PRE-CRISIS DCU

Shayera Thal was born on the planet Thanagar orbiting the star Polaris. When Shayera became of age, she joined Thanagar's police force, known as the Hawk Police due to the uniforms they wore. As a rookie, Shayera was teamed up with veteran Hawk Police member Katar Hol and the two were assigned to track down and capture a bunch of thieves known as the Rainbow Raiders. While on the case, Shayera saved the life of Katar, and the two fell in love, only to be married soon after, becoming partners in life as well as on the Hawk Police.

Ten years later, when a thief by the name of Byth Rok stole a pill that endowed him with the ability to change shape, Katar and Shayera were assigned to track down and capture him. Byth stole a rocket ship and escaped to the planet Earth, where Katar and Shayera followed him in an experimental Thanagarian starship. The couple entered Earth orbit, cloaked their ship, and used the Absorbsacon to learn all the accumulated knowledge of the planet. They then proceeded to track Byth down. Finding Byth in Midway City in the United States, they contacted the head of the local police, Commissioner George Emmett. Emmett, at first shocked at the news of extra-terrestrials, believed their story and aided the couple in their search for Byth. Commissioner Emmitt arranged for Katar and Shayera to become curators of the Midway City Museum under the names Carter and Sheira Hall. With the help of the Commissioner, the two tracked down and captured Byth. After returning Byth to Thanagar, Katar's commanding officer, Andar Pul, requested that the two remain on Earth and observe Earth's techniques in law enforcement. Endorced by Emmitt, the two remained and took the simple code-names Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

While on Earth, the two soon found themselves dealing with various threats too dificult for the normal Midway City police force to handle. When chemist Mark Mandrill discovered the element Mentachem and became the super-villain Matter Master, the Hawks stoped him. The Hawks faced an Abominable Snowman from the planet Xardoon and the sorcerer Konrad Kaslak. When thief Carl Sands gained possession of a shadow suit from alien Thar Dan and began a crime spree as the Shadow Thief, the Hawks were there to defeat him.

The two Hawks were soon called back to Thanagar by Andar Pul for their first debriefing. However, upon return, the heroes discovered that Byth had escaped. Hawkman defeated Byth, and was rewarded by Krandor Vat, head of the Hawk Police, with Honor Wings which are attached to his cowl.

Upon the Hawks return to Earth, they met their first human super-hero, Ray Palmer, the Atom. The three became fast friends and allies in battle. Afterwards, the couple faced the threats of three ancient Egyptian Gods, the genius criminal Ira Quimby (alias I.Q.), and a villain known as the Master Electrician.

The Hawks soon met other heroes of Earth and beyond. Both Hawkman and Hawkgirl teamed up with Aquaman and Aqualad. The two heroes also join Adam Strange, the Earthling champion of the planet Rann, and his lover Alanna against the conqueror Oran Dargg.

Over the next months, the Hawks face a number of threats, such as Chac, an immortal Mayan Chief, alien slave masters of the planet Llorth, and the Sky Raiders. At this time the couple, whilst investigating the thefts of relics of different countries, meet for the first time a young lady by the name of Zatanna the Magician. Zatanna is the daughter of Zatara, a master magician and Golden Age superhero. Zatanna stole the artifacts to gain the attention of Carter and Shiera Hall, whom she knows to be the heroes Hawkman and Hawkgirl. She asks for the Hawks' aid in finding her missing father. The Hawks use the Absorbascon to locate Zatara, but fail. The Hawks encourage Zatanna to continue her search and offer any aid if she need it.

Whilst her husband was offered to join Earth's premiere super-hero team, the Justice League of America, the invitation was not included to Hawkgirl, due to the fact that only one hero is allowed to join the super-team in one year. Hawkgirl, however, gave her blessing to her husband, and often aided the League, such as against League villains the Key and the original Royal Flush Gang.

Meanwhile, alongside her husband, Hawkgirl foungth against such menaces as the Shadow Thief, evolved alien animals from Illoral, Chac, I.Q., and the agents of C.A.W., the Criminal Alliance of the World. When archenemy the Matter Master retrieved his Mentachem wand from the Justice League trophy room, he lures the Hawks to try to capture them. Instead, the two heroes and the villain suddenly find themselves transported to the microverse world of Therol, where they find themselves the captive of the tyrant Tobolon. All three are rescued by the Atom, and afterwards the Atom and the Hawks reveal their secret identities to each other.

In following adventures, Hawkgirl, along with her husband, faces such threats as C.A.W., the despot of Moronon named Boros Bron, warlords of the planet Marrokon, Alvit and her frost giants, and Makkar the Ancient.

Hawkwoman, as a member of the Justice League, teamed up with the Earth-1 Sandman against longtime League foe Doctor Destiny when the doctor took control of the dream dimension. She aided the League against the animalistic Rex Maximus and his Ani-Men. Sheira also teamed with the League to combat the Fiatlux Conspiracy, joining Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Zatanna in a hell-like dimension.    Both Hawkwoman and Hawkman were on hand when a Martian war fleet arrived in Earth orbit and attacked the planet. The League, forewarned by the Martian Manhunter, retaliated, and the Hawks' spaceship proved invaluable in the battle. However, it was the Martian Manhunter alone who turned the tide, and as a result of diminished League activities, Aquaman disbanded the original Justice League of America. Shayera and Katar, agreeing with his decision, left to reclaim their lives.

After the League's disbandment, both Hawkwoman and Hawkman team up with Superman and his time-travelling great-grandfather Var-El in stopping the alien Orgons' conquer of Thanagar.

When a group of aliens broke into the Midway Museum in an attempt to steal the Hawks anit-gravity belts, Hawkman investigates. A battle ensues, and during it, Hawkman realizes he has been distracted and the real target is Shayera. Upon returning to their home, he finds Shayera apparently vaporized. When a young winged super-hero named Icarus is killed, the aliens are revealed to be Thanagarians. The Thanagarians have begun on a mission to conquer the universe, and have killed Shayera, Icarus, and Museum worker Mavis Trent. Hawkman finds the Thanagarians' Earth base and attacks.

Hawkwoman, who it turns out was not vaporized, rescues her husband from the hands of the Thanagarians. Shiera reveals that, in the aftermath of the Equalizing Plague and the Hyathis War, the Thanagrians have lost most of their self-confidence and their technology. Trying to destroy all Thanagarian equipment on Earth, the Hawks destroy their equipment in Midway City and erase all relevant data in the Justice League computers. However, it is too little, too late, as Thanagarian agent Fell Andar reveals that he has control of the Hawks spaceship.

The Hawks raid the spaceship with the intention to destroy it, and the sabotage is successful. The Hawks escape before the ship is destroyed, but so did Fell Andar. The three battle in the city of Grinder's Bluff, and the Hawks emerge victorious. Together, the couple prepare for a possible second wave of the Thanagarian invasion.

Hawkwoman helped her husband come to terms with the deaths he caused when he destroyed their spaceship. Afterwards, both the Hawks played roles in the Crisis on Infinite Earths, including the momentous meeting of heroes on the Monitor's satellite and joining a strike team of heroes which fought on Earth-S.

 Hawkgirl, like all Hawk Police of Thanagar, can fly at high speeds using both the artificial wings attached to her back, and the anti-gravity belt around her waist. By adjusting controls on the buckle of the anti-gravity belt, Hawkgirl can carry objects with her in flight.

Also, like all Hawk Police, Hawkgirl's skin has been genetically strengthened to withstand both the friction force of the upper atomsphere of planets and the cold of outer space. Hawk Police can also hold their breath for certain periods of time, allowing Hawkgirl to travel in space for short periods up to approximately six minutes.

When Hawkgirl came to Earth, she used a device called the Absorbascon to gain all the knowledge of the planet. It was through the Absorbascon that Hawkgirl learned the languages of Earth, and the knowledge gained by the Absorbascon is still stored in his subconscious. The Absorbascon also taught Hawkgirl to talk to all forms of bird life of Earth, and also gave her the knowledge of all inhabitants of the various microverses of Earth. Since Superman and Supergirl were absent from Earth when Hawkgirl first came to Earth, Hawkgirl has no knowledge of Kryptonian languages or cultures.

Hawkgirl is an expert in all forms of Thanagarian weapons and equipment. She has used a variety of Thanagarian equipment in his career, and most of the equipment in the Justice League Satellite was Thanagarian in origin. Hawkgirl though proficient in all forms of Thanagarian weapons, prefers to use weapons from Earth's past when fighting crime. Her favorite weapon is a spear. Hawkgirl also likes to use a spiked ball on a chain, a mace, a net for capturing criminals, and a shield.

Hawkgirl lives in a Thanagarian spaceship in orbit around Earth. The ship is a faster-than-light starship with a cloaking device and advanced weapondry. The ship is also equipped with an advanced monitoring system that can tap into Earth's broadcasts. Aboard the ship are various Thanagarian crimefighting aids, such as the Thermotector (a heat-tracker), the Radiotron (a radiation tracker), the Veracikone (a lie-detector), and the Duplicator.

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