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Unofficial BiographyTHANAGARIAN WEAPONRY

"Since we didn't want to use our science on your world, Shayera and I decided we would fight Earth-crime with Earth-weapons. She always found it amusing that I felt so comfortable with them" - Katar Hol

Quote taken from The Shadow-War of Hawkman #2

     Hawkman and Hawkgirl decided early on it would be dangerous to use Thanagarian weaponry (most notably their police-issue stun guns which fire paraly-beams) on Earth, as there was too great a chance they could be lost or captured and then used or duplicated by Earth criminals. Therefore, they developed the habit of taking ancient weapons housed in their own museum to battle crooks. These arms usually included maces, quarterstaffs, slings, crossbows, mail-fists, bullroarers, hand-cannons or other small weaponry, and this frequently resulted in the destruction or damage of valuable relics. This seeming disregard for the sanctity of their own exhibits was dispelled when it was revealed their ship housed a Duplicator, a device which reproduces objects in exact authentic detail in their original condition. (It is unclear whether "original" means as it was manufactured or as it was before recent usage.) The parameters of the machine were never stated, but in one case it was used to make a lifeless duplicate of Hawkman himself (see "Hawkman" number 19, first series).

     Perhaps the most often-used Thanagarian device is the anti-gravity belt, part of the original Hawkman uniform designed by Paran Katar. It is extremely powerful, enabling its wearer to move extremely large weights, including cars and airplanes. It also enables the over-200-pound Hawkman to gain the lift necessary to propel him through the air at high speeds and to throw punches while hovering. The belt provides altitude only; it has nothing to do with the maneuverability of the wearer, which is provided solely by the flapping of the wings, governed through the contact of the wearer's back. (Since the wings were worn by Katar before he received the Hawk-cowl, the controls were not in the helmet, at least originally.) The belt allows the wearer to remain airborne should the wings be damaged or removed, and it also helps aid the wearer in simply lifting the wings off the ground. (The limits on how high the belt may take the wearer are not known, but it is assumed the farther away from Earth's gravity, the less force there is to work against. Thus although the bodies of Hawkman and Hawkgirl have been treated to allow them to survive exposure in space, it is unlikely their belts would carry them much further than the limits of the planet's atmosphere.)

     The hawk symbols worn by Hawkman and Hawkgirl (the latter since "Mystery in Space" #87) have several uses besides decoration. Hawkman III, who has worn his longer, thus implying it is a badge denoting length or quality of service, first showed it to contain a radio receiver-transmitter (see "Brave and Bold" #42), and later it became his Justice League signal device. When Hawkgirl received hers, it was revealed their badges contained expandable uniforms, paralelling the ring-contained uniform of the Flash. (Perhaps that explains why this fact has rarely been referred to after its introduction in "Mystery in Space" #87.) Despite this, the uniforms were frequently shown hanging in the secret room used by the winged warriors in the Midway City Museum, and in fact were found by museum artist Mavis Trent, who twice masqueraded as Hawkgirl. (A secret rooftop exit from their office covers the Halls' comings and goings.)

     Other Thanagarian devices used throughout the series' first run fall into the realm of detection tools: the Thermotector, which can trace body heat; the Lustrometer, which follows the trail left by the specific lustre of gems; the Radiotron, and the variations thereof, which tracks radiation trails; and Veracikone, a lie-detecting implement which prevents its subject from telling anything but the truth. Two hyperstellar phones exist on Earth, one in the Halls' home, and one in the possession of Commissioner Emmett. Both allow direct communication with Thanagar through hyperspace when out of the spaceship.

     The ship itself is relatively small, perhaps just a bit larger than a space shuttle. It must be piloted by a person, and it contains repelling and attracting beams as well as regular offensive weapons. The ship houses the Absorbascon, Duplicator, and various other devices, as well as all weapons considered too dangerous for Earth use. Its orbit is in the furthermost regions of the atmosphere, apparently higher than satellites programmed by Earth countries, as the ship's presence is indetectible from the ground.

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