WANaijaOnPointG: Contains Spoilers for Absolute Evil #1 (2025)!
Eighty-four years of friendship and lore are turned upside down after one founding Justice League member murders an A-List hero. Set in the Darkseid-created Absolute Universe, where villains are pure evil and heroes are grittier and more hardcore than ever, this shocking event marks an epic departure from the typical lore.
Earlier this week, DC teased that Hawkman had been reimagined as a villain in their preview for Al Ewing and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s Absolute Evil #1. The iconic hero was shown fraternizing with members of the House of Un-American Activities Committee, making it clear this was not the Hawkman fans know and love.
With the full issue now released, readers have unmistakable confirmation that Hawkman is a morally black villain who serves as the attack dog for the Absolute Universe’s group of villains, going as far as to kill the recently debuted Green Arrow.
Hawkman Kills Green Arrow, Solidifying His Villain Status in the Absolute Universe
Comic Page Comes from Al Ewing’s Absolute Evil #1 (2025) – Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli
Absolute Evil #1 brings together the primary antagonists from each Absolute title, including Elenore Thawne (Absolute Flash), Hector Hammond (Absolute Green Lantern), Veronica Cale (Absolute Wonder Woman), Joker (Absolute Batman), and Ra’s al Ghul (Absolute Superman). The villains meet to discuss the growing threat of rising heroes in the world they rule with an iron fist.
Not everyone at the meeting is eager to form an alliance. Hammond dismisses the need for help in dealing with threats like Green Lantern. But Cale and al Ghul, who are leading the meeting, demonstrate the efficiency and benefits of a partnership by calling in Mr. Hall, a.k.a. Hawkman.
In full warrior garb, Hawkman enters carrying the corpse of Oliver Queen, who had spoken out against corporations such as Lazarus, and places the man’s bloody body on the table. The scene implies Hawkman killed Queen, with Ra’s using the moment to show how efficiently Lazarus handles threats and to persuade the others to join forces.
Hawkman’s Absolute Universe Redesign Is an Epic Tribute to His Golden Age Origin
Comic Page Comes from Al Ewing’s Absolute Evil #1 (2025) – Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli
Given that Hawkman now serves as the enforcer for the Absolute Universe’s most morally corrupt, there is no denying that his debut in Absolute Evil firmly establishes him on the side of villainy, a bold and surprising new direction for the character. Yet, despite this shift, DC still honors Hawkman’s original origins in a quiet and clever way.
Along with his full warrior garb, Hawkman sports a ‘mummy’ look, with any exposed skin wrapped in bandages. This appears to reference his Golden Age origins as archaeologist Carter Hall, the reincarnation of the slain Egyptian prince Khufu. This is an epic nod to the character’s past amid this dark new path for a once heroic Justice League member.
ABSOLUTE EVIL #1 is available now from DC Comics!