Hawkgirl | |
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![]() Hawkgirl (Shayera Thal / Shiera Hall) as depicted in Sensation Comics vol. 2 #1 (March 1999). Art by Dave Johnson and Lee Loughridge. | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | (Hall) Flash Comics #1 (January 1940) (Hall as Hawkgirl) All Star Comics #5 (June 1941) (Hol) The Brave and the Bold #34 (March 1961) (Saunders) JSA: Secret Files #1 (August 1999) |
Created by | (Hall) Gardner Fox Dennis Neville Sheldon Moldoff (Saunders) James Robinson David Goyer (Hol) Gardner Fox Joe Kubert |
In-story information | |
Full name | Shiera Sanders Hall Shayera Hol Kendra Saunders |
Team affiliations | (Hall, Sanders) Justice Society of America (Hall) All-Star Squadron Justice League (Saunders) Justice League Justice Society of America Birds of Prey Black Lantern Corps Blackhawks Legends (Hol) Justice League |
Partnerships | Hawkman (various) John Stewart |
Notable aliases | (Hol) Shiera Hall Hawkwoman (Saunders) Lady Blackhawk |
Abilities |
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Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940). Shayera Hol was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert, and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34 (March 1961). Kendra Saunders was created by writer David S. Goyer and artist Stephen Sadowski, and first appeared in JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1 (August 1999). One of DC's earliest super-heroines, Hawkgirl has appeared in many of the company's flagship team-up titles including Justice Society of America and Justice League of America.
Several incarnations of Hawkgirl have appeared in DC Comics, most of them characterized by the use of archaic weaponry and artificial wings, attached to a harness made from the special Nth metal that allows flight. Some incarnations have real wings (DCAU "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited"). Most incarnations of Hawkgirl work closely with a partner/romantic interest Hawkman.
Since DC's continuity was rewritten in the 1985 series Crisis on Infinite Earths, Hawkgirl's history has become muddled with several new versions of the character appearing throughout the years, some associated with ancient Egypt and some with the fictional planet Thanagar. These versions of the character have starred in several series of various durations.
Shiera Sanders Hall, Shayera Hol, and Kendra Saunders have all been adapted into various media, including direct-to-video animated films, video games, and both live-action and animated television series, featuring as a main or recurring character in the shows Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, The Flash, Arrow, Young Justice, DC Super Hero Girls and Legends of Tomorrow. In particular, Ciara Renée portrayed Saunders in the Arrowverse franchise while Isabela Merced will portray an unidentified Hawkgirl in the DC Universe (DCU) film Superman (2025).