#14 Spacehawk
This one came from a desire to do a Superman archtype, but somehow, turned into a RetroFix of a Public Domain character (named, Spacehawk, who was created by Basil Wolverton). This is probably the most I’m going to write about any of the characters I’m submitting for the Challenge, so bear with me.
Concept: When I found out that Spacehawk (the name) was taken, I wanted to see what the character was all about, so I did my research, and found that the original Spacehawk was a futuristic character that, to keep up with the times, was put into the War and fought Hitler, etc. The book was cancelled soon after (or, at least, his feature). And that’s when my concept came up…
Spacehawk was from an alien humanoid planet and came to our world to protect us from alien threats. He helped in the Allies war effort among other heroes of the day, but shortly after the Atomic Bomb was dropped, he disappeared into the heavens. As more atomic (and then nuclear) weapons were tested, Spacehawk found that the Earth itself was poisoned. He could no longer touch the ground for fear of dying (his alien physiology was susceptible to such radiation). He has returned, but as long as the Earth continues to destroy itself, he may never come back fully. He hovers and flies everywhere on Earth, and even has an Earthbound wife (Ladyhawke, see Character #16), but if he ever sets foot on the ground, his body will begin to deteriorate at a rapid rate.
(By the way, I couldn’t find any indication of powers, so I just took liberties.)
Design: When I started putting together my Superman, I wanted a cape. The belt and helmet look sufficiently alien, as does the logo. Love the colors (Michelle’s suggestions). When I saw the original, I realized mine looked nothing like Wolverton’s. Just for fun, I did a mockup of the original (see below).
Art by Sean Izaakse!
Copyright © 2010, Vito Delsante.
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm not exactly sure what I should put here, so here goes. I'm a writer, written for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, AdHouse Books, and Simon & Schuster, among others and his stories have been reprinted in other countries. Mostly concentrating on creator owned work right now, so the challenge suits me just fine. I live in Queens (Astoria/LIC), NY with my wife, Michelle, and two dogs, Kasey and Kirby. I'm not sure what else needs to be said, but I'm sure I'll keep changing this. Oh, here's something. I contribute to the Project Rooftop site. The RetroFix column was kind of my idea, so I feel like that experience will help me out here.Subscribe
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Haha, what a coincidence. The character I’m going to post today is a superhero named Skyhawk.
That’s a curious touch that radiation is causing him to become poisoned. It makes me wonder what sorts of power sources his own people might use.
What kinds of powers does he have?
I kept it simple. Flight & enhanced strength. More than that is overkill.
Looking forward to your version, Micah!