In the age of the entertainment remixes, we’re getting all manner of reboots, remakes, and re-imaginings. Coming soon is the Hasbro cinematic universe that will feature and connect five 80s classic cartoons: M.A.S.K., Visionaries, Micronauts, ROM, and GI Joe. My inner 12-year-old is doing flips and cartwheels across a meadow made of candy. My present-day self is writing this article about SilverHawks, a forgotten 80s cartoon that would make for as good a cinematic universe as any other.
Come with me, into a world of re-imagination!
The Story
SilverHawks is the lesser-known cousin to ThunderCats. The 1986 cartoon is something of a cross between Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy except everything is bird themed. SilverHawks and ThunderCats were so related that they shared almost the entire voice cast. The pacing of both shows and structure of stories were also very similar.
The Story Then
It’s the 29th century in the Galaxy of Limbo where organized crime is running rampant. A group of heroes is given metal bodies, including wings, and tasked with stopping crime across the galaxy. #NoPressure
The Story Now
It’s the late 21st century in the Galaxy of the Milky Way and Earth is in the midst of a now 20-year long occupation from an alien force. Deep within a secret lab, a team of scientists has been experimenting with superhumans and cybernetics. A breakthrough leads to the first of the SilverHawks Program.
Tagline
The battle to save Earth is set to soar!
The Heroes
In the original SilverHawks, there were six main characters. However, here were lower it to three with hints at two other Hawks who we never see or meet.
Phoenix played by Joseph-Gordon Levitt
Called Quicksilver in the show, I’m sure Fox wouldn’t allow it, so we change it to Phoenix. It suits the bird-theme better anyway. SilverPhoenix’s upgrades allow him to generate and control fire, but Jonathon Quick needs to learn to control himself first.
Osprey played by Priyanka Chopra
Trained from birth for the SilverHawks program, Osprey is a no-nonsense warrior. As Osprey, her upgrades make her super-fast for short distances. She uses two “talons” or short swords. Osprey struggles to understand were the warrior ends and human begins.
Merlin played by Carlos Valdes
The comic-relief of the group and also the brains of the outfit. Merlin’s upgrades gave him shades of blue similar to a Merlin. Merlin is small but a smart and fierce fighter who enjoys creating new gadgets and weapons for missions.
The Villain
Mon*Star played by Michael Fassbender
ThunderCats had Mumm-Ra and SilverHawks fought Mon*Star. In the cartoon, Mon*Star was some kind of muscle-bound feline criminal mastermind. Here, he’s a refined mobster, overindulging in everything. As the heroes close in on Mon*Star, that’s when we learn exactly how he keeps control by force. Mon*Star turns into the armored beast from the cartoon, like an evil Hulk, nearly unstoppable.
The Universe
The first SilverHawks film would be a standalone action flick that introduces the overall concept and the threat of Mon*Star but creates a smaller, more personal victory for the characters that sets Mon*Star’s plans for Earth back.
From there, the film would branch off into the three leads for three new movies.
In the one centered on Phoenix, the leader learns the history of SilverHawks project and fights Proto-Hawk, a Frankenstein Hawk, the first to ever survive, who lives in torment and tries to exact revenge on the SilverHawks. Phoenix presumably kills Proto-Hawk at the end.
For Osprey, her film takes her on a secret mission into the heart of Mon*Star’s empire where she must navigate the city of New Moscow to find plans for Mon*Star’s new weapon. The mission forces Osprey to confront her lack of humanity as she must blend in with the people of the city.
Merlin’s film finds him confronting a conspiracy within the SilverHawks where a group has developed a biological weapon that will kill 95% of humanoids on the planet.
The characters come together in a new trilogy that begins with Mon*Star stealing the plans for the bio-weapon, revealing it’s existence to everyone and fracturing the SilverHawks program in two. The heroes create HawkHaven for their operations while a new threat known as the Ravens arises.
In the sequel, Mon*Star has tested his new bio-weapon, wiping out one million people in New Venice over a 24 hour period. The heroes, now joined by Proto-Hawk, discover Stargazer, the originator of the SilverHawk program who made the discovery that leads to the group’s upgrades. With Stargazer, the team receives new power boosts and decide it’s time to take the fight to the heart of Mon*Star.
In the final film, the team is racing against time. Mon*Star has unleashed a super-virus that is spreading across the world. In three days, 90% of human life will be extinguished, leaving Earth to Mon*Star forever. In the vain of Fury Road, the entire film is a fight through Mon*Star’s capital territory.
Too Long, Didn’t Read
There you have it. SilverHawks, an 80s cartoon that few ever talk about re-imagined as a seven-movie cinematic universe. There’s room to grow, too. So, if Warner Brothers is listening, I’ll joyfully write the scripts for a low fee.
Did you like my re-imagining? More are coming, and I take suggestions. Got a cartoon you think I could re-imagine? Post it in the comments below.
