Shrike is the name of multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
Fictional character biographies
Toros Tos
Toros Tos was a super-powered orphan from the highly advanced planet Moronon in the distant Mizar system where everyone has wings. He was raised on Earth by Comoc Indians who believed he was a divine messenger from their ancient god Kukulkán, 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. They convinced him that he was not an avenging deity, but in fact a shipwrecked alien prince. They returned him to his homeworld 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.
Vanessa Kingsbury
Vanessa Kingsbury was an escaped mental patient who was empowered by the Overmaster 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 33 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.
Shrike III
The third Shrike is a martial artist 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 spikes, 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.
