Albert "Al" Hawke is a former criminal and the father of police detective Jesse Reese.
Biography
Early life
Al Hawke is the son of a man who ran Gotham's criminal organizations until Black Canary decimated the groups. He would visit his father in prison where the man died.
Hawke later had Jesse Reese by an unnamed woman.[1]
Hunting Carolyn Lance
- "Nothing will distract me from your death."
- —Al Hawke to Carolyn Lance[src]
Al Hawke became the godfather of crime in New Gotham City. He placed a bounty on Carolyn Lance to have her killed because he blamed her for the death of his father as she destroyed most of his organization years ago.
When Carolyn returned to New Gotham to retrieve Dinah Redmond, Hawke was informed by Frankie Spitz that Spitz had a hood who was ready to kill her. When the hood failed, Hawke watched as Spitz killed him.
As he practiced his sword-fighting, Hawke was told by Spitz that Carolyn had been found by No Man's Land Collectables, so Hawke gave Spitz a power-dampening collar to help him.
At a riverside warehouse, Hawke had Carolyn tied to a pole and to a machine designed to constrict the life from her; he then purposefully destroyed the machine so that it could not be deactivated. As it constricted Carolyn's body, Hawke stayed focused on watching her die as his thugs fought Huntress; Dinah knocked him unconscious. Dinah could not stop the machine, as Hawke awakened and grabbed her to kill her. Dinah then focused her powers on Carolyn's collar, breaking it. Black Canary used her powers to blast everyone around her, stop the machine, and free herself. Hawke grabbed a rifle and started shooting, puncturing oil drums. The warehouse exploded with Dinah and Huntress outside as Black Canary covered their escape.
Hawke is put under police guard at the hospital. After he was berated by Jesse Reese for the death of Carolyn, Hawke told Jesse to call his mother. [1]
Redemption
Hawke managed to escape and had plastic surgery to avoid being recognized. Now as a former criminal, he was still found by Dinah. She wanted to get revenge for her mother's death, but she regretted it and let him go.[2]
Abilities
- "Hawke is a very dangerous man; we need a plan."
- —Barbara Gordon[src]
- Master strategist/Manipulator: Al is a highly intelligent individual, an excellent tactician and leader.
Equipment
Former equipment
- Power-dampening collar: Al had a collar to neutralize the power of Black Canary should he see her; he gave it to his hirelings in order for them to capture her.