"I was first-born of the Aerie -- and I was born cursed with a berserker fury that tempted me to commit the sin of sins! I killed, Ms. Marvel. One of my own kind! One of my sisters! As I shall now kill you!"
- Deathbird
Who is Deathbird?
Deathbird is one of the X-Men's most prominent female villains.
Like the X-Men's most famous female baddie, Mystique, Deathbird first appeared in the pages of Ms. Marvel. She was stranded on Earth and sought a way back to the Aerie (now called Chandilar), home of the Shi'Ar Imperium.
A fearsome fighter, Deathbird is a bird of prey who uses her sharp talons, bladed wings, and an arsenal of weapons (mostly javelins). She also has superhuman strength, durability, and keen senses that rival Wolverine's.
Mother Mayhem
Deathbird killed her own mother, one of the reasons for her exile. However, Deathbird may be the mother of several characters, including:
- Black Light, a very obscure member of the Imperial Guard who called Deathbird his mother.
- White Noise, Black Light's sister.
- Deathcry, implied to be Deathbird's daughter.
- Lifeguard, a former X-Man. One entry in Destiny's Diaries list her to be "Mothered by War," a hint to Deathbird's role as war.
- Vulcan's Baby, the only confirmed child of Deathbird. However, this plot has been sort of dropped, so who knows what became of this baby.
Deathbird Digest
Deathbird is a major X-Villain, but here are some little known facts about the winged warrior woman:
- Deathbird's real name, Cal'syee Neramani, was first revealed in Age of Apocalypse, in Gambit and the X-Ternals #2.
- Deathbird's first few appearances had her working alongside MODOK while she searched for a way home. She's also partnered with the Brood in the past.
- Not exactly little known, but Deathbird and Bishop have a very sordid history with each other. She sort of Annie Wilkes'd him. They now hate each other.
- Deathbird has flip-flopped between wanting to rule the Shi'Ar Empire and not wanting the responsibilities that come with it.
- In the 90's, Deathbird served as the Praetor of the Shi'Ar Starforce.
- Deathbird has a weird history with forceful kissing. Hawkeye forced a kiss on her in one of her earliest appearances, then Deathbird forced a kiss on Xavier years later. She also kissed Captain America's unconscious body. She's kind of a creeper, but maybe she thinks that's what humans do since Hawkeye did it to her first.