D.L. Hawkins

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D.L. Hawkins

Portrayed by	Leonard Roberts
First appearance	"Hiros"
Statistics
Superpower(s)	Phasing
Gender	Male
Age	31^{[citation needed]}
Occupation	Escaped criminal and former construction worker.
Spouse	Niki Sanders (wife)
Parent(s)	Paulette Hawkins (mother)
Child(ren)	Micah Sanders (son)

D.L. Hawkins is a fictional character played by Leonard Roberts in the TV series Heroes. The father of Micah Sanders and husband of Niki Sanders, he has the power to phase through solid objects.

[edit] Character history

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Six months prior to most of the series' events, D.L. was a construction worker. He and his wife Niki were having financial troubles and construction didn't pay very well. At one point, they considered letting Niki's father, Hal, into their lives. Being successful in the stock market, Hal seemed like he could be a good grandfather and help them finacially. However, they soon realized he was still the same abusive, short tempered man that Niki had tried to forget and did not accept him back into their lives. At some point, D.L. began leading a group of criminals who all wore skull rings. Ultimately, he left the gang before they stole two million dollars and killed a security guard, but he was arrested for the crime. Frustrated by police and his general situation, he discovered he possessed the ability to phase through solid matter. Although he did not consider it freedom, D.L. used his power to escape prison in hopes of clearing his name and protecting his family.

As of the third episode, his mother Paulette and son had both apparently been in contact with him. They also believed him to be innocent, although Niki was not as sure. D.L. first appeared near the end of "Hiros", the fifth episode. Niki's home had been placed under heavy guard by police due to their suspicion that he would come to her. Despite this, D.L. was able to enter the house and spy on his family. In the sixth episode, D.L. revealed his presence to Niki and Micah. He tried to convince his wife that he was innocent, and traveled with her to an undisclosed facility. Within, they found the mutilated corpses of several men. After Niki and D.L. returned home, he found out that she was the one who had framed him and taken the $2 million. They fought, and during the fight D.L. used his phasing abilities to reach through Niki's abdomen to choke her. D.L. ran, taking a worried Micah and the money, leaving Niki on the floor. Over the course of the next few episodes, D.L. drove his son far from Niki.

Micah was upset that they had left his mother there, but D.L. said they couldn't go back. They stopped when they came across two cars that had collided in the middle of the road. D.L. phased his arm through the window to unlock the door, and he pulled the female passenger from the burning vehicle. The car exploded just as he was carrying her away from the car, but through the actions of Hiro Nakamura, a Japanese man who had also stopped to help out, both D.L. and the woman were saved. Afterward, Micah told his father that he was proud of his heroism.

That night, they stopped at a motel, where D.L. caught his son playing with an out-of-order pay phone. D.L. told Micah he would always love Niki, but that it wasn't safe for Micah to be with her because she had changed. Micah told his father that his mom was sick, that she had an alternate personality that she didn't seem to be aware of. Micah insisted that they must help her, and D.L. reconsidered his position. Micah then admitted that he had called her and told her where they were staying. D.L. hurried Micah into the passenger seat of the car, and as he was getting in to drive away, he was shot by Jessica, Niki's alternate personality. Though the first shot hit him, he was able to phase in order to allow another bullet pass through him. He ran with his son into the nearby woods, laying a false trail to lead Jessica away from them. They found an unoccupied cabin, and D.L. unlocked the door from the inside to find some bandages. Jessica finally tracked them down and she fought with D.L., but after Micah was thrown against some rocks, Niki was able to reassert herself over Jessica, and D.L. connected with her again.

[edit] Powers and abilities

D.L Hawkins has the ability to phase through solid objects. He first displays these powers in episode five's on-line graphic novel, which details his escape. While being questioned by police, D.L. snaps when an arrogant officer makes a crude remark about Niki. D.L. unwittingly phases out of his handcuffs and nearly chokes the man. Later, after at least one failed attempt, D.L. manages to phase out of his jail cell.^[1]

By the sixth episode, he seems to have become much more adept with his powers. He easily uses them to spy on others and enter Niki's home while it was under guard by the police. He can even use his power combatively, though not without certain dangers to his opponent, this is seen in the fight scene between him and Niki. When Hawkins passes through something, its surface will warp slightly, like a liquid in slow-motion.