‘X-Men ‘97’ — Who Is Deathbird in Marvel Comics?

Editor’s Note: The below contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 Episode 6.

The Big Picture

• Deathbird debuted as a Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) villain in Marvel Comics, later becoming a recurring antagonist for the X-Men.
• Deathbird joins the Kree-Shi’ar War in
  X-Men ’97
  , aligning with her sister against the Kree Empire.
• Deathbird has a tragic backstory in Marvel Comics, driven by a desire to overthrow her sister and seize the throne.

The latest episode of X-Men ’97 saw the return of Deathbird, aka Cal’ysee Neramani (Cari Kabinoff) of the Shi’ar Empire, to the animated saga. Essentially, Deatbhird is the evil, wicked, and malevolent sister of the Shi’ar Empress Lilandra Neramani (Morla Gorrondona), who seeks to usurp her sister’s rule. When Deathbird previously appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series, she was working with Apocalypse in a mutual alliance. Deathbird helped him gain access to powerful telepaths as part of his plans to destroy the world and create a new one. When Deathbird attempted to usurp her sister’s throne, Apocalypse betrayed her. But with the character’s return in X-Men ’97, it appears Deathbird has temporarily realigned with her sister, aiding the Shi’ar’s military campaign against the Kree Empire. Deathbird has a long and interesting history in the Marvel Comics, going back to the 1970s when she debuted in the pages of Ms. Marvel (aka Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel), before becoming a recurring antagonist for the X-Men and other mutant heroes. It’s time for a deep dive into the evil sibling Shi’ar warrior known as Deathbird!

Deathbird Debuted as a Ms. Marvel Villain in Marvel Comics

Deathbird debuted initially in the pages of Ms. Marvel, the ongoing book for Carol Danvers’ superhero exploits, as a recurring villain. Her backstory and royal connections to the Shi’ar Imperium were not fully fleshed out at the time. She was introduced as a flying villain born of the Shi’ar homeworld, Chandilar, who was banished by her people for killing her own sister. While on Earth, she allied with M.O.D.O.K. and Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M.) as she sought to gain materials for her spacecraft. Although Deathbird displayed berserker rage and formidable skills in her battles against Ms. Marvel, she helped the hero when innocent lives became endangered by their fight.

Later on, Deathbird returned in the pages of The Uncanny X-Men. She formed an alliance with the malevolent alien race called the Brood to stage a coup d’état, kidnapping her sister Majestrix Lilandra in an attempt to usurp her throne. Thankfully, the X-Men and Professor Charles Xavier, who is also Lilandra’s lover and royal consort, thwart Deathbird’s attempt. They would encounter her again years later, embroiled in a conspiracy by the Skrulls to take over the Shi’ar Empire. Ultimately, Deathbird sided with her sister and the X-Men during the conflict, and it appeared that her longtime blood feud with her sister over her reign over their empire ended, at least temporarily.

Deathbird followed a similar path in X-Men: The Animated Series. After the defeat of her brother, D’Ken, during “The Phoenix Saga,” she instead sought to wage an unsuccessful coup to take her sister’s throne. It seems that was quelled at some point, bringing events to the current state when she returns to the animated series timeline in Episode 6, “Lifedeath – Part 2.” In the latest episode, Deathbird is now aiding her sister’s rule in a brutal conflict against the Kree Empire, adapting a similar conflict from the Marvel Comics.

Deathbird Joins the Kree-Shi’ar War

The current Kree-Shi’ar War depicted in X-Men ’97 resembles the intergalactic war in the Marvel Comics event, Operation: Galactic Storm. In the multi-book crossover, the Avengers are drawn into an all-out cosmic war between the Shi’ar Imperium and the Kree Empire that threatens to destroy the sun and life on Earth. Despite her past transgressions in the comic storyline, Deathbird is now aligned with her sister, and working on the Empire’s behalf. After the Kree Empire and Supreme Intelligence are defeated, Lilandra annexes the Kree Empire and promotes her sister to the title of Viceroy over their new territory. Similarly, in X-Men ’97, it appears the Shi’ar are engaging in a conflict to quell the imperialistic Kree Empire. At the start of the episode, Deathbird wins a battle against Ronan the Accuser (Todd Haberkorn), interrogating him to discover the location of the Kree Supreme Intelligence, the leader and supreme authority of the Kree.

Throughout the episode, Deathbird continues to covet her sister’s throne, attempting to use Lilandra’s relationship with Professor Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand) against her. While Xavier tries to use his telepathy to play the role of peacemaker for the Shi’ar infighting, his lesson is interrupted after learning about the massacre of Genosha that took place in Episode 5, “Remember It.”

Deathbird Has a Tragic Backstory in Marvel Comics

There is a tragic aspect to Deathbird’s comic book origin that casts her in a more sympathetic light. Among her people, she was born with a type of atavism that caused her to suffer fits of rage, and in doing so, she unwittingly killed her mother and younger sister. As a result, she was exiled from her people, stripped of her royal rank and title, and Deathbird became a renegade Shi’ar warrior. The punishment drove Deathbird into a jealous rage, leading her to desire her sister’s title as Majestrix of the Shi’ar and overtake her rule.

While X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97 have not dived quite as deeply into Deathbird’s backstory, her animated counterpart shares similar desires and motivations. Even after rejoining the Shi’ar Imperium and helping them in their war against the Kree Empire, she still seeks to usurp her sister’s throne. Also, like her comic book counterpart, Deathbird’s loyalties can change and evolve over time. In the comics, she’s been both a recurring ally and enemy to heroes of the Marvel Universe. It remains to be seen if Deathbird can reach a similar peace and understanding with her sister in X-Men ’97 as she had previously in the comics.

She’s also gotten involved in some prolific romances in the comics with time-traveling X-Men mutant hero, Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), and also Vulcan, aka Gabriel Summers, the youngest brother of Cyclops, aka Scott Summers (Ray Chase), and Havok, aka Alex Summers. Coincidentally, Vulcan also made his animated debut in “Lifedeath – Part 2,” fighting alongside Deathbird and the Shi’ar Imperial Guard. Deathbird and Vulcan’s romance even led to yet another coup attempt, where they took over the Shi-ar Imperium and then the rest of the Marvel Universe during the War of Kings event.

X-Men ’97 is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S. with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.

WATCH ON DISNEY+