10 Comic Book Origin Changes Fans Hated

DC's Golden Age heroes all had interesting and fantastical origins, but none were as fascinating as Hawkman. The first Hawkman appeared in Flash Comics #1 in 1940, and he was named Carter Hall, a learned man who turned out to be a reincarnation of the ancient Egyptian Prince Khufu.

Alongside this revelation, he discovered the flight-granting properties of "ninth metal," which was later altered a bit to be called "Nth Metal." He created an elaborate costume, threw on some large wings, which he could use to control his flight, and became Hawkman; an archaeologist by day — superhero by night!

He used some of the ancient weapons displayed in the museum he curated and a companion hawk named Big Red to fight crime, and the character was loved by many a young reader. After all, there was a mystical and historical aspect to his origin that made him far more interesting than someone who took a shower in radioactive bathwater.

By the Silver Age, everything changed at DC, and the character got a complete overhaul. No longer was he an intelligent scientist, working to overturn the world's ills with ancient weaponry and mysterious metal; he was a Thanagarian police officer who made his way to Earth and became a superhero. All of the more interesting aspects of his origin were wiped away with one word: alien.