Origin
Hannibal Hawkes left home at an early age, and was taken in by a whaling captain named Monbelle. Monbelle was like a father to Hawkes, and encouraged him to be intelligent. Years on, the captain was murdered whilst in town before a whaling trip by an angry sailor who wanted a bigger cut of his pay. Monbelle died before the young Hawkes, who had just been told by Monbelle’s wife she was pregnant. Monbelle died before Hawke had a chance to tell him. Wracked with guilt, Hawkes grew up to be a traveling handyman that moonlighted as a vigilante.
Character Creation
Nighthawk was created by George Kashdan.
Major Story Arcs
Nighthawk traveled the west in his alter ego of Hannibal Hawkes, “Fix-em” Man, whose covered wagon home/workshop advertised that he could repair, rebuild and resharpen anything on the spot. The young craftsman moved from town to town earning his keep with his wits and skills.
With his jet black stallion, Nighhtwind, Nighthawk proved a potent force for law and order, relying on his skill with a six gun and lasso to battle injustice whenever he came across it. Eventually Hawkes took in a young orphan named Jim Peyton after outlaws had killed his uncle, a federal marshal in Flagstaff. The killers tried to murder the boy before he could turn them in, but Nighthawk intervened. As a result of this, Nighthawk was captured by the killers and only Jim’s quick thinking and brave actions saved the lawman from death.
Hannibal Hawkes and Jim Peyton rode the wide-open, often lawless territory together, helping to bring peace and develop the nation. Nighthawk’s fame spread, catapulting the crime fighter into the ranks of Western legend. Before long every frontier and settlement knew of his exploits.
Eventually, Jim remained in one of the endless towns they passed through to enter the school in Blue Blazes under Miss Pritchett, the stern school-marm. After that, Nighthawk seemed to spend more time in his masked identity, relying less and less on his Hannibal Hawkes persona. Finally, Hawkes became a victim of the so – called Crisis on Infinite Earths, dying as he lived – protecting others from evil.
Nighthawk and Cinnamon eventually thrown into a mine by a group of angry cowboys. When in the mine, the duo found a necklace made of Nth Metal on the neck of a long dead Indian. This granted the duo increased strength and healing abilities, allowing them to escape from the mine.
Nighthawk and his lover Cinnamon have teamed up alongside brutal vigilante Jonah Hex on occasion, including in New Orleans against Nativist narchist group August
Nighthawk and Cinnamon are earlier incarnations of Hawkman, Prince Khufu and and Hawkgirl, Princess Chay-Ara.
Legends of Tomorrow
Hannibal Hawkes is mentioned as a love interest to Princess Chay-Ara during the time the team was in 1861. Hawkgirl and White Canary found out when they located one Hawkgirl’s past lives.