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Firebird (comics)
Encyclopedia
Firebird is a fictional
pyrokinetic character that has appeared in various comic book
series published by Marvel Comics
. A former member of the Avengers
, she exists in Marvel's main shared universe
, known as the Marvel Universe
.
and artist Sal Buscema
.
. She was a devout Roman Catholic, who, while walking in the deserts of Albuquerque, New Mexico
, came into contact with a radioactive meteorite
fragment. The radiation
altered her DNA
, and gave her the power to generate flames and heat, and even fly. Believing her gifts came from the legendary firebird, she assumed the mythical bird's name, and donned a costume.
As Firebird, she received a distress call from the Avengers, and mistakenly battled the Hulk
. She joined with other Southwestern heroes (forming a team called the Rangers
), and fought the Corruptor, rescuing Rick Jones
, who had actually sent the signal. Her team disbanded after that short adventure.
. Exhausted from her battle, she fell to the ground near the new Avengers Compound on the West Coast, where she was found by the Thing
. She enlisted the aid of the Avengers
in battling against Master Pandemonium. She assisted the Avengers during the following adventures, and desperately wanted to be invited to join, something to which chairman Hawkeye
remained oblivious, since he was trying to recruit the Thing.
Firebird accompanied the Avengers to the dimension of the Cat People
. She battled her former teammate in the Rangers, the possessed Shooting Star
, alongside the Avengers. She also battled Master Pandemonium again.
When Mockingbird
eventually found out Firebird's wish, she tried to coax her husband into inviting her, but he was consistently holding out for the Thing (who did eventually decide to become a member, but backed out before making it official). Frustrated, Firebird left on a spiritual journey. Hawkeye would later change his mind and the Avengers sought out Firebird, but could not find her.
's suicide attempt. With the help of Espirita, Hank re-invented himself as the adventurer Doctor Pym, and he was able to move on from his past troubles.
With Henry Pym and Moon Knight
, she rescued the Avengers who were trapped in the past. She aided the Avengers in battle with Dominus
, and battled Sunstroke
.
The two also shared a brief romance, but Bonita left the team again after she helped them out on a few short adventures, to stand by Hank. One of those adventures involved the death of both the East
and West Coast Avengers. It was then that she found out that she was seemingly immortal, when all of the Avengers died thanks to a poison by the Elder of the Universe
Collector
, except her, something that the Collector found fascinating.
She later attended an all-membership meeting of the Avengers.
. She was called in on various Avengers meetings since then, signifying that she had somewhere accepted their membership offer. Nonetheless, Firebird largely acts as a reserve member, preferring to spend her time as a social worker.
She assisted Hellcat, Moondragon
, and Black Widow in subduing the Awesome Android.
She encountered a small platoon of Atlanteans
in Mexico.
Her immunity to radiation later made her indispensable when a mysterious energy field engulfed a small Russia
n country and turned everyone into zombies during the first blows of the Kang War
. Firebird was one of the few individuals who could travel into the energy field without harm. Fellow Avenger Thor
also surmised that Firebird may be immortal. When Captain America is briefly transformed into an energy zombie, Thor, briefly believing him dead, begins to fear that he has become too close to his mortal comrades despite his knowledge that he would outlive them when forced to face such vivid evidence of his allies' mortality, and contemplates leaving the Avengers after the war was over. Firebird helped him to see that the bonds between him and the Avengers were so valuable precisely because they wouldn't last forever, and he shouldn't neglect them just because he would outlive them. In recognition of her advice, Thor toasted her when he arranged for Asgardian cooks to prepare a feast for the Avengers to celebrate Kang's defeat, commenting that she had taught a god a lesson by treating him as the fool he was.
along with other Marvel characters. She is depicted as having changed to a somewhat more revealing costume that bares part of her midriff. She is also shown to have a romantic attraction to Henry Pym which manifests when she kisses him after he has an argument with the Wasp.
's Pro-Registration forces during the Civil War
, in which Bill Foster
was killed by a clone of The Mighty Thor
, Firebird, along with twenty other superheroes, joined the Secret Avengers in opposing the Superhuman Registration Act. Captain America's dialogue implies that the new members, including Firebird, are registered heroes who have nonetheless turned against Iron Man's forces because of the Bill Foster debacle. Weeks after the conclusion to the Civil War; Firebird is seen as one of the members of the revived Rangers
, as part of the 50 States Initiative Program.
Bonita has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative
#1.
In Avengers: The Initiative #2 she is seen attacking HYDRA
along with the Rangers.
During the Skrull
invasion, a Skrull had posed as Red Wolf's pet wolf Lobo, and the Rangers killed him.
, which enables her to mentally excite the atoms in an object until it spontaneously combusts. By using her powers to ignite the air around her, she can surround herself with an aura of flames that often takes the shape of a bird, and if she focuses her flames downwards in a tight stream, she can propel herself through the air like a rocket. She can channel her powers through her hands to seemingly project searing thermal blasts from her body (actually from her mind), capable of melting steel. She can fly by riding wind currents stirred up by the nimbus of fire with which she surrounds herself while flying. Although she can propel herself at superhuman speeds, she cannot breathe at those speeds without skin protection and an oxygen supply. Fatigue impairs her performance after approximately one hour of peak expenditure of power.
She has also displayed a limited power of precognition
, allowing her to have glimpses of the future.
Firebird also seems to be immune to most forms of radiation and poison (and even demonic possession) as well as the physical effects of her mental powers, and has displayed the ability to survive in the vacuum of space. Firebird may be immortal, but the precise details of this are unclear beyond the fact that she has twice survived apparently fatal attacks that only Thor- himself an immortal- could withstand.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
pyrokinetic character that has appeared in various comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. A former member of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, she exists in Marvel's main shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
, known as the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
Firebird first appeared in Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #265 (November, 1981). She was co-created by writer Bill MantloBill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
and artist Sal Buscema
Sal Buscema
Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
.
Origin
Bonita Juarez was born in Taos, New MexicoTaos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
. She was a devout Roman Catholic, who, while walking in the deserts of Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, came into contact with a radioactive meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
fragment. The radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
altered her DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, and gave her the power to generate flames and heat, and even fly. Believing her gifts came from the legendary firebird, she assumed the mythical bird's name, and donned a costume.
As Firebird, she received a distress call from the Avengers, and mistakenly battled the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. She joined with other Southwestern heroes (forming a team called the Rangers
Rangers (comics)
The Rangers are a superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #265 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.-Fictional history:...
), and fought the Corruptor, rescuing Rick Jones
Rick Jones (comics)
Richard Milhouse "Rick" Jones is a fictional comic book character in the .-Publication history:Rick Jones first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1, as a sidekick to the Incredible Hulk...
, who had actually sent the signal. Her team disbanded after that short adventure.
The Avengers
Firebird was alone when she fought against the man called Master PandemoniumMaster Pandemonium
Master Pandemonium is a supervillain in the Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:Martin Preston was born in Rutland, Vermont. He was originally an actor who lost an arm in a car crash, and made a pact with Mephisto to regain his limb. Mephisto instead took the man's other three limbs,...
. Exhausted from her battle, she fell to the ground near the new Avengers Compound on the West Coast, where she was found by the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
. She enlisted the aid of the Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
in battling against Master Pandemonium. She assisted the Avengers during the following adventures, and desperately wanted to be invited to join, something to which chairman Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
remained oblivious, since he was trying to recruit the Thing.
Firebird accompanied the Avengers to the dimension of the Cat People
Cat People (comics)
The Cat People are a fictional species of humanoids in Marvel Comics' universe.-Publication history:Dr. Joanne Tumulo, later revealed to be a member of the Cat People race, first appeared in Claws of the Cat #1-4 , and was created by Linda Fite and Roy Thomas , and Marie Severin .The Cat People...
. She battled her former teammate in the Rangers, the possessed Shooting Star
Shooting Star (comics)
Shooting Star is a comic book superhero appearing in Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:Shooting Star was born Victoria Starwin, in El Paso, Texas. She is the daughter of Remington Starwin, a wealthy Texas oil baron and amateur rodeo performer. When she was a child, her father...
, alongside the Avengers. She also battled Master Pandemonium again.
When Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)
Mockingbird is a fictional character, a superhero in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales #6 written by Gerry Conway and pencilled by Barry Smith...
eventually found out Firebird's wish, she tried to coax her husband into inviting her, but he was consistently holding out for the Thing (who did eventually decide to become a member, but backed out before making it official). Frustrated, Firebird left on a spiritual journey. Hawkeye would later change his mind and the Avengers sought out Firebird, but could not find her.
La Espirita
Eventually, she reappeared as La Espirita and arrived in the nick of time to stop Hank PymHenry Pym
Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. Created by editor and plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber and penciler Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27...
's suicide attempt. With the help of Espirita, Hank re-invented himself as the adventurer Doctor Pym, and he was able to move on from his past troubles.
With Henry Pym and Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
, she rescued the Avengers who were trapped in the past. She aided the Avengers in battle with Dominus
Dominus (Marvel Comics)
Dominus is a fictional character, a villain appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. It is a sentient super-computer, created by the alien Quists and sometimes controlled by Lucifer.-Publication history:...
, and battled Sunstroke
Sunstroke (comics)
Sunstroke is a Marvel Comics supervillain.-Fictional character biography:When Dominus lands in the American Southwest to take over the Earth, it creates its agents Butte, Cactus, and Gila. He makes one more to be his human agent...Sunstroke.The Avengers stumbled upon Dominus' minions and...
.
The two also shared a brief romance, but Bonita left the team again after she helped them out on a few short adventures, to stand by Hank. One of those adventures involved the death of both the East
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
and West Coast Avengers. It was then that she found out that she was seemingly immortal, when all of the Avengers died thanks to a poison by the Elder of the Universe
Elders of the Universe
The Elders of the Universe are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Collector was the first Elder to appear, and featured in Avengers #28...
Collector
Collector (comics)
The Collector is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Taneleer Tivan is one of the Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow Elder En Dwi Gast . He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet Cygnus X-1...
, except her, something that the Collector found fascinating.
She later attended an all-membership meeting of the Avengers.
Firebird again
Later on Bonita was captured by a group of aliens from the planet Rus, who revealed that the meteorite that gave her amazing powers was allegedly waste material from a discarded alien experiment of a pupil named Yoof. Nonetheless Firebird (she had returned to that name after learning this information) herself believes that her powers are a gift from GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. She was called in on various Avengers meetings since then, signifying that she had somewhere accepted their membership offer. Nonetheless, Firebird largely acts as a reserve member, preferring to spend her time as a social worker.
She assisted Hellcat, Moondragon
Moondragon
Moondragon is a fictional character in Marvel Comics Universe. A vastly powerful telepath, master martial artist, minor telekinetic, and highly skilled geneticist, Moondragon's most notable characteristics are her shaved head, superiority complex, and gruelling elite excellence in virtually every...
, and Black Widow in subduing the Awesome Android.
She encountered a small platoon of Atlanteans
Homo mermanus
Homo mermanus is a fictional race of gilled aquatic humanoids that has appeared in numerous comic book series published by Marvel Comics. This race is best known as the people who live in the Atlantis of Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
in Mexico.
Her immunity to radiation later made her indispensable when a mysterious energy field engulfed a small Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n country and turned everyone into zombies during the first blows of the Kang War
Kang Dynasty
"Kang Dynasty", sometimes called "Kang War", was a 16 part comic book storyline which ran through Avengers #41 - 55 and Avengers Annual 2001 between June, 2001 and August, 2002. It was written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by a number of artists including Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer, Ivan Reis and...
. Firebird was one of the few individuals who could travel into the energy field without harm. Fellow Avenger Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
also surmised that Firebird may be immortal. When Captain America is briefly transformed into an energy zombie, Thor, briefly believing him dead, begins to fear that he has become too close to his mortal comrades despite his knowledge that he would outlive them when forced to face such vivid evidence of his allies' mortality, and contemplates leaving the Avengers after the war was over. Firebird helped him to see that the bonds between him and the Avengers were so valuable precisely because they wouldn't last forever, and he shouldn't neglect them just because he would outlive them. In recognition of her advice, Thor toasted her when he arranged for Asgardian cooks to prepare a feast for the Avengers to celebrate Kang's defeat, commenting that she had taught a god a lesson by treating him as the fool he was.
Beyond!
Firebird reappears in the limited series Beyond!Beyond!
Beyond! was a six-issue comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics. It was written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by Scott Kolins. The first issue of the series was released on July 6, 2006 and the final issue on December 6, 2006...
along with other Marvel characters. She is depicted as having changed to a somewhat more revealing costume that bares part of her midriff. She is also shown to have a romantic attraction to Henry Pym which manifests when she kisses him after he has an argument with the Wasp.
Civil War
After a vicious battle between Captain America's Secret Avengers and Iron ManIron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
's Pro-Registration forces during the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, in which Bill Foster
Bill Foster (comics)
Dr. Bill Foster, also known as Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, and the fourth Goliath, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
was killed by a clone of The Mighty Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, Firebird, along with twenty other superheroes, joined the Secret Avengers in opposing the Superhuman Registration Act. Captain America's dialogue implies that the new members, including Firebird, are registered heroes who have nonetheless turned against Iron Man's forces because of the Bill Foster debacle. Weeks after the conclusion to the Civil War; Firebird is seen as one of the members of the revived Rangers
Rangers (comics)
The Rangers are a superhero team published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #265 and was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema.-Fictional history:...
, as part of the 50 States Initiative Program.
Bonita has been identified as one of the 142 registered superheroes who appear on the cover of the comic book Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative
Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series from Marvel Comics. Written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage with artwork initially by Stefano Caselli, Steve Uy and Harvey Tolibao, the series dealt with the aftermath of Marvel's Civil War crossover Avengers: The Initiative was a comic book series...
#1.
In Avengers: The Initiative #2 she is seen attacking HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
along with the Rangers.
During the Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
invasion, a Skrull had posed as Red Wolf's pet wolf Lobo, and the Rangers killed him.
Powers and abilities
Bonita Juarez gained superhuman powers due to bombardment by radiation from a meteorite containing energy waste from an alien's scientific equipment. As Firebird, she has the power of pyrokinesisPyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter...
, which enables her to mentally excite the atoms in an object until it spontaneously combusts. By using her powers to ignite the air around her, she can surround herself with an aura of flames that often takes the shape of a bird, and if she focuses her flames downwards in a tight stream, she can propel herself through the air like a rocket. She can channel her powers through her hands to seemingly project searing thermal blasts from her body (actually from her mind), capable of melting steel. She can fly by riding wind currents stirred up by the nimbus of fire with which she surrounds herself while flying. Although she can propel herself at superhuman speeds, she cannot breathe at those speeds without skin protection and an oxygen supply. Fatigue impairs her performance after approximately one hour of peak expenditure of power.
She has also displayed a limited power of precognition
Precognition
In parapsychology, precognition , also called future sight, and second sight, is a type of extrasensory perception that would involve the acquisition or effect of future information that cannot be deduced from presently available and normally acquired sense-based information or laws of physics...
, allowing her to have glimpses of the future.
Firebird also seems to be immune to most forms of radiation and poison (and even demonic possession) as well as the physical effects of her mental powers, and has displayed the ability to survive in the vacuum of space. Firebird may be immortal, but the precise details of this are unclear beyond the fact that she has twice survived apparently fatal attacks that only Thor- himself an immortal- could withstand.
External links
- Firebird at the Marvel Universe
- The Women of Marvel Comics Firebird Page