Red Raven (Marvel Comics)
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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 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 ...
. 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 or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
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 (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 served as the ...
and artist
Louis Cazeneuve Luis "Louis" Cazeneuve (August 18, 1908 – August 1977) was an Argentine-born American comic-book artist.first appeared In American 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 interes ...
in ''
Red Raven Comics ''Red Raven Comics'' was a title of Timely Comics (the predecessor of Marvel Comics). Only a single issue was published, cover-dated August 1940. It was replaced by the title ''The Human Torch'', which began with issue #2 (Fall 1940), continuing t ...
'' #1 (
cover-date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unusu ...
d Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor,
Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely Publications became the name ...
, during the
Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era 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 many well-known char ...
. 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 chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
in the story "Red Raven, Red Raven" in ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'' #44 (May 1968). The Red Raven then battled
Namor, the Sub-Mariner Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies In ...
in ''Sub-Mariner'' #26 (June 1970). In ''
Marvel Premiere ''Marvel Premiere'' is an American comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics. In concept it was a tryout book, intended to determine if a character or concept could attract enough readers to justify launching their own seri ...
'' #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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
-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 ...
. In that capacity he and his teammates guest-starred in '' Marvel Two-In-One Annual'' #1 (1976) and ''
The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasion ...
'' #6 (May 1976). He appeared in flashback cameos in ''
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
Annual'' #12 (1984) and ''
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...
'' #405 (Oct. 1995). Although presumed dead for years, he eventually returned in ''
Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
'' 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
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. Note: List includes unrelated
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
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 The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in '' The Avengers'' #71 (Dec ...
#2, and is mentioned in '' Civil War: Battle Damage Report''. The character appears briefly in ''
Avengers Arena ''Avengers Arena'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in December 2012 as part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. The series shows 16 young heroes from the Marvel Universe and pit them against each other in a kill-or-be-kill ...
'', but is killed in the second issue. Redford Raven appeared in ''
Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...
'' #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. It was the fir ...
'' 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 Avian may refer to: *Birds or Aves, winged animals *Avian (given name) (russian: Авиа́н, link=no), a male forename Aviation *Avro Avian, a series of light aircraft made by Avro in the 1920s and 1930s *Avian Limited, a hang glider manufacture ...
offshoot of the human-alien hybrid race known as the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes 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 peop ...
, who had long ago left the hidden Inhuman city
Attilan The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places f ...
, 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 quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitational interaction. There is no complete quantum field theory of gravitons due to an outstanding mathem ...
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 ...
with Red Raven and other superheroes, battling foes such as the
Red Skull The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...
and
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...
. 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 temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. It may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogen ...
, 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 In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
of the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
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 earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
, 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 and television * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The Defender'' (1994 f ...
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 The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places f ...
with an army of disfigured Bird-People. After capturing
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
, he revealed that the Bird-People were actually an ancient offshoot of the
Inhuman Inhuman may refer to: Comics *Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics ** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans ** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe *Kristoff Vernard, ...
race that had learned how to develop powers without the need of the
Terrigen Mist The Inhumans are a fictional superhuman race of superheroes 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 peopl ...
. When
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appears in '' Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ...
activated the Terrigenesis Bomb during the ''
Infinity Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol . Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions amo ...
'' 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 appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
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 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 ...
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.


Second Red Raven (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 or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 ...
'' 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 Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...
and forced to fight for his amusement in the pages of ''
Avengers Arena ''Avengers Arena'' is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics that debuted in December 2012 as part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch. The series shows 16 young heroes from the Marvel Universe and pit them against each other in a kill-or-be-kill ...
''. 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 Death Locket (Rebecca Ryker) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Publication history Death Locket first appeared in issue #1 of the '' Avengers Arena'' series as part of the '' Marvel NOW!'' event ...
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 ("Red Raven")

In the
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, Redford Raven is a bank robber who led his own gang into a series of robberies until they ran afoul of
Rawhide Kid The Rawhide Kid (real name: Johnny Bart, originally given as Johnny Clay) is a fictional Old West cowboy appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. A heroic gunfighter of the 19th-century American West who was unjustly wanted a ...
, 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 into using the wings so that he can 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 a 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 had joined forces with Iron Mask's gang (consisting of Dr. Danger, Fat Man,
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
, and
Rattler Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small an ...
). Upon being inspired by
Kang the Conqueror Kang the Conqueror (Nathaniel Richards) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is most frequently depicted as an opponent of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. A time-traveling entity, seve ...
'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. It was the fir ...
showed up, along with contemporary heroes Rawhide Kid,
Two-Gun Kid The Two-Gun Kid is the name of two Western fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first, Clay Harder, was introduced in a 1948 comic from Marvel predecessor Timely Comics. The second, Matt Hawk a ...
and the
Phantom Rider Phantom Rider is the name of several Old West heroic gunfighter characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally called Ghost Rider, and was renamed following the introduction of Marvel's moto ...
, 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. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...
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


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 the 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 that releases energy, usually with destructive effect.Jeff Prucher, '' Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction,'' Oxford University Press, 2007, page 162 They have variou ...
and an
anti-gravity Anti-gravity (also known as non-gravitational field) is a hypothetical phenomenon of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or t ...
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 on 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