Names:
Bulldog Teeters. (Feature Comics 044, 1941)
Zero the Ghost Detective getting straight-up punched by a ghost. (Feature Comics 051, 1941)
Dates: Johnny Thunder born 7th July, 1917 (Flash Comics v1 001, 1940)
Calling Cards:
He only ever used ’em a couple of times but the Flash had metal lightning bolt dart calling cards.
Costumes:
Absolutely the best Hawkman costume variant is the brief period in which he wore a big hat in the shape of a sassy hawk’s head (Flash Comics v1 003, 1940)
(All-Star Comics 003, 1940)
Much of the information that we have on Mazda the Great comes from the mouth of one of his dying henchmen at the end of the story, but what reason would he have to lie? According to this man, Mazda was a scientist (I assume a vulcanologist. An enormous one!) who developed both technology to control/ redirect the energies of a volcano and also volcano-proof suits. Thus equipped, he set up shop in the crater of Mount Krakatoa along with his minions, dubbed the Fire Ghosts.
It’s a bit unclear whether Mazda actually planned on taking over the world or destroying it – he said destroy while his minion said conquer – but either way, he was chucked into the volcano for his troubles, once Hawkman showed up on the scene.
A lot of reasons to like this fella – I love a huge guy and I love a skull hat, and on a scientist? Beautiful. He also manages to maintain enough gravitas that I always remember him as having a pseudo-noble goal for his conquest/destruction but on further examination it seems that he just has volcano-weaponizing technology and wants to use it.
(All-Star Comics 002, 1940)
Nyola is an Aztec priestess of Yum-Chac, the god of rain. As you might expect, the indigenous religions of the Americas are treated with utmost dignity and she is not portrayed as a fanatic who, for example, would kidnap a woman for human sacrifice based on tangential offense done to her faith. Also, Hawkman doesn’t then follow her back to Mexico and bring the might of the authorities down on an indigenous religious group that is, yes, killing people but still doesn’t quite seem like the right call. Or wouldn’t if he had. Which he didn’t.
Despite her seeming death at the end of her first appearance she later shows up in the Roy Thomas version of the Monster Society of Evil in All-Star Squadron with actual powers! Guess Yum-Chac is on the list of legit deities in the DCU!
(All-Star Comics 001, 1940)
A couple of magic users, Beldame Gaffy (curse-caster) and Trygg (necromancer) team up to steal the lands that rightfully belong to Trygg’s niece and nephew so that he could get rich via a zombie-staffed mining operation. Things go well until Hawkman shows up to explode them to death. Also, these are the first (only?) Welsh super-villains we have (will ever?) encountered!
Ordinarily in a two-person set-up like this I would designate one as the boss and the other as a lieutenant or minion but Gaffy and Trygg really do seem like an equal partnership. Sadly however, only Trygg has made any subsequent appearances, specifically in the 2000s-era Hawkman series. I guess it makes sense that the necromancer would be the one to return from the dead but one must nonetheless mourn the dearth of Beldames in this modern world.
Costumes: All-Star 005 features the debut of Hawkgirl, and a stunning revelation about her and (presumably) Hawkman’s costumes:
the green part ain’t tights it’s boots!
Costumes: All-Star 005 features the debut of Hawkgirl, and a stunning revelation about her and (presumably) Hawkman’s costumes:
the green part ain’t tights it’s boots!