counted himself among the JLA's roster at one time, he had never felt at home there. These men would gladly lay down their lives for people they had never met. And a lot of innocent people would die if the Hawk-God moved on unchecked. It's time to prove myself worthy of this costume, he mused.

The Condor rocketed upwards, relying less on the artificial wings on his back and more on his telekinesis to propel himself. The Hawk-God screeched, drawing back a claw to ward off the unexpected attack. The Condor hefted his knife and hurled it straight towards the claw. At the last second, he used his mental power to veer the knife off-course. It shot underneath the defense, driving up deep in the Hawk-God's abdomen.

Hawkman glanced at the Prime-Hawkman and nodded. "Begin the mental ceremony. I'll aid Condor in keeping the Hawk-God off-balance. When the time is right, let me know -- if things go the way I have planned, you should be able to absorb the Hawk-God whole."

The Hawkman of Earth-One murmured his response and watched as this reality's Katar flew upwards to join the Condor. He'd been doing a lot of thinking in the last few hours -- about whether or not he was really prepared to risk everything for this world that wasn't even his own. Would he reject his own Shayera the way this Katar had? Would his marriage crumble while a murderous beast raged in his mind and soul? It doesn't matter. These people need me and I have to try and help -- Shay would understand that. What's more, my feelings for her are more than any half-baked diety could shake. We've survived everything together -- the Equalization Plague, the Shadow War, the Crisis. I won't let this hyperactive pigeon steal her from me. That's a promise.

Part the Second : Another World, Long Forgotten

Shayera Thal stood before assembled Justice League, her fists clenched tight at her side. The League, so recently rebuilt in strength following the awful Crisis*, was still using the group's original headquarters as their base -- the so-called "Secret Sanctuary," near the small village of Happy Harbor. "So that's it, then? We just sit back and wait until Katar comes back -- in pieces?"

(*As shown in DCL's Elseworld's Finest # 12.)

The Batman, standing half-shrouded in shadows, grunted. "Shayera... There's nothing else to be done. We've already had Zatanna try every spell at her disposal, and our scientific resources are exhausted. There's simply no way for us to pierce whatever barrier is separating the Earths following the Crisis."

"Seven Hells... Somebody stole my husband! I heard Katar ask him if he was from another Earth and then he was taken! Obviously, there is a way to get through the barrier -- we just haven't figured it out!"

The raven-haired sorceress named Zatanna moved forward, putting a hand on Shayera's shoulder. "Have faith in him, Shayera. If there's any man alive who can handle himself in a dangerous situation, it's Katar. You know that."

Shayera turned away from the others, seeing the sense of helplessness she felt mirrored in their eyes. Even Green Arrow, who had sparred with Katar for so many years, looked grief-stricken. None of them were fully recovered from the Crisis, which had robbed the hero community of so many -- Wonder Woman, the Flash, Supergirl, Dove and so many more. To lose Katar now would be a terrible blow to all of them. "Zee... There's something I haven't told anyone. Not even Katar."

Zatanna leaned closer, so no one else would hear. "What is it? Something you haven't told us about Katar's disappearance?"

"No..." Shayera slipped her helmet off her head, revealing tear-stained cheeks and fiery, maddened eyes. "After all these years of trying... I'm pregnant."

Zatanna held her friend tighter. "Congratulations, Shayera! And don't worry -- Katar will be back before you know it. He's going to be so happy."

Hawkwoman nodded, wishing she felt as confident as Zatanna. She had this horrible feeling that something was about to change in her life, something so fundamental that she wasn't sure she could withstand it. Hurry home, Katar. Hurry home.

Part the Third : Hawks

"You shall burn! Your world shall burn! For too long I was enslaved, but no more, little hawklings! I am the one who feasts on the flesh of my enemies!"

The Hawk-God's boasts were backed up by powerful attacks. He slashed out with a fist, sending Condor hurtling to the ground. The Prime Hawkman had swooped down to catch the young man only feet away from certain death. Setting him gently down, the Katar Hol of Earth-One glanced back up. His opposite number, the Katar Hol of this reality, was slashing out with his blade. The blows were definitely having an effect on the Hawk-God, driving him back slowly. So you're not really a god at all, are you? Just another lunatic out for destruction. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he yelled "Katar! I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be!" I'm not comfortable putting all of our fates in the hands of mysticism, but I've seen enough things since the Shadow War to make me consider just about anything.

Hawkman heard the words of his companion, but didn't respond immediately. The beast was floating next to him, blood oozing from its wounds. It smelled like death, the rancid odor of disease and flesh. "You should have stayed inside me, with the avatars."

The Hawk-God screeched. "Never! I should fly free, not be held prisoner by your race of would-be hawklings! You stole what was mine!"

Katar couldn't dodge the blow in time, feeling claws rake through his stomach. Scars still lined the skin of his abdomen, reminders of his near disembowelment at the hands of the Extremist known as Tracer. "My... people... most of them... never even knew you existed! Their use of the Nth Metal was never meant to harm you!"

"Liar! Deceiver!" The Hawk-God opened its beak, fire flooding out in a wave of burning death. Hawkman flew out of the way, feeling the flames singe his wings. He threw the katar with all his might, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the blade struck home in the creature's eye. I'm still not sure how much of you is real and how much is just an illusion, but I can tell I'm hurting you. Much more than I should be. Why are you so vulnerable to me?

The Hawk-God twisted, reaching up to pull the blade free. Gore flowed from the wounded eye, making him mad with pain. "Everyone who has been a champion is part of me, Hol! And I am part of them! Our minds and spirits are linked, through all!"

Katar blinked. "You can read my thoughts?"

The Hawk-God, angry and full of rage, raised both claws. "In this proximity, I cannot avoid it! Your putrid thoughts call out to me, summoning me! I could no more avoid you than I could avoid myself! But when I destroy you and burn your world to its core, I shall be free!"

The creature slashed downwards, the claws sinking deep into Katar's chest. He felt himself pulled upwards by the still-embedded claws. "No... You won't... ngh... win!"

"I have all ready won, hawkling! This world is mine!" The Hawk-God moved its beak forward, reading to snap Katar's neck in two. The killing blow never came, however, as Hawkman-Prime's mace smacked hard into the side of the Hawk-God's head.

Hawkman found himself floating free once again, the Hawk-God having retracted its claws. Blood gushed freely down his chest. He saw the Hawkman of Earth-One slamming his mace repeatedly against the creature, making it cry out in pain and surprise. The ferocity of the Prime Hawkman's attack was obviously unexpected. Katar forced himself forward, grabbing hold of the Hawk-God from behind, pinning his wings and arms to his sides. "Now! Do the Kali-Norn!"

The Prime Hawkman nodded, tearing his eyes away from the struggle before him. He whispered the final words of the ritual, having prepared himself mentally in the moments before. A part of him still rejected that the Kali-Norn, an ancient means of preserving the spritis of one's loved ones past death, could actually allow him to house this beast inside himself forever -- but there was no turning back now. "Kali-Norn Amthus! Allow me to open to the possibility -- allow me to house the knowledge of my foorefathers through space and sky and air!"

As the words tumbled from his mouth, the Katar Hol of Earth-One felt something begin to happen. Just as the ancient rites had once allowed him to travel into the world of the dead*, he now felt his spiritual center opening and expanding as the old ways proved useful even to a man of science.

(*It happened in the Hawkman Special, published in 1986)

Strange energy seemed to swirl about both Katar and the Hawk-God, fusing them together. The Prime Hawkman saw Katar's face merge into the Hawk-God's, making them indistinguishable. Flesh became feather became Thanagarian became Hawk-God. For a moment, Katar's scream of pain mingled with the Hawk-God's roar of anger, rising in pitch until the sound threatened to shatter the Prime Hawkman's ear drums.

Down below, the Condor found himself awakened by a horrifying noise. He glanced up just in time to see the bright light surrounding the Hawk-God/Katar merger suddenly flare even greater in intensity, absorbing the Hawkman of Earth-One in its shimmering embrace. With a flash of power that nearly blinded Condor for life, the three beings exploded together.

The Condor screamed in agony, clutching his hands over his eyes. He thrashed about for some time, lost in a world filled with pain and despair. It was only when he felt a strong pair of hands on his shoulders that he calmed himself. "Hush. You'll only hurt yourself worse if you can rolling about like that."

The Condor moaned, unsure who was speaking to him. "Katar? Is that you? Are you all right?"

There was a moment of obvious hesitation before the man answered.. "Yes, I'm fine. More fine than I've been in a long time, in fact." Hawkman helped his fallen ally to his feet, gazing about himself with a new appreciation. "Let's get you inside where I can look at you."

The Black Condor staggered forward, leaning on Hawkman. "But... Which Katar are you?"

The man next to him made no move to answer and the Condor wouldn't have heard him even if he had, for he sagged forward into unconsciousness at that moment.

The answers would have to wait for another day.

Coming up in Legend of the Hawkman # 4 : The dust clears -- and Hawkman rises from the ashes! Our series kicks into high gear as we sort out the mess and see who (or what) is left standing!

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Three issues in and you still have no clue what I'm up to, do you? :-)

Well, hopefully you're intrigued enough to follow me to next issue's story. Technically, "Who is Hawkman?" ends with # 4, so most (if not all) of your questions should be answered there.

Let me know what you're thinking so far,

Barry Reese