When I think Road Warrior Hawk (Mike Hegstrand), only a few televised moments enter my mind. What I immediately though of, upon reading the news of Hawk's death, was the image both he and Animal portrayed during the 1980's and (to a lesser extent) 1990's-the proverbial "larger than life" characters who were the epitome (and stereotype for that matter) of what a wrestler should be.

The LOD's image was, unquestionably, one of the greatest . the bizarre hair, maniacal face paint, spiked shoulder pads, promo style and typical scowls made them intimidating long after the collapse of kayfabe. But in the 1980's . that's when The Warriors' look was at it's pique. And that is one of the first images I remember regarding what would become my lifelong interest in wrestling- going to the local drug store and seeing that issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated featuring Hawk & Animal on the cover. These characters struck a nerve . they both scared and fascinated that six year old ... as I'm sure they did with countless others.

And it is that image that revolutionized wrestling that I most fondly remember that team. But there are other moments as well.

When speaking with friends about bad angles, the conversation is bound to lead towards the "drunken, addicted Hawk" and "attempted suicide" WWF angle. And it was during this time that, sadly, the aura of the Road Warriors as a killer team started to diminish . lost and distorted in a silly-albeit unfinished- angle. Unfortunately, this is what most modern-day fans remember of Hawk.

But the LOD's first stint in the WWF was actually pretty decent, occurring during an era that is often wrongfully criticized. When the LOD vanished from WWF TV only to resurface at Wrestlemania 9 with Paul Ellering did things start to flounder. Shortly after the intervention of Rocco, the team fled.

The Warriors, plain and simply, were at their best in the NWA/WCW. It was during this period where the Warriors' aura of fear and power were at their height and the mystique was still firmly intact.

But above and beyond any match, angle or promo . Hawk was intimidating. He was a real-life monster who rarely got hurt, popped-up after pile-drivers and talked with a nasty, hate-filled snarl. To some fans, Hawk's persona and image were immortal. Alas, this was merely just that ... an image.