Bonita Juarez (Earth-616)

Bonita Juarez was walking across the desert near Albuquerque, New Mexico when a huge ball of cold fire plummeted out of the sky and struck the sand ten feet from where she stood. Bathed in its extraterrestrial radiation, Juarez soon discovered that she had acquired a vast amount of energy-wielding powers.^[1]

Believing the fireball to be a manifestation of the American Indian legend of the Firebird, Juarez fashioned herself a costume and decided to use her powers to help the people of the Southwestern United States under the name of Firebird.^[1]

Rangers[]

Firebird intercepted a shortwave distress call meant for the Avengers, and met with four other superhuman crime fighters who were also responding to the call. After handling the menace of the Corruptor, the five champions, Firebird, Red Wolf, Shooting Star, Texas Twister, and Night Rider, decided to band together whenever threatened by a menace that was too large for them to handle individually as the team the Rangers. However, partly because the various Rangers were geographically scattered across the American Southwest, their gatherings were infrequent.^[1]

Avengers West Coast[]

When an encounter with the sorcerer Master Pandemonium took her to the West Coast Avengers, Firebird assisted the team in their battle against him.^[4] Mockingbird wanted her for membership in the West Coast Avengers, but Hawkeye was more interested in courting their more famous applicant, the Thing. After working with the Avengers for several weeks, Firebird left without joining the team.^[5]

The Avengers[]

While the Avengers came looking for her to ask her to join, Firebird was starting a spiritual journey which led her to briefly adopt the name La Espirita. As Espirita, she returned to the West Coast Avengers' headquarters the Avengers Compound just in time to stop Henry Pym from committing suicide. The rest of the West Coast Avengers, however, had been lost in time. Together, Espirata and Pym found the time-lost Avengers' message and helped rescue them and defeat the villainous alien computer, Dominus. Espirita did not stay with the Avengers long, but parted with them in good company and presumably accepted their membership offer, as she often served as a reserve Avenger after that.^[6]

Bonita was later captured by various assembled aliens, who revealed to her that the flaming fireball that gave her powers was merely an alien child's discarded experiment. Briefly engaging a crisis of faith, Bonita nonetheless decided that God was still responsible for her powers, but still returned to her other code-name, Firebird.^[7]

Firebird was among the assembled Avengers who have appeared at various membership meetings, and was called in to help clean up their then headquarters Hydrobase during the so-called "Acts of Vengeance" affair, which set her and a group of other female Avengers up against several berserk androids.^[8]

Firebird retains her Avengers status, and while preferring to adventure in the Southwest and do social work, she has teamed up with them for various adventures, notably when the Avengers reformed after many of their numbers had been believed dead, and when the Avengers and the Thunderbolts teamed up to stop the alien Dominex, a remnant of the Dominus computer.^[9]

Civil War[]

During the Civil War over super hero registration, Firebird joined the anti-Registration Secret Avengers, but after the death in battle of Goliath she decided to register, and later joined Texas' team in the 50-State Initiative, a new incarnation of her old team the Rangers.^[10]

Beyond[]

Firebird was taken to Battleworld, along with a Spider-Man imposter, Medusa, Wasp, Gravity, Venom, The Hood, and Henry Pym by a being claiming to be the Beyonder.^[11] Later, when Uatu the Watcher appeared, the 'Beyonder' was proven to be another cosmic entity known as The Stranger.^[12] The being then decided to destroy the planet, setting it to self-destruct. Gravity forfeited his life to hold the planet together long enough for the others to escape.^[13] During this time firebird became close to Pym and the two shared a kiss.^[14]

Secret Invasion[]

During the Secret Invasion, Firebird was with the Rangers when they, 3-D Man, and Ant-Man were fighting a Skrull that was posing as Lobo, Red Wolf's wolf.^[15]

Danielle Cage[]

Doreen Green (Earth-616) New Avengers Vol 2 7

She was one of the many applicants for nanny to Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' daughter, Danielle Cage.^[16]

Scarlet Spider[]

The Rangers later came into conflict with Kaine, alias Scarlet Spider in Houston, then they joined forces with him to battle a monster made of pure energy.^[17]

Attributes

Power Grid^[21]

Powers

Fire Manipulation: Firebird possesses the ability to emit, absorb, and redirect heat and flames with molecular precision. She can generate heat waves, flame blasts, and constructs and can mentally manipulate any heat and flames in her vicinity.^[18]
- Thermal Aerokinesis: Bonita can generate powerful winds by manipulating air temperatures and can use convection currents and thermal updrafts to lift and move tons with ease.^[18]
Flight: Firebird can fly at great speeds and is capable of reaching orbital velocity (6.96 miles per second) though she usually flies at 300-400 mph. She can fly for roughly 700 miles before becoming fatigued.^[18]
Heat and Fire Immunity: Bonita is completely immune to fire and heat.^[18]
Firebird Manifestation: Whenever Firebird discharges great quantities of light or fire they are accompanied by a huge, vaguely bird-shaped fiery aura that could be generated by her subconscious.^[18]
Immortality: It has been speculated that Bonita's powers may make her immortal, and indeed on one occasion she survived after drinking an alien poison given to her by the Collector that had killed a group of her fellow Avengers (they were later resurrected).^[19]
- Self Sustenance: As an extension of her immortality, Bonita can survive in space.^[18]
Evil Sense: Firebird sometimes has vision, can sense the presence of evil, has uncanny intuition and seems to be immune to demonic possession.^[18]

Abilities

Psychology: Bonita is a skilled social worker with a natural gift for counseling troubled souls.^[18]
Multilingualism: Bonita can speak English and Spanish.^[18]
Religion: Bonita has extensive knowledge of Christian scripture.^[18]

Notes

Despite the fiery bird-like form her energy projections can take, Bonita has no known connection to the Phoenix Force or anyone else using the Phoenix identity.

Links and References

Bonita Juarez on Marvel.com
Marvel Directory
OHMU AVENGERS 2005, 2005, Marvel Entertainment Group

References

[Incredible_Hulk_Vol_1_265-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Incredible Hulk #265

[Avengers_Vol_3_2-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Avengers (Vol. 3) #2

[West_Coast_Avengers_Vol_2_18-3] West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #18

[West_Coast_Avengers_Vol_2_4-4] West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #4

[West_Coast_Avengers_Vol_2_10-5] West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #10

[West_Coast_Avengers_Vol_2_17-25-6] West Coast Avengers (Vol. 2) #17–25

[Avengers_Spotlight_Vol_1_24-7] Avengers Spotlight #24

[Avengers_Spotlight_Vol_1_27-8] Avengers Spotlight #27

[Avengers_Vol_3_12-9] Avengers (Vol. 3) #12

[Civil_War_Vol_1_7-10] Civil War #7

[Beyond!_Vol_1_1-2-11] Beyond! #1–2

[Beyond!_Vol_1_3-4-12] Beyond! #3–4

[Beyond!_Vol_1_5-6-13] Beyond! #5–6

[Beyond!_Vol_1_5-14] Beyond! #5

[Avengers_The_Initiative_Vol_1_19-15] Avengers: The Initiative #19

[New_Avengers_Vol_2_7-16] New Avengers (Vol. 2) #7

[Scarlet_Spider_Vol_2_7-9-17] Scarlet Spider (Vol. 2) #7–9

[Official_Handbook_of_the_Marvel_Universe_A_to_Z_Vol_1_4-18] 18.0 ^18.1 ^18.2 ^18.3 ^18.4 ^18.5 ^18.6 ^18.7 ^18.8 ^18.9 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #4

[West_Coast_Avengers_Annual_Vol_1_2-19] West Coast Avengers Annual #2

[20] Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #4

[21] Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol 1 4

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