I still find it funny that Timm forced Hawkgirl on the team because he liked her mask, but the character was almost entirely renovated by removing it.
HAWKGIRL (Shayera Hol)
Created By: Gardner Fox & Joe Kubert
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #34 (Feb. 1961)
Role: The Grouch, The Mole (For Thanagar), The Mary Sue (early seasons), Conflicted Warrior
Voice Actor: Maria Canals
Finest Moment: Killed Solomon Grundy, Ichthultu, her Mace stopped Faust in the Annihilator
PL 12 (184)
STRENGTH 4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2
Skills:
Aerobatics 10 (+14)
Athletics 5 (+9)
Deception 9 (+11, +13 Attractive)
Expertise (Thanagarian Warrior) 9 (+12)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Vehicles 2 (+5)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Favoured Environment (Airborne), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Nth Metal Weapons), Improved Smash, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Diehard, Evasion, Favoured Environment (Airborne), Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Nth Metal Weapons), Improved Smash, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 7, Seize Initiative, Startle, Takedown 2
Powers:
"Thanagarian Physiology"
"Mind Shield" Immunity 2 (Mind-Reading) [2]
Flight 7 (250 mph) (Flaws: Winged) [7]
"Nth Metal Mace" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [31]
"Mace Strike" Strength-Damage +9 (Feats: Improved Critical 3, Penetrating 10) (22) -- (25)
- AE: "Mace Toss" Strength-Damage +7 (Feats: Penetrating 6) (Extras: Ranged) (Flaws: Must Go Get It) (Diminished Range -1) (12)
- AE: Deflect 10 (10)
- AE: Environment 2 (Light) (2)
-- (51 points)
Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Mace Strike +11 (+13 Damage, DC 28)
Mace Toss +10 (+11 Ranged Damage, DC 26)
Initiative +5
Defenses:
Dodge +13 (DC 23), Parry +13 (DC 23), Toughness +5, Fortitude +8, Will +8
Complications:
Responsibility (Loves John Stewart, aka Green Lantern)
Guilt (Betrayed the Earth & the League to the Thanagarians)- Hawkgirl spend years as a mole to Thanagar, secretly scoping out Earth's defenses in case of a Gordanian invasion.
Guilt (Betrayed the Thanagarians to the League)- When Hawkgirl realized that Thanagar was going to destroy Earth to stop the Gordanians, Shayera sacrificed her people's plan to aid John and her teammates. This betrayal caused her people to lose the war, and got Hro Talok, her ex-lover, killed.
Relationship (Hawkgirl)- John fell in love with Hawkgirl while they were members of the Original Seven Leaguers. When her responsibility for the Thanagarian Invasion was revealed, he was crushed, but admitted he still loved her in the end. Now that he's with Vixen and Shayera wants him back.
Rivalry (Vixen)- Vixen is dating the man Shayera loves. Though she snarkily admits she might just poison her, she instead declares "en garde," and the two begin competing for his love.
Rivalry (Wonder Woman)- Diana never forgave Hawkgirl for betraying the League in the first place, and it took a long time for her to warm up to her teammate.
Relationship (The Flash)- She's the big sister he never had. Only, you know, short. If Wally risks his life, Shayera gets REALLY upset, though she bosses him around endlessly.
Total: Abilities: 72 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 19 (184)
-Man did I ever hate Hawkgirl at first. I mean, first off, she was added to the team just to increase the amount of women in the cast, which is fine (a team of six dudes and one girl makes for bad storytelling). However, the DC Universe has MANY female characters who are much better and more well-known than a D-League Girl Version of another hero (Black Canary would've worked just as well), but NNOOOOOOOOOOOO- Bruce Timm pulled a power-play on her because he always "thought her mask was cool". And I thought it was ugly and gave her a worse overall design. And then, in a season where Superman was consistently overpowered or injured so as not to make the rest of the team redundant, there was this palpable sense that they were pushing HAWKGIRL relentlessly, as she & her Mace were crushing things left (remember her deflecting a Planet-Killing Blast right back?) and right while "Superwussy" got electrocuted every other episode. Honestly, I just despised the character- it felt like she was Power-Geeked to justify her place on the team.
-So it took me a very long time to really like the character... but man, did they EVER pull it off in the end. It wasn't until Her Terminal Crankiness hooked up with GL at the end of Season Two that she got a little more serviceable. The addition of her mask-less face, which revealed her to be one of the most gorgeous women ever designed for a cartoon, did not hurt. I mean, WOW. Then they threw in the whole "Thanagarian" thing- the fact that she wasn't some star-lost soldier, but actually a SECRET AGENT. Hawkgirl was revealed to be an operative for her own people, with the intention to secure Earth as a Thanagarian outpost in their war against the Gordanians! Oh, and she was ENGAGED to someone- Hro Talak, the heroic leader of the invasion force!
-Now THIS was interesting- it gave her a legitimate reason to "betray" the Justice League, but a rational way to be torn between two worlds. Her clear guilt over breaking John's heart, and her distaste for what the Thanagarians were doing to Earth, was played off REALLY WELL. So you actually bought it, and forgave her, when she freed the League upon realizing that "For Thanagar to live, Earth must die!" via the Hyperspace Bypass. And it was quite heartbreaking when she quit the League out of guilt, swearing "I love you, John" as she flew away.
-So by her return in JLU, she was now a FANTASTIC character, and people wanted to see more of her. Many of the Leaguers forgave her... but there was still a lot of distrust. Especially Wonder Woman, who couldn't let bygones be bygones. Even though The Flash (her initial bickering partner, though they later became like brother & sister) took her side and forgave her, it took a quest through Hell for the two League Ladies to come to terms. I liked that because it provided nuance- Hawkgirl had rational reasons for doing what she did (I mean, it was her MISSION), and did the right thing for her team in the end, which DID royally screw over her own people. So it made sense that some people took her side, while others (even teammates) couldn't forgive the initial mistrust. And by the end, I think she was a very popular character- nobody was ever bitching about her being on the show anymore, and I remember a LOT of that at first. Even though her Mace was STILL super O.P.
-Hawkgirl is unavoidably cheaper than all her pals in the League's Big Seven, reflecting the fact that she only had one big weapon (whereas everyone else has several), which is Easily Removable at that, and isn't invincible or anything. It's a HELL of a weapon, though, as the Mace can hit equally as hard as Superman (watch the show- Supes punches stuff full-on and barely scratches it, and then Hawkgirl buzzes in with a mega-shot that does two or three times as much- only against villains does Superman seem to do more damage, implying that Hawkgirl Power Attacks CONSTANTLY), Penetrates the toughest defenses, can be thrown 50 feet, and can Deflect incoming fire with ease. AND it can nullify the effects of Magic just by touching it (Doctor Fate found this out to his chagrin). In addition to all that, she's an elite fighter with tons of Advantages, very Skilled (she had to bluff the League a LOT in the early days), remarkably strong physically (there is some evidence that Thanagarians as a whole are very strong compared to humans), etc.
-Thanagarians are immune to J'onn's Mind-Reading, so I put a Mind Shield-ish power up. It's so hardcore that J'onn had to use Extra Effort and tire himself out just to read a sub-level Hawkdude (that grim, ugly guy who seemingly was in love with Hro). Plus the Wings and stuff.
About the Performer: I've never heard of Maria Canals, and her career seems limited to mostly guest-shots, failed sitcoms, and "The Wizards of Waverly Place" for five years. She was also Paulina on "Danny Phantom".