I’ve correct many bent RD hangers and many have needed small corrections, with a professional tool, to fix such problems. “Eyeballing” the alignment only works on BSOs.

Please clarify the problem. People trained on automobiles use “1st gear” when they climb a steep slope from dead stop. On a bike that would be the largest cog on the back - the lowest gear ratio on the bike. Others may consider “1st gear” to be the cog the chain rests on when the rear shift cable is fully relaxed (unless you’ve got a low normal RD, ugh). Post pictures and talk about the cog sizes on your “gear assembly” vs what “gear” the bike is in. Then we can help. Again though, you may need a proper alignment tool and know how to use it.