Legend of the Hawkman #7

What Has Come Before: Seeking to build closer ties between the Wingmen of Earth and L.E.G.I.O.N., Hawkman and Hawkwoman agreed to undertake a mission on their behalf. Traveling to the remains of OA, former home of the Guardians of the Universe, the Thanagarian duo encountered a mysterious youth named Doranchatok, who warned them of the immenent return of the Guardians and Zamarons. His words were made truth when the children of the Guardians returned from their otherworldly home, with a new Guardian in tow -- Hal Jordan, former Green Lantern of Earth. Rebuilding OA, they made it clear that they planned to restore order to the cosmos. But Doranchatok and his sister Darthartheen attacked with army of anti-Guardian forces, hoping to destroy OA once more. Their plan failed as the Hawks allied themselves with the Green Lanterns known as Kyle Rayner and Jade to repel the invaders. In the aftermath, however, Hawkman and Darthartheen found themselves teleported away -- onto a vessel crewed by the Guardians' ancient foes, the Qwardians!

"...Because the enemy of my enemy is my friend." The Qwardian's words were uttered with a small smile of triumph on his face, his inhuman eyes flickering over Hawkman's features. "I am Kragg, commander of this vessel. It was my decision to rescue you from the clutches of the Guardians and their allies."

Darthartheen hesitated, still uncertain of herself. She wished desperately that her brother was here with her instead of the Thanagarian, but that wasn't how it was going to be. Pulling away from Hawkman's grip, she said "I... appreciate the effort. I only wish you could have retrieved my brother as well."

Kragg made a dismissive gesture. "Your brother's madness threatens to overwhelm him. We've had enough of insane pawns in the past -- we still reel from the damage caused by Sinestro."

Hawkman rested a hand on the katar blade sheated at his side. He counted a dozen Qwardians here on the bridge, with many more elsewhere on the ship. Escape isn't an option at this point, he mused, especially in light of the fact that even if I escaped I'd be trapped her in the Anti-Matter Universe. Pushing his thoughts of escape aside, he spoke up for the first time since arriving here. "Any clue as to why we're here? Aside from the fact that Darthartheen was fighting the Guardians?"

Kragg stared at the Thanagarian with distaste, seemingly refusing to answer. After a long moment, however, he appeared to reconsider. "You are not just any Wingman of Thanagar, are you? You are Katar Hol, exile of that militant world?"

"Hmm. Then perhaps the fates are smiling upon us this day. You are known to some as a liberator, to others a destroyer of traditions. We have need of both those attributes."

"Don't play word games with me, Kragg. Either tell us why we're here -- and what we can do to get back -- or I'll go and find my own way home."

Kragg seemed amused by Hawkman's words, smiling softly. "You're welcome to try, Hol. But you'll find our universe a bit less hospitable than the one you're used to." Moving towards the viewscreen, Kragg nodded at a young female lieutenant, who activated a console to her left. The starfield that had dominated the screen faded now, replaced by a verdant green and blue globe resembling Earth. "If you want us to free you, you'll have to help us. The planet before you is known as Urth-3, so named because it is the third planet in its system. It was home for many years to a group of Qwardian criminals known as the Crime Syndicate of Amerika."

Hawkman jolted at the name. He recognized it not only from his own analysis of Justice League files, but also from the remaining memories of Carter Hall, who had once survived within Katar as part of the Hawk Avatar. Carter, once a member of both the JSA and the JLA as a liason member, was very familiar with the villains of Urth-3: a world which lacked any heroes, instead having only the villains of the CSA as their super-powered population. Their attacks on Earth had brought together both the JSA and the JLA to combat them. "The Syndicate members are all dead, aren't they? I thought they died during the great Crisis."

"They did. But in their place... new villains arose. The Crime Syndicate International."

The images changed, shifting to reveal seven colorful forms, each bristling with malice. Kragg paused for a moment, letting his guests absorb what they were seeing, before continuing. "Scarab was the first to arrive in the aftermath of the Crisis, but the others were soon to follow. It has been suggested that Slipstream is somehow related to Johnny Quick, but we have no confirmation of this. What we do know is that the CSI terrorized Urth-3, going from city to city and causing disasters -- and then rescuing only those who could pay their exorbitant prices."

Darthartheen, having recovered her bravery somewhat, now shone with an emerald light. The forcefield made her feel protected and strong. "Are they allies of yours?"

Kragg laughed without any trace of humor. "Allies? No... After battling the Justice League of your world some years ago*, the CSI grew bolder, no longer satisfied with having only one world to rule."

"You need allies to fight against them." Hawkman's words were not a question, but rather a declaration of fact. He could see the terror and hate in Kragg's eyes as he viewed the figures onscreen. "Were you scouring our universe for assistance when you noticed the conflict on OA? Is that why you took Darthartheen?"

"Yes. The CSI has recently conquered Qward itself, the homeworld of our people and military."

Darthartheen shook her head. "And you brought me here, thinking I would help you? I'm not a Green Lantern, you know! I fight for truth and nothing else."

Kragg turned to face her. "Not true. You fight to destroy the Corps, to weaken the Guardians. As do we... If you aid us, you can consider yourself our ally. The might of the Weaponers of Qward would be at your beck and call!"

Kragg felt the cold tip of Hawkman's blade touch the side of his throat. The crew members on the bridge all paused in their work, staring as the Thanagarian leaned close to whisper in their commander's ear. "And why would I want to help you?"

"Because half a million people have died all ready... and if the Crime Syndicate continues to build their power, your universe is next!"

Hawkman paused before lowering the blade. He looked up at the screen, saw the power displayed there, and nodded. "Fair enough." He glanced at Darthartheen. "Have you ever considered using that power of yours for something other than meeting your little revenge fantasy needs?"

Darthartheen glared at him. "Go to hell." Nodding at Kragg she said, "I'll help you as well. There's no one on that screen who can match the emerald power. And after that, you help me and my brother."

"Agreed." Kragg offered his hand, all the while thinking And when you and your whelp of a brother have outlived your usefulness, the Qwardians will toss you aside like the rubbish you are!

Hal Jordan held his hands steady in the air, emerald energy swirling around his entire body. His skin, tinged with blue but looking smoother and tighter than it had in years, was coated with a thin sheen of sweat. He felt more alive, more centered, than he had in years.

He dropped his hands and sighed, looking over at Shayera Thal, known to most as Hawkwoman. The red-haired warrior looked ready to explode as Hal said "I'm sorry, Shayera. The best I can tell you is that the energy that grabbed Katar and Darthartheen is definitely Qwardian in nature. Beyond that, they could be anywhere in the Anti-Matter Universe."

"I'm not sure I trust you, Jordan. For all I know, you're still playing your old tricks."

Hal turned from her, looking around at the small chamber in which they stood. It was lined with tapestries depicting significant events from dozens of worlds, great civilizations which had risen and fallen during the lifetimes of the old Guardians. "It'll take time to win back everyone's trust, Shayera. I know that -- and I'm willing to wait until people realize that I wasn't in control of myself when Parallax did all those things. Coast City's destruction hurt me, wounded me... but it wouldn't have broken me. Not without outside influence."

Shayera crossed her arms in front of her. "My heart breaks for you, Jordan. You're the one who took Malvolio's ring. Didn't it ever occur to you how stupid that was?"

Hal spun around, a glint of anger appearing for the first time in his voice. "Listen, Shayera -- I was saving the universe when you were still a rookie in your little Wingmen Corps. I gave up one chance at happiness after another because I had a responsibility -- I had an oath -- to defend the weak. Did I screw up? Yes. Repeatedly. But at least I didn't stand around throwing stones at others, trying to portray myself as some sort of holier-than-thou saint! So why don't you stop projecting your own self-loathing onto others and focus on trying to help!"

Shayera stared open-mouthed as Hal dropped through the floor, turning himself immaterial. She wanted desperately to be angry, to chase him down and tell him how wrong he was. Self-loathing....?

Scarab looked down at the bloodied young woman and felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips. She had been good, really good. A bit young and inexperienced, but by the end there... she'd been broken in real nice. He finished putting his costume back on, ignoring the pained moan that escaped the young girl's cracked lips. If she hadn't crawled to safety by the time he returned he might have another go at her. That's the best thing about the young ones -- they bounce back so quickly.>

With a chuckle, he walked down the steel corriodor leading to the Crime Syndicate's meeting room. He was a few minutes late, but that fact didn't disturb him. As the de facto leader of the team, he saw his lack of punctuality as a rightful perk.

Waiting for him were his teammates, men and women to whom he felt a kinship -- if not true friendship. These were his people. "Afternoon, ladies and gents. Sorry if I kept you waiting."

Fiero, one arm resting languidly around Frostbite's waist, rolled her eyes. "No you're not. You're a prick, Scarab. Grade-A."

The Element Man nodded his agreement. "We can't afford to waste time, Scarab. Elasti-Man and I need to return to Qward as soon as we can. The Thunderers tried another uprising last night and we want to track down the rebellion leaders -- I think a little public torture will get the point across to any others who might be thinking of doing the same."

"Forget the torturing. Just kill 'em. Nothing scares folks like killing." Deadeye ran a knife along the edge of his arrow, sharpening the point.

Scarab cleared his throat before the Element Man could respond. If left unchecked, Deadeye and Element Man would only escalate the hostilities -- and the Crime Syndicate had better things to do with their time. "Let it drop, fellas. We need to decide what's next for us. Are we really ready to take on the heroes of Earth? They did clean our clocks last time."

"It was luck!" Slipstream leaned forward in his chair. "I had the Flash beaten six ways to Sunday! If it hadn't been for that idiotic Doorman....."

"Whatever. The point is, if we go there we'll have an entire world full of heroes to deal with and--"

Scarab paused as a shrill alarm began to blare. Before anyone else could react, the speedster known as Slipstream had zoomed over to the monitor console. "Proximity alarms! Someone's entered the citadel."

"Who could be so stupid?" Frostbite pulled away from Fiero and moved over to look at the scanners. "Two humanoids... one's registering as Thanagarian, the other -- Damn! We registered a massive energy flux, wiped out the whole monitoring system."

Frostbite swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, actually. It's not quite the same but... It's pretty damned close to matching the old readings we used to get for Power Ring."

Elasti-Man let out a whistle. "You think that means we've got a Green Lantern on our hands?"

"Who cares? They were in the main foyer before they fried the security system -- and I can get there before they have a chance to get anywhere else!"

Slipstream disappeared in a blur even as Scarab made a move to stop him. Seeing that he had missed his chance, Scarab cursed under his breath. "That little punk...! Anybody brave enough to break into our headquarters can't be taken lightly!"

Frostbite looked at the team's leader. "Okay -- so we don't take them lightly. What's the plan?"

"We let them come to us. And then we overwhelm them... and bash their heads in."

Slipstream skidded to a stop in front of the large glasses containing replicas of the original Crime Syndicate's costumes. He glanced only momentarily at the red and yellow costume of Johnny Quick, his mentor and confidante. Slipstream had studied with Quick, mastering the enigmatic Speed Force to the best of his abilities. When Johnny had died, much of the dim light in Slipstream's life had gone with him.

Slipstream glanced around at the darkened foyer, lit only by the Citadel's emergency lighting. "Who's there? Come on out, if you're not too much of a coward to show yourself...."

A soft flutter, a rustle of wings, was all that warned Slipstream of imminent attack. He moved with superfast quickness, barely dodging a blow from Hawkman's mace. He spun around to a fighting stance, smiling as he saw the Thanagarian marvel at his speed.

"Heh. A bird man. We had a loser named Cap'n Hawk with us for awhile before he got too annoying -- I wrapped a chain around his neck and drug him from California to New York. He was liquified before I got a third of the way cross-country. You wanna join him?"

Hawkman smiled coldly. "I don't think so. Besides, you're spouting some brave talk from a man who's about to fall unconscious. Too bad your intelligence isn't able to keep up with those quick feet of yours."

Slipstream narrowed his eyes as Hawkman began fluttering his wings again. In the enclosed foyer, the sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Slipstream muttered an obscenity and bent forward, ready to run forward and rip the wings from this stranger's back. Before he ever moved, however, an emerald fist slammed into his back, sending him hurtling through the air towards Hawkman. Like a Terran baseball player, Katar swung his mace, delivering a home run blow to the speedster's jaw. The cracking sound reverberated throughout the room.

Darthartheen moved into view, a soft green glow surrounding her. "Your strategy worked." The girl looked up at Katar with an odd expression on her face, a mixture of respect and fear. "How did you know he would be so stupid? You've never fought him before."

Hawkman shrugged. "These villains are basically analogues of heroes from my world. Slipstream is a variant of the current Flash -- who's incredibly intelligent when it comes to using his powers and keeping his head in the game. Since this universe is far less subtle, it made sense to me that this "Flash" would be the opposite -- so enamored of his own powers and invincibility that he'd never suspect a trick like this."

"Impressive. But I'm not sure we'll be able to handle the other six so easily. Don't you think we should have avoided this approach? I mean, attacking their headquarters...?"

"Always do the unexpected, Darthartheen. I think you could really make something of yourself -- you and your brother. But hanging onto old hatreds isn't the way to do it. There was a time in my life when my guilt and disillusionment led me down the path of drugs and murder -- but I overcame it. You can do that, too."

Darthartheen started to vioce an angry reply, but something held her tongue. The tone in his voice wasn't accusatory at all -- he seemed to genuinely care for her well-being. Since the deaths of her mother and father, she'd had no one aside from her brother. The unexpected kindness touched her. "I... I might do that."

Doranchatok stared out the window, watching as the Guardians and Zamarons loaded the members of the Truth Seekers cult onto various vessels which would send them to whatever prison colonies their races possessed. "I guess the Guardians have already started spreading the word that they're back."

"Yes." Hal, still seething from Shayera's accusations, stood just outside the energy barrier that kept Doranchatok in his cell. "Most races are reacting with sighs of relief. We've already heard from some former Green Lanterns, too, wanting to join the new Corps."

"Big surprise." The sullen young man looked over at Hal with a pained expression. Though Hal knew that, thanks to his extended lifespan, Doranchatok was probably over a hundred years old, it didn't change the image that he projected: that of a spoiled, angry child. "And all that talk about them changing... Maybe somebody will actually believe that."

"If you really want to monitor their activities, you're welcome to stay. Become one of the Corps. Your power is internalized but the rings provide you with a nice focus. Along the same lines, the group could give you purpose."

The look on Doranchatok's face was priceless. "You're offering me a place in the Corps? After I just tried to destroy OA?"

"The new Corps will be partially based around the idea of redemption, Doran. You, me, the Guardians... all of us have things we'd like to atone for. The best way for you to change the way the Guardians do business is to stick around and force that change."

The blue-skinned youth didn't answer, instead choosing to take on a contemplative expression. He looked back out the window, lost in thought.

Katar Hol stepped into the darkened meeting room, a breath mask firmly in place under his helmet. As a former teammate of Metamorpho, he knew what sort of nasty traps to expect from the so-called Element Man. Indeed, he was quickly proven right as a dark mist dropped from the ceiling to surround Hawkman's head.

At his side, Darthartheen formed an emerald vacuum which quickly sucked the Element Man's gaseous form into a containment field. It wouldn't hold for long, especially since it was maintained solely by her willpower, but it was a start.

The room exploded in light and sound as the rest of the Crime Syndicate came forth. Fiero and Frostbite launched twin attacks at Darthartheen, who barely blocked them with a force shield.

Elasti-Man, meanwhile, had snaked his arms around Hawkman, squeezing tight. "Remind anyone else of Cap'n Hawk, guys?"

"He sure does. I still remember the smear he left when Slipstream took care of him, too." Deadeye drew back an arrow and let it fly, the bladed end cutting through Hawkman's uniform and piercing his flesh. The shaft protruded from Hawkman's shoulder.

The Scarab moved forward, delivering a powerful backhand to the trapped Thanagarian. "So you're the two idiots who broke into our headquarters? Why? Where are the rest of your allies? I know you couldn't seriously think you'd be able to make it in and out on your own."

Hawkman let his body go momentarily limp before twisting out of Elasti-Man's grip. The move was a standard escape artist manuever but it caught the villain unawares. Katar slammed the mace he carried into Scarab's belly, sending the villain to his knees. "No army, Scarab. Just one Wingman and one would-be Green Lantern. I think that'll be enough, don't you?"

Darthartheen screamed as one of Fiero's attacks pierced her defenses. The flames licked over Darthartheen's right arm, making the smell of burned flesh permeate the room.

Hawkman flew upwards, grateful that the high ceiling gave him room to move. This version of the Crime Syndicate was far less powerful than the original grouping, whose members had been reverse-duplicates of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Green Lantern. Against the originals, he and Darthartheen would have been captured quickly -- but with Element Man and Slipstream out of the way, the remaining members were well within the heroes' abilities.

Hawkman aimed his mace and threw it with all his alien strength. The weapon slammed into Frostbite's shoulder, shattering it and cause the ice queen to cry out in agony. Even as Fiero turned on Hawkman to gain revenge for the attack on her beloved, Katar flew directly between them. Fiero's flame blast missed the Thanagarian completely, instead striking the nearby Deadeye. The archer fell to the floor in a flaming heap.

Katar turned to see Darthartheen standing over the broken bodies of both Elasti-Man and Fiero. The girl clutched her injured arm but her emerald glow now flickered like an angry shell around her.

Katar turned to see the final member of the Crime Syndicate, the Scarab, looking at them in shock. "It's over, Scarab. We beat you."

Darthartheen sneered, "Worlds that didn't have any people with powers of their own to stop you! You're nothing more than a bunch of petty would-be tyrants... and you don't deserve to live!" Green flames danced around Darthartheen's hand as she raised it to point at the Scarab.

Hawkman shook his head. "Don't do it. We'll turn them over to this world's authorities and let the Qwardians rebuild their power base. But we won't kill them."

"All they'll do is break free and come after us for revenge -- after our worlds!"

"Then we'll stop them again." Katar reached up and removed his helmet, his penetrating gaze holding Darthartheen's. "You're not a killer. Your parents fought for truth, not for their own self-gratification. You're the same way -- but the inner truth you're seeking won't be found like this. Killing him will only continue the self-destructive cycle you've been trapped in."

"Yes, I do. You're full of anger and resentment -- just like I used to be. And I know that you're going to lower your hand and we're going to leave this place, telling the Qwardians to keep their offer of an alliance with you and stuff it."

Darthartheen blinked before laughing. It was a high-pitched sound, surprising her as much as it did Katar. When she'd recovered, placing a hand over her face, she nodded. "Okay, okay. We'll do it your way. Let's just go...."

"I'm amazed the Qwardians kept their word. I would have guessed they'd try to kill you two once you'd done their dirty work for them." Shayera Thal, dressed in a flattering blue jumpsuit, walked arm in arm with Katar Hol towards the grand pavillion erected outside the Guardians' Citadel. Banners were flying high, the famous symbol of the Corps -- an emerald lantern -- emblazoned upon them.

"They were a little afraid of us, I think. We did manage to take down the entire Crime Syndicate in under an hour, after all."

"Imprison them for awhile and then hope that the Syndicate will eventually work with them. They'll be back, don't worry."

Shayera nodded, biting her lip. She let out a sigh before continuing. "Katar... I'm sorry if I've been on edge lately. Ever since you nearly died against the Extremists, then that mess with the Hawk-God.... I don't know. It's like I'm constantly bracing for the next horrible event. The next thing that will take you away from me. And I feel so helpless, so--"

"Hush." Katar placed a finger over her lips, leaning close. "I love you. And nothing will ever keep me from you for very long. I won't let it."

"It's not just that. I... haven't liked myself much lately, Katar. Not for a long time."

Katar's face softened. "Then when we get back to Earth, we'll find out why -- and we'll work on it. Okay?"

Shayera nodded, resuming their walk towards the pavillion. The Guardians and the Zamarons were floating in a ring above a group of green and grey garbed individuals. Hal Jordan, seeing that the Hawks had arrived, moved forward in the air. Behind him, the giant central battery of OA gleamed with emerald energy.

"Kyle Rayner... Jennie-Lynn Hayden... Darthartheen... and Doranchatok. The four of you are the first in the new Corps, but you shall not be the last. Former Green Lanterns from throughout the universe are en route to OA even now. Your numbers shall grow until the Corps is once more at full strength." Hal gestured towards the great battery. "Let the Oath once more be spoken."

With one voice, the four Green Lanterns raised their fists skyward, their power rings charging with every word, drawing energy from the Great Battery.

In Legend of the Hawkman # 8 : We turn our eyes towards the heroes of Earth-One, as that universe's Katar and Shayera must deal with her pregnancy and the changes brought about his contact with the Hawk-God.

Gasp! We have an actual letter -- could it be that someone's actually >reading these things?! Let's get on with it!

I liked what you've done with Hal and the New Guardians a whole lot. Especially with that Malvolio thing. When I read it, it sounded damn familiar, like it was a story I knew I had read but couldn't place. I dragged out a bunch of my comic book boxes from under the staircase and started hunting for this Malvolio character and I found the story. It was way back when Action Comics was being published weekly and had a bunch of different stories and characters (I bought it mainly for the Rick Burchett drawn Blackhawk) Hal killed Malvolio with a makeshift bow and arrow but he wasn't really dead..he wanted Hal to take his ring.

It's a stroke of genius on your part to take that long-ago incident that surely must have been forgotten by DC writers and staff since my research hasn't turned up any further sign of Malvolio OR that subplot. You using it as an explanation for why Hal would go SO crazy is right on the money. Now why couldn't somebody at DC have done their homework and done the same?

Thanks for writing in, Derrick. I'm a big fan of the Gerard Jones era of Green Lantern and fondly remember the days when there was a whole line of GL-related titles: Green Lantern, Green Lantern: Mosaic, Guy Gardner : Warrior and Green Lantern Corps Quarterly. What really inspired me to bring back Hal in the way I did was a line in Green Lantern # 25 where Guy takes Hal to task for not bothering to pick up on several dangling mysteries, one of which was the fact that Hal was wearing Malvolio's ring. That made me think that, if his run hadn't been cut short by editor Kevin Dooley, Gerard Jones would have eventually brought that subplot back into play. Besides, it makes sense to me -- I've never, ever believed that Hal Jordan would butcher his old friend Kilowog and betray the Corps like that. I really, really hope to find the time in the future to write some GL-related stories here at DCL using the New Guardians and a revitalized Corps.