Firebird (Marvel)
Firebird is a female comic superhero who features in Marvel Comics.
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Biography
Bonita Juarez
One of her ancestors was Carlotta Valdez who lived in 1776 where she came to encounter time travelling members of the Avengers. During that time, she had dreams of being a superpowered being where she drew pictures of a Firebird and la Espirita. Hawkeye used one of his ink arrows to scribble a note addressed to Bonita using some of Carlotta's petticoat. He requested Carlotta kept the message safe in either her hope chest or the family Bible. Valdez promised to do so and kept her word. (West Coast Avengers v2 #19) After Carlotta Valdez's death later in 1776, her Bible was taken back to Mexico by the priest who was with her when she died. He used the book in his parish in Ciudad Corazon, Mexico. In 1846, Carlotta's grandniece Isabel Ramirez went to the parish to read from the Bible. There, she read Hawkeye's message to Bonita which caused her to be struck by a divine revelation . Convinced this Bible should belong to her because it belonged to her family before, Ramirez stole it and hid the book inside a hollow tree for decades. (West Coast Avengers v2 #21) Isabel Ramirez kept the Bible hidden in a tree for over 70 years. In 1917, at the age of 82, she showed her most prized possession to her granddaughter Chita. When Isabel died moments later saving a young boy called Benito Juarez when a nearby rope bridge collapsed, Chita took her grandmother's Bible and vowed that in honor of her she had read from it every day. In the end, Chita and Benito married and had a son that would one day become Bonita Juarez's father. (West Coast Avengers v2 #22) Bonita's parents were Mexican immigrants who moved to Buena Vista, a 'barrio' located outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. She and her brothers were born in the United States, their parents working hard to ensure their offspring would have a better life. (West Coast Avengers v2 #4) Devoutly Catholic, Bonita inherited the Juarez family Bible which had been an heirloom for over 200 years, passed on from generation to generation. She kept the Bible near her at all times, unaware it contained a message addressed to her from Hawkeye Clint Barton who had become lost in time on a future mission with the West Coast Avengers. Juarez remained oblivious to it over the years, figuring it was just one of the hundreds of keepsakes that littered the Bible where she only studied the liturgy. (West Coast Avengers v2 #22) Bonita had the chance to go to college. She decided to study social work, earning a degree in that field before her parents' money grew short. (West Coast Avengers v2 #4)
Bonita got a job as a social worker in Albuquerque. She was part of Project Recovery, working tirelessly to make sure underprivileged children had a chance to develop their potential. (Incredible Hulk v2 #265) The alien S.H.I.E.L.D. base pupil Yoof had been working on a scientific experiment involving exotic types of radiation. When the experiment ultimately proved a failure, he got rid of it by dumping it into space. Eventually, the materials made their way to the Sol system where they were ultimately attracted by Earth's gravity. Late one night, driving home with Father Mendiguez, Bonita was angered and disappointed when the parish leader informed her they were going to have to cut funding to the church outreach program. She desperately pleaded with Mendiguez, who felt sorry about it too, but explained it was out of his hands. Angered and in need to cool off, Juarez told him to stop the car, preferring to walk home across the desert at night so she could think. Wandering aimlessly across the desert for several hours, she began to regret her rash decision. As fate would have it, the remains of Yoof's experiment crash-landed right next to her, dousing Bonita in the unearthly radiation that gave her firepowers which she remained unaware of at the time. (Avengers Spotlight v1 #24) When she learned the meteor had changed her, Bonita felt so shameful she lived in mortal terror for the rest of the week, yearning to confess at the end of Sunday's mass. Despite being distraught, Bonita could not bring herself to confide in her preacher after the sermon. Instead of confessing her sins, she stormed out of church, back to her barrio where she stumbled across a gang of thugs holding up the local 7/11 grocery store. Furious, she turned into her fire form, manifesting a fiery bird and striking down her assailants as Firebird. Even though her Lord had not told her why, Bonita nevertheless accepted this was His will. (West Coast Avengers v2 #4)
The mind controlling Corruptor was in the Midwest, hiding out in an old Spanish mission. He ran afoul of the Hulk, Rick Jones and his Teen Brigade. Using his powers to get the Hulk on his side, Corruptor planned to have Rick bring in his old friends the Avengers so he could control them as well. Figuring the heroes would be able to deal with the Hulk and the Corruptor irregardless of the villain's plans, Rick sent out an Avengers priority summons. However, the signal was unable to cross over the Rocky Mountains. Instead, it was deflected and spread across the Midwest. Bonita went to visit the Hidalgo family in her hometown of Buena Vista. Their son Juan had received a ham radio through Project Recovery, which greatly pleased his mother because it kept her son from running with the local gangs at night. Bonita went to check on Juan just as his set picked up Rick Jones' summons. Deciding she had to go and help because the voice sounded desperate and New York was so far away, Bonita quickly excused herself, claiming she had more families to visit that night. In a nearby alley, she turned into Firebird and flew off, feeling slightly sinful because she enjoyed the ecstasy of flight perhaps a bit too much. Tracing the call signal, she was surprised to find other local superheroes had responded as well. Joining with Red Wolf, Shooting Star, Phantom Rider and the Texas Twister, they approached the old Spanish mission that the Corruptor had been using as his base. They were then taken aback by the fact the Hulk was there as well, looking angry and ready to attack. Red Wolf and his pet wolf Lobo were the first to jump the behemoth. Hopelessly outmatched, they were saved by Firebird who blasted the Hulk from behind, which caused him to toss his opponents aside. Firebird and Shooting Star then teamed to attack Hulk, but he used one of his thunderclaps to send them flying. The stunned Firebird was caught by Texas Twister who then tried to attack, only for Hulk to grab his ankle and stop the cyclone generating cowboy. With all the heroes defeated, Corruptor showed himself, ready to take control of them. But thanks to Rick Jones who risked his life trying to talk some sense into the corrupted Hulk, the villain was defeated when Hulk shifted back into Banner who knocked out the Corruptor with a little help from Lobo. After the fight, Firebird and the other western heroes decided they might stick together as a superhero team, with Texas Twister suggesting their new name: the Rangers. (Incredible Hulk v2 #265)
One night, Bonita's sleep was broken by the crashing of a large, human-sized bird that flew into her bedroom. Startled, Bonita instinctively released a large flare of energy, which was often the case when she had not used her powers for some time. Flying into the air, she encountered Master Pandemonium, who demanded to know if Firebird was 'one of the five'. Confused by his question, Bonita defended herself by blasting him with a fire flare, though he simply absorbed her energy. The bird, called Azmodeus and actually intelligent, attacked Firebird again and informed Master Pandemonium that she was not one of the five. With no further interest in her, Master Pandemonium unleashed two demons, each created from his very arms, to attack Firebird and hurl her from the sky. Bonita awoke in the desert, disoriented and feverish, but knowing in her heart that she had to reach the Avengers to tell them what had happened. Already exhausted, Bonita forced herself to fly seven hundred miles to the Palos Verdes Compound, home of the West Coast Avengers, where she fell from the sky and literally into the arms of the Thing. When she recovered from her ordeal, Firebird recounted her origin and her encounter with Master Pandemonium to the Avengers. Soon after, the team received word that the Thing and Wonder Man were being attacked by Master Pandemonium and immediately mobilized to aid him. Firebird offered to go with the team, but was told to stay and rest. (West Coast Avengers v2 #4) Bonita intended to wait around the Palos Verdes Compound for the Avengers to return, as she wanted to say goodbye and thank them for their hospitality, even as she planned to track down Master Pandemonium on her own. Also in the compound was Hank Pym, who despite being an Avengers founder was currently hanging around the west coast branch without being an actual member. Pym proved very friendly towards Bonita and told her that she was probably the first Hispanic heroine. The Avengers eventually returned from their mission, having saved the Thing and Wonder Man from Master Pandemonium, who unfortunately escaped. She also got to know the Thing, who was sticking around to say his own goodbyes before leaving again. When she got the chance, Firebird said her farewells to Hawkeye, as did the Thing. Bonita then witnessed as Hawkeye asked the Thing, evidently not for the first time, about becoming the team's sixth member, though the Thing once again declined the offer. As Firebird left with the Thing on his motorcycle, she asked him about the Avengers' membership and he explained that their charter required them to have no more than six members and that he wasn't interested at the moment. A forlorn Bonita silently wished that the Avengers had asked her to join them. Firebird soon began her search for Master Pandemonium, visiting an occult bookstore, where she felt a strange disturbance. The bookstore owner claimed that he had not heard of Master Pandemonium but, urged on by some sixth sense, Firebird demonstrated her power by creating the firebird flare, which caused him to reconsider his answer. The owner told Firebird to check a book called the Darkhold, a rare tome that was last in the possession of a man called Jack Russell. When Firebird tracked him down, she found Russell in battle with the Avengers in his alter ego of the 'Werewolf by Night'. Pursuing their own investigation regarding their teammate Tigra, the Avengers had also sought out Russell. (West Coast Avengers v2 #5)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Bonita Juarez was a Mexican-American woman with brown eyes, long dark hair, and a commanding yet gentle presence. Her costume traditionally features a yellow bodysuit with red accents and a fiery bird emblem emblazoned across her chest, symbolizing her connection to divine fire. (Incredible Hulk v1 #265)
Her tenure with the West Coast Avengers was marked by inner conflict. While others viewed her powers as the result of extraterrestrial radiation, Firebird held steadfast to her belief that they were a gift from God. This difference in worldview often isolated her, especially from the more skeptical members of the team. Nonetheless, she became an invaluable ally, assisting in major battles against supernatural and cosmic foes, including Master Pandemonium and Mephisto. Firebird also developed an unspoken admiration for Hank Pym, admiring his intellect and seeking to help him overcome his personal demons. Her compassion and empathy frequently reminded the team of their humanity amid the chaos of heroism. (West Coast Avengers v2 #21)
Powers and abilities
Bonita Juarez acquired a range of superpowers due to bombardment by radiation from a meteorite containing energy waste from an alien's scientific equipment. (Avengers Spotlight v1 #24) She has the power of pyrokinesis, which enables her to mentally excite the atoms in an object until it spontaneously combusts. (Incredible Hulk v2 #8) Her powers grant her pyrokinesis, flight, and near invulnerability to heat and energy-based attacks. She can project flames in concentrated blasts or form fiery constructs, and her energy aura allows her to survive in extreme environments. (Incredible Hulk v1 #265)
Notes
- Firebird was created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema where she made her first appearance in the Incredible Hulk v2 #8 (September, 1998).
Alternate Versions
Appearances
- Incredible Hulk v2: (1998)
- West Coast Avengers v2:
- Scarlet Spider:
External Links
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