Hank Hall (1989-2021)[1] was a former football player known as the vigilante Hawk. He was the son of a late unnamed woman, the older half-brother of the late Don Hall, the ex-boyfriend and crime-fighting partner of Dawn Granger/Dove and a former member of the Titans.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Hank was born around 1989 in Washington, D.C. and raised, alongside his half-brother Don Hall, by a single mother. His biological father was never involved in his life.
Despite living in a poor district, the Hall brothers were pushed academically to gain a scholarship that offered them the chance to attend a prestigious private school where, in 1999, Hank became a top star for the school football team, The Hawks.
Hank is led into the weight room by Coach Vincent as the door is closed behind them.
After a game, Hank exited the locker room and saw his little brother, Don, with his coach, Vincent. Oddly persistent, Coach Vincent offered Don a chance to be "shown" the weight room. Hank who didn't feel comfortable with the situation, did everything he could to get himself and his younger brother away from Vincent, but to no avail. Even swearing after becoming frustrated, Coach Vincent took it as the opportunity to threaten to blackmail them and to have their scholarships taken away. Due to his history with Coach Vincent, Hank knew that he was intending to sexually abuse his brother. Hank offered to take his place and proceeded to submit to molestation by his coach after having sent Don away.
Sometime after that, their mother developed cancer and died, not being able to afford proper medical attention. He eventually graduated and made it to college. While at college, Hank played for the Kesel Lions and suffered numerous head injuries, including a recent one during a football game against the Dayton Hogs. While attending a frat party to celebrate his team's victory, he was approached by Don, who was concerned, and although he insisted that he was fine, he suddenly collapsed and was taken to see a doctor. The doctor advised him to take time to recover with the addition of painkillers, but he refused and claimed that he was determined to finish the season.
Eventually, Hank learned that Don had informed the athletic director of his medical condition, thus suspending him from participating in upcoming competitions. Enraged, Hank confronted his brother the school library, eventually starting a fight with another student. Summoned to the Dean's office, Hank was asked to write a formal apology, seeing that there was evidence that he engaged the fight, but more so because he was one of the school's best players. Don, outraged that Hank's injuries are so simply overlooked, sternly suggested to have the both of them expelled. Hank, however, was unopposed to his brother's speech even after initially wanting to still play games.[1]
The birth of Hawk and Dove[]
Recorded, Hank declares himself a hero on his very first night as Hawk.
Using football as an outlet to release his anger, Hank began to feel guilty for the time he had to sacrifice himself in the locker room. However, Hank lied, promising that nothing happened. Suggesting a different method for taking out his anger, Don proposed the idea to penalize the sexual offenders in their neighborhood. Disgusted by the fact that there were so many unpunished offenders in his neighborhood, Hank accepted. Therefore, on April 24, 2009, Hank and Don patrolled their street as Hawk and Dove for the first time, assaulting an alleged pedophile, Dwayne Wainwright. They forced him to admit his crimes, all while beating him up and recording it with a camera.
On December 14, Hank and Don brought a newspaper at a newsstand, where they made the front page of The Washington Post as Hawk and Dove; being credited for taking down a child pornography ring. Distracted and elated, they accidentally bumped into Dawn and Marie Granger. They graciously helped pick up their items and became slight preoccupied with one another. In that exact moment, before a car could nearly run into he and Dawn, another swerved in and took the hit and fatally ran into Don and Marie.[1]
Dawn Granger[]
Hank and Dawn speak with one another over the loss of their loved ones.
Sometime later, Hank and Dawn crossed paths again at a support group. After a few sessions, Hank offered to get Dawn a drink with the intention of getting to know more about each other's loved one. They eventually socialized more often and bonded to a point where they became close friends. Hank was taken to Marie's favorite restaurant and tried scones, whereas he took Dawn to Don's favorite pizza parlor.
After a long night of spending time together, he persuaded Dawn to sleepover at his house. While searching for blankets, she happened to find the original Hawk and Dove suits, causing Hank to show her footage of the times he and Don fought together. When questioned on his motives for being Hawk, Hank opened up for the first time and confessed about his molestation as a child. Hank revealed that he and his brother never punished Coach Vincent, seeing that it would make things "too real".
After punching him repeatedly, Hank watches Vincent as he begs.
That same night, Hank was startled awake by the slamming of his apartment door. He Investigated and found Dawn missing along with his laptop left open, with information on his childhood coach's location. Hank followed her and arrived at Vincent's house just as he was seconds away from attempting to murder Dawn. While Hank beat him senselessly, Vincent began to plead and swore he was a changed man after all those years. Yet, Dawn found explicit pictures of underage children on his laptop. Before proceeding to beat Vincent to death, Hank demanded Dawn to return home. However, Dawn made the staunch decision to stay with Hank and punish Vincent alongside him.
Afterward, they returned to Hank's apartment and shared an intimate moment. They stripped in front of one another just before making love. The next morning, Dawn told him that it was better to keep their relationship strictly professional and to keep it a secret.[1]
At some point, before 2014, Dawn took on the mantle as Dove and they both started to operate as vigilantes in Gotham City. Their actions even attracted another vigilante, Robin, who was advised by Batman to stay away from the pair. During their careers as vigilantes, the trio would then reveal their true identities to each other, even being introduced to Donna Troy. Dawn and Hank eventually entered a relationship and moved away from Gotham to resume their vigilante careers in their hometown Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, Hank learned of a love affair Dawn was having with Dick behind his back. He has since then had a strong resentment toward Dick.[2]
Titans[]
Hank with Dawn and Donna.
At some point, Hank joined the Titans, a group formed by four superheroes, Robin, Wonder Girl, Dove and himself. The team would be based out of Titans Tower in San Francisco, California.[3]
Four months after Aqualad joined the Titans, They would encounter Dr. Light.[4] The Titans were successful in apprehending Light, and he was sent to San Quentin State Prison.[5]
After Light was sent to prison, the Titans would suffer a major loss; Aqualad would be killed by the mercenary known as Deathstroke.[4] Deathstroke proved to be a formidable enemy for the Titans that they disbanded and shuttered Titans Tower.[5]
The Nuclear family and coming face to face with Trigon[]
Rachel is pointed out to Hank before he can resume his feud with Dick.
One night, Hawk was taken captive by some thugs, chaining him up. Before he could be further tortured, he was rescued by Dove. They returned home, where Hank took a bath, which Dawn helped him out of. To celebrate three and a half years together, Hank gave her a key belonging to the cage holding his pet doves. They attempted to have sex, but Hank was unable to due to his wounded hip. The following day, Hank returned home to find Dawn on the roof with Dick Grayson. Before he could get angry, Dawn pointed out that Rachel Roth was Dick's reason for being there. That night, with Dick having shown up, Dawn suggested to Hank that they have him help them on their final vigilante mission, but Hank was hesitant. The following day, Hank once again walked in on Dawn and Dick, assuming the worst eventually leading to a physical altercation between them, only to be stopped by an uncontrollable power from Rachel. That night, Hank and Dawn headed out on their mission. At first, things seemed to be going well but were overwhelmed. Before they could be killed, Robin showed up and rescued them, exposing his merciless capabilities. When they returned home, they found Rachel on the roof with an envelope of money used to compensate Dawn and Hank for keeping Rachel for the time being. They were suddenly joined by a family, who instigated a severe battle, ultimately leading to Dawn being thrown flying over the edge of the roof and kidnapping Rachel.[2]
Hank clings to Dawn as she awakens from her coma.
Hank sat nearby Dawn as she laid comatose in the hospital. When Dick arrived, Hank angrily questioned him before Dick promised to find the people responsible for her injury.[6] Hank began to spend every day at Dawn's side in the hospital. While inebriated, he was awoken and told that they needed to find someone named Jason Todd, claiming that Rachel needed their help.[1]
Hank and Dawn headed to Wayne Manor, where they found Jason and asked for his help. They headed to Ohio, where they met up with Koriand'r and Donna Troy. They all entered the house, but in doing so all entered a dream state. Hank and Dawn imagined they were back in their apartment, and Hank managed to convince Dawn to shoot up, giving in to their mutual darkness. Because of this, in the real world, they all fell under the demon Trigon's control. Cornering Gar and Rachel, they all beat the former up. With Gar seemingly dead, Rachel was distraught and also gave into her darkness, being possessed by her father. As the possessed Titans watched as Trigon's enacted his plan to destroy the world, Rachel managed to defeat him, snappng them all out of their state. Following this, they all bid farewell, Donna and Kory joining the couple.[7]
Attempting to settle down and the resurgence of Dr. Light[]
- "Everybody needs a higher purpose."
- —Hank Hall to Dawn Granger[src]
Hank and Dawn planted roots in Wyoming, living there for three months. In the meanwhile, Hank began helping to rehabilitate Ellis, a drug addict, teaching him to ride a horse. In the middle of the night, Hank woke up to find Dawn gone. He waited up for her, discovering that she had been operating as Dove for a month, despite them agreeing to put that life behind them. They were suddenly interrupted by Ellis, who knocked on their door. He began to radiate with light from within, causing Hank and Dawn to run for their lives, closely escaping the explosion that ensued. Hank called Dick, explaining the situation and assuming it to be their old enemy Dr. Light, suggesting they meet up.[8]
They made their way to Titans Tower in San Francisco with Donna. They discussed plans to take down Dr. Light with Dick, before he let them know that they had a guest, Rose Wilson, also the daughter of their former rival, Slade Wilson. They all expressed anger at him harboring a probable enemy, but he asked that they focus on the problem at hand, Dr. Light. Waiting around for leads, Hank expressed how much he missed being a part of the Titans, hoping it may be different if they started doing it again, but Dawn reminded him of his addiction. Locating Dr. Light, they made their way to a stadium, where they surrounded him. He shot blasts of light energy at them, fleeing from the stadium. They followed him outside, using cars as cover, but Hank managed to be grazed on the leg by a blast. Donna managed to subdue Dr. Light, but he ultimately got away. Hank was assisted back to the by Dawn, where he proceeded to attack Dick for not doing anything to stop Light, but Dawn talked him down. Later that night, Hank apologized to Dick, acknowledging that Dick had done the right thing by saving civilians over capturing Light.[9]
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Death[]
Hank as the countdown ends.
Hank soon retired and returned to Washington, D.C., where he became a bicycle cop. During his time on the job, he would encounter Dawn. After the death of Jason at the hands of the Joker and Batman's retirement after killing the Joker in vengeance, Hank and Dawn made their way to Gotham City. Upon their arrival, they assisted the Titans in bringing down a new threat, a revived Jason now calling himself Red Hood.[10][11]
In an attempt to stop Jason, Hank agreed to meet with him alone. However, Jason had set Hank up and planted a bomb in his chest that was set to explode after a certain amount of Hank's heartbeats. Although the Titans made many efforts to disarm the bomb, it eventually detonated after Dawn accidentally ran the timer out by attempting to shoot Jason, mere seconds before Conner was to diffuse it. As the team grieved over the loss of Hank, Dawn decided to retire from the Titans.[11]
Afterlife[]
- "What happened? "
"Jason. Fucking. Todd." - —Donna Troy asks Hank Hall about how he died.[src]
Hank after having killed two ghouls.
After his death, Hank found himself in the afterlife, where he soon heard of a bridge that led back to Earth. Hank later rescued Donna and a newly-deceased Tim Drake from ghouls who were attempting to capture their souls. He explained to them his plan to return to the land of the living and the three made their journey to Hank's safe house. Soon after they were attacked, with Hank's friend Malcolm being taken by the ghouls. In a panic, Hank managed to summon two pistols and kill the ghouls.[12]
Hank and Don reunite in the afterlife.
The three then made their way for the bridge. Upon their arrival, the three were attacked by more ghouls. Hank attempted to summon more weapons, with little success for summoning what he had in mind. Regardless, he and the others continued to fight. As the bridge broke apart, Donna and Tim managed to escape as Hank held off the remaining ghouls, telling them to tell Dawn that he loves her. Hank defeated the ghouls and returned to the bridge's entrance, processing his failure to escape. Moments later, Hank was greeted by his brother Don, who had been helping souls as Dove. Don and Hank discussed the necessity of a Hawk and Dove reunion to help souls in the afterlife and walked away smiling as they discussed which name would come first.[13]
Personality[]
- "Hank is sorry. He can be a real asshole sometimes."
- —Dawn Granger to Rachel Roth[src]
While he may look like a brute with a penchant for destruction, Hank Hall was a very decent man who has endured a lot of pain in his life, physically and mentally.
Because of the systematic abuse he suffered at the hands of his coach as a child, the early losses of his mother and brother and the punishment his body had to withstand over the years as a football player and vigilante, he started relying on pills to get by, which evolved into generalized substance abuse. As Dawn remarked, the two became vigilantes to deal with their pain, and once that became not enough for Hank, his drug and alcohol use spiraled out of control, though it was often shrugged off as being necessary to deal with the pain of his injuries.
All the while, the stress of these issues caused him to become resentful of all the sacrifices he had to make, except for the hardest one: to let himself be molested, so his beloved brother Don would not have to suffer the same fate. Regardless, he seemingly realized the extent of his problem after watching Dawn endure a coma for a month, along with another shock right afterward, when his mind was manipulated by Trigon; in this illusion, Hank's inner darkness overwhelmed him after convincing Dawn to try intravenous heroin to deal with her own pain.
However, despite his tendency toward violence (either self-destructively or towards those who hurt others), it all stems from a need to do right by those who are innocent in the world, such as his younger brother Don, who died tragically in an accident. This kindness carried over to his adult life, as evidenced by the fact that he helped Rachel in a heartbeat, despite not knowing her and disliking her association with Dick (against whom he held a grudge). He was also seen using his own experience with drug abuse to help Ellis maintain sobriety as well, all while being a loving and devoted partner to Dawn, staying at her bedside during the whole month she stayed in a coma.
Despite all that goodness, Hank can be a very angry, violent person, as shown when he killed his abuser, carrying bad blood with Dick over his betrayal from years ago, and, from the start, wanting to get in a fight with Jason Todd, despite being older and more experienced as a hero. He also doesn't tolerate lies or betrayal, as he became furious with Dawn over her continued vigilantism, especially after almost dying; this argument ultimately led him to threaten to end their relationship if she could not stop fighting as Dove, as he could not endure the thought of losing her again.
Abilities[]
- "Look, I know Hank hasn't been the most reliable partner, but when he suits up, there's nobody better"
- —Donna to Dawn about Hank[src]
- Peak Human Condition: Hank Hall's body was at the pinnacle of the human condition. He has displayed peak human strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes and endurance because of his extensive training. His conditioning allows him to recover from most injuries very quickly, though not to a superhuman level.
- Expert Combatant: Hank possessed impressive fighting skills,[2] having been a prolific football tackler for over twenty years before assuming the mantle of Hawk.[1]
- Skilled Singer: Hank was a capable singer.[14]
Equipment[]
- Hawk Suit: Hank wore a protective suit whenever he's out fighting crime as Hawk to protect his identity and to help prevent injuries.[2]
Appearances[]
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
|
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
Season 1  Season 2   Season 3 |
Behind the Scenes[]
- In the DC comics, Hank Hall is the first Hawk. His first appearance in the comics was Showcase #75 (June, 1968). In the DC comics Hawk is a metahuman and has superpowers comprising of superhuman strength, speed, durability, while in this version he does not possess superpowers and relies on peak human condition and athletic strength, as well as physical hand to hand combat.
- Hank is a foil to Dove as an aggressive, offensive bruiser, while Dove is strategic, defensive and lithe.
- Alan Ritchson made an uncredited cameo alongside Curran Walters in "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five" as Hawk and Robin, confirming their existence in the Arrowverse.
- Alan Richtson's second time portraying a DC Comics superhero. He previously guest starred as AC/Aquaman in Smallville.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Johns, Geoff, Goldsman, Akiva (writers) & Goldsman, Akiva (director) (December 7, 2018). "Hank and Dawn". Titans. Season 1. Episode 9. DC Universe.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Goldsman, Akiva (writer) & Anderson, Brad (director) (October 19, 2018). "Hawk and Dove". Titans. Season 1. Episode 2. DC Universe.
- ↑ Goldsman, Akiva, Johns, Geoff, Walker, Greg (writers) & Banker, Carol (director) (September 6, 2019). "Trigon". Titans. Season 2. Episode 1. DC Universe.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gorenber, Jaime (writer) & Winter, Glen (director) (September 27, 2019). "Aqualad". Titans. Season 2. Episode 4. DC Universe.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tancharoen, Kevin (writer) & Pabst, Tom (director) (September 20, 2019). "Ghosts". Titans. Season 2. Episode 3. DC Universe.
- ↑ Hatem, Richard, Johns, Geoff, Mukerjee, Marisha, Walker, Greg (writers) & Sullivan, Kevin Rodney (director) (October 26, 2018). "Origins". Titans. Season 1. Episode 3. DC Universe.
- ↑ Goldsman, Akiva, Johns, Geoff, Walker, Greg (writers) & Banker, Carol (director) (September 6, 2019). "Trigon". Titans. Season 2. Episode 1. DC Universe.
- ↑ Hatem, Richard (writer) & Hope, Nathan (director) (September 13, 2019). "Rose". Titans. Season 2. Episode 2. DC Universe.
- ↑ Tancharoen, Kevin (writer) & Pabst, Tom (director) (September 20, 2019). "Ghosts". Titans. Season 2. Episode 3. DC Universe.
- ↑ Pabst, Tom (writer) & Banker, Carol (director) (August 12, 2021). "Red Hood". Titans. Season 3. Episode 2. HBO Max.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Gorenberg, Jamie (writer) & Shelton, Millicent (director) (August 12, 2021). "Hank & Dove". Titans. Season 3. Episode 3. HBO Max.
- ↑ Hatem, Richard (writer) & Mojsovski, Boris (director) (September 23, 2021). "Souls". Titans. Season 3. Episode 9. HBO Max.
- ↑ Hatem, Richard (writer) & Mojsovski, Boris (director) (September 23, 2021). "Souls". Titans. Season 3. Episode 9. HBO Max.
- ↑ Thomas, Jeffrey David (writer) & Mojsovski, Boris (director) (November 1, 2019). "Atonement". Titans. Season 2. Episode 9. DC Universe.