Red Raven (Marvel Comics)

Red Raven is the name of three separate fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. 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 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.

The first Red Raven, created by writer Joe Simon and artist Louis Cazeneuve, first appeared in Red Raven Comics #1 (cover-dated Aug. 1940), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics, during the Golden Age of Comic Books. 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 in the story "Red Raven, Red Raven" in X-Men #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-era superhero team the Liberty Legion. In that capacity he and his teammates guest-starred in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #1 (1976) and The Invaders #6 (May 1976). He appeared in flashback cameos in Thor Annual #12 (1984) and Fantastic Four #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).

Dania first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (January, 1992) and was created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Wozniak. She has also appeared in Nova vol. 3 #7, The Defenders vol. 2 #6, and 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 Volume 2 #18 (March 1987). He also appeared in a dream sequence in Rawhide Kid vol. 2 (four-issue limited edition) #4 (November, 1985).

Sky-Island, also known as 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, who had long ago left the hidden Inhuman city Attilan and built their own abode. The island is kept aloft by antigravity drives and hidden from human civilization by artificial clouds.

An airplane crashes into the Sky-Island, killing all passengers except a small boy. The Bird-People raise the boy, equip them with a uniform outfitted with anti-gravitons for flight and artificial wings for navigation, and return him to human society as Red Raven.

In 1942, Bucky Barnes forms the Liberty Legion with Red Raven and other superheroes, battling foes such as the Red Skull. The Liberty Legion disbands in 1945. Red Raven travels to Europe, where he is one of many superheroes involved in the capture of Berlin.