Hawk (G.I. Joe)
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| G.I. Joe character | |
| (General) Hawk | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | G.I. Joe |
| Specialty | G.I. Joe Commander |
| File name | Abernathy, Clayton M. |
| Birthplace | Denver, CO |
| SN | RA212754036 |
| Rank | O-7 |
| Primary MOS | Artillery |
| Secondary MOS | Radar |
| Voiced by | Ed Gilbert |
| Year introduced | 1982 |
Hawk (later General Hawk) is a 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 Major 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, a playset. 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 Brigadier 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", and promoted the character to Major General. In 2004, Hasbro brought a new twist with the more realistic "General Abernathy".
[edit] Comic Books
[edit] Marvel Series
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 gains their respect by personally leading missions and engaging the enemy head on. In one instance, he and Grunt go undercover to infiltrate Commander Wingfield's illegal militia.
After the death of Flagg, Hawk succeeds 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 is 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.
Soon after the Springfield incident, the Joe team was in danger of being shut down. Hawk met with three high ranking military officers deep in the otherwise empty P.I.T.T. Robotic Cobra forces, known as Battle Android Troopers attack. The four put up devastating fight, destroying many androids. A general and the Admiral die in the battle, sacrificing themselves to save the others. The surviving general puts all his influence behind Hawk.
During his time as commander, Hawk leads the team through such difficult times as the Cobra Civil War and the catastrophic Battle of Benzheen. Many members of G.I.Joe died during that operation.
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 Series
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. During 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] Devil's Due: America's Elite
In the current series, Hawk is scarcely seen; he is undergoing physiotherapy. 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 was captured at this time (Hunt for Cobra Commander Special). Eventually Hawk comes back to the team after Snake-Eyes is brought back from the dead to help the team in an advisory role. He is listed as a Reservist that has been activated. He is also still forced to use a wheelchair and is still determined that Cobra Commander is still alive. Eventually Spirit is found and reveals his findings to Hawk and the team. Hawk was a member of the Team when they were attacked by Phoenix Guard.
[edit] Comics - Alternate Realities/Continuities
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Marvel
In the original alternate continuity series, the Joes come into conflict with the Transformers and Cobra over a mobile power station that could increase energy reserves for anyone who takes control over it. Notably, Hawk strikes up a brief romantic relationship with a U.S. Senator.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
This series as of 2007 is composed of four mini-series that chronicle a new origin to the G.I. Joe team through the discovery of the Transformers by the new terrorist organization, Cobra. This series is published by Devils Due.
Hawk is the commander of a group of US army soldiers (including Stalker and Snake-Eyes) assigned to protect a peace conference in Washington DC, when they find themselves under attack by unknown forces using high-tech military-grade equipment. Some of this equipment transforms into high-tech robots.
After the attack, Hawk is made the leader of G.I. Joe, a special unit assembled for the purpose of taking down this organization, identifying itself as COBRA. G.I. Joe would learn the truth about Cobra both from Mercer, a defector, and Wheeljack and Bumblebee, two alien robots who avoided being found when their ship was discovered by COBRA, and decided to throw their lot in with the Joes. With the help of an encrypted signal sent by one of the enslaved robots, the Joes discovered the location of COBRA's hidden island base. As the Joes were preparing for an assault on the island, Hawk received orders to subdue the two alien robots that had allied with them, and take them to Area 51 for study while the Cobra base was nuked. But when Wheeljack warned Hawk about the catastophic reaction of the Energon COBRA was trying to stockpile with a nuclear explosion, he defied his orders and went with their original invasion plan.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II
...
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Art of War (Vol 3)
Hawk is commander of the Team stationed to protect a secret military base in Area 51. He is working with the Autobots to remove the remainder of Cybertronian technology from Earth, but later finds that the US Military was secretly bioengineering a Super Soldier, Serpent O.R. from the remains of Megatron, the fallen Decepticon leader and the Genetic Make-Up of Histories greatest Military leaders. Hawk is part of the team that goes to Cyberton and is captured by the Depticons. In the final Battle, Hawk uses the Matrix and becomes connected to it.
[edit] G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon (Vol 4)
[edit] Issue 1
Hawk has now left the G.I. Joe team after allegations of the events that occurred in Area 51, which has branded him a traitor. He is still connected to the Matrix and is troubled each night by a specific nightmare. This nightmare shows something that could possibly be part of a future yet to come in which all humanity is destroyed. During an interview, Hawk is summoned by the Autobots, whom he is actually working for and was the real reason he left the Joe team because they have discovered an ancient race in the Himalayan Mountains. Hawk calls in the aid of Flint and goes with Prime to investigate. There they encounter Bludgeon and Cobra La. As they are making a run for it, Prime is attacked by Bludgeon. Hawk uses his connection to the Matrix and uploads 11 Million songs to Bludgeon that temporarily knocks him out. As they continue to escape, they find they are trapped, until they meet Joseph Colton, who knows of Hawk.
[edit] Issue 2
Colton leads them further inside and after a few battles with the Honor Guard of Cobra La, the Joes put together a plan to save the day. Flint goes off into space with spores designed to destroy technology, while Colton, Hawk and Optimus Prime go to rescue Firewall and stop Cobra La. Hawk faces off against Globulus much like Falcon in the original movie, but is aided instead by Optimus Prime. As the issue ends, Hawk is seen again with the woman he once left, trying to put back together his life.
[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)". His first task is to have Sgt. Slaughter retrain the Joe team after a humiliating battle against Cobra forces. There was no explanation as to how Hawk became the leader. Hawk was voiced by Ed Gilbert.
[edit] DiC Series
In the DiC Entertainment version, he continues his leadership of G.I.Joe in the fight against Cobra where in the first season he was seen wearing his Flight suit and uses his Jet Pack to coincide with the release of his new figure.
In the second season his back to his old uniform the he was wearing in sunbow series but without the helmet and he is usually seen wearing shades.In the second season he appeared more often.
[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. He also was afraid that Cobra might become too strong for the Joes alone and commissioned Lt. Stone to create a new Sub Base and several new vehicles that are revealed in the opening of Season 2. Hawk has not been seen since Season 1.
[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. Although General Flagg was present in the show's 5-part opening miniseries, subsequent episodes of the cartoon series never showed Flagg again but instead identified Duke as the undisputed G.I. Joe leader. 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.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.
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. Another theory holds that General Flagg was killed offscreen at some point and replaced with Hawk during the course of first season. Both theories are only speculation, however.
[edit] External links
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