SKREEL!

If you are not familiar with the Filmation Cartoons versions of the DCU from the 1960s, you deserve to be.  I have mentioned them many times here, and they feature a lot of iconic characters (mostly notably, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, but also Green Lantern, The Flash, The Atom, Hawkman, and The Teen Titans).   

No Fleisher Studios, Filmation was a pretty small-time outfit. It famously bluffed its way into getting the chance to put many of DC's icons on the small screen.  So they were not trying to make the job any more difficult with "new and innovative takes" on the characters.

They had enough trouble with the basics.

The Superman and Batman cartoons were quite traditional, with the usual cast of supporting characters and villains.

Although the new recurring Superman villain, the Warlock, filled the obvious but empty niche of a villainous user of magic, one of Superman's few weaknesses.

Aquaman cartoons had the basic elements (him; the red-head; the big-headed purpled-eye freak; Atlantis; aqua-telepathy), but threw in a new power (the aqua-projectiles Arthur would whip and hurl) and a biologically inaccurate Troublesome Pet.

A man being perfectly amphibious is one thing, but... a pinniped?!
Patently absurd!

The Flash and the Atom were their usual selves.

As was Green Lantern.

But Hawkman? Now there's a different story!  Even at this point in his comic book history, Hawkman was clearly too byzantine and muddled a concept to be translated as-is by Filmation.

He was what you might call a fixer-upper.

So Filmation simplified that messy concept with its metaphorical flattening iron.

Nobody flattens quite as thoroughly as Filmation.

Carter Hall had black hair.

Just as he did in comics throughout most of the Silver and Bronze Ages (although most people have forgotten that and think of him as brown-haired, which happened in the late Bronze Age, for some reason).

Hawkman flew.

That part's baked in.

And his costume was a Filmation simplification of his Silver Age one.

Except for that nifty claw; more on that later.

But after that, Filmation took liberties.  Hawkgirl was nowhere in evidence, nor were lesser but still steady crime-fighting colleagues like Commissioner Cool-as-a-cucumber Emmett. Instead Hawkman supporting cast was boiled down into one person: the mysterious Prof. Barnes, a.k.a. The Phantom Stranger of Science.

Prof. Barnes.  
Friend. Father-figure. Authority-figure. Consultant. Colleage. Confidante. Lover?
Prof. Barnes is all things to all people.
Prof. Barnes is the Alpha and the Omega.

Hawkman was now an alien (specifically, a "scientific genius from a far-off world" to quote the cartoon's intro).

The cartoon having been made in 1967, Carter Hall being an alien was new IN COMICS, as introduced when George Kashdan took over the title late that year.

George Kashdan also wrote Hawkman for Filmation. Whether the cartoon or the comic is the chicken or the egg I do not know for sure, but suffice it to say that George Kashdan decided Hawkman was alien and made it happen both on pulp and on screen.

Based on the timing, I'm guessing that Kashdan made that change in the Filmation cartoon first, then changed the comic to match as soon as he got the chance. So, the entirety of the idea that Hawkman is an alien (and ALL the decades of lore that comes from that) is rooted in Filmation's three Hawkman cartoons. 

Hawkman was no longer an archaeologist.

Which is for the best. Since Hawkman is ever the eye of a hurricane of objects destruction, he shouldn't be allowed with a mile of ANY museum.

The only reason Carter Hall was ever an archaeologist was to enable his ancient weapon fetish, so that was all wisely jettisoned.

Filmation Carter Hall was, in fact, a "brilliant scientist" (and presumably inventor of all his wild weaponry).  

Working with Prof. Barnes, because who WOULDN'T, if they could?

He worked at a "vast lab complex on the outskirts of Midway Center." Hey, they kept Hawkman's fictionopolis!

If I wrote Hawkman, "Vast Labs" would be the brand name of the place.

Gone is any explanation for his powers and abilities.  Are they a function of his being an alien, of his scientific weaponry, or both?

MAGNO-VISISON! RADAR VISION!
What are they? What do they do? Are they intrinsic to Hawkman's alien race or additive of his helmet?
Who knows; who cares? This is Filmation, people.

His cool-looking claw has modes, like "Electro-Claws", "Destructo-Claw", "Chemo-Claw" and "Repello-Ray"!

I guess he shops with Electrawoman and DynaGirl.

Or maybe Space Ghost (who first appeared the year before).

His wings appear to be nigh-indestructible as a defense, just like Bat-Fink.

"Your bullets cannot harm me;
my wings are like a shield of steel."

Even without space-ship, or even A SHIRT, he can fly unaided in the absolute-zero vacuum of space.

Where wings are especially helpful.

He has a kick-*** spaceship.

The Hawkship, 'natch.

And none of Aquaman's Tusky the Hapless Walrus BS.  Hawkman has a kick-*** animal companion: Skreel.

It really cannot be overstated just how bad-*** Skreel is.

He is the scourge of all fey alien dictators.

Yeah, and don't bother going for the gun.  Just be glad you still have EYES.

In fact, so awesome is Skreel I had to customize him into my Heroclix collection as a worthy sidekick to Hawkman:

If you 'read" Heroclix, you can see just how wicked that dial is for only 15 points.

His dial is borrowed from some minor Marvel character. And, as you would expect from a bird, he gets more dangerous the more you tick him off.

"Look, buddy, I GET it, I really do; but I am running out of excuses for why the crooks we turn in have no eyes."

No wonder Hawkman wears a hood to protect his eyes.

Per Degaton Part 4: "A bed?"

As you may recall from the Assigning of the Assignments that Hawkman leapt to the conclusion that Degaton would attack the Mayor of Gotham, and so decided to go protect him.

Perhaps "flitted" to the conclusion would be more apt in Hawkman's case.

Naturally, this is what happens, because Golden Age Hero Hunches are infallible.  

Before Hawkman can help the Mayor, he's got to save some people threatened by with more effects of The Change.

The effects of The Change are...  
haphazard at best.

As predicted, Degaton's Diabolical Forces emerge from the subways we saw them lurking in during Atom's assignment, poised to take over Gotham's civic center.

Secretly, even Per Degaton longs for Kale's approval.

You may be wondering by now: if this is Gotham where's Batman? Well, sweetie, this is Golden Age.  Things don't have to make sense the way you are used to. Also; this ain't Marvel.  There are no other heroes in the world other than ones in the story you're reading. Besides, it's June/July 1947, and I know exactly what Batman is doing: fighting aliens.

I know you THINK all the goofy/crazy stuff didn't happen until the Silver Age.
You're just really really wrong.

Per Degaton's first tactic is to establish a base of operations for himself in an antique shop, because (a) he's knows it will be unaffected by The Change and (b) he's a big old closet queen.

No WONDER he cast Anthony Carrigan.

Aside: It may seem like Degaton's plan is silly and grubby-- robbing insurance companies, lumbering around in tanks, sequestering in antique stores, roughing up mayors. But I remind you it's 1947, and people were quite aware that when painter Adolf Hitler set up to re-make Germany, and then Europe, into his own "artistic vision", that plan seemed silly and grubby, too, and the world paid dearly for not taking it seriously enough soon enough.  

Well, this is the G-D Gotham City and its Mayor is no Neville Chamberlain; he's ready to gun down any costumed psychopath who comes after him, because that's just part of the job.

Oops.

Unfortunately, the Mayor Theodore E. Bare is caught flat-footed by The Change like a cabana cougar with a poolboy.  As much as I love Kale (particularly after his gentlemanly insistence that the Mayor wear a hat outdoors), I confess I'd love to have seen Mayor Ted E. Bare here unblinkingly pump a lead pellet into Kale (or whatever flintlocks fire), because it's Gotham and he was already practicing in case the Gentleman Ghost showed up.  But the Mayor's hesitation lost him the moment and the gun simply disappeared before he could fire off a shot.

Just as in the Atom did, Hawkman streams in the window from the left like sunlight to hit upon the Diabolical Forces threatening someone with Unaffected Weapons.
Who's drawing these? Vermeer?

A fight ensues. Hawkman loses, because KALE.

"WHY does he want to hurt me?"
DUDE, you're the MAYOR OF GOTHAM.  What comic book universe have YOU been living in?!

Kale brings them to Degaton, as if to say, "Remember when a guy four inches shorter than Bruno Mars was kicking your *** and I had to save you? Yeah, well, I just kidnapped the Mayor AND beat up HAWKMAN. Personally, I think I'm the one with the big "D" around here."

"GOOD WORK, KALE."   Gee, thanks, Per. And what were you doing here at the antique shop while I was gone all day? Waxing the what-not shelf?

I appreciate Hawkman's smack talk. "So... you conquered an ANTIQUE SHOP with your army. Oooo, impressive.  Ever consider joining C.A.W.?"  

Degaton is too dull to perceive irony, however, and after quickly abandoning his half-hearted attempt to get the Mayor to sign his Machtergreifung document, he rushes to what he's been dreaming of while polishing the furniture knobs: 

tying Hawkman to a certain bed.

"A bed?"
Even Hawkman, who refuses to wear a shirt, is surprised at this blatant objectification and bondage fetishization, just because he's wearing a leather harness and an animal mask.
"Excuse me, you must have me confused with MY SECRETARY."

Well, now we know what Degaton's been planning all day.  He's delighted at the Mayor's refusal to cooperate, because now he has an opportunity to be a ****, which is truly his only goal in life.

"Ye-heh-hessss. Tie them down SLOWLY. I want to record this for my Onlyminions.com channel; it will get me thousands of followers!"
Is that saliva spewing from Degaton's mouth as he instructs his "boys"  to tie his "friends" to the bed?  I think it is.

If you thought Hawkman didn't get freaky until Hawkgirl came around, you thought wrong.  Flash's assignment was about racing against the clock. Atom's assignment was about roughing up the villain for info.  Hawkman's assignment is about antiques and freaky cryptokinky situations.

OMG, this is literally the crushing canopy-bed from William's Castle's 13 Ghosts (which won't be made for another 13 years) . I can't believe my Illusion-O glasses!

Per Degaton really IS a time-traveller!

I admit this a classier death trap than the last two. But, c'mon, this isn't the first time Hawkman's been tied down to an antique bed with somebody he just met and a limited amount of time to get out of the house.  It's like throwing Br'er Rabbit into the Briar Patch.

"Can you stop making those squealing noises, Mayor? I miss Hawkgirl right now enough as it is."

Having learnt his lesson from previous experiences, Hawkman warns his bed-partner to brace themselves, because he's going to give a final burst: "Hit the ground: this is going to be oomphy!"

But for Hawkman, it was a Tuesday.

Like all good Hawkman adventures, it ends with him breaking a bed.

"I'll untie you later; can't risk any chance of a fight now, you're too precious." Sigh. Why can't ALL men be as romantic as Hawkman?

Sorry, Mayor, this is Gotham. In the time you've been tied up,
Penguin has probably already gotten himself into office via emergency election.

Well, that was ... very Hawkman-y, although not a lot was accomplished other than his limited mission of "protect the Mayor." Maybe tomorrow's assignment will be more action-packed?

Dr. Mid-Nite? Oh, definitely not, then.

Get some for some pulse-pounding paper-citing action tomorrow with Dr. Mid-Nite & The Scientists of the World!

Heroclix Sunday: The Mystery of Prof. Barnes

Prof. Barnes.

P R O F E S S O R   B A R N E S

Who IS Professor Barnes? Only Dennis Marks knew for sure, and it's too late to ask him.

Professor Barnes is a scientist, certainly. He works in a Vast Lab Complex outside Midway City.

I like to imagine that "Vast" is brandname, like "S.T.A.R.".

He has not only lab coat but a COLLARED LAB JACKET. That's the sign of a SERIOUS scientist.  He's not labcoat Aquaman.

He's Doctor Sivana.

He's not the pharmacy tech.  He's the actual PHARMACIST.

Is he merely Carter Hall's colleague? Or is there something more Carter Hall requires of him?

"I sure he would."
"And I'M sure he DOES!"

He knows Carter's secret identity as Hawkman, so clearly it's something more.

Hawkman is a man of needs. Strong ones. Sudden ones.

Is Prof. Barnes The Alfred?

"You may need to look at this, Carter."

Is Prof. Barnes The Commissioner Gordon?

"Well, you DEFINITELY need to look at this, Professor Barnes."

There is no Hawkgirl. So, in her absence, is Prof. Barnes The Vicki Vale?

"Oh, Carter! Did you import that one from Thanagar or buy it here...?"

I am not entirely certain what role he serves in the Filmationverse. But I know what role he must serve in Heroclix.  Like any vague scientist who backs up a superhero, Professor Barnes goes on a S.T.A.R. Labs Scientist dial.

S.T.A.R. Labs Scientist are potentially powerful but unreliable support figures in Heroclix; they work better in pairs, since whatever ability they temporarily gain is held by all of them at the same time, and since if you don't get the ability you want from the first one's roll, you can always try the second one's roll.  

Since no one else seems to work in the Vast Lab Complex (just Carter and Professor Barnes; alone; all day), I had to draw from other versions of Hawkman for a companion scientist: Mavis Trent.

Not the Marvel universe "Mavis Trent"; I refuse to comment on the absurdity that BOTH Marvel and DC have a character improbably named "Mavis Trent".  

I mean Mavis Trent of Midway Museum, the shameless hussy who constantly hit on Carter Hall, even though he was married and his wife was RIGHT THERE working in the museum with them.

Seen here trying to remember how to keep at least one strap up.

Hawkman isn't the only person with strong sudden needs.  

Mavis Trent made Vicki Vale look like a nun.  

This is from the time she decided to move in with Carter, like, the week after Shayera left him.  

But, although it wasn't much emphasized after her first few appearances. she was indeed a scientist, specifically a naturalist.  

Which may explain why she had such trouble keeping her clothes on.