History
Overview[]
The Bird People were a genetically stable off-shoot of the Inhumans, who separated from their Kree-created parent race in Attilan and built their floating home, Aerie.[12]
Despite this acknowledged origin, they sometimes present themselves as the fruit of the evolution of birds.[18]
Origin[]
2,500 years ago, by 500 B.C.,[20][5] After years of peace and acceptance of the Inhuman diversity,[21] the arrogant Bird People (Winged Inhumans, or "Winged Ones" who thought themselves superior) had King Nestor built a sky-city, the Aerie, above Attilan and linked with a pylon, for them. No matter what, the antagonism kept growing between the two communities and eventually leading to the declaration of secession[12] and war on Attilan[5] from the Sky-city led by Kylus, who also slaughtered all of the non-white-feathered Inhumans from the Aerie, including the anti-secession bat-winged Cheiros.[12]
Horrified by the genocide,[5] Nestor acknowledged the secession and had the pylon removed for the Aerie to fly free.[12]
Early years[]
Starving to death, the Winged Inhumans were dying from starvation, forced to attack humans for sustenance (mistaken for Harpies), and eventually developed their society in a more durable way, while Kylus became a wiser King.[12]
Over the years, they became known as the Aerians or Bird People.[5]
At some point, the Atlanteans (Homo mermani) and the Bird People entered a shared enmity.[13][5]
The Bird People eventually developed a peaceful (if stagnant) culture,[5] and considered the Mad King Kylus' actions (including Cheiros' death) as an enduring disgrace to their culture's honor.[12][5]
Modern days[]
Adopting Red Raven[]
In the early 1920's, a plane crashed upon Sky Island, with a redheaded young boy as only survivor. Aerivar the 18th. Despite some wanted to slay the boy in order to protect the Bird People, Aerivar decided to adopt him to be the strongest and wisest human,[18] and also for him to wear artificial bat-like wings and become the Heir of Cheiros, to redeem the honor their race.[12]
World War II[]
In 1940, on his twentieth birthday, Red Raven was given the wings and returned to human society at his father's demand to aid humanity,[18] soon joining forces with the Liberty Legion.[5]
Planning on conquer humanity[]
Possibly influenced by agitators from the Bloodravens,[5] the Bird People intended to conquer the human race. The Red Raven argued in vain with the citizens' council then with their ruler Aerivar XVIII that the humans still vastly outnumbered them and would wipe the winged race out if they went to war. To save the Bird People warrior class' lives, the Red Raven released a gas which placed all of them in suspended animation. He then put the Bird People in special individual capsules designed to keep them alive, separated the military complex from the rest of the Sky-Island, and sank it beneath the Atlantic Ocean.[15][13] He put himself and his daughter Dania into suspended animation as well, after setting the return of the island to the ocean surface twenty years later and leaving a robot duplicate of himself to periodically awaken and confirm the base's functions.[5]
Bird People decline[]
Left helpless without their warrior class, the Bird People stored their civilization' knowledge and culture to the Bi-Beasts,[16] the remaining Bird People either perished or vanished from Sky Island.[5]
Among the known survivors were Condor, who used the Bird People's technology for his criminal career.[5]
Dania was later awakened from suspended animation[5] for unrevealed reasons, in the abandoned Aerie, where she was raised by the base's advanced technology.[3]
The Red Raven robot[]
Angel and the construct Red Raven witnessed the return of the Aerie military complex from the depths of the oceans, but "Red Raven" expelled Angel and returned the complex underwater.[15]
Months later, after a seaquake tore the Red Raven construct's suspended animation cylinder,[5] he was soon found by humans in his stasis tube. After Namor awakened him,[13] the construct, perhaps damaged in transport, had gone insane.[5] He proposed that Namor and he join forces to destroy humanity, but Namor refused. A battle resulted, until Red Raven returned to the sunken base where he thought all the Winged Ones had died in stasis,[13] but they remained in a death-like suspended animation.[8]
After that event, Dania believed to be the last Winged One alive and that Namor had killed her father.[6]
Sky Isle destruction(s)[]
Hulk and Modok[]
The Bi-Beast later encountered Hulk and the Harpy who landed on the Sky-Island[16]
Diablo[]
As Sky Isle was emerged by Diablo, who wished to steal its secrets, Dania intervened, helping Namor to battle Diablo and his army of reanimated[6] (thought-)[8] undead Bird People (including the construct Red Raven).[6]
The battle ended with the retreat of Diablo and the destruction of Sky Isle (which was stabilized by Diablo's powers).[6]
Reanimated, the Avians (including the real Red Raven) started their true revival process, and created a new Sky Island.[8]
Through the law firm Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway, the Avians later negotiated air zone treaties[7] and the expansion of that fly zone.[17]
Terrigenesis[]
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.[11] 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.[22]Powers and Abilities
Powers
Winged Flight: The Bird People possess the superhuman ability to fly by means of natural wings, which span 16 feet sixteen feet from wingtip to wingtip, and are fully feathered like a bird's.[citation needed]
Aerial Adaptation: The entire anatomy of the Bird People is naturally adapted to flying. Their bones are hollow like a birds, making them weigh far less than usual for a human. Their bodies are virtually devoid of fat and possess greater proportionate muscle mass than an ordinary human does. Their eyes are specially adapted to withstand high-speed winds which would hurt the average human eye. They also possess a special membrane in their respiratory system enabling them to extract oxygen from the air at high velocities or altitudes.[citation needed]Miscellaneous
Type of Government
Level of Technology
Cultural Traits
Social classes[]
Two social classes,[citation needed] the Warrior class[16] and Peaceful Avians.[citation needed]
Religion[]
Representatives
- Cheiros - Red-leather-bat-winged leader, died in martyr during the Aerie secession.[12]
- King Kylus - White-feathered-winged leader, orchestrated the secession of the Aerie and the massacre of non-white-feathered Winged Ones. First King of the Aerie.[12]
- King Aerivar the 18th - King of the Aerie during the 20th century.[12]
- Condor - Criminal active on Earth.
- Dania - Hybrid from a Bird People woman and Red Raven.
Non-Inhumans dwelling among the Bird People includes:
See Also
- 23 appearance(s) of Bird People
- 1 minor appearance(s) of Bird People
- 2 mention(s) of Bird People
- 5 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Bird People
- 6 image(s) of Bird People
- 1 item(s) used/owned by Bird People
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Heroic Age: Villains #1 : Condor's profile
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #3 ; Condor's entry
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #4 ; Red Raven (Dania)'s entry
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe #1 ; Inhumans' entry
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 Marvel Mystery Handbook 70th Anniversary Special #1 ; Red Raven's entry
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Marvel Super-Heroes (Vol. 2) #8
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Marvel Atlas #2 ; Aerie's entry
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Defenders (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ Nova (Vol. 3) #4
- ↑ Marvel Encyclopedia #1 ; 2009 edition; Bi-Beast's entry
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Inhuman Special #1
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 Thor Annual #12
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Sub-Mariner #26
- ↑ Spider-Island #5
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 X-Men #44
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Incredible Hulk #169
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 She-Hulk #2
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Red Raven Comics #1
- ↑ Amazing Spider-Man Special #1
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Fantastic Four 2005 #1 ; Inhumans' entry
- ↑ Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5 ; Inhumans' entry
- ↑ All-New Captain America Special #1