History

Little is known about the background of the woman known as Blackbird, not even her real name. Having made a name for herself, she is a highly paid spy and mercenary.

Blackbird, known as Jackdaw at the time, debuted under the employ of the Leader. She was dispatched to Gamma Base to abscond with some of the experiments and discoveries in the field of gamma radiation. She managed to covertly enter the base, but was intrigued by Megalith, a gigantic robot she came across. She decided to take it, but was caught by the Hulk. Using Megalith, she managed to overpower the Hulk until he became annoyed and managed to smash the robot into pieces. The feedback caused Jackdaw to suffer tremendous agony, but she managed to escape.

Creation

Blackbird was created by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema and Joe Sinnott in 1982 and first appeared in The Incredible Hulk # 275.

Story Arcs

The Incredible Hulk

Jackdaw, who had continued to work with the Leader, turned against him when he concocted a plan to go back in time and mutate the human species with gamma rays, as she did not want to become a gamma creature. She was unable to stop him from activating his time machine and, in retaliation, the Leader ordered his intelligent computer, Omnivac, to take on a humanoid form and discipline Jackdaw. A harsh disciplinarian, Omnivac nearly killed Jackdaw.

Beaten to the brink of death, Jackdaw tried to stop the Avengers from being sent back in time, as that was part of the Leader's plan. Only the Hulk and She-Hulk remained in the present, as the Leader had programmed the device to be unable to be used against him. The two other gamma-powered beings shared this immunity. Hulk managed to figure the device out and the two of them went back in time and foiled the Leader's plot. Omnivac tried to prevent the Avengers from returning, but Jackdaw stopped him by ripping the wires out of his head.

Femizons

After leaving the Leader's employ, she changed her name to Blackbird and was one of the women recruited by Superia for the Femizons.

As a member of the Femizons, Blackbird was sent along with Moonstone to stop Captain America and Paladin, who had come to Femizonia Island to find Diamondback. Blackbird managed to defeat Paladin, but he was freed by Captain America. Paladin managed to subdue Moonstone, so Blackbird fled to get reinforcements (as Modam had already been fended off as well). Captain America, however, managed to grab her and choked her until she passed out. Blackbird was subsequently released into police custody.

After either being released or managing to escape, Blackbird joined up with Superia again, serving as one of her lieutenants alongside Iron Maiden and Snapdragon. The four women attended the AIM Weapons Expo on Boca Caliente and intended to take over the island. They would then use the profits to finance Superia's plans for global conquest. Superia quickly murdered the head of AIM, but was subdued by MODAM, who chose to remain loyal to AIM, refusing to help Superia. Notably, the head of AIM was revealed to be an adaptoid, and he recovered from Superia's attack. He then directed MODAM to dispose of Superia.

Blackbird and Iron Maiden immediately went to help Superia. Snapdragon, however, was confronted by Diamondback who sought vengeance her near drowning on the S.S. Superia. Diamondback killed Snapdragon, and MODAM blasted Blackbird into submission. Iron Maiden was unable to stop MODAM as she left with Superia in tow.

What has become of Blackbird in recent years remains unknown.

Powers & Abilities

Blackbird has no innate powers, but she possesses an armored winged suit that enables her to fly at great speeds. She has technological expertise and is skilled with a variety of weapons. One of her signature weapons is a cable claw which can ensnare and bind her foes. This cable is exceptionally strong and can hold humans with enhanced strength.

Statistics

Status

• Known Relatives: Unrelieved
• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States, with a considerable sized criminal record.
• Place of Birth: Unrevealed
• Base of Operations: Mobile
• Education: Unrevealed

Group Affiliation: Former of the Leader, former lieutenant of Superia's Femizons

Characteristics

• Weight: 130 lbs
• Height: 5'7"
• Eyes: Blue-green
• Hair: Unknown