AERO
Real Name: Melody Guthrie
Identity/Class: Human mutant
Occupation: Unrevealed; former student
Group Membership: None; former X-Men student
Affiliations: Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur), Lila Cheney, Shanna Cho, the Five (Egg/Fabio Medina, Elixir/Joshua Foley, Proteus/Kevin MacTaggert, Hope Summers, Tempus/Eva Bell), Skin (Angelo Espinosa), Sunspot (Roberto Da Costa), X-Men students (Anole/Victor Borkowski, Caput/Abraham Verne, D.J./Mark Sheppard, Dryad/Callie Betto, Dust/Sooraya Qadir, Elixir/Josh Foley, Gelatin/Carlo Brewster, Gentle/Nezhno Abidemi, Hellion/Jullian Keller, Hydro/Noah Crichton, Icarus/Joshua Guthrie, Indra/Paras Gavaskar, Kidogo/Lazaro Kotikash, Loa/Alani Ryan, Longneck/William Hanover, Match/Ben Hamill, Mercury/Cessily Kincaid, Network/Sarah Vale, Pixie/Megan Gwynn, Preview/Jessical Vale, Prodigy/David Alleyne, Quill/Maxwell Jordan, Rockslide/Santo Vacarro, Rubbermaid/Andrea Margulies, Specter/Dallas Gibson, Surge/Noriko Ashida, Tag/Brian Cruz, Three-In-One/Celeste, Mindee, Phoebe Cuckoo, Trance/Hope Abbott, Viskid/Adrian Defoe, Wallflower/Laurie Collins, Wind Dancer/Sofia Mantega, Wither/Kevin Ford, Wolf Cub/Nicholas Gleason, X-23/Laura Kinney), X-Men (Beast/Henry McCoy, Bishop/Lucas Bishop, Cannonball/Samuel Guthrie, Cyclops/Scott Summers, Emma Frost, Husk/Paige Guthrie, Storm/Ororo Munroe, Wolverine/James "Logan" Howlett)
Enemies: Cabot family, Dark Beast, Humanity's Last Stand, Phalanx (Harvest and others)
Known Relatives: Lucinda Guthrie (mother), Thomas Zebulon Guthrie (father, deceased), Samuel Guthrie (Cannonball, brother), Paige Guthrie (Husk, sister), Joshua Guthrie (Icarus, brother, deceased), Joelle Guthrie (sister), Elizabeth Guthrie (sister), Jebediah Guthrie (brother), Lewis Guthrie (brother), Cissie Guthrie (sister), unidentified Guthrie (sister), Raymond "Ray" Holder Jr. (foster brother), Lucas Guthrie (uncle), Josiah Guthrie (nephew)
Aliases: Aero
Base of Operations: Delta House, Akademos Habitat, Sextant, Krakoa;
formerly Guthrie Farmhouse, Cumberland County, Kentucky;
formerly Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, Westchester County, New York
First Appearance: (Behind the Scenes) Rom Annual#3 (November, 1984); (first seen) New Mutants I#42 (August, 1986); (first identified) Uncanny X-Men I#444 (July, 2004)
Powers/Abilities: Melody's mutant powers allowed her to fly, leaving a bright yellow energy trail in her path. She lost her mutant powers during M-Day but has been resurrected as a true mutant. As an inhabitant of Krakoa she's able to speak Krakoan and has access to the many Krakoan portals granting her access to the corners of the world and beyond.
Height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Weight: 125 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
History:
(Generation X I#23 - BTS) - When Melody Guthrie was young, she and her fellow siblings were not allowed to come up to the attic without mom or dad.
(Uncanny X-Men I#438 (fb) - BTS) - The Guthries were enrolled in a bitter feud with the nearby Cabot family. The conflict ran for years and would regularly flare up when their barn was set on fire, their dog was poisoned or when Jebediah was regularly beaten up.
(Rom Annual#3 - BTS) - Professor Xavier and the New Mutants paid the Guthries a visit when the county had fallen victim to several forest fires. Displaying the typical Cumberland County hospitality, Lucinda insisted Xavier and his students had supper and stayed the night, either with them or the neighbors. The next day Lucinda most likely attended the funeral of Reverend Joad whose sudden death eventually led the New Mutants to fight Hybrid.
(New Mutants I#42) - Melody's older brother Sam returned for another family visit and planned on introducing his girlfriend Lila Cheney. After visiting his father's grave, Sam met up with his mother and headed into the family house for breakfast. Melody and the other Guthries were all carrying on: Joelle wearing her pompoms after having made the prep squad while other siblings asked Sam if he brought presents or complained their mom had made peanut butter sandwiches again. Sam next went after Joshua who was doing poorly in school and was afraid of becoming a mutant.
(New Mutants I#42 - BTS / Avengers World#17 (fb) - BTS) - A few days later Sam introduced Melody and the other Guthries to his girlfriend Lila Cheney.
(X-Men II#36) - Melody and her family were in for a shock when their farm was attacked by Harvest, a member of the techno-organic alien Phalanx. Harvest's forces took hold of Lucinda, Melody's older brother Joshua ordered the kids to stay back while he and Paige tried to free their mother. But in a surprise turn of events, the Phalanx let go of Lucinda and grabbed Paige. The Guthries were unable to stop the Phalanx from leaving with their sibling.
(Uncanny X-Men Annual 1995) - Melody and her siblings were sitting on the front porch when Sam and Paige (now calling herself Husk) arrived, accompanied by X-Men; Wolverine, Storm and Bishop. They had come after learning Joelle had joined up with Humanity's Last Stand, a grass roots movement that felt humans needed to be protected from the mutant menace. Once Melody had hugged her sister and the X-Men had been welcomed into their home Lucinda revealed what had happened to Joelle. Sam and Paige were determined to find their sister and after dealing with the Humanity's Last Stand Joelle realized her error and helped to expose the group.
(New Mutants II#9 - BTS) - Under unrevealed circumstances, Melody's mutant flight powers manifested. It was then decided for her to travel to Westchester where she enrolled at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters taking the codename Aero.
(New Mutants II#9) - Melody was seen flying in the Institute's corridors when fellow student Laurie Collins asked Josh Foley to have lunch with her.
(New X-Men II#32 - BTS) - During her time at Xavier's Melody befriended Elixer, Surge and Prodigy.
(Uncanny X-Men I#444) - After the world governments announced the establishment of the X-Treme Sanctions Executive (a team of X-Men with global law-enforcement responsibility for the apprehension of mutant criminals), TV reporter Shanna Cho flew over the Xavier Institute while reporting on the announcement when her cameraman noticed the young mutants Aero and Icarus flying by to show off their abilities. Shanna wanted to ask the teens a few questions in mid-air, but was interrupted by the arrival of their older brother and XSE member Cannonball. He flashed his federal badge and ordered Shanna's crew to leave the restricted area. Cannonball then turned around to his siblings, telling Melody she was grounded.
(House of M#8 - BTS) - Melody was one of the many millions of homo superior who lost their powers when a reality altering spell cast by the Scarlet Witch reduced the number of gene active mutants to a mere 300 worldwide.
(New X-Men II#20) - When the students at Xavier's awoke the morning after M-Day, chaos erupted when they realized only a handful of them still had mutant powers. While some celebrated getting depowered, others panicked. Melody was convinced she could still fly and was about to jump of the Institute's roof when Emma Frost picked up her thoughts. Frost tried to warn Guthrie, but the headstrong Melody wanted to prove her wrong and jumped. She would have died if not for Beast who jumped through a window to catch her.
(New X-Men II#20 - BTS) - Melody was sent home to the Guthrie farmhouse in Kentucky.
(New Avengers I#17 - BTS) - Melody's mutant energies joined with those of the other depowered mutants, creating the Collective, a massive force presence that ended up killing, among others, most of the members of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight.
(New Avengers I#18 - BTS) - SHIELD analyzed The Collective's multiple energy signatures and managed to identify Melody's, along with 50+ other victims of M-Day.
(New X-Men II#28 (fb) ) - While back at the Guthrie Farmhouse in Kentucky Melody was present when her mother received a phone call from Emma Frost to tell them Joshua (Icarus) had died.
(New X-Men II#32) - Melody and her mother travelled to the Xavier Institute to attend a memorial service in honor of all who had fallen in the X-Men's long struggle for achieving Xavier's dream of peaceful co-existence. While her mother was welcomed by Cyclops and Rogue, Melody came to see her friends Elixir, Surge and Prodigy. Later that night Melody joined Sam and Paige in the wake.
(New X-Men II#42/2) - Melody and her siblings were visited at the farm by Beast and his Earth-295 counterpart Dark Beast. They were on a quest to prevent the impending mutant extinction, researching the mutant genome. They had come to examine Lucinda, who was somewhat of a miracle since five of her ten children had manifested mutant powers upon. The McCoys hoped her X-gene potent genetic structure could help them reverse the effects of M-Day and wanted to take some DNA samples. Lucinda denied Beast's request, but both were unaware Dark Beast was outside trying a different approach with the young Lewis. Shamelessly playing the young boy's frustration over never getting to shine like his mutant siblings, McCoy convinced the boy to be injected with necrotized DNA from Neverland. The injection, intended to jumpstart powers, didn't have the desired effect. It attacked Lewis' body, leaving him purple, foaming at the mouth and near death.
(X-Men II#203/2) - Melody and her brother Jebediah ran towards their brother in an effort to help him while Beast fought off Dark Beast. The battle was halted when Lucinda shot Dark Beast in the shoulder after which Beast knocked him unconscious. While examining Lewis, Beast ordered Melody to run upstairs and fill the tub with cold water to help the boy's body fight the feverish mutation effects. However, it irked Beast he had thought of the same plan as Dark Beast, feeling the Guthries would've been the perfect test subjects.
(Avengers World#17) - Melody, Jebediah and their mother hosted a small dinner-party when their older brother Sam and his best friend Bobby visited. Sam had come to introduce his new girlfriend Superguardian Smasher (Isabel "Izzy" Kane). After Lucinda apologized for the absence of his other siblings, Melody commented on the fact she didn't even have her mutant powers the last time Sam brought home a girl. Sam was convinced they would love her, but then got a message from Izzy who explained she couldn't attend because she had to leave Earth with the Imperial Guard. Clearly disappointed, Sam left the table to sit on the front porch. After a heartfelt conversation about how she'd met Sam's father, Lucinda encouraged her son to go after Izzy if he really loved her. Eight months later Izzy gave birth to their son Josiah Guthrie, adding yet another Guthrie to the family tree.
(X-Men V#7 - BTS) - When Charles Xavier and Magneto established the sovereign mutant island nation of Krakoa, Melody was allowed to live on the island. Melody moved in with her siblings Cannonball, Husk, Icarus and the former members of Generation X in Delta House, part of the Akademos Habitat in the Sextant.
(X-Men V#7 - BTS) - Melody requested Krakoa's ruling body the Quiet Council to resurrect her with her mutant powers intact. The council decided in her favor, creating Crucible, a ceremony in which a former mutant had to battle for the chance to be killed and reborn a true mutant.
(X-Men V#7) - When Melody woke up during an otherwise uneventful day she was met by her siblings and Skin who shared some good news with her. The Quiet Council had decided Melody would be the first former mutant to regain her abilities through Crucible.
Later that day, Melody faced Apocalypse in the Arena while many other Krakoans watched. Melody stood proud during the battle and was eventually killed as intended by Apocalypse. Next, Melody awoke, resurrected by the Five in Arbor Magna where she was welcomed by Storm and Apocalypse who asked her to show the island who she really was. Having regained her mutant abilities, Melody levitated up high into the sky for all mutantkind to see.
Comments: Created by Chris Claremont, Jackson Guice and Kyle Baker.
Melody was the fourth Guthrie kid who gained mutant abilities after Cannonball, Husk and Icarus. The fifth was Jebediah.
Melody's name was first revealed in Uncanny X-Men I#444.
In X-Men: Divided We Stand#1/1 it was revealed Lewis recovered from the Dark Beast's injection. Paige mentioned he was in the marching band at school.
Profile by MarvellousLuke
CLARIFICATIONS:
Melody Guthrie has no known connections to
images: (without ads)
New X-Men II#32, p5, pan6 (main image)
New Mutants I#42, p9, pan5,6,7 (first appearance)
Uncanny X-Men Annual 1995, p11, pan1 (hugging Paige)
New Mutants II#9, p6, pan5 (flying at Xavier's)
Uncanny X-Men I#444, p10, pan3 (posing for the camera)
Avengers World#17, p4, pan1 (dinner)
X-Men V#7, p23, pan3 (crucible)
Appearances:
Rom Annual#3 (November, 1984) - Bill Mantlo (writer), William Johnson (pencils), Ian Akin, Brian Garvey (inkers), Mike Carlin (editor)
New Mutants I#42 (August, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Jackson Guice (pencils), Kyle Baker (inks), Ann Nocenti, Terry Kavanagh (editors)
X-Men II#36 (September, 1994) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Andy Kubert (pencils), Matt Ryan (inks), Bob Harras (editor)
Uncanny X-Men Annual 1995 (November, 1995) - Terry Kavanagh (writer), Bryan Hitch (pencils), Bob McLeod (pencils, inks), Kelly Corvese (editor)
New Mutants II#9 (February, 2004) - Nuncio DeFilippis, Christina Weir (writers), Carlo Barberi (pencils), Wayne Faucher, Juan Vlasco (inkers), Mike Marts (editor)
Uncanny X-Men I#444 (July, 2004) - Chris Claremont (writer), Alan Davis (pencils), Mark Farmer (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#20 (January, 2006) - Craig Kyle, Chris Yost (writers), Mark Brooks (pencils), Jaime Mendoza (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New Avengers I#18 (June, 2006) - Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike Deodato Jr. (pencils), Joe Pimentel (inks), Tom Brevoort (editor)
New X-Men II#28 (September, 2006) - Craig Kyle, Chris Yost (writers), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Mike Marts (editor)
New X-Men II#32 (January, 2007) - Craig Kyle (writer), Mike Norton (pencils), Dave Meikis (inks), Nick Lowe (editor)
New X-Men II#42/2 (November, 2007) - Mike Carey (writer), Mike Perkins (pencils), Andrew Hennessy (inks), Nick Lowe, Will Panzo (editors)
X-Men II#203/2 (November, 2007) - Mike Carey (writer), Mike Perkins (pencils), Andrew Hennessy (inks), Nick Lowe, Will Panzo (editors)
Avengers World#17 (April, 2015) - Frank Barbiere (writer), Marco Checchetto (pencils, inks), Will Moss (editor)
X-Men V#7 (February, 2020) - Jonathan Hickman (writer), Leinil Francis Yu (pencils, inks), Jordan D. White, Annalise Bissa (editors)
First Posted: 10/09/2017
Last Updated: 03/22/2022
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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