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Red Raven is the name of three separate fictional characters appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. These characters are the original Red Raven, a flying superhero, who appeared in print once in 1940, then not again until 1968, and occasionally since then; the second Red Raven, named Dania, who is a flying superhero and daughter of the original Red Raven, who first appeared in print in 1992, and occasionally since then; and Redford Raven, a
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
villain who owned a set of medicine-enchanted wings, was also called Red Raven, and has appeared in print three times, in 1964, 1985, and 1987.


Publication history

The first Red Raven, created by writer
Joe Simon Joseph Henry Simon (born Hymie Simon; October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of Comic Books ...
and artist Louis Cazeneuve,
first appeared In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictional character. These issues are often highly valued by collectors due to their rarity and iconic status. Reader interest in fir ...
in '' Red Raven Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor,
Timely Comics Timely Comics was the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely P ...
, during the
Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and ma ...
. The title was canceled after its premiere issue. When the unnamed character was a baby, his parents were killed when an airplane flew through a cloud and ran into the airborne island of the Bird People. The birds raised him as their own, and gave him artificial wings. The character remained unused for more than two decades before returning as an
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' #44 (May 1968). The Red Raven then battled Namor, the Sub-Mariner in ''Sub-Mariner'' #26 (June 1970). In '' Marvel Premiere'' #29 (April 1976), Red Raven was shown to have been a member of the stateside
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
-era superhero team the
Liberty Legion The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II. Composed of existing heroes from Marvel's 1940s Golden Age of Comic Bo ...
. In that capacity he and his teammates guest-starred in ''
Marvel Two-In-One ''Marvel Two-in-One'' is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics featuring Fantastic Four member the Thing in a different team-up each issue. Publication history Original series The concept of teaming the Thing with a differen ...
Annual'' #1 (1976) and '' The Invaders'' #6 (May 1976). He appeared in flashback cameos in '' Thor Annual'' #12 (1984) and ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
'' #405 (Oct. 1995). Although presumed dead for years, he eventually returned in '' Nova'' vol. 3 #4-5 (Aug.-Sept. 1999), and guest-starred in '' The Defenders'' #6-7 (Aug. - Sept. 2001) and ''The Order'' #2 (May 2002).Red Raven
at the
Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information use ...
. Note: List includes unrelated
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
character.
Dania first appeared in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #8 (January, 1992) and was created by
Scott Lobdell Scott Lobdell (; born 1960) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter known for his work on numerous X-Men series for Marvel Comics in the 1990s, various work for DC Comics in the 2010s, namely '' Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans,'' ...
and Chris Wozniak. She has also appeared in ''Nova'' vol. 3 #7, '' The Defenders vol. 2 #6, ''The New Invaders #2, and is mentioned in '' Civil War: Battle Damage Report''. The character appears briefly in '' Avengers Arena'', but is killed in the second issue. Redford Raven appeared in '' Rawhide Kid'' #38 (February 1964), and ''
West Coast Avengers The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall (comics), Bob Ha ...
'' Volume 2 #18 (March 1987). He also appeared in a dream sequence in ''Rawhide Kid'' vol. 2 (four-issue limited edition) #4 (November, 1985).


Fictional character biography


Original Red Raven

Sky-Island (or the Aerie) is an "island" which floats in the sky above the Atlantic Ocean, inhabited by the Bird-People or Winged Ones, an avian offshoot of the human-alien hybrid race known as the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
, who had long ago left the hidden Inhuman city Attilan, built their own abode, and learned to stabilize their genetics to reproduce only in this winged form. The island was kept aloft by antigravity drives and hidden from human civilization by artificial clouds. An airplane crashed into the Sky-Island, killing all passengers except a small boy. The Bird-People raised the boy, equipped their adopted son with a uniform outfitted with anti-
gravitons In theories of quantum gravity, the graviton is the hypothetical elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathematical problem with ren ...
for flight and artificial wings for navigation, and sent him back to the human world as Red Raven. His first adventure (set in around 1940) was preventing the gangsters Zeelmo and Ratoga from stealing the world's supply of gold and starting a second Great Depression. In 1942, Bucky formed the
Liberty Legion The Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II. Composed of existing heroes from Marvel's 1940s Golden Age of Comic Bo ...
with Red Raven and other superheroes, battling foes such as the
Red Skull The Red Skull is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by France Herron, Jack Kirby, and Joe Simon, the character first appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 (March 1941), in ...
and
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
. The Liberty Legion disbanded in 1945 and Red Raven went to Europe, where on April 25 of that year he was one of many superheroes involved in the capture of Berlin. Disillusioned by war, Red Raven returned to Sky-Island, where he discovered that the Bird-People planned to conquer human civilization. Red Raven foiled their plot by using gas to place the tribe, including himself, in
suspended animation Suspended animation is the slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. States of suspended animation are common in micro-organisms and some plant tissue, such as seeds. Many animals, including l ...
, and sank their domed island to the bottom of the ocean, setting a timer to return them to the surface and reawaken them after several years. When the island eventually resurfaced near the end of the suspended-animation cycle, the superhero
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
of the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
stumbled upon the island. Angel and Red Raven clashed when the latter was startled by the former. Angel believed it would be more humane to revive the Bird-People, but Red Raven disagreed. He again sank the island to protect the secret of the Bird-People, continuing the suspended animation process, and set Angel adrift on a raft. Sometime later, following an undersea
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
, the Red Raven's suspended-animation capsule broke loose. It floated to the surface, where Red Raven was found by his old wartime ally the Sub-Mariner. The imperfect suspended-animation technology that he had used, however, had begun to drive Red Raven insane. He tried to awaken the Bird-People to join their crusade against humanity, but was thwarted by Namor. His condition worsened when he discovered that the Bird-People had all died. In a mad rage, he accidentally caused an explosion that engulfed him and the entire island. Sometime throughout all this, Red Raven had a daughter, Dania, who became a superhero, also under the name Red Raven.'' Marvel Super-Heroes'' vol. 3 #8 (Jan. 1992), in the Sub-Mariner story "Leftovers" by writer Scott Lobdell and pencilers Ken Lopez and Chris Wozniak. Red Raven eventually reappeared alive, and revealed that he'd faked his own death, that of the Bird People, and the sinking of the island. The
Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: * Defense (military) * Defense (sports) ** Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre Film * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The D ...
are later brought to the Red Raven's sky-island and clash with the Raven. The Red Raven also encounters The Order on his island. Red Raven later attacked New Attilan with an army of disfigured Bird-People. After capturing
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
, he revealed that the Bird-People were actually an ancient offshoot of the Inhuman race that had learned how to develop powers without the need of the
Terrigen Mist The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
. When Black Bolt activated the Terrigenesis Bomb during the "
Infinity Infinity is something which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is denoted by \infty, called the infinity symbol. From the time of the Ancient Greek mathematics, ancient Greeks, the Infinity (philosophy), philosophic ...
" storyline, it caused the Bird-People including Red Raven's wife Vera to undergo monstrous transformations. Red Raven sought vengeance by attempting to destroy New Attilan, but was stopped after the new
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
was able to reach Vera and show that her mind was still intact inside her deformed body. Captain America and
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
eventually talked down Red Raven while Medusa volunteered to help find a way to restore the Bird People. While recovering from his injuries, Red Raven was visited by Steve Rogers who tells them that the world is in good hands.


Dania

Dania is a Bird-Person who was hatched on the floating island of Aerie (Sky-Island). By age 14, Dania had spent most of her life watching the video feeds of Namor and thought that he was responsible for the death of her father (presumed to be the original Red Raven). Namor's company Oracle Inc. sought to study the sunken Sky-Island and its technology. However, the workers were attacked by Diablo, who sought to harness the technology for himself. Dania flew there to protect her people while Diablo resurrected the Bird-People from their suspended animation, leaving Dania and Namor to fight them off. One of the Bird-People brought back to life was Dania's father, which left Dania distraught until Namor defeated him. Diablo departed after rigging explosives that destroyed Sky-Island. Dania chided Namor for his interference with Sky-Island (though she did win a grudging respect for the hero). Dania's father later organized his people into building a new Sky-Island. During the ''
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
'' storyline, Dania was listed as a foreign national by Tony Stark and was reported to still be active in the United States. As part of the ''
Marvel NOW! Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...
'' event, Dania is among the teenage superheroes that were captured by Arcade and forced to fight for his amusement in the pages of '' Avengers Arena''. She becomes the second casualty of Arcade's schemes when she tries to escape by flying upward and has her neck broken by an invisible forcefield. When Death Locket stumbles into an underground facility, she finds a room where Red Raven's body is stored alongside the others who have died in battle.


Redford Raven

In the
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...
, Redford Raven is a bank robber who led his own gang into a series of robberies until they ran afoul of Rawhide Kid, who defeated the bank robbers and handed them over to the authorities. While in prison, Redford Raven shared a cell with a dying Navajo medicine man. The medicine man decided to share his secrets with Redford: He had designed a winged harness that, treated with a secret herb, could be worn by a man and permit him to glide upon the winds. The old Navajo trained Raven in the use of these wings until he died from his illness. Redford Raven tricked the guard into letting him escape by hovering to the ceiling and slipping out. Upon becoming Red Raven, he was able to safely escape the prison simply by flying out of reach of the guards. Red Raven's first action was to take revenge on Rawhide Kid. Not realizing Red Raven's new abilities, Rawhide Kid fired at Red Raven, who dodged every bullet. Red Raven then shot Rawhide Kid and left him for dead. Rawhide Kid was saved and nursed back to health by a young Navajo who was the son of the Navajo medicine man who gave Redford Raven his powers. Upon having recovered, Rawhide Kid was trained by the Navajo man to use the wings so that he could be on equal grounds with Red Raven. Upon finding Red Raven, Rawhide Kid was still trying to get a hang of operating the flying harness. Red Raven made the mistake of flying in front of the sun, enabling Rawhide Kid to shoot Red Raven's gun from his hand. Rawhide Kid then wrestled with Red Raven and brought him to the ground. The young Navajo man then burnt both wings in order to protect the secret. Redford Raven later came to own a new pair of wings and joined forces with Iron Mask's gang as they formed a gang called the Circus of Crime (consisting of Dr. Danger,
Fat Man "Fat Man" (also known as Mark III) was the design of the nuclear weapon the United States used for seven of the first eight nuclear weapons ever detonated in history. It is also the most powerful design to ever be used in warfare. A Fat Man ...
,
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
, and Rattler). Upon being inspired by
Kang the Conqueror Kang the Conqueror (Nathaniel Richards) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #19 (October 1963) as Rama-Tut, an ...
's brief sojourn in their timeline, they began to commit high-scaled thefts until the time-traveling
West Coast Avengers The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall (comics), Bob Ha ...
showed up, along with contemporary heroes Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid and the Phantom Rider, and stopped the criminals in their tracks. Red Raven ended up fighting
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
and proved totally ineffectual against him; Iron Man tore off his wings, dropping him to the ground. Red Raven and the other criminals were arrested and handed over to the authorities in Tombstone, Arizona.''West Coast Avengers'' vol. 2 #18. Marvel Comics.


Powers and abilities

Red Raven's costume was reinforced synthetic stretch fabric containing miniature anti-gravity mechanisms, as well as large artificial wings which allowed Red Raven to fly. He was armed with the Bird-People's advanced weaponry, including a
ray gun A raygun is a science-fiction directed-energy weapon usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have various names: ray gun, de ...
and an anti-gravity gun. He was proficient in basic hand-to-hand combat techniques, uniquely styled to make use of his advantage of flight. As a Bird-Person, Dania was born with operative wings, hollow bones, and other adaptions for flight. Redford Raven had no inherent superpowers. He possessed a pair of artificial wings and used them to glide in the wind.


References


External links


Original Red Raven


Original Red Raven
at Marvel Wiki

at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on January 5, 2017. * Nevins, Jess
Red Raven
at A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters
Diamond Galleries Scoop: "Did You Know...?" (column of Oct. 25, 2002): "The Short Run of the Red Raven"


Second Red Raven (Dania)


Red Raven (Dania)
at Marvel Wiki *


Redford Raven ("Red Raven")


Red Raven (Redford Raven)
at Marvel Wiki * {{GoldenAge Characters created by Dick Ayers Characters created by Joe Simon Characters created by Scott Lobdell Characters created by Stan Lee Comics characters introduced in 1940 Comics characters introduced in 1964 Comics characters introduced in 1992 Golden Age superheroes Marvel Comics supervillains Marvel Comics superheroes Timely Comics characters