Hawkman is one of the oldest of DC Comics' superheroes, having been created in 1940, during The Golden Age of Comic Books. He's also one of the most infamous cases of Continuity Snarl in the world of comics.
As originally envisioned, Hawkman was really archeologist Carter Hall, who discovered that he was actually the reincarnation of an Egyptian prince named Khufu, and that he had been murdered long ago by an evil priest along with the woman he loved. Furthermore, both the priest and his lover had also been reincarnated, and the former had now captured the latter! Arming himself with equipment found at a museum, as well as using an anti-gravity metal called "Ninth metal" (later renamed Nth metal) to fly, Carter created the costumed identity of Hawkman to go rescue her. Shiera Saunders would later join him in his adventures as "Hawkgirl". Hawkman would also become one of the founders of the first superhero group, the Justice Society of America. Hawkman was the only hero to appear in every single Golden Age JSA story. When Alan Scott/Green Lantern left the group, Hawkman was elected chairman and remained so for the rest of the JSA's run in All-Star Comics.
Hawkman's feature in Flash Comics ended when that book was canceled in 1949. He continued to appear in All-Star Comics until that book was cancelled in 1951, bringing DC's Golden Age of superhero comics to an end. During The Silver Age of Comic Books, he was reinvented, this time as Katar Hol, a law enforcement agent from the planet Thanagar (conveniently inhabited by Human Aliens) who came to Earth (along with his partner and wife Shayera) to study Earth's crimefighting techniques, and they assumed the identities of museum curators Carter and Shiera Hall. They also acted as superheroes (using their Thanagarian uniforms) and became known as Hawkman and Hawkgirl (later renamed Hawkwoman). They soon joined the Justice League, the modern version of the Justice Society, and even met the original Hawks during the League's team-ups with the Society (which was established as having existed in the parallel universe called Earth-2.)
(At around this time, Hawkman appeared on Challenge of the Super Friends. Since no one on that show was allowed to throw a punch, his prowess was portrayed as ... somewhat less than stellar. Basically, he could fly, and that's it — which for a super hero is like being able to tie your shoes.)
Up to this point, there was no real confusion over the Hawkman characters. It all started after DC decided to Retcon their universe with the Crisis Crossover called Crisis on Infinite Earths. All of DC's titles were supposed to undergo a reboot afterwards; but due to poor editorial overseeing, some titles were rebooted but others were not. More specifically, the original Silver Hawkman was initially still around after the Crisis, even having his own ongoing series again. However, in 1989, Tim Truman and John Ostrander wrote a miniseries called 'Hawkworld'; the idea was not to remove or retcon the Silver Age Hawks as they were now, but rather to give their origin a more modern update. However, for whatever reason, it was decided that Hawkworld would turn out to have taken place in the present day, thus completely rebooting the Hawks, despite such a change occurring 4-5 years after Crisis. In the end, Silver Age Hawkman was reinvented as a Darker and Edgier character who had only recently arrived on Earth—but due to this change happening several years after the Crisis instead of right after it, Hawkman was still supposed to have been a member of the League for years! They explained this by claiming that the winged heroes in the League were actually the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl (since all DC characters now existed in one universe) and, later, that a Thanagarian spy had joined the team as Hawkman.
When DC decided to fix its post-Crisis mistakes with another reality-changing crossover (Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!) somebody came up with the idea of having the various Hawks... merged into a single being, known as the "Hawk-god". This idea was poorly received and his series was soon cancelled. DC was so desperate over the mess that they actually forbade anybody from using the character for years. (Which is why Grant Morrison was forced to create/sub in Zauriel when he was writing JLA.)
When the Justice League animated series was made, it was decided that Hawkgirl, rather than Hawkman, would be a member (leading to an entire generation that consider Shayera, rather than Katar, to be "the" Justice League Hawk.) A Hawkman expy, Hro Talak, was introduced in the series as her former lover and a bad guy! Even later, an actual Hawkman character (Carter Hall, following a variation of the Golden Age reincarnation origin) was also introduced in the cartoon.
Back in the comics, DC tried to exploit Hawkgirl's post-cartoon popularity by introducing a version of her in the new JSA book. This was Kendra Saunders, the niece of Shiera who was not a reincarnation but had been posessed by her aunt after attempting suicide. Hawkman was finally brought back later in JSA, with a new origin that explains that both Khufu and his mate have reincarnated many times. Carter's new incarnation was born on Thanagar with some aspect of Katar Hol's soul, the latest attempt at tying the two Hawkmen together. The reborn Carter got his own book, which lasted until Infinite Crisis, at which point he got caught up in the Rann-Thanagar War and his unavailability for Eath-based stories meant Kendra got her own Hawkgirl book continuing the numbering, until it was cancelled sixteen issues later.
In 2011, the entire DC Universe was rebooted, erasing all the history (good or bad) of most characters including Hawkman. Hawkman had his own self-titled book which established him as Carter Hall... before Rob Liefeld came on as writer and retconned him into being Katar Hol. Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders again) is featured in James Robinson's Earth-2, but isn't connected to the Hawkman mythos, being neither a reincarnation or alien. Katar would eventually die in the Death of Hawkman miniseries. The DC Rebirth event Dark Nights: Metal reintroduced the reincarnating Hawks, both having operated as Hawkman and Hawkgirl in the past. Carter was introduced as being lost in the Dark Multiverse while Kendra Saunders (this time with memories of her previous lives) disposed of her Hawkgirl equipment and became Lady Blackhawk. In the aftermath of the event, the Hawkman (2018) series began, which starred Carter Hall and later also Shayera Thal, and explored the past lives of the Hawks — and revealed that life for them did not begin as Khufu and Chay-Ara. Kendra became a main character in Justice League (2018), which explored her ties to the Totality.
Hawkman and Hawkwoman appear as members of the Justice League on the Young Justice (2010) series. Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders) is a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us. Hawkman was also a recurring character in the late seasons of Smallville, played by Michael Shanks. Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders version) and Hawkman (Carter Hall) also feature in the first season of the Arrowverse spinoff Legends of Tomorrow, played by Ciara Renée (also Anna Deavere Smith in a past, elderly incarnation) and Falk Hentschel, respectively. Another incarnation of Hawkman appears in the 2022 film Black Adam set in the DC Extended Universe, portrayed there by Aldis Hodge.
This character(s) provides examples of the following:
- Adaptational Villainy: The third volume turns Golden Age character Spyder into a criminal who only pretended to be a hero, but was actually a total bastard. Given how the character's original stories had him pretty far on the "anti" side of anti-heroic anyway, it wasn't much of a stretch.
- Adaptation Origin Connection: In modern comics, frequently shares an origin story with Doctor Fate and Black Adam, as they all originated in ancient Egypt.
- Adventurer Archaeologist: Carter sometimes comes across as Indiana Jones crossed with Conan the Barbarian.
- Affectionate Nickname: Shayera calls Katar "peacock". In return, Katar calls her "magpie".
- Affirmative-Action Legacy: Kendra Saunders was half-white and half-Hispanic, in contrast to previous, white Hawkgirls.
- Always a Bigger Fish: The first issue of the Hawkworld mini-series begins with a hawk feeding a lizard to her babies. Then the mother hawk ends up getting eaten by a humanoid alien lizard. Then, the lizard-man sees the Wingmen's transport craft arriving and flees in terror.
- Anti-Hero: Carter Hall is a well-educated, suave, intelligent, and otherwise nice guy to be around. Hawkman on the other hand fights like Conan the Barbarian, and is not especially careful about injuring his supervillains, which he is likely to do thanks to his enhanced strength and weapons. Still, Hawkman is a fundamentally good person, he just occasionally lapses at times. In Hawkman v4 it was a constant personal struggle between being a man who upheld the law and acting like the warrior of violent times he'd been in his many past lives.
- Animal Talk: Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman can talk to birds as a result of side-effects from using the Absorbascon. Unlike Aquaman, they can't command them but rather use them as spies and snitches.
- Animal-Themed Superbeing: Hawks, naturally. Wings and all.
- Applied Phlebotinum: The "Nth Metal" from which the Hawks' wings are made.
- Archnemesis:
- Hath-Set to Carter and Shiera/Kendra.
- The Gentleman Ghost is often Carter and Shiera/Kendra's archenemy.
- Byth to Katar and Shayera.
- Ascended Extra:
- Kalmoran, in a way. He's first mentioned in The Brave and the Bold #43 as a folk hero, and his statue was seen stolen by the Manhawks in the flashback. In the Hawkworld mini-series, the reason he was a folk hero: he led his people against their oppressors, the Polaran Empire, and drove them from their planet.
- Krandor Vat, the High Mor (ruler) of Thanagar, made his only appearance in The Brave and the Bold #42. He had a bigger role in Elseworlds' Legend of the Hawkman.
- Ascended Fanboy: Charley Parker, he became Golden Eagle.
- Badass Bookworm: Carter Hall, an extremely intelligent archaeologist and historian, plus it helps to have several lifetimes of experience.
- Badass Family: When his origins are clear enough. Basically every single person in his family is a superhero of some kind- except his grandson Daniel. Daniel is the incumbent Anthropomorphic Personification of stories and dreams.
- Because Destiny Says So: The romance between Khufu/Carter and Chay-Ara/Shiera, and their battle with Hath-Set.
- Betty and Veronica: Shayera and Mavis Trent in the Silver Age. Mavis is always trying to get Katar's attention even though he's married.
- Break Out the Museum Piece: The Silver Age Hawks would occasionally use ancient weapons from the museum they work at. Later they instead used their Duplicator, to replicate the weapons.
- Canine Companion: In one issue, Shayera Hol has a pet poodle.
- Captain Ersatz: The angel Zauriel was a stand-in for Hawkman in the League during the time the latter was not usable.
- City of Adventure: Midway City, the second Hawkman's Earthly base of operations.
- St. Roch, Carter Hall and Kendra Saunder's base of operations.
- Clothes Make the Superman: All versions of Hawkman have depended on their costumes for their power of flight. The Golden Age Hawkman could fly using artificial wings made of "the ninth metal" or "the Nth metal." The Silver Age version, Katar Hol of Thanagar, had artificial wings powered by Thanagarian technology.
- Continuity Snarl: One of the most drastic in the history of comics. He has his own page.
- Covers Always Lie: Hawkworld Vol. 1 #3's back cover talks about the evils of the Thanagarian aristocracy and how Katar is the only one who can save Downside's alien population. While Katar runs a secret hospital for Downsiders using black market supplies, Katar never does anything to end Downside's oppression and even rejoins the Wingmen at the end of the series to satisfy his vengeance against Byth. Although, in fairness, Katar then turns his finances and reputation as a Thanagarian Hero toward helping the Downsiders in the ongoing series... albeit him doing so by hiring JLA villain Kanjar Ro as his frontman, not knowing how corrupt Ro is.
- Cult: The followers of Thasaro. However, their god kills them because he does not like to be used. Also the followers of Onimar Synn on Thanagar.
- Da Chief: Andar Pul
- Dirty Cop: Virtually the entire Wingmen force (especially post-Hawkworld), except for Katar and (Depending on the Writer) Shayera Hol. In fairness, the Wingmen believe that it's Katar that is the corrupt cop, since he opposes his people's fascist tendencies and is running an underworld operation to feed and provide medicine to the Downsiders.
- Doing In the Wizard: The Silver Age reinvented Hawkman as a Sci-Fi hero instead of a supernatural one.
- Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: Forerunner on Golden Eagle.
- Eagleland: The Hawkworld comics tend to portray America in either Flavor 2 or Mixed Flavor, while Katar Hol (inspired by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) embraces the Flavor 1 idealism and dreams of Thanagar following the same example.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: The last arc of the 2018 series has one of these, with Carter and Shayera finally having atoned for all the lives Katar took as a Deathbringer. They get to hop through time a bit and relive some adventures with the Justice Society — the life that the two acknowledge as their best one — and then grow old and retire, starting a school for superhero aliens where Carter finally gets to be a scholar like he wanted, while Shayera embraces her warrior side as an instructor. It all ends happily as the two get to live out their days together after lifetimes of death and destruction.
- Empowered Badass Normal: Depending on the version, the Hawks are normal people given superpowers through some method or other, usually by Nth metal.
- Fantastic Racism: Thanagar post-Crisis subjugated multiple alien worlds and uses their people as poorly paid wage slaves and treats them as second-class citizens.
- Fashion-Based Relationship Cue: During the comic's Silver Age era, as a Thanagarian Hawkgirl wore earrings to signify her status as a married woman. Mavis Trent believed that since Hawkgirl didn't wear a wedding ring, Hawkman was single, and often flirted with him.
- Flight: With artificial wings in the comics, and natural ones in the cartoon.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: Count Viper switched bodies with Shayera. Then he used her body to switch with Katar's. Viper-in-Katar imprisoned him/her, while Viper's henchmen tried to rape him/her! Katar-in-Shayera kicked their asses and was reunited with Shayera-in-Viper. With the help of Katar's mother, he, Shayera, and Count Viper entered the "spirit level" to fight each other, and returned back into their own bodies.
- Genetic Memory: Nth metal contains the racial memories of Thanagarians, which they passed on to Carter and Shiera Hall.
- God Guise: In one issue, Katar Hol was mistaken for the god Horus.
- Good is Not Nice: Katar and modern versions of Carter can be brutal combatants.
- Grand Theft Me: The spirit of Hath-Set, Carter and Shayera's worst enemy (the one who killed them in their first life in Egypt), can possess any of his descendants. Because his genes have had over five-thousand years to spread, that means approximately half of the human race. Count Viper's power does this as well.
- Hegemonic Empire: The Thanagarian Empire started out as this, and eventually becoming more of an actual Empire.
- I Believe I Can Fly: Flying is not the Hawks' only ability, but they're best known for it.
- Instant Messenger Pigeon: Commissioner Emmett's pet bird, sent to Hawkman when he's needed.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Carter Hall, especially in recent years.
- Legacy Character: Here has been at least four Hawkmen, two Hawkgirls, and two Hawkwomen.
- Love Triangle: Katar/Hawkman, Shayera/Hawkwoman, and Mavis Trent in the Silver Age.
- In the JSA days there was a bit of a triangle between Carter, Kendra and Roy Harper (Red Arrow).
- Loyal Animal Companion: Big Red, a large red hawk that often aids the Winged Wonders.
- Magical Native American: Katar Hol and his human mother.
- Matter Replicator: Thanagarians use a Duplicator, a device which reproduces objects in exact authentic detail in their original condition.
- Mishmash Museum: The Midway City Museum has an Egyptian look which suggests sole Egyptian artifacts, but also include archaic weapons from different cultures and nature displays.
- Missing Mom: Katar's mother, Faraway Woman ("Naomi Carter")
- My God, What Have I Done?: When Katar realized he killed his father and later, a Wingor who was making a set of wings for him.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Katar and Shayera Hol (pre-Crisis)
- Mythology Gag:
- In issue 2 of the Hawkworld mini-series, Katar is shown training in an outfit consisting of red briefs over green tights and the usual chest-straps while bare-chested, resembling his Silver Age appearance.
- In issue 3 of the Hawkworld monthly series, Katar went shirtless while in battle, also resembling his Silver Age appearance.
- In the Hawkworld Annual, the time-traveling Katar and Shayera disguised themselves as the Golden Age Hawks, the only time both Thanagarians accurately resemble their Silver Age incarnations in the Post-Crisis universe.
- Nebulous Evil Organisation: C.A.W. (Criminal Alliance of the World)
- Ninja: Shadow Thief, he learned ninjutsu techniques.
- No Communities Were Harmed St. Roch is a clear stand-in for New Orleans, which also exists in the DCU.
- No Name Given: Katar and Shayera's son and daughter in The Dark Knight Strikes Again. The son was only known as Hawkboy.
- Non-Human Sidekick: A large red hawk named Big Red often accompanies the Silver Age Hawks. A hawk by the same name accompanied the Golden Age Hawks in the 40s as well.
- Not His Sled: In the Hawkworld mini-series, Katar Hol meets Shayera Thal, whom we know will eventually become Katar's partner and wife, and become Hawkwoman. Except in the second issue, she was suddenly killed in a bombing attack. Then by the third and final issue, Katar meets another redheaded woman who joined the Wingmen, and revealed that she was adopted by Shayera's father who also named her Shayera due to her resembling his daughter. She also revealed that she was one of the orphans he met at the start of the first issue. In the Hawkworld monthly series, it was revealed that she's the illegitimate daughter of the first Shayera (then 13-years-old) and Commissioner Andar Pul.
- Older and Wiser:
- In Hawkworld issue 2, Katar had one that was an oppressed Wingor, named R'd Nar, who helped him get out of his funk.
- Katar's mother, Faraway Woman, who's a Cherokee medicine woman.
- Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: Hawkman vs Golden Eagle.
- Old Master: The Wingor R'd Nar from Hawkworld and Faraway Woman.
- Our Founder: Kalmoran, a legendary hero of Thanagar who led his enslaved people to rise up against the Polaran Empire.
- Our Werebeasts Are Different: Lion-Mane (a werecat). An archaeologist/lion-hunter transforms into the Lion-Mane by the power of a meteor.
- Parental Abandonment:
- Charley Parker was left in the Midway City's Sister of Mercy Orphanage by his parents.
- Shayera Thal was left in the Downside by her mother so as not to disgrace her family.
- Planet of Hats: Thanagar is essentially a world where everyone wears wings.
- The Power of Love: Hawkman and Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl
- Race Lift: George Emmett gone from white (pre-Crisis) to black (post-Hawkworld).
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Krandor Vat in Legend of the Hawkman.
- Reincarnation: Khufu/Carter and Chay-Ara/Shiera/Kendra were at first Egyptian nobles who died and were reincarnated as the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl. When Carter was brought back in 2001, it as retconned that a past life or his and Shiera/Kendra's were the Wild West heroes Nighthawk and Cinnamon. In 2018, during the DC Universe Hawkman series, an attempt to put an end to a Continuity Snarl Hawkman had become known for retconned that Carter and Shiera/Kendra had also reincarnated in space and that Katar and Shayera Hol were also in fact among these past lives.
- Reincarnation Romance: Khufu/Carter and Chay-Ara/Shiera/Kendra. They are reincarnated Egyptian nobles who were murdered but found each other again in modern times. In fact, thanks to an Nth Metal dagger, they are both cursed to meet, fall in love, and die tragically in each life.
- Rent-a-Zilla: Byth, when he turned into a giant dinosaur-like Brontadon.
- Retcon: In the first few decades, it was Ninth Metal. After a time, the middle dropped out and it became Nth Metal.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: Most of Katar and Shayera's enemies (including Shadow-Thief, Lion-Mane, Fadeaway Man, etc.) now become Carter and Kendra's enemies.
- Kanjar-Ro and Gentleman Ghost tend to be farmed out to other characters in extended media.
- Due to his reincarnation schtick, Hawkman has frequently opposed Vandal Savage.
- Sapient Ship: Sirius in the Hawkworld monthly series.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Thasaro in Elseworlds Legend of the Hawkman.
- Secret-Keeper:
- Commissioner George Emmett (he's gave Katar and Shayera their Earth names and jobs as museum curators)
- Charley Parker (before becoming Golden Eagle)
- Secret War: The Shadow War. Thanagarian agents infiltrate Earth to steal Katar and Shayera's equipment, since most of their technology was lost during the Equalizer Plague. Katar and Shayera initially kept their battles secret from the Justice League for their safety.
- Servant Race / Slave Race: The denizens of Downside. Aliens from conquered worlds end up there, forming a single, amorphous class of downtrodden slaves. Some Thanagarians themselves (Katar Hol and young Shayera Thal, each of them at one point) end up in this trope. Isamot Kol, a Lizard Man Green Lantern, is one of these aliens, but is proud to be from Thanagar.
- Shout-Out:
- Something Person: Hawkman follows this naming scheme.
- Space Police: The Wingmen force. Katar and Shayera are often referred to as "alien cops", usually by Green Arrow.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Hawkman can speak to birds because a device called an Absorbascon uploaded him with much information about Earth. May be a side effect.
- Savage Spiked Weapons: A spiked mace is the signature weapon of the Hawk family, which emphasizes the pseudo-Barbarian Hero feel of the characters.
- Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Since the turn of the millennium, Hawkgirl's received far more attention and exposure than Hawkman himself, given her prominence in the Expanded Universe including her role in Injustice: Gods Among Us, the DCAU, and Legends of Tomorrow.
- Solar System Neighbors: In the early 1940s Hawkman came across a crashed ship from Neptune on earth. Everyone on board were giants who had perished in the crash and the egg he looted from the debris ended up in the hands of an evil scientist. Hawkman fought the boy who hatched from the egg to the youth's death.
- Straw Character: During the Bronze Age, the Justice League writers, who were staunch liberals, used Hawkman as a somewhat thuggish conservative counterpoint to Green Arrow.
- Strong as They Need to Be: Hawkman has a nebulously defined amount of superhuman stats (ie: far stronger than any peak human but below Superman or Wonder Woman levels) that's never been clearly measured where he's powerful enough to hurt serious heavy hitters like Despero or Black Adam and draw blood from them but in turn, he can be hurt or even beaten by peak humans like Batman or low level superhumans like Deathstroke.
- Superhero Speciation: Only Hawkman (Katar Hol) was allowed membership of the JLA. It was many years before Hawkgirl (Shayera) became a member and broke the original twelve-member limit, after Hawkman threatened to resign if she was not. Also, Hawkgirl sometimes uses a bow and arrows, which is Green Arrow's specialty.
- Super-Strength: Though not as strong as Superman and Captain Marvel, Nth Metal does give him enhanced strength.
- Token Evil Teammate: Hawkman came off as this during his years with the Justice League, being a brutish rude thug who would be the most likely to kill his enemies in a plea of Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? if not reined in by his teammates and even opted to brainwash Batman when he uncovered Hawkman was part of conspiracy to brainwash villains who uncovered their identities. After being discovered, he displayed no remorse and simply voted to do the brainwashing again.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Well, Flying Shirtless Scene. Hawkman seldom wears a shirt.
- Wall of Weapons: Hawkman's own personal armory.
- Wedding Ring Defense: Played with in one Silver Age story. Carter Hall (Katar Hol) points out to a nosy co-worker that while he and Shiera (Shayera) might resemble Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Hawkgirl doesn't wear a wedding ring and Shiera does. He doesn't bother telling the guy that Thanagarian women wear wedding earrings instead (and yes, Hawkgirl's outfit includes those).
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Midway City is in Michigan. Or is it Illinois? Averted with St. Roch, which is explicitly in Louisiana.
- Will They or Won't They?:
- Katar Hol and Shayera Thal (Post-Crisis)
- Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders/Shiera Hall.
- They actually consummated their relationship after being resurrected in the finale of Blackest Night, as Shayera now has memories of all of her past lives, like Carter had always had in his current incarnation. Then she died again.
- Wind from Beneath My Wings: A standard attack form for Hawkman.
- Winged Humanoid:
- Manhawks and Feitherans.
- Wingors that are gorilla-like aliens with wings.
- Thanagarians that use the Applied Phlebotinum of "Nth Metal" to provide antigravity. That metal is usually carried in the belt, the wings themselves are typically attached to a harness and are only used to steer in flight. In some continuities (notably the DCAU), however, the wings are a part of their body.
- Katar Hol did had real wings briefly post-Zero Hour, as a result of merging with Carter, Shiera, and the "hawk god".
- You Can't Fight Fate: That's what Kendra Saunders was trying to do by refusing to engage in a relationship with Carter and avoid another tragic death. It didn't work out.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Katar and Shayera (pre-Crisis), as a result of helping Rann and Earth from Thanagar trying to take over the planets on separate occasions.
- You Killed My Father:
- Katar actually killed his father, but he had no idea it was him. Byth tricked him into thinking he was selling weapons to the Downsiders instead of smuggling them medication. He also also suffering drug withdrawals.
- In Hawkworld mini-series issue 2, Katar killed R'd Nar's brother because he was making a wing harness and thought he was going to escape without him. To his horror, he learned that he was making them for Katar and has natural wings. Though, R'd Nar doesn't hold it against Katar because he was in drug withdrawal and his brother wasn't afraid to die.
