BLACKBIRD

Real Name: Heather O'Gara

Identity/Class: Human, technology user

Occupation: Mercenary, Spy

Group Membership: Superia's Femizons

Affiliations: Former agent of the Leader, Nightshade, and Superia (one of her lieutenants); Iron Maiden, Snapdragon, briefly assisted Avengers and Hulk; formerly utilized Megalith

Enemies: AIM, Captain America, Hulk, Leader, MODAM, Omnivac, Paladin

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Jackdaw

Base of Operations: Formerly Omnivac (in Earth's orbit); formerly Femizonia Island (presumably) and the S. S. Superia ship

First Appearance: (As Jackdaw) Incredible Hulk II#274 (August, 1982);
(as Blackbird) Captain America I#388 (July, 1991), (named) 389 (early August, 1991)

Powers: She possesses a lightly armored winged suit enabling her to fly at great speeds. She has some knowledge of technology and is skilled with a variety of weapons. She also uses a cable claw which can ensnare and bind her foes. This cable is strong enough to hold a man with enhanced human strength.
see Megalith below

History: Her origins are unrevealed. She somehow made a name for herself and became a highly payed mercenary.

(Incredible Hulk II#274-275) - Under the employ of the Leader, Jackdaw was sent to Gamma Base to obtain certain pieces of technology. She arrived at the same time as Betty Ross and Bereet (that's her, the shadow in the sky), and shortly before the Hulk returned, but she initially remained hidden from them, exploring the base in secret. In fact, Bereet made Jackdaw's entry into the Base easier by destroying a number of the security systems via her "pet", Sturky. Jackdaw had been sent to obtain some advanced experiments and discoveries in the field of gamma radiation. However, she was distracted and very impressed by the giant robot, Megalith. She put on the "symbio-bands" to control Megalith, and attempted to escape with it. Her initial clumsiness alerted the Hulk, who sought to stop her. At first, she overpowered the Banner-brained Hulk, until he got annoyed enough and shattered the giant robot. Blackbird suffered tremendous agony as the damge done to Megalith was transmitted back to her via the symbio-bands. After Megalith's destruction, she fled back to the Leader, hoping for mercy.

(Incredible Hulk II#277-281, 283(fb), 283, 284) - Jackdaw was at the Leader's side as he prepared for his next plan. She was there when the Leader defeated the intelligent Hulk and sent him back to Earth. However, when she learned of the Leader's plan to go back in time and mutate primitive man with gamma rays, she turned against him. Not wanting to be mutated into a gamma-creature, she tried to stop the Leader from activating his time machine. The Leader directed his intelligent computer, Omnivac, to take a humanoid form and "discipline" Jackdaw. Omnivac disciplined her nearly to death.
Jackdaw, obviously badly beaten, appeared when the Hulk and the Avengers invaded Omnivac, but she was too late to stop the Avengers from being sent back in time, as per the Leader's plans. The Hulk and the She-Hulk were not sent back, as the Leader had unwittingly made the device unable to be used on him against his will, and the two gamma-powered heroes had similar immunity. The Banner-minded Hulk deciphered the Leader's codes, and sent himself and the She-Hulk back in time, where they regathered the Avengers and foiled the Leader's plot. Omnivac attempted to alter the time machine so that none of the heroes could return, but Jackdaw ripped the wires out of his head, stopping them.

BTS-Sometime after this, she changed her name to Blackbird. She was one of the "super-women" recruited (probably hired) by Superia to help her in her plot to direct Earth's timeline to become that of Earth-Femizonia.

(Captain America I#388-389) - As Captain America and Paladin attempted to track Diamondback, who had been "invited" (initially abducted) to Femizonia Island, they were attacked by MODAM. After they fought off MODAM, Blackbird and Moonstone were sent to stop them. Blackbird ensnared Paladin, but Cap freed him. After Paladin took out Moonstone, Blackbird decided to fly off for reinforcements. However, Cap snagged her before she could take off and cut off her air until she passed out. Both Blackbird and Moonstone were taken aboard the Avengers quinjet that came to assist Cap, and they were taken to police custody.

(Captain America I#411-414) - After her release or escape, Blackbird joined back up with Superia, serving as one of her lieutenants, alongside Iron Maiden and Snapdragon. These four attended the AIM Weapons Expo on Boca Caliente, with the plan of taking over the Island, and using their profits to finance Superia's further plans of worldwide conquest. Superia met with Alessandro Brannex, the head of AIM, and blasted a hole through his chest. She was quickly subdued by MODAM, who retained her loyalty to AIM and refused to aid Superia. Brannex was revealed to be an adaptoid, and he recovered from the assault. Brannex directed MODAM to dispose of Superia.
Blackbird and Iron Maiden flew to help Superia, while Snapdragon was confronted by Diamondback (who had been toughened by recent experiences and sought revenge for her near drowning on the S. S. Superia). Diamondback killed Snapdragon, while MODAM blasted Blackbird into submission, leaving the Iron Maiden unable to stop MODAM as she took off with Superia.

Comments: Jackdaw and Megalith were created by Richard Konkle and first used in as story by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Joe Sinnott.
    She was renamed Blackbird by Mark Gruenwald.

I thought the name Jackdaw had a lot more pizzazz than Blackbird (which is a European bird similar to, but smaller than, a crow). Maybe she could be the Grackle...ahh, that's taken, too.

Her full name was revealed in the Hulkbusters' entry in OHOTMU A-Z HC#5.

Clarifications: Jackdaw/Blackbird has no known connection to:

• Blackbird, Falcon of Earth-398 @ Avengers III#2
• Blackbyrd, Nathaniel Alexander Byrd, a former member of the NYPD, @ Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu#12/2
• Jackdaw, the elf of Otherworld, formerly allied with Black Knight and Captain Britain, @ Hulk comic#57, 58

Megalith should not be confused with:

• It the Living Colossus, immense stone statue controlled by Bob O'Bryan @ Tales to Suspense I#14
• It the Living Colossus duplicate, created by Reed Richards @ Fantastic Four: The World's Greatest Comics Magazine#12
• Colossus, built by Mingo's men @ Tales to Astonish I#53
• Colossus, of the Horusians @ Incredible Hulk II#145
• Karrg, It the Living Colossus foe @ Marvel Comics Presents#169