Bird-People (Marvel)
Bird-People are a species that feature in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Bird-People, Winged Ones or Avians were a genetic offshoot of the Inhumans who themselves were genetically engineered by the alien Kree race. This branch of Inhumans developed around 1,000 BC where a number of members of this human offshoot race began developing wings of some kind. This led to the Inhuman King Nestor creating a tower in Attilan that would house them and became known as the Aerie. However, this act had an unintended consequence as it began to isolate the race from the rest of the Inhumans. This increasing levels of isolation led to the Bird-People only associating themselves with one another and mating with their own kind. These chain of events continued until a definitive subrace of Inhumans formed in the Bird-People with these angelic appearing members coming to look down upon those who walked on land as being inferior. This brought a growing state of hostilities between the Bird-People and their parent race. The event only magnified when the Aerie was cut off from Attilan with the Bird-People parting ways with the Inhumans.
However, a split emerged within the Bird-People themselves over their next course of action leading to a civil war amongst their ranks. The leaders of these two factions both advocated opposing actions to one another. One faction led by Kylus wanted to lead the Winged Ones in a war against the Inhumans and bring about the conquest of Attilan. However, his opponent Cheiros who led the other group wanted more peaceful relations. Ultimately, Cheiros was captured after Kylus managed to gain enough support and the militant Bird-People conducted a purge of all of Cheiros's followers that were seen with bat-like wings. Following the slaughter, Cheiros remained the only survivor of this group and he was tortured to death whereupon his severed wings were kept by as trophies. As a result, Kylus became the first king of the Avians and ensured the birth of only those children with white feathers.
Following their isolation from the Inhumans, the Winged Ones remained apart from other humanoid races and the execution of children with undesired traits had long-lasting results. This included the fact that the Bird-People became more uniform in appearance compared to their cousins at Attilan. Their isolation on Sky-Isle remained the case for centuries until the mid-1920's when a human clipper plane clashed with the floating home of the Avians. All its passengers were killed except for an infant who was brought before the king. Whilst some wanted the child slain, the king took pity on the boy and decided to raise him as his own child. On the boy's 21st birthday, he was outfitted with a special suit with wings and allowed to leave Sky-Isle to travel to the world of man in order to eradicate sources of evil.
Years ago, a commercial plane crashes into the floating home of the Avian Bird People, the only survivor being a lone young boy. Although without wings, the young man came to be adopted by the Bird People's leader, who raises the boy. (Red Raven Comics v1 #1)
Upon becoming an adult, the boy would grow up to be the man they would call the Red Raven, equipping him with red mechanical wings to give him the ability of flight. Brought before the king, he would tell the Red Raven to return to the land of his people to combat evil. As the Red Raven, the human fought against criminals in America during the Great Depression. (Red Raven Comics v1 #1)
He would later join the Liberty Legion in combating threats to the country from inside.
Aerivar XVIII would later plan an invasion of humanity with Red Raven attempting to appeal to him against this course of action. This saw him attempting to dissuade the king by claiming mankind had outnumbered them and that any war would be foolhardy. However, his impassioned pleas were ignored and the invasion plans continued further. Not wishing to see his adopted countrymen slaughtered by humans, the Red Raven created a special gas that would put all the Avians into a state of suspended animation and then he sunk their floating island into the ocean. (X-Men v1 #44)
This state of affairs remained even during World War II and after that conflict the Red Raven returned to his people as a changed man who was much wiser on the ways of the outside world. However, his return led him to discover that the Avians who were roused by the warrior Bloodraven Cult intended to wage a war against the surface world. They intended to strike at a weakened humanity in order to secure their own existence. Peaceful Winged Ones looked to the Red Raven to prevent this from occurring and he tried to convince his people that humanity would destroy them. However, they refused to listen to his words even after he destroyed the warrior class and outlawed the Bloodraven Cult. In desperation, he placed his entire people into suspended animation to save them. Their state of suspended animation remained in place for twenty years where the military complex holding the Avians remained submerged beneath the depths of the Atlantic.
By the modern day, the winged Mutant known as Angell came to uncover the sunken city of the winged people. His intrusion saw Warren Worthington III getting attacked by Red Raven who had guarded the city. After being defeated, the Red Raven explained about his people's past and the reason why the city had been sunk. With explanation over, Angel tries to convince the Red Raven to revive his people and give humanity another chance. Realizing the risk that the same cycle of events would happen again, the Red Raven instead decides to return his island to the bottom of the ocean once more. Blasting Angel into unconsciousness, the Red Raven uses an anti-gravity ray to keep the mutant afloat while the island sinks. The Red Raven puts himself and his people back into suspended animation. (X-Men v1 #44)
During Thanos' invasion on Earth, the Inhuman king Black Bolt activated a Terrigen Bomb to protect his people, which unleashed a giant cloud of Terrigen Mist that scattered across the world. The Terrigen cloud reached Aerie, and had a horrible effect on the Bird People, causing them to either die or suffer from Terrigenesis that turned them into monsters including Red Raven's wife Vera. Due to his nature, Red Raven wasn't affected, and swore to have revenge on the Inhumans. (Inhuman Special v1 #1) He started by attacking New Attilan where he was fought Captain America. The fight stopped when Captain America managed to get through to Vera where her mind was still intact within her monstrous appearance. After being talked down by Captain America and Spider-Man, Red Raven was told by Medusa that she would help find a way to restore the Bird People. (All-New Captain America Special v1 #1)
Overview
Genetically, the Bird-People were related to the human species but were actually derived from the genetically engineered Inhumans. Through selective breeding and culling of children with unwanted traits, the Avians ensured a sense of conformity amongst their people who all shared many of the same features. The stabilization of any genetic deviations meant that all Winged Ones had compatible biology instead of undergoing the Inhumans random evolution that led to unique and sometimes grotesque forms. This species shared the same large feathery wings on their bodies that were human in appearance. In addition, similar to avian animals, the Bird-People were not born in a traditional manner but instead hatched from eggs where they grew similar to normal human beings.
One of the factions within the Bird-People was a warrior class known as the Bloodraven Cult. They sought war with the 'surface world' leading to them being banned by the Sky-Island where they came to operate in secret. (Defenders v2 #6)
They were advanced artificial android such as the Bi-Beast and making them to be repository of their accumulated wisdom. (Incredible Hulk v1 #169)
Members
- Cheiros :
- Kylus :
- Aerivar XVIII :
- Dania :
Notes
- The Bird-People were created by Joe Simon and Louis Cazeneuve where they made their first appearance in Red Raven Comics v1 #1 (May, 1940).
Appearances
- Red Raven Comics v1: (1949)
- X-Men v1:
- Amazing Spider-Man Special v1:
- All-New Captain America Special v1:
External Links
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