Shrike (comics)
Encyclopedia
Shrike
is the name of multiple fictional characters appearing in publications from DC Comics
.
sent to reclaim their stolen treasures from the white man. As the Shrike (in a long-beaked dark blue and gold "demon bird" costume design submitted by a teenage Dave Cockrum
), he encountered Hawkman
and Hawkgirl
in Hawkman #11 where the Thanagarian police officers captured him after an international crime spree and convinced him that he was not an avenging deity but in fact a shipwrecked alien prince who they returned to his home world and, after enduring time-distorting crystal spheres and attacks by flying soldiers and giant lizards, helped him reclaim his throne from the evil dictator Boras Boran who had usurped it from his late parents.
and joined his original Cadre
. Shrike used her ability to fly and her powerful shriek in battle against the Justice League of America
. Her childlike personality made her easily manipulated both by those that wished to use her power and those desiring her body, however her poor grasp of her own strength made her a lethal individual to those she meant no harm. After finding religion and embarking on a "spiritual quest" that left thirty-three men dead, Shrike was assigned to the Suicide Squad
. She again tries to continue her religious education with the Squad's priest. She dies in battle against the Ogaden Military. During the events of Blackest Night, Shrike's corpse is reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps
alongside several other fallen Suicide Squad members. A successor calling herself Starshrike joined the Cadre in her place.
created by writers Chuck Dixon
and Scott Beatty
and artists Javier Pulido and Marcos Martin
as a villain to Dick Grayson
(Robin
) and he appeared in Robin Year One #3.
A member of Ra's al Ghul's
League of Assassins
, the master martial artist Shrike operated a school for killers which he called the Vengeance Academy, teaching young children how to be assassins. After a disastrous encounter with the villain Two-Face
forced Dick Grayson
to give up his Robin identity, Dick infiltrated Shrike's school, to earn back Batman's
trust. Shrike was apparently the one to teach Dick the art of Escrima stick-fighting, as he was first seen using these weapons after training at the Vengeance Academy. When Shrike took out an assassination contract on Two-Face, he sent a number of his students to carry out the assassination, including Dick and Shrike's top student, a boy named Boone. Dick saved both Boone and Two-Face in the ensuing battle, confirming Shrike's suspicions that Dick was a spy. Batman arrived to save Dick, only to be badly wounded by Shrike. Two-Face himself arrived in the middle of this battle, wishing to kill his would-be assassins and accidentally killed Shrike just as the assassin was preparing to kill Dick. Two-Face escaped, and Shrike's school fled, with Boone greatly upset by the death of his master. Shrike's legacy was picked up by Boone - Shrike. Shrike's namesake, the bird of prey
Shrike
, is known for catching smaller animals and impaling them on spiked, thorns, barbed wire, etc. The assassin presumably took this name out of a preference for bladed and spiked weapons.
Shrike revealed that he had been so impressed with Dick's natural talents and martial arts prowess that he had intended to present the young teen to an "O-Sensei". It is unknown whether he referred to the League of Assassins' Sensei
, the individual only known as the O-Sensei
, Ra's al Ghul
, or another individual entirely.
, who would grow up to become Nightwing
. As Grayson was learning under the tutelage of the heroic Batman
, Boone was traveling throughout the Pacific Rim
, learning martial arts
from a number of teachers, including several former members of Ra's al Ghul
's League of Assassins
. In Hong Kong
Boone encountered Shrike, the "Master" that would turn him into a skilled and disciplined killing machine. Boone was part of the Vengeance Academy that Shrike operated in Gotham City, training young teens to become assassins. Dick Grayson, temporarily fired by Batman, infiltrated the school after an "audition" and formed a hesitant friendship with Boone. After Dick revealed the school to Batman following an abortive assassination attempt by the students on Two Face, leading to the death of Shrike by the villain (as mentioned above), Boone swore to avenge his master. After meeting with Talia al Ghul
, Boone continued his education by members of the League of Assassins
. Taking on his mentor's name, the new Shrike became one of the world's foremost assassins, killing throughout Asia
and the former Soviet bloc
, before returning to America to become the new chief enforcer of criminal kingpin Blockbuster in order to assassinate Nightwing. He twice failed in this regard. Shrike later appeared, after the death of Ra's al Ghul, as a member of Nyssa al Ghul
's new League of Assassins. Like his mentor and their namesake, the Shrike
, Shrike uses a number of bladed and spiked weapons, such as swords, bladed tonfa
, nets with fishing hooks added to them, and various knives and shuriken.
In Infinite Crisis
Boone joined Alexander Luthor, Jr.
's Secret Society of Super Villains
.
's Secret Society of Super Villains
.
. He is among the supervillains that attack Superman and Batman.
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
is the name of multiple fictional characters appearing in publications from DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
Toron Tos
Toron Tos was a super-powered orphan from the highly advanced planet Moronon in the distant Mizar system where everyone has wings who was raised on Earth by Comoc Indians who believed he was a divine messenger from their ancient god KukulkánKukulkan
Kukulkan is the name of a Maya snake deity that also serves to designate historical persons. The depiction of the feathered serpent deity is present in other cultures of Mesoamerica. Kukulkan is closely related to the god Q'uq'umatz of the K'iche' Maya and to Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs...
sent to reclaim their stolen treasures from the white man. As the Shrike (in a long-beaked dark blue and gold "demon bird" costume design submitted by a teenage Dave Cockrum
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
), he encountered Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
and Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
in Hawkman #11 where the Thanagarian police officers captured him after an international crime spree and convinced him that he was not an avenging deity but in fact a shipwrecked alien prince who they returned to his home world and, after enduring time-distorting crystal spheres and attacks by flying soldiers and giant lizards, helped him reclaim his throne from the evil dictator Boras Boran who had usurped it from his late parents.
Cadre
The second Shrike was an escaped mental patient who was empowered by the OvermasterOvermaster
The Overmaster is a DC Comics supervillain. He first appeared behind the scenes in Justice League of America #233 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Chuck Patton.-Fictional character biography:...
and joined his original Cadre
Cadre (comics)
The Cadre is a DC Comics supervillain group, except for members of the Cadre of the Immortal, most of whom were redeemed and became heroes by story's end...
. Shrike used her ability to fly and her powerful shriek in battle against the Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
. Her childlike personality made her easily manipulated both by those that wished to use her power and those desiring her body, however her poor grasp of her own strength made her a lethal individual to those she meant no harm. After finding religion and embarking on a "spiritual quest" that left thirty-three men dead, Shrike was assigned to the Suicide Squad
Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X , is a name for two fictional organizations in the DC Comics Universe. The first version debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 , and the second in Legends #3...
. She again tries to continue her religious education with the Squad's priest. She dies in battle against the Ogaden Military. During the events of Blackest Night, Shrike's corpse is reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
alongside several other fallen Suicide Squad members. A successor calling herself Starshrike joined the Cadre in her place.
League of Assassins
The third Shrike is a martial artistMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
created by writers Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
and Scott Beatty
Scott Beatty
Scott Beatty is an American author who has written comic books and encyclopaedias based on DC Comics characters.-Biography:Beatty has worked extensively for the popular comic book publisher DC Comics since the mid '90s...
and artists Javier Pulido and Marcos Martin
Marcos Martin
Marcos Martín is a Spanish comic book artist who worked for American comics, illustrating Batgirl: Year One, Doctor Strange: The Oath, Breach. He is the current artist of The Amazing Spider-Man...
as a villain to Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
(Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
) and he appeared in Robin Year One #3.
A member of Ra's al Ghul's
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
League of Assassins
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:...
, the master martial artist Shrike operated a school for killers which he called the Vengeance Academy, teaching young children how to be assassins. After a disastrous encounter with the villain Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
forced Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
to give up his Robin identity, Dick infiltrated Shrike's school, to earn back Batman's
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
trust. Shrike was apparently the one to teach Dick the art of Escrima stick-fighting, as he was first seen using these weapons after training at the Vengeance Academy. When Shrike took out an assassination contract on Two-Face, he sent a number of his students to carry out the assassination, including Dick and Shrike's top student, a boy named Boone. Dick saved both Boone and Two-Face in the ensuing battle, confirming Shrike's suspicions that Dick was a spy. Batman arrived to save Dick, only to be badly wounded by Shrike. Two-Face himself arrived in the middle of this battle, wishing to kill his would-be assassins and accidentally killed Shrike just as the assassin was preparing to kill Dick. Two-Face escaped, and Shrike's school fled, with Boone greatly upset by the death of his master. Shrike's legacy was picked up by Boone - Shrike. Shrike's namesake, the bird of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
Shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
, is known for catching smaller animals and impaling them on spiked, thorns, barbed wire, etc. The assassin presumably took this name out of a preference for bladed and spiked weapons.
Shrike revealed that he had been so impressed with Dick's natural talents and martial arts prowess that he had intended to present the young teen to an "O-Sensei". It is unknown whether he referred to the League of Assassins' Sensei
Sensei (comics)
The Sensei is a fictional character in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. He is a martial artist and sensei created by writer-artist Neal Adams as a villain to fight the hero Batman. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #215 The Sensei is a fictional character in DC Comics' shared...
, the individual only known as the O-Sensei
O-Sensei (comics)
O-Sensei is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He is a martial arts master who first appeared in Dragon's Fists, a novel by Dennis O'Neil and Jim Berry, starring Richard Dragon...
, Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
, or another individual entirely.
Boone
As a teenager, the boy known only as Boone was a friend of Dick GraysonDick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, who would grow up to become Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
. As Grayson was learning under the tutelage of the heroic Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Boone was traveling throughout the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
, learning martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
from a number of teachers, including several former members of Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
's League of Assassins
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:...
. In Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Boone encountered Shrike, the "Master" that would turn him into a skilled and disciplined killing machine. Boone was part of the Vengeance Academy that Shrike operated in Gotham City, training young teens to become assassins. Dick Grayson, temporarily fired by Batman, infiltrated the school after an "audition" and formed a hesitant friendship with Boone. After Dick revealed the school to Batman following an abortive assassination attempt by the students on Two Face, leading to the death of Shrike by the villain (as mentioned above), Boone swore to avenge his master. After meeting with Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
, Boone continued his education by members of the League of Assassins
League of Assassins
The League of Assassins is a group of fictional comic book villains, an organization of killers formerly led by Ra's al Ghul, an enemy of Batman in the DC Comics Universe.-Doctor Ebeneezer Darrk:...
. Taking on his mentor's name, the new Shrike became one of the world's foremost assassins, killing throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and the former Soviet bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
, before returning to America to become the new chief enforcer of criminal kingpin Blockbuster in order to assassinate Nightwing. He twice failed in this regard. Shrike later appeared, after the death of Ra's al Ghul, as a member of Nyssa al Ghul
Nyssa Raatko
Nyssa Raatko is a fictional character, an assassin and terrorist created by Greg Rucka and Klaus Janson for the Batman series of comic books.-Fictional character biography:...
's new League of Assassins. Like his mentor and their namesake, the Shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
, Shrike uses a number of bladed and spiked weapons, such as swords, bladed tonfa
Tonfa
The tonfa , also known as tong fa or tuifa, is an Okinawan weapon. It is a stick with a handle, and is about 15-20 inches long. It was traditionally made from red oak and wielded in pairs...
, nets with fishing hooks added to them, and various knives and shuriken.
In Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
Boone joined Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
's Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
.
Final Crisis
One of the Shrikes was seen as a member of LibraLibra (DC Comics)
Libra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
's Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
.
Film
Shrike (Boone) appears in Superman/Batman: Public EnemiesSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies
# "Markets Crash"# "Main Titles"# "Freeway Chase"# "Admit Something"# "Meteor"# "Metallo"# "High Voltage"# "Framed"# "Luthor talks to Power Girl"# "S.T.A.R...
. He is among the supervillains that attack Superman and Batman.