Bluebird (Sally Avril), sometimes rendered Blue Bird, is a fictional character appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. She is usually depicted as a
supporting character
A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...
in the
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
series.
Publication history
Created by
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Steve Ditko
Stephen John Ditko Page contains two reproductions from school yearbooks. A 1943 Garfield Junior High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen Ditko". A 1945 Johnstown High School yearbook excerpt lists "Stephen J. Ditko" under extracurricular act ...
, Sally Avril first appeared in ''
Amazing Fantasy
''Amazing Adult Fantasy'', retitled ''Amazing Fantasy'' in its final issue, is an American comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics from 1961 through 1962, with the latter title revived with superhero features in 1995 and in the 2000 ...
'' #15 (1962). Sally was a minor member of Flash Thompson's entourage, appearing in only one issue during the
Silver Age. Her "Bluebird" career was created by
Busiek (scripts) and
Olliffe (pencils) in 1996.
Fictional character biography
Sally Avril was a fellow student of
Peter Parker
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing 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 ...
's at Midtown High who turned him down for a date, preferring
Flash Thompson
Eugene "Flash" Thompson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 196 ...
.
[''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962)]
Thirty years later, writing for ''
Untold Tales of Spider-Man
''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' is an American comic book series starring Spider-Man published by Marvel Comics for 26 issues (#1–25, with a #-1 issue (July 1997) added between issues #22 (June 1997) and 23 (August 1997)) and two ''Annual''s (''A ...
'',
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the ''Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on ''The Avengers (comic book), The Avengers, Thunderbolts (comics ...
resurrected the one-note brunette from obscurity and gave her a background. She was an ambitious, thrill-loving girl who took blue ribbons in
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...
. With fellow popular kid
Jason Ionello
Icarus
Icarus (Joshua "Jay" Guthrie) is a mutant superhero. He was a member of the student body at the Xavier Institute and a member of the New Mutants training squad. Jay was the son of Thomas and Lucinda Guthrie. Thomas dies early in Jay's life ...
, she attempted to cash in on a ''
Daily Bugle
The ''Daily Bugle'' (at one time ''The DB'') is a fictional New York City tabloid newspaper appearing as a plot element in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The ''Daily Bugle'' is a regular fixture in the Marvel Universe, most ...
'' contest offering a thousand dollars to a reader who brought in pictures of
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
. Although their mission was a bust, Sally loved the thrill and became very smitten with the web-slinger when he touched her cheek just before leaving her and Jason with a warning to give it up.
[''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #6 (February 1996)]
Sally and Jason tailed Spidey again, who was (unwillingly) working for
Electro. The flash from Sally's
camera
A camera is an Optics, optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), ...
roused Spidey from his hypnotic state, and a well-placed kick by the athletic young Sally took Electro by surprise long enough for Spidey to readjust his mask — which Electro had been preparing to remove — and defeat him. Spider-Man posed for a shot with an ecstatic Sally and Jason that the ''Bugle'' ran.
[''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #7 (March 1996)]
Suffused with glee, Sally tried to get a permanent gig on the ''Bugle'', but was told the photographer's job was filled — by Peter Parker.
[''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #10 (June 1996)] Peter admitted this but asked her not to tell their fellow Midtowners. Sally donned an eccentric blue-and-white costume and decided, with her aerobic skills, to become a superheroine. She asked Peter to take some ''Bugle'' pics of her doing some stunts, but Peter refused. Angered, she threatened to blackmail him by revealing that he took Spider-Man pictures, but he undercut her by telling them himself.
[''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #11 (July 1996)]
Bluebird's zeal but lack of experience caused trouble for Spider-Man during fights with Scarlet Beetle and
Electro. Her "ether egg" weapons would detonate prematurely or have little effect, once even allowing the
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
to escape.
[''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #12 (August 1996)] Considering her more trouble than she was worth, Spider-Man allowed the
Black Knight
The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with t ...
's men to hurt her quite badly in order to dissuade her from interfering in his fights again, although he later felt remorseful.
Bruised but undaunted, Sally and Jason headed to an area where Spider-Man was fighting the Black Knight, with Sally's camera. She intended to capture some shots of the fight. However, Sally's zeal ended up costing her her life when she begged Jason to speed in his car, and the two ran a red light. Their car struck an oncoming bus, with Jason incurring mild head trauma, and Sally being killed.
[''Untold Tales of Spider-Man'' #13 (September 1996)] Spider-Man felt horrible about this, blaming himself for her death.
During the ''
Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy'' storyline, Sally Avril is cloned by
Ben Reilly
Benjamin "Ben" Reilly (), also known as the Scarlet Spider, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Grown in a lab by the Miles Warren / Jackal, he is a clone of Peter Parker / Spider-Man tasked ...
posing as
Jackal
Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed ...
and is seen in New U Technologies' facility area called Haven.
Powers and abilities
Bluebird has no superpowers. However, she uses a retractable
rope line
A rope line is a setting in which a major celebrity, i.e. movie star, musician, supermodel, politician, internet celebrity, interacts with the general public. A crowd control barrier – originally a rope but now typically a secure metal fence †...
, insulated boots for protection against electricity, blue paint pellets, and ether-filled "eggs." Additionally, Bluebird is a skilled
gymnast
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
.
Reception
Accolades
* In 2022, ''
CBR.com
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Sally Avril 2nd in their "10 Best Comic Book Characters Grey DeLisle Has Played" list.
In other media
Television
* Sally Avril appears in ''
The Spectacular Spider-Man
''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics.
Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...
'', voiced by
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress, comedian and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On Sept ...
.
This version is a cheerleader at Midtown High School,
Randy Robertson
Randy Robertson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a supporting character in Marvel's Spider-Man series and is depicted as the son of Robbie Robertson.
Publication history
Randy first appe ...
's blonde, shrill girlfriend, and a member of the school's popular clique who displays "mean girl" traits. Additionally, she bears animosity towards Peter Parker, whom she calls the "King of Geeks", though she gradually softens up to him during season two.
Film
* Sally Avril, credited as "Hot Girl", makes a cameo appearance in ''
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...
'', portrayed by
Kelsey Chow
Kelsey Asbille Chow (born September 9, 1991) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Mikayla in the Disney XD sitcom ''Pair of Kings'', and as Monica Long in the TV Series ''Yellowstone''. From 2005 to 2009, she had a recurring role ...
. While she goes unnamed in the film, Chow revealed to media outlets around the time of the film's release that her character is Avril and that she would have appeared in another a sequel prior to
Sony's deal with Marvel Studios. Additionally, the film's novelization also refers to Chow's character as Avril.
* Sally Avril makes minor appearances in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
films ''
Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017) and ''
Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018), portrayed by
Isabella Amara
Isabella Amara (born October 9, 1998) is an Americans, American actress and singer. She gained attention for her role as Bluebird (Marvel Comics), Sally Avril in the films ''Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017) and ''Avengers: Infinity War'' (2018). S ...
.
This version is an intellectually gifted member of the Midtown School of Science and Technology's academic decathlon team.
** Sally returns (via archive and previously unused footage of Amara from ''Spider-Man: Homecoming'') in the
post-credits scene
A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
of the 2022
extended edition of ''
Spider-Man: No Way Home'' (2021), depicting the consequences of
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
's second spell.
References
External links
Sally Avrilat The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
Bluebirdat Marvel.com
Bluebirdat Marvel Database
Bluebirdat Comic Vine
{{Steve Ditko
Female characters in film
Fictional characters from New York City
Fictional gymnasts
Marvel Comics female characters
Comics characters introduced in 1962
Characters created by Stan Lee
Characters created by Steve Ditko
Characters created by Kurt Busiek
Female superheroes
Spider-Man characters
Vigilante characters in comics