Which one of the two versions of Hawkman will be coming to the DCEU in Black AdamWith the news that the Justice Society hero will soon be introduced in Dwayne Johnson's upcoming film and will be played by actor Aldis Hodge, it's important that DC fans know who Hawkman is. However, the answer to that is pretty complicated, thanks to the various retcons and origins the winged hero has had over the years in the comics (along with Hawkgirl).

Outside of the comics, fans will most likely recognize Hawkman either from his short stint on the CW's Legends of Tomorrow or in the few episodes of the animated series Justice League Unlimited. However, both of those versions had pretty different origins as well. What some DC fans might not know is that there was a period of time where there were two different Hawkmen in the DC Universe. This was the result of the retconning that happened that marked the end of DC Comics' Golden Age. At the beginning of the Silver Age, characters like the Flash and Green Lantern saw a sort of changing of the guard. Jay Garrick was replaced as the Flash by Barry Allen. Likewise, Hal Jordan took over the duties as Green Lantern from Alan Scott. However, for whatever reason, the situation was pretty different for Hawkman, also known as Carter Hall. Instead of a new character taking over, his entire origins and history were simply changed.

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This would have been fine, except for the fact that when the DC Multiverse was introduced, it was revealed that characters like Jay and Alan were just those same heroes on another Earth, which likewise meant that there were now two Hawkmen as well. However, when Crisis on Infinite Earths happened and the worlds were thrust together, there now existed two Hawkmen on the same Earth, holding similar names and powers, albeit with vastly different origins. So which of the two will be the one to come to the DCEU and Black Adam?

Hawkman: Carter Hall, Archeologist?

In the original origins for Hawkman, Carter Hall was an archaeologist, who discovered a winged suit of armor, helmet, and mace, all made from a mysterious "Nth metal" that granted him flight and strength. He also learns that he is in actuality the reincarnated Egyptian Prince Khufu, who has lived several different lives throughout history. Eventually, he would find his reincarnated bride, the Priestess Chay-Ara, who was now living as Shiera Sanders and would join him in his new crimefighting crusade as Hawkgirl.

However, Khufu's great rival Hath-Set was reincarnated as well, as he was the vengeful priest who killed both Khufu and Chay-Ara with a cursed blade of Nth metal, resulting in the three of them being reincarnated throughout time. With every reincarnation, Hath-Set would kill the Prince and Priestess, again and again, resulting in a centuries-long battle of good and evil. Together, Hawkman and Hawkgirl would also join the Justice Society of America in the Golden Age of DC Comics.

Hawkman: Katar Hol, Winged Space Cop?

As previously mentioned, the dawn of the Silver Age introduced a new Hawkman: Katar Hol. Instead of being an archaeologist and Egyptian prince, Katar was from outer space, hailing from the planet of Thanagar. While serving as a cop on his home planet with his partner and wife Shayera Hol, they tracked a criminal to Earth. After capturing the criminal, the pair decided to stay on Earth to learn the law enforcement tactics of Earth, adopting the identities of Carter and Shiera Hall and curating a museum together. They soon became the heroes known as Hawkman and Hawkgirl and would also go on to join the Justice League of America.

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When the Earths were merged after Crisis, Carter Hall (the archaeologist) would remain with the JSA while Carter Hall (the space cop) would continue to work with the Justice League. However, this eventually became too confusing for fans and creatives alike. As of right now, Hawkman's origins have been streamlined into the simple explanation that all parts of all origins are true and have happened to one Carter Hall, as they've all been a part of Carter's past lives and reincarnations (the same is true for Hawkgirl as well). However, this is by no means a perfect answer as it contains plenty of holes and errors. It's merely something like the use of narrative duct tape to fix a continuity problem of which there is perhaps no perfect solution, as things have become just too convoluted.

Which Hawkman Will Black Adam Adapt?

Black Adam and Hawkman

With all that being said, it seems pretty certain which Hawkman the DCEU's Black Adam will use for Aldis Hodge. Thanks to the information provided from DC's recent FanDome, many fans are most likely betting on the idea that the focus for Aldis Hodge's Hawkman will be on Carter Hall, the archaeologist and reincarnated Egyptian prince. It makes a certain amount of sense, given that Hawkman will be featured alongside fellow members of the JSA such as Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. Likewise, Black Adam's own powers have ties to the Egyptian pantheon, which would create an interesting connection between the two characters. Furthermore, the archaeologist background is familiar with those who watched Legends of Tomorrow and their version of Hawkman.

It seems very unlikely that Black Adam would go with the Thanagarian background for Hawkman, as it would need to introduce the entire context of being a cop from outer space, which could potentially crowd the narrative. However, that's not to say that some well-placed Easter eggs referencing Hawkman's alien homeworld would be unwelcome for Hawkman fans. In any case, Hawkman is a very cool character, despite perhaps having one of the most confusing and messy origins in all of comic book creation. However he is introduced in Black Adam, Aldis Hodge is a great choice to bring the character to life for the first time in the DCEU and on the big screen. Hawkman fans should be pretty excited for when Black Adam finally releases December of 2021.

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