rise
      oe
      Ua
      en
     
     
      es
      ty
      BSG
     
     
      Sh
      A
      a
      RY
      Rass
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "SP
      RNELCLOG
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SAex
      ss
      —
      Phi
      SS
      en
      ea”
      TD
      hie
      ee
      grax:
     
     
      iy
      i
      ae
      EA
      ie
      =
      —
      —
     
     
      MEARE
      SEO
      AE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      22
      Se
     
     
      You
      Will
      Believe
      a
      Man
      Can
      Fly
     
    

    
     
      Flight:
      it
      has
      probably
      fascinated
      humanity
      since
      our
      first
     
     
      encounters
      with
      birds,
      and
      we
      have
      long
      coveted
      that
      power
      for
     
     
      ourselves
      through
      our
      stories,
      from
      Icarus
      to
      Superman.
      It’s
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      ‘most
      primal,
      universally
      appealing
      fantasy
      concepts
     
     
      imaginable.
     
    

    
     
      It
      seems
      strange,
      then,
      that
      the
      power
      of
      flight
      has
     
     
      become
      so...
      .
      common.
      From
      Superman
      on
      up,
      our
      pop
     
     
      culture’s
      fantasy
      stories
      are
      populated
      with
      an
      ever-growing
     
     
      legion
      of
      characters
      who
      can
      fly,
      including
      many
      whose
      flight
     
     
      power
      is
      but
      one
      of
      several
      exotic
      abilities
      they
      may
      possess.
     
     
      Whether
      it’s
      mutation,
      magic,
      or
      mind-over-matter,
      it
      seems
     
     
      that
      in
      comic
      books
      just
      about
      everyone
      and
      their
      dog
      can
      fly
     
     
      (literally,
      if
      you
      count
      Krypto
      the
      Superdog).
      ,
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      this
      saturation,
      the
      concept
      persists
      in
      comics
     
     
      and
      all
      other
      fantasy
      mediums.
      Indeed,
      the
      enduring
      archetypal
     
     
      strength
      of
      flying
      characters
      is
      apparent
      in
      the
      fact
      that
      several
     
     
      of
      the
      comics’
      most
      successful
      characters
      are
      based
      solely
      or
     
     
      primarily
      on
      the
      power
      of
      flight.
      Unquestionably
      the
      best-
     
     
      known
      and
      most
      successful
      of
      these
      birdmen
      (flight-based
     
     
      heroes
      are
      usually
      patterned
      after
      birds
      and
      equipped
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wings)
      is
      Hawkman.
      Arguably
      the
      most
      successful
      and
      ©
     
     
      popular
      DC
      Comics
      character
      of
      the
      1940’s
      not
      to
      have
      his
      own
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      series,
      Hawkman
      co-starred
      in
      Flash
      Comics
      with
      (who
      else?)
     
     
      the
      Flash
      throughout
      the
      1940’s,
      until
      the
      shrinking
      comics
     
     
      market
      saw
      the
      cancellation
      of
      virtually
      all
      super-hero
      comics
     
     
      by
      1950.
      |
     
    

    
     
      Hawkman
      was
      archaeologist
      and
      antique
      weapons
      col-
     
     
      lector
      Carter
      Hall,
      who
      discovered
      through
      dreams
      that
      he
      was
     
     
      the
      reincarnation
      of
      the
      unjustly
      slain
      Egyptian
      prince
      Khufu.
     
     
      Inspired
      by
      his
      dreams
      to
      create
      an
      anti-gravity
      Nthmetal
      which
     
     
      he
      incorporated
      intoa
      costume
      complete
      with
      wings
      and
      hawk-
     
     
      like
      mask
      (emulating
      the
      Egyptian
      deity
      Horus),
      Hall
      defeated
     
     
      the
      evil
      reincarnation
      of
      Khufu’skiller
      Hath-Set
      (Anton
      Hastor)
     
     
      and
      continued
      to
      battle
      evil
      thereafter
      as
      the
      Hawkman,
      battling
     
     
      the
      crimes
      of
      the
      present
      with
      the
      weapons
      of
      the
      past.
      He
     
     
      eventually
      picked
      up
      a
      sometime
      partner
      in
      the
      form
      of
      his
     
     
      fiancee
      Shiera
      Sanders,
      a.k.a.
      Hawkgirl.
      One
      of
      the
      most
     
     
      powerfully
      bizarre
      visual
      concepts
      of
      the
      Golden
      Age
      of
      comics
     
     
      with
      a
      unique
      modus
      operandi,
      Hawkman
      captured
      readers’
     
     
      imaginations
      in
      both
      his
      own
      Flash
      Comics
      feature
      (where
      he
     
     
      often
      upstaged
      the
      title
      character)
      and
      as
      the
      chairman
      of
      the
     
     
      legendary
      Justice
      Society
      of
      America
      (comics’
      first
      super-
     
     
      team)
      in
      All-Star
      Comics.
      In
      fact,
      he
      was
      the
      only
      character
      to
     
     
      appear
      in
      every
      issue
      of
      A//-Star.
     
    

    
     
      Such
      was
      Hawkman’s
      impact
      that
      anew
      Hawkman
      was
     
     
      among
      the
      first
      to
      appear
      when
      DC
      began
      reviving
      the
      super-
     
     
      hero
      genre
      with
      revamped
      versions
      of
      old
      favourites
      in
      the
      late
     
     
      fifties.
      This
      Hawkman
      looked
      almost
      exactly
      like
      the
      earlier
     
     
      one,
      and
      had
      the
      same
      flight
      power
      and
      antique
      weapon
      arsenal,
     
     
      but
      in
      keeping
      with
      1950’strendshe
      came
      from
      ascience
      fiction
     
     
      background
      rather
      than
      a
      mystical
      one:
      he
      was
      Katar
      Hol,
     
     
      Wingman
      (policeman)
      from
      the
      planet
      Thanagar
      come
      to
      Earth
     
     
      to
      study
      human
      police
      methodology
      (accompanying
      him
      was
     
     
      his
      wife
      and
      partner
      Shayera
      Thal,
      alias
      Hawkgirl,
      later
      known
     
     
      as
      Hawkwoman).
      These
      new
      hawks
      starred
      in
      their
      own
     
     
      Ongoing
      series
      and
      features
      several
      times
      over
      the
      years,
      and
     
     
      became
      members
      of
      the
      Justice
      League.
      The
      new
      Hawkman,
     
     
      further
      revamped
      as
      a
      darker
      character
      by
      Tim
      Truman
      in
     
     
      Hawkworld
      and
      reworked
      still
      further
      during
      Zero
      Hour,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      S
      Se
      ep
      Pe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      en
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      currently
      appears
      in
      his
      own
      ongoing
      series
      and
      as
      a
      member
      of
     
     
      Justice
      League
      America.
     
    

    
     
      No
      other
      birdman
      can
      compare
      to
      Hawkman’s
      success,
     
     
      buta
      few
      others
      have
      achieved
      varying
      degrees
      of
      significance.
     
     
      The
      most
      noteworthy
      Golden
      Age
      flyboy
      was
      Quality
      Comics’
     
     
      Black
      Condor.
      Conceptually
      speaking,
      the
      Condor
      was
      rather
     
    
   
   
    
     
      silly:
      he
      was
      an
      orphan
      raised
      by
      condors
      in
      the
      Mongolian
     
     
      desert,
      where
      he
      discovered
      he
      had
      the
      mutant
      ability
      to
      fly.
      He
     
     
      eventually
      found
      his
      way
      into
      western
      civilization
      and
      estab-
     
     
      lished
      a
      double
      identitv
      for
      himself
      by
      avenging
      the
      murder
      of
     
     
      a
      US
      senator
      who
      conveniently
      looked
      just
      like
      him.
      He
     
     
      thereafter
      became
      a
      costumed
      crimebuster
      (though
      he
      didn’t
     
     
      sport
      wings
      or
      even
      4
      mask,
      just
      trunks
      and
      boots
      and
      some
     
     
      weird
      underarn:
      glider
      chutes).
      What
      made
      the
      Condor
      signifi-
     
     
      cant
      was
      the
      artist
      on
      his
      feature
      in
      Crack
      Comics,
      Lou
      Fine.
      A
     
     
      superbly
      talented
      draftsman
      with
      a
      classical
      flair
      for
      anatom
      y,
     
     
      Fine
      made
      the
      Black
      Condor
      one
      of
      the
      most
      imaginatively
     
     
      graceful
      flying
      figures
      of
      any
      artistic
      medium
      or
      era.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Condo
      ined
      the
      bulk
      of
      the
      super-heroic
      flock
      in
     
     
      _
      limbo
      by
      the
      end
      oi
      th:
      1940’s,
      and
      did
      not
      reappear
      until
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1970’s.
      By
      this
      time
      DC
      had
      bought
      out
      Quality
      Comics,
      and
     
     
      DC
      reintroduced
      imany
      of
      Quality’s
      characters
      as
      inhabitants
      of
     
     
      an
      alternate
      world
      ‘Earth
      X)
      where
      the
      Nazis
      won
      World
      War
     
    
   
   
    
     
      II.
      These
      Freecom
      Fighters,
      including
      the
      Condor,
      debuted
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      Justice
      Lv
      aguc
      of
      America
      guest-shot
      and
      briefly
      sustained
     
     
      their
      own
      ongoing
      series
      in
      the
      1970’s.
      The
      Freedom
      F
      ighters
     
     
      characters
      were
      lat.
      integrated
      into
      DC’s
      mainstream
      1940’s
     
     
      continuity
      and
      the
      Earth-X
      business
      was
      written
      out
      of
      continu-
     
     
      ity
      altogether
      following
      the
      Crisis
      on
      Infinite
      Earths.
      So,
      too,
     
     
      were
      all
      the
      Freedom
      Fighters’
      1970’s
      goings-on,
      and
      that
     
     
      being
      the
      case
      the
      only
      canonical
      contemporary
      appearances
     
     
      the
      Condor
      has
      made
      to
      date
      are
      asa
      ghostly
      behind-the-scenes
     
     
      mentor
      to
      the
      new
      Black
      Condor,
      who
      briefly
      sustained
      his
      own
     
     
      ongoing
      series
      a
      short
      time
      ago
      (and
      even
      more
      briefly
      served
     
     
      as
      amember
      of
      Justice
      League
      America).
      The
      new
      Condor
      is
     
     
      a
      reclusive,
      surly
      reluctant
      hero
      and
      mutant
      telekinetic
      whose
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      abilities
      allow
      him
      to
      fly
      (among
      other
      things),
      and
      he
      appeared
     
     
      most
      recently
      in
      Showcase
      ’94.
     
    

    
     
      The
      final
      significant
      flyboy
      of
      the
      1940’s
      was
      the
      Red
     
     
      Raven,
      ahero
      who
      wasraised
      on
      the
      remote
      island
      of
      the
      winged
     
     
      Bird
      People
      (who
      gave
      him
      a
      winged
      red
      costume
      that
      allowed
     
     
      him
      to
      fly
      as
      they
      did,
      probably
      to
      avoid
      giving
      the
      lad
      an
     
     
      inferiority
      complex).
      The
      Red
      Raven
      aimed
      high,
      debuting
      in
     
     
      his
      own
      comic
      book,
      but
      dive-bombed
      into
      obscurity
      since
      his
     
     
      title
      only
      lasted
      one
      issue
      (an
      issue
      notable
      for
      some
      Joe
      Simon/
     
     
      Jack
      Kirby
      work
      and
      the
      debut
      of
      one
      of
      comics’
      great
      oddball
     
     
      heroes,
      the
      Human
      Top).
      Decadeslater,
      it
      was
      revealed
      that
      Red
     
     
      Raven
      had
      retired
      to
      become
      the
      rather
      fanatic
      guardian
      of
      the
     
     
      island
      of
      the
      Bird
      People,
      appearing
      as
      a
      menacing
      guest-star
     
     
      with
      the
      X-Men
      and
      Sub-Mariner,
      whom
      Red
      Raven
      died
     
     
      battling.
      He
      has
      also
      appeared
      sporadically
      in
      stories
      set
      in
      the
     
     
      1940’s
      as
      a
      member
      of
      a
      team
      called
      the
      Liberty
      Legion.
      His
     
     
      daughter
      succeeded
      him
      as
      the
      new
      Red
      Raven,
      but
      has
      only
     
     
      appeared
      once
      to
      date.
     
    

    
     
      As
      for
      who
      the
      most
      significant
      of
      the
      modern-day
     
     
      flyboys
      is
      (apart
      from
      revampings
      of
      the
      above
      Golden-Agers),
     
     
      that’s
      probably
      a
      toss-up
      between
      Marvel
      Comics
      characters
     
     
      Archangel
      and
      the
      Falcon.
      Archangel
      (millionaire
      playboy
     
     
      Warren
      Worthington
      III)
      debuted
      as
      The
      Angel
      (the
      second
     
     
      Marvel
      character
      by
      that
      name)
      in
      the
      now-classic
      1963
      pre-
     
     
      miere
      issue
      of
      X-Men.
      The
      X-Men
      are
      a
      team
      of
      adventurers
     
     
      whose
      members,
      like
      the
      Black
      Condor,
      are
      all
      mutants
      born
     
     
      with
      qualities
      or
      abilities
      outside
      human
      norms.
      Angel’s
     
     
      mutation
      was
      a
      pair
      of
      big,
      feathery
      white
      wings
      that
      enabled
     
     
      him
      to
      fly.
      He
      was
      a
      mainstay
      of
      the
      struggling
      X-Men
      book
     
     
      until
      its
      hugely
      successful
      1970’s
      revamping
      led
      to
      him
      and
     
     
      other
      characters
      being
      dropped
      from
      the
      roster
      in
      favour
      of
      new
     
     
      additions
      like
      Wolverine,
      Banshee
      and
      Nightcrawler.
      After
     
     
      leaving
      the
      X-Men,
      Angel
      (who
      publicly
      revealed
      his
      secret
     
     
      identity)
      founded
      and
      financed
      a
      new
      Super-team
      called
      the
     
     
      Champions
      (starring
      throughout
      their
      short-lived
      ongoing
      se-
      ©
     
     
      ries),
      and
      after
      its
      disbanding
      he
      served
      stints
      with
      the
      X-Men
     
     
      and
      later
      the
      Defenders
      (remaining
      until
      the
      disbanding
      of
      that
     
     
      team
      and
      the
      cancellation
      of
      their
      series).
     
    

    
     
      Ever
      the
      team
      player,
      Angel
      then
      founded
      and
      financed
     
     
      the
      new
      team
      X-Factor
      (composed
      of
      the
      original
      founders
      of
     
     
      the
      X-Men),
      starring
      throughout
      that
      ongoing
      series
      until
      its
     
     
      Troster
      merged
      with
      the
      X-Men.
      Early
      in
      X-Factor’s
      history,
     
     
      Angel
      was
      grievously
      injured
      in
      action
      and
      had
      his
      wings
     
     
      amputated.
      He
      was
      then
      captured
      by
      the
      would-be
      world
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      conqueror
      Apocalypse,
      who
      brainwashed
      Angel
      into
      becoming
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      killing
      machine
      and
      genetically
      re-engineered
      him
      so
      that
      his
      :
     
     
      wings
      regrew
      as
      blade-edged,
      near-invulnerable
      organic
      steel
     
     
      wings
      whose
      feathers
      he
      could
      fire
      like
      missiles
      and
      which
     
     
      exuded
      a
      chemical
      that
      induced
      paralysis
      on
      contact.
      The
      newly
     
     
      formidable
      Angel
      (who
      also
      now
      had
      blue
      skin)
      soon
      broke
      free
     
     
      from
      Apocalypse’s
      control
      and
      rejoined
      histeammates
      with
      the
     
     
      new
      name
      of
      Archangel.
      Archangel
      now
      appears
      in
      the
      various
     
     
      ongoing
      X-Men
      series
      (and
      has
      also
      been
      spun
      off
      into
      the
     
     
      successful
      X-Men
      animated
      series
      and
      toy
      line).
     
    

    
     
      The
      Falcon
      is
      a
      more
      obscure
      character
      at
      present,
      but
     
     
      has
      been
      a
      major
      player
      in
      past
      Marvel
      Comics,
      beginning
      with
     
     
      Captain
      America
      #
      117,
      wherein
      Cap
      met
      up
      with
      bird-trainer
     
     
      Sam
      Wilson
      onaremote
      islandand
      trained
      him
      as
      acrimefighter
     
     
      when
      they
      joined
      forces
      against
      the
      Red
      Skull.
      Wilson,
      clad
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      Panelology
      on
      the
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      February
      7,
      1995
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ¥
      I
     
     
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