Phoenix (1,000,000 BC)

Phoenix's History

As an infant, Firehair was abandoned by her parents at the "Burnt Place" - a permanently razed clearing where the xenophobic surrounding tribes sacrificed anyone who deviated in any way from their norms - due to her red hair. Rescued by a pack of wolves, she grew up as a member of the pack - occasionally returning to the Burnt Place to chase the giant buzzards that dwelled there. When she was ten, Firehair discovered a child with one eye had been left at the Burnt Place, and was confronted by a floating man who spoke to her with his mind. Initially fleeing in fear, she later followed the man out of curiosity and befriended him, learning that he could only communicate via telepathy and move using psychokinesis. Reluctantly leaving her pack, Firehair joined the Tribe Without Fear - a collection of mutants that the man - who Firehair called the Highwalker - had rescued from the Burnt Place and taken upon himself to raise and train.

Some time later, Firehair's own mutant abilities awakened just in time for her to warn the Highwalker of an impending attack by the neighboring xenophobic tribes. As Highwalker attempted to talk down the tribesmen to buy his charges time to escape, Firehair's newly awakened psychic abilities were overwhelmed by the humans' fear and rage, resulting in the Highwalker's death when he dropped his guard to soothe her. Firehair fainted as her fellow pupils gave into rage and attacked the attacking tribesmen, resulting in the deaths of everyone present save herself. Firehair blamed herself for her mentor and friends' deaths and was overcome with despair, contemplating turning her powers on herself to commit suicide and returning to the Burnt Place to be eaten by the buzzards. As she lay awaiting death, the Phoenix Force - who had created the Burnt Place when it first arrived on Earth - manifested and saved her from the buzzards. Drawn to Firehair's untapped raw psychic power, the Phoenix bonded to her and sought to use her to fulfill its intended purpose - razing planets to ashes. Consumed by vengeful rage, Firehair nearly gave into the firebird's bloodlust and became a Dark Phoenix, but was pacified by the wolf who had saved her as an infant and decided to use her powers to protect those weaker than herself rather than destruction.

Years later, Firehair recruited the Asgardian deity Odin Borson - intent on forming an alliance with other supernatural and mystically-augmented beings. Together, she and Odin recruited the demigod sorcerer Agamotto, the Black Panther - chief of the Panther Tribe, the demonically-empowered Ghost Rider, Fan Fei - first wielder of the Iron Fist, and Vnn - bearer of the cosmic Starbrand. One of the most-powerful enemies the Avengers battled was the Fallen, an out-of-control Celestial who unbeknownst to them was corrupted by the Horde. During the Avengers' battle against the corrupted cosmic god, Firehair struck the Fallen with flames hot enough to melt a supernova, but it withstood her attack without as much as a scratch. The Avengers eventually defeated the Fallen and sealed in an underground chamber in what would become the modern-day country of South Africa. Afterwards, Firehair and her allies battled the First Host sent to judge Earth, and went on to face many other threats to the Earth; the devil Mephisto and his minions, time-travelling would-be despots, and a young Thanos among them.

What ultimately became of Firehair is unknown, though she entered into a romantic relationship with Odin and survived for longer than any of her comrades, save for him. She seemingly stopped being the Phoenix Force's avatar at an unknown period of time and eventually died, her essence being preserved inside the White Hot Room with the other Phoenix avatars.