Sasha Martens

Origin

Sasha Martens grew up as a “military brat”.  Her father, Colonel Michael Martens of the U.S. Air Force, came from a long line of military men.  When Sasha was a child, she almost died of leukemia but was cured with an experimental drug from the government.

Wiley Wolverman also had a strange disease when he was a kid and was cured through the same program.  Wiley had an unconventional family life; his father Jesse was a nihilist and his mother Polly was a Broadway star.

When Sasha reached adulthood, she attended a concert of the band named the Doves.  As a riot broke out, Sasha met a Dove, the band guitarist Wiley Wolverman, and the two departed.  Sasha and Wiley learned they were both part of the same military experiment and searched for answers at a nearby military base.  Sasha looked for records to Doctor Thurber Avian’s “Operation Raptor”.  The two discovered that civilians were used in these experiments.  Sasha and Wiley encountered a bird/man creature accessing the files, and soon the military police arrived and a scuffle ensued.  Sasha and Wiley eluded the police and retreated to Wiley’s apartment.  Upon awakening, Sasha and Wiley sprouted wings, which they learned to mentally control manifesting or retracting them into their backs.  They vowed to track down Dr. Avian as the government started to hunt them as fugitives.

Sasha and Wiley were captured by Dr. Avian while trying to locate him.  Avian revealed the government used his research findings (although they declared him insane).  Most experiments were failures, except Wiley and Sasha, because the godwave energies coincided with their development.  Avian, now utterly insane, wanted to extract DNA samples from the duo to recreate his formula.  Sasha and Wiley escaped as Avian’s lab exploded.  Vigilante (Pat Trayce) and Vixen tracked down Hawk & Dove at the behest of Checkmate, as unscrupulous Government Agent Freitag dispatched the Suicide Squad to hunt them.

The duo, with the help of Vigilante, Vixen, and Colonel Martens, repelled the Suicide Squad and found a temporary safe haven.  As Suicide Squad assaulted the heroes, Amanda Waller learned of Agent Freitag’s duplicity: Freitag planned on using Hawk & Dove as his own personal predators or kill them.  Waller tried to stop him as he flew off in an exo-suit to retrieve the avian duo himself.  Freitag very nearly defeated them until Sasha and Wiley were able to establish physical contact, giving them both a power boost able to rip apart Freitag’s exo-suit.  Meanwhile, Waller ordered the Suicide Squad to stand down and bring Freitag into custody.  Waller offered Hawk & Dove a position working for the government under her auspices.  Sasha was willing, but Wiley declined working for “The Man”.  Wiley confessed his love for Sasha as he kissed her departed.

Apparently, Hawk & Dove remained partners, as they both appeared in a membership drive for a Titans West Coast team.

Powers & Abilities

Hawk & Dove can manifest wings by mentally willing them to sprout from their backs.  This enables them to fly.  Hawk & Dove also possess a sonic shriek ability.  The duo also experience a boost in powers, increasing their strength, stamina and endurance, when they are in close proximity to each other.  Sasha is an above-average fighter, having grown up as an “military brat” in the Air Force.