Red Raven
Encyclopedia
Red Raven is a fictional
comic-book superhero
in the Marvel Comics
universe
. Created by Joe Simon
and Louis Cazeneuve
in Red Raven Comics #1 (Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics
, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
.
He is the first Timely/Marvel character to star in a self-titled series, predating by several months Captain America Comics
#1 (March 1941).
and artist Louis Cazeneuve
, first appeared
in Red Raven Comics #1 (cover-dated Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics
, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
. The title was canceled after its premiere issue, becoming The Human Torch
with #2, dropping all features from the debut. The Grand Comics Database notes of the first and only issue, "No blurbs at the end of the stories in this issue indicate that there will be a Red Raven Comics #2. Instead they all advertise either Marvel Mystery Comics
or in one case Mystic Comics
, suggesting that perhaps Red Raven Comics was cancelled even before it went to press."
The character remained unused for more than two decades before being revived in the modern day as an antagonist
in X-Men
#44 (May 1968). The Red Raven then battled Namor, the Sub-Mariner in Sub-Mariner #26 (June 1970). Although presumed dead for years, he eventually returned in Nova
vol. 3, #4-5 (Aug.-Sept. 1999), and guest-starred in Defenders
#6-7 (Aug. - Sept. 2001) and The Order #2 (May 2002)
In Marvel Premiere
#29 (April 1976), Red Raven was retconned to have been a member of the stateside World War II
-era superhero team the Liberty Legion
. In that capacity he and his teammates guest-starred in Marvel Two-In-One
Annual #1 (1976) and The Invaders
#6 (May 1976). He appeared in flashback cameos
in Thor
Annual #12 (1984) and Fantastic Four
#405 (Oct. 1995).
, and the only survivor of a trans-Atlantic
airplane crash. As an infant, he was adopted by a civilization of winged people who lived on a floating island in the sky, the Aerie, one kept aloft by antigravity drives and hidden from human civilization by artificial clouds. As he grew, he learned they were an avian
offshoot of a human-alien hybrid race known as the Inhumans
, who had long ago left the hidden Inhuman city Attilan
, built their own abode, and learned to stabilize their genetics to reproduce only in this winged form. Calling themselves both The Bird-People and The Winged Ones, they made their adopted son a uniform outfitted with anti-gravitons for flight and metal wings for navigation. During World War II
, fearing an escalation of Nazi Germany
's efforts that would encompasses his adopted people, the now-grown human wore a costume with large metal wings that enabled him to fly, and called himself Red Raven and joined the United States
superhero team the Liberty Legion
, battling foes such as the Red Skull
.
The Bird-People, however, planned to invade human civilization after the war. Red Raven foiled their plot by using gas to place the tribe, including himself, in suspended animation
, and sank their domed island to the bottom of the ocean, setting a timer to return them to the surface and reawaken them after several years. When the island eventually resurfaced near the end of the suspended-animation cycle, the superhero Angel of the X-Men
stumbled upon the island. Angel and Red Raven clashed when the latter was startled by the former. Angel believed it would be more humane to revive the Bird-People, but Red Raven disagreed. He again sank the island to protect the secret of the Bird-People, continuing the suspended animation process, and set Angel adrift on a raft.
Sometime later, following an undersea earthquake
, the Red Raven's suspended-animation capsule broke loose. It floated to the surface, where Red Raven was found by his old wartime ally the Sub-Mariner. The imperfect suspended-animation technology that he had used, however, had begun to drive Red Raven insane. He tried to awaken the Bird-People to join their crusade against humanity, but was thwarted by Namor. His condition worsened when he discovered that the Bird-People had all died. In a mad rage, he accidentally caused an explosion that engulfed him and the entire island.
Sometime throughout all this, Red Raven had a daughter who, under the same name, became a superhero.
Red Raven eventually reappeared alive, and revealed that he'd faked his own death, that of the Bird People, and the sinking of the island. The Defenders
are later brought to the Red Raven's sky-island and clash with the Raven. The Red Raven also encounters The Order on his island.
gun. He was proficient in basic hand-to-hand combat techniques uniquely styled to make use of his advantage of flight.
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...
comic-book superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
in the 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...
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...
. Created by Joe Simon
Joe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
and Louis Cazeneuve
Louis Cazeneuve
Luis "Louis" Cazeneuve was an Argentine-born American comic-book artist best-known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Red Raven and for his prolific work on the DC Comics characters Aquaman, Shining Knight, the Boy Commandos and others during the 1940s period fans and historians call the...
in Red Raven Comics #1 (Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
.
He is the first Timely/Marvel character to star in a self-titled series, predating by several months Captain America Comics
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
#1 (March 1941).
Publication history
The superhero Red Raven, created by writer Joe SimonJoe Simon
Joseph Henry "Joe" Simon is an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s-1940s Golden Age of Comic Books and served as the first editor of Timely Comics, the company that would evolve into Marvel Comics.With his...
and artist Louis Cazeneuve
Louis Cazeneuve
Luis "Louis" Cazeneuve was an Argentine-born American comic-book artist best-known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Red Raven and for his prolific work on the DC Comics characters Aquaman, Shining Knight, the Boy Commandos and others during the 1940s period fans and historians call the...
, first appeared
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in Red Raven Comics #1 (cover-dated Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
. The title was canceled after its premiere issue, becoming The Human Torch
Human Torch (Golden Age)
The Human Torch, also known as Jim Hammond, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics-owned superhero. Created by writer-artist Carl Burgos, he first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 , published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics....
with #2, dropping all features from the debut. The Grand Comics Database notes of the first and only issue, "No blurbs at the end of the stories in this issue indicate that there will be a Red Raven Comics #2. Instead they all advertise either Marvel Mystery Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics
Marvel Mystery Comics is an American comic book series published during the 1930s-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
or in one case Mystic Comics
Mystic Comics
Mystic Comics is the name of four comic book series published by the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics. The first two series were superhero anthologies published by Marvel's 1930-1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, during what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books...
, suggesting that perhaps Red Raven Comics was cancelled even before it went to press."
The character remained unused for more than two decades before being revived in the modern day as an antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
in X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#44 (May 1968). The Red Raven then battled Namor, the Sub-Mariner in Sub-Mariner #26 (June 1970). Although presumed dead for years, he eventually returned in Nova
Nova (comics)
Nova is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Upon becoming a member of the galaxy's Nova Corps , the youth gained enhanced strength, flight, injury resistance, and a specialized uniform with life support.In May 2011, Nova placed 98th on IGN's Top 100 Comic...
vol. 3, #4-5 (Aug.-Sept. 1999), and guest-starred in Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
#6-7 (Aug. - Sept. 2001) and The Order #2 (May 2002)
In Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere
Marvel Premiere is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972 to August 1981....
#29 (April 1976), Red Raven was retconned to have been a member of the stateside World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era superhero team the Liberty Legion
Liberty Legion
The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II...
. In that capacity he and his teammates guest-starred in Marvel Two-In-One
Marvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
Annual #1 (1976) and The Invaders
Invaders (comics)
The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol...
#6 (May 1976). He appeared in flashback cameos
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in 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....
Annual #12 (1984) and Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#405 (Oct. 1995).
Fictional character biography
The boy who would become Red Raven was a child from EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and the only survivor of a trans-Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
airplane crash. As an infant, he was adopted by a civilization of winged people who lived on a floating island in the sky, the Aerie, one kept aloft by antigravity drives and hidden from human civilization by artificial clouds. As he grew, he learned they were an avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
offshoot of a human-alien hybrid race known as the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
, who had long ago left the hidden Inhuman city Attilan
Attilan
Attilan is a fictional city in the that houses the Inhumans. It first appeared in Fantastic Four #47 . It has also been known as the Great Refuge and New Attilan.-Fictional history:...
, built their own abode, and learned to stabilize their genetics to reproduce only in this winged form. Calling themselves both The Bird-People and The Winged Ones, they made their adopted son a uniform outfitted with anti-gravitons for flight and metal wings for navigation. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, fearing an escalation of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's efforts that would encompasses his adopted people, the now-grown human wore a costume with large metal wings that enabled him to fly, and called himself Red Raven and joined the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
superhero team the Liberty Legion
Liberty Legion
The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II...
, battling foes such as the Red Skull
Red Skull
The Red Skull is a name shared by several fictional characters, all supervillains from the Marvel Comics universe. All incarnations of the character are enemies of Captain America, other superheroes, and the United States in general....
.
The Bird-People, however, planned to invade human civilization after the war. Red Raven foiled their plot by using gas to place the tribe, including himself, in suspended animation
Suspended animation
Suspended animation is the slowing of life processes by external means without termination. Breathing, heartbeat, and other involuntary functions may still occur, but they can only be detected by artificial means. Extreme cold can be used to precipitate the slowing of an individual's functions; use...
, and sank their domed island to the bottom of the ocean, setting a timer to return them to the surface and reawaken them after several years. When the island eventually resurfaced near the end of the suspended-animation cycle, the superhero Angel of the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
stumbled upon the island. Angel and Red Raven clashed when the latter was startled by the former. Angel believed it would be more humane to revive the Bird-People, but Red Raven disagreed. He again sank the island to protect the secret of the Bird-People, continuing the suspended animation process, and set Angel adrift on a raft.
Sometime later, following an undersea earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, the Red Raven's suspended-animation capsule broke loose. It floated to the surface, where Red Raven was found by his old wartime ally the Sub-Mariner. The imperfect suspended-animation technology that he had used, however, had begun to drive Red Raven insane. He tried to awaken the Bird-People to join their crusade against humanity, but was thwarted by Namor. His condition worsened when he discovered that the Bird-People had all died. In a mad rage, he accidentally caused an explosion that engulfed him and the entire island.
Sometime throughout all this, Red Raven had a daughter who, under the same name, became a superhero.
Red Raven eventually reappeared alive, and revealed that he'd faked his own death, that of the Bird People, and the sinking of the island. The Defenders
Defenders (comics)
The Defenders is the name of a number of Marvel Comics superhero groups which are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders," each known for following their own agendas...
are later brought to the Red Raven's sky-island and clash with the Raven. The Red Raven also encounters The Order on his island.
Powers and abilities
Red Raven costume was reinforced synthetic stretch fabric containing miniature anti-gravity mechanisms, as well as large artificial wings which allowed the Red Raven to fly. He was armed with the birdmen's advanced weaponry, including a ray gun and an anti-gravityAnti-gravity
Anti-gravity is the idea of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism or aerodynamic lift...
gun. He was proficient in basic hand-to-hand combat techniques uniquely styled to make use of his advantage of flight.
External links
- Red Raven at MarvelDirectory.com
- Red Raven at Don Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's ToonopediaDon Markstein's Toonopedia was a web encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation. Don D...
- Nevins, JessJess NevinsJohn J. Nevins, MA/MS, is an American author and librarian, born 30 July 1966 and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the World Fantasy Award-nominated Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana , and other works on Victoriana and pulp fiction...
. Red Raven at A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters - Diamond Galleries Scoop: "Did You Know...?" (column of Oct. 25, 2002): "The Short Run of the Red Raven"