Hawk (G.I. Joe)
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Hawk (later General Hawk) is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys. He appears in the animated series, comic books, toyline and movie.
Hawk is the code name of Brigadier General Clayton M. Abernathy. He is the commander of the G.I. Joe Team. Born in Denver, Colorado, he comes from a wealthy family whose influence enabled him to enroll in West Point where he graduated at the top of his class. He was even able to gain experience in the battlefield in several trouble spots. One description of him is that he is "keenly intelligent and perceptive and quite capable of totally selfless acts in support of his team-mates. An excellent leader!"
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[edit] Hasbro Toy
In the toyline, Hawk was part of the first wave of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero action figures that were released in 1982. He was bundled with the Mobile Missile System. It is doubtful Hasbro had him in mind as the G.I. Joe leader. While his file card has flattering statements and he held the rank of colonel, his designated function is anything but. The job description he was given, "Missile Commander", is rather modest compared to the role he played in the comics' stories, where he began as the team's field commander, and eventually moved into the overall commander role.
In 1986, the character finally received his due when Hasbro released a new Hawk action figure who carried the rank of general. The cartoon followed suit and Hawk became the official G.I. Joe commander. That version of Hawk is considered by many to be the most memorable. He received a slight name change and a new action figure in 1991. No longer just "Hawk", the name was extended to "General Hawk" and subsequent releases used this name until the end of toyline in 1994.
When new G.I. Joe action figures based on the ARAH line were released in 2000, Hasbro could no longer release the character with the name "Hawk" attached. They had failed to renew their trademark claim to the name and he had to be released as "General Tomahawk". Fan reaction to the name was mixed but little could be done. In 2004, Hasbro brought a new twist with the more realistic "General Abernathy".
[edit] Comic Books
[edit] G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
Hawk is the original field commander of the G.I. Joe Team. Gen. Lawrence J. Flagg was the original commanding officer for the team's first few years. Hawk, who was a colonel then, was responsible for recruiting most of the roster that made up the first Joe Team. He quickly gained their respect by personally leading missions and engaging the enemy head on.
After the death of Flagg, Hawk succeeded him as the commander. Operations at the Pit (the Joes' headquarters) kept him busy and he had to relegate field command to a new character, Duke. Eventually, Hawk was promoted to general and took full command. He was commanding officer of the G.I. Joe team beginning with the invasion of the Cobra-controlled town of Springfield. During his time as commander, he led the team through such difficult times as the Cobra Civil War and the catastrophic Battle of Benzheen.
His final act as G.I. Joe commander was to oversee the ceremony of the closing of the Pit when the Joes were decommissioned at the cancellation of the series.
[edit] Devil's Due G.I. Joe (Re-instated)
When Cobra returned a few years later, he lobbied for the re-instatement of the G.I. Joe Team. He was successful in getting the team re-instated, however, he did not re-assume full command. The leadership responsibility was passed onto Duke while Hawk took on a more advisory role as well as keeping an eye on the Jugglers, a cabal of generals with an agenda of their own.
When the Joe team managed to capture one of Cobra's high ranking officers, Destro, Destro offered to help them capture Cobra Commander in exchange for his freedom. A plan was put into effect, and Cobra attacked to rescue Destro. Durring the action, Hawk was shot in the waist by Cobra Commander, who was in turn shot by the Baroness and captured. Hawk lapsed into a coma in which he had a dream where he was finally retiring and settling down with his wife, who in reality was long dead. He then visited Cobra Commander in prison and the two argued before Cobra Commander moved from the shadows to reveal Hawk's face. When Hawk woke up he learned that he the bullet that hit him was lodged within his spine and it has left him paralyzed below the waist. This experience has made him a bit crazed, intensifying his hatred for Cobra Commander. Unknown to Hawk, it was not Cobra Commander that shot him, for Zartan had switched places with the Commander shortly before the incident.
[edit] G. I. Joe: America's Elite
In the current series, Hawk is scarcely seen; he is undergoing physiotherapy, which leads fans to believe he will eventually make a come-back. General Joseph Colton (the original G. I . Joe) is assuming command, at the president's request. He is still obsessed with the capture of Cobra Commander, who has not been seen since Cobra's defeat a year earlier. He sent the master tracker Spirit [1]to search the world for Cobra Commander. Spirit managed to locate Cobra Commander, but whether he has been able to contact Hawk, or even his fate, are currently unknown.
[edit] Cartoon
[edit] A Real American Hero
Hawk was brought in to lead the G.I. Joe Team. His first appearance is in the second season premiere episode "Arise, Serpentor, Arise! (Part One)". There was no explanation as how Hawk came to become the leader. Hawk was voiced by the late Ed Gilbert.
[edit] DIC Series
In DIC, he continues his leadership of G.I.Joe in the fight against Cobra where he is usually seen wearing shades.
[edit] Sigma 6
In the current continuity, Hawk is a mentor to Duke.
In the events of G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, the direct-to-video movie that preceded G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, Hawk was abducted by Cobra and was mutated and brainwashed into Venomous Maximus, who collaborated with Overkill to take over. But the antidote returned Hawk to his old self. By the time Sigma 6 started, Hawk was still recuperating from the ordeal. Here, it was revealed he had a teenage son, Scott, who is an expert with computers.
[edit] Cartoon/Comic Confusion
Followers of the cartoon crossing over to the comic book and vice versa may be confused upon the first time with the differences within the two continuities, particularly the leadership over the Joe Team.
The comics, which came first, always had Hawk set as the leader. Gen. Flagg may have been the first G.I. Joe commander but rarely does he engage in action or even play an important role. Hawk had an action figure and was a primary character in the stories, and there was little likelihood of his being killed off.
Meanwhile, the animated series debuted about two years after the toyline and comics. The cartoon series clearly identifies Duke as the undisputed G.I. Joe leader and he was for the majority of episodes. Hasbro (the maker of G.I. Joe toys), eventually, released a new Hawk action figure in 1986. The second season finally introduced Hawk in animated form but no attempt was made to explain how he came to be the new commander. Everyone simply went about as if he has always been the Joe leader.
Some fans have tried to rationalize that Hawk was always in charge of G.I. Joe, but was acting in an administrative role while Duke was just "minding the store" so to speak. In the comic book, Hawk had crew cut blonde hair and blue eyes, but when he was introduced in the cartoon, the animators gave him black hair and brown eyes in order to differentiate him from Duke.
| Toy Line | G.I. Joe | G.I. Joe Adventure Team | G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | Action Force | Sgt. Savage and the Screaming Eagles | G.I. Joe Extreme | Hall of Fame | Masterpiece Edition | Timeless Collection | Classic Collection | G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 |
|---|---|
| Comics | List of G.I. Joe comics |
| Animated Series | Sunbow series | DiC series | G.I. Joe Extreme | Sigma 6 |
| G.I. Joe Characters | Duke | Snake-Eyes | Scarlett | Stalker | Hawk | Flint | Lady Jaye | Roadblock | Shipwreck | Cover Girl | List of G.I. Joe ARAH characters |
| G.I. Joe Villains | Cobra Commander | Destro | Baroness | Zartan | Storm Shadow | Dr. Mindbender | Serpentor | Firefly | Overkill |
| Movies | G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) | Spy Troops (2003) | Valor vs. Venom (2004) |
| Factions | G.I. Joe | Cobra | Dreadnoks | Oktober Guard | Iron Grenadiers | Cobra-La | Arashikage | Phoenix Guard |
| Video Games | G.I. Joe | The Atlantis Factor |
