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Songbird (comics)
Encyclopedia
Songbird formerly known as Screaming Mimi, is a fiction
al character
, a superheroine and former supervillain
ess in the Marvel Comics
Universe
.
#54 (August, 1979), and was created by Mark Gruenwald
, Ralph Macchio
, and John Byrne.
, a female wrestler who invited her to join the Grapplers
under the name Screaming Mimi, alongside Titania
and Letha
. The Grapplers became renowned for their colorful personalities and ringside antics, but the wrestling federation denied them the opportunity to make the amount of money their male counterparts made. Instead, the group agreed to earn supplementary income by performing a covert operation for the Roxxon Oil Company. Roxxon gave the Grapplers special paraphernalia to assist them in their mission; Mimi received an apparatus that converted her voice to high-frequency sonics for various effects. The Grapplers tested these powers by fighting Thundra
in a wrestling ring. On their mission, Thundra led them into Project Pegasus
to smuggle in the Nth Projector for Roxxon. The mission failed when they were defeated by the heroes Quasar and Giant-Man
. The Grapplers were tried and jailed for their misdeeds. Alongside the Grapplers, she victimized Dazzler
while she was in Ryker's Island prison with them. When the Grapplers were finally paroled, they discovered that the women's wrestling movement had lost its momentum without them, so they continued to perform crimes to support themselves and working as professional criminals. Alongside the Grapplers, Mimi attempted to attack the Thing
while he was in the hospital, and battled Captain America
. Later, the Grapplers set their sights on a women's division of the superpowered Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
. Their manager, Auntie Freeze
, arranged for the women to augment their natural abilities with artificial powers created by the agency Power Broker, Inc. While the other Grapplers received superhuman strength, Mimi instead had her vocal enhancements internalized as a throat implant; it was once believed that Mimi had also gained superhuman strength, but it was established after the fact in the Thunderbolts
series (see below) that this was not the case. The all-new Grapplers made a legitimate professional comeback that proved short-lived. When Titania
was murdered by the vigilante Scourge
, Mimi was among the female wrestlers of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation who participated in a mass attack upon the Thing, blaming him for Titania's death. After Letha
was later also killed by Scourge, the Grapplers broke up.
to join his version of the Masters of Evil
. Her first assignment was to help bust the female Yellowjacket
out of prison, but Mimi was captured in the subsequent battle with the Wasp
, Black Knight
, and Paladin
. Later, she formed a romantic and criminal partnership with the similarly-empowered Angar the Screamer
, at one point battling the Avengers
Hawkeye
and Mockingbird
. The pair impersonated Hawkeye and Mockingbird, but battled them and were defeated. Mimi was also seen among the various female superhumans aboard Superia
's cruiseship, where she battled Captain America and Paladin. Angar was eventually mortally wounded by a gunshot during a robbery attempt that went sour, and died in Mimi's arms after they escaped. Mad with grief, Mimi screamed, burning out her power. Immediately afterward, she was contacted by Baron Zemo
once more, and she accepted his offer to join a formative Masters of Evil. Zemo allowed Mimi to be nursed back to health, and his accomplice, the Fixer, gave her new powers via a voice-augmenting harness and high-tech implants in her neck based on technology from the villain Klaw. With her newly-transformed powers, she resumed the use of her given name Melissa, and adopted the identity of Songbird as a member of the Thunderbolts, a new Masters of Evil group posing as superheroes to win the world's trust while secretly plotting world conquest under Zemo's direction. However, Melissa and most of the other Thunderbolts grew to like their heroic roles. In particular, Melissa began to truly grow into her own and even began a romance with her teammate Abner Jenkins, alias MACH-1, formerly the Beetle. Ultimately, the Thunderbolts turned against Zemo, foiling his attempt at world domination and rescuing the Avengers in the process. Melissa continued to serve with the team, who operated as a team of outlaw superheroes.
Following the battle with Zemo, Songbird began gradually slipping back into her hard-edged Mimi-type persona, and was verbally abusive to Jenkins on several occasions and angrily rebuked him whenever he offered her any type of assistance, in stark contrast to her previous emotional dependence on him. When Jenkins' love and concern for her remained unaffected despite her treatment of him, Songbird finally explained to him that after repeatedly losing the things and people she most cared about, including Angar and the public adulation she had enjoyed before the Thunderbolts were exposed as villains, she had developed a fear of abandonment and felt that the only way she could cope would be to not care about anything or anybody that might abandon her, including Jenkins. Jenkins assured her that he would never abandon her, and the two became close once again.
When veteran Avengers member Hawkeye joined the Thunderbolts as their new leader to help them regain the public's trust, Hawkeye insisted that MACH-1, as the team's only convicted murderer, would have to serve his prison sentence for the good of the group's image. Jenkins reluctantly agreed, separating him from Melissa. The timing of Hawkeye's demand was unfortunate, as it happened shortly after Melissa had ceased pushing Abe away, and after he had given his word that he would never leave her. When MACH-1 returned months later through a bargain struck with the Commission on Superhuman Activities
(CSA), adopting a new identity as MACH-2, he underwent appearance-altering surgery to conceal his true identity. He was unexpectedly turned into a man with African-American features, and Melissa was initially disturbed by the change. However, she has since become accustomed to it, and their relationship survived. When the Thunderbolts uncovered and thwarted a CSA-connected conspiracy to exterminate all superhumans, Hawkeye blackmailed the CSA into giving the Thunderbolts full pardons in exchange for the group's silence; however, CSA agent Henry Peter Gyrich
insisted that he would not go along with the deal unless Hawkeye went to prison for his technically illegal vigilante activities as a member of the Thunderbolts. Hawkeye agreed, despite the protests of his teammates, and surrendered to federal custody. Most of the rest of the Thunderbolts, including MACH-2 and Melissa, were pardoned and released. However, as part of the terms of their deal, they were forbidden from public use of superhuman powers or costumed identities. Melissa turned her equipment over to the authorities and the two started new civilian lives in the town of Burton Canyon, Colorado as Abe Jenkins and Melissa Gold.
Unfortunately, their quiet lives were shattered when the super-criminal Graviton
launched his latest attempt at world conquest in Burton Canyon, imprisoning the world's superheroes and literally reshaping the planet in his own image. Despite their reluctance to risk their newfound freedom, MACH-2 and Melissa agreed to join Citizen V (secretly Baron Helmut Zemo controlling Citizen V's body) in attacking Graviton as part of a new team of Thunderbolts. Melissa was given a new power-harness provided by the Citizen V's financiers, the V-Battalion. Graviton was defeated and the world was saved, but MACH-3 and the other Thunderbolts disappeared in an implosion created by the dying Graviton's power, with the exception of Songbird, who appeared left behind as the sole survivor. In reality, MACH-3 and the other vanished Thunderbolts survived but were stranded on an alternate Earth. Melissa had little time to mourn, as immediately afterward, she was attacked by Scream, a rogue creation of the CSA who turned out to be Angar resurrected as an entity of pure sound. She helped the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
destroy Scream, and she also destroyed her sound-shaping harness, apparently intending to retire her Songbird identity again.
. After doing some undercover detective work in her old criminal persona as Mimi, Songbird was reunited with Hawkeye, joining forces with him and a captive Plantman to seek out the mysterious legacy of Justin Hammer
on behalf of SHIELD. They discovered that Hammer's legacy was a biological toxin that had been ingested by every single villain who had ever worked for him and that one of the villains, Plantman
, was the carrier. Hawkeye, Songbird, and Plantman began a new search for the trigger that would release Plantman's toxin. The search ended with Hammer's daughter, Justine, who turned out to be the Crimson Cowl, leader of the Masters of Evil. Hawkeye convinced several members of the Masters of Evil to side with him and Songbird against Crimson Cowl and their former allies. As a new team of Thunderbolts, the group ultimately defeated the Crimson Cowl and her Masters of Evil, and Plantman (now Blackheath) managed to release an antidote for the toxin into the atmosphere.
Songbird was often acting second-in-command to Hawkeye in keeping his Thunderbolts under control. They next helped the true Citizen V and the V-Battalion
, whose ship was powered by an engine of alien technology that began distorting and threatened to suck the Earth into the null space of a white hole. The Thunderbolts were asked to move a great quantity of mass to plug the hole. In so doing, the Thunderbolts encountered Zemo's Thunderbolts, who emerged from the void after severing the alien ship's presence from Counter-Earth. The two teams combined forces to plug the void and shunt the alien ship from Earth, similar to the manner in which Zemo's team stopped the threat on Counter-Earth. Songbird's reunion with Jenkins was short-lived. After much discussion, MACH-3 once more remanded himself to police custody to serve the remainder of his sentence. Most of the other costumed heroes and villains chose to part company as well, and Songbird agreed to stay with the Thunderbolts under Zemo's leadership, despite his claim that their mission was to attempt to rule the world in order to save it.
For the last six months, while keeping an eye on Baron Zemo with Atlas and Vantage
's help. Melissa fed information to Abe Jenkins while he was in prison. Following the Liberator project, in the course of which Moonstone was brain-damaged and Zemo was badly scarred, the Thunderbolts broke up again. The Avengers
offered Songbird a reserve membership post, but she declined, feeling that she could not be on a team that she didn't trust and that didn't trust her.
, Melissa was displeased with Abe over his dealing with HYDRA
and decided to quit the team. Melissa returned to school while trying to figure out the truth behind Atlas and Genis-Vell
which caught the attention of Zebediah Killgrave
a.k.a the Purple Man. Ambushed by Killgrave at her dormitory, Melissa was rescued by the Swordsman
who told her that there was an even bigger plot to destroy the Thunderbolts in place. Following the Purple Man's defeat, Melissa agreed to return to the team on the condition that she was permitted to lead it.
During her tenure as team leader, she led the Thunderbolts' attack on the Avengers and apparently entered a romantic relationship with the returned Baron Zemo. This was revealed to be a ruse, in order for her to get revenge on Zemo for killing Genis.
, the Thunderbolts were approached by the government to catch supervillains and rehabilitate them. The Thunderbolts becomes a team of villains under government watch assigned to hunt down and incarcerate unregistered heroes. Norman Osborn
became the director of the Thunderbolts and demoted Melissa because she was too moral, giving her leadership position to the recently recovered Moonstone. Melissa is clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and is only still on the team for fear of imprisonment. However, when the team yet again makes a mess of a job trying to capture Steel Spider
and Moonstone is wounded, she and Radioactive Man decide to approach the matter the old way, and decides to temporarily act as leader in capturing the Steel Spider. Melissa has been shown to dislike most of her teammates, as instead of villains seeking redemption, the new team of Thunderbolts are largely fighting for personal gain. She also misled Bullseye
, leading him to be gravely injured.
Recently, Melissa was gravely injured by the Golden Age superhero Toro
when he, along with the time-displaced Invaders
attacked the Thunderbolts after witnessing them attempting to arrest Spider-Man
and in Times Square
, and thinking them to be Nazis. Interestingly enough, Toro displayed a slight attraction to Melissa, commenting that she was, "Too cute to be a Nazi", before engaging her in combat, and defending his remarks about her after Namor claims that his display of affection for an enemy was disgusting.
invasion, Songbird was attacked by a Skrull who not only had her powers, but also had the powers of Atlas and the rest of the original Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts save her by causing this Skrull to merge into a nearby building, killing him.
When H.A.M.M.E.R. agents attack the shanty town where Songbird is hiding, she protects the homeless people there and defeats the agents. Osborn found out, and he sends his newest Thunderbolt, Scourge, after her. Songbird meets with her old teammates Fixer
and Abner Jenkins, enlisting their assistance in her battles against Osborn. She then finds out that Natasha Romanova, the original Black Widow who had been disguised as Yelena Belova
, had been assigned by Nick Fury
to protect her when the Thunderbolts attack.
of Asgard, and Osborn's subsequent downfall, Songbird has taken a position at "the Raft", as the prison's female warden. Songbird has joined the new Thunderbolts team, led by Luke Cage
in large part to keep a close eye over Moonstone, whom Cage has offered a chance for freedom in exchange for her serving on the team. When Songbird objects to Moonstone's inclusion on the team due to her history of manipulation and deceit, Cage counters that Songbird herself used to be regarded the same way and that she should give Moonstone the same chances she was given by others.
, she screamed for 43 minutes in a fit of hysteria, creating a large blast crater and literally liquefying nearby plant life. This outburst nearly destroyed her vocal cords, and depowered her briefly until she used new technology to assume the Songbird alias. During a later encounter with the Hand
, Songbird unintentionally reactivated her sonic scream ability.
As Songbird, Gold uses a derivation of technology created by the criminal Ulysses Klaw that converts sound into a malleable form of energy that has physical form and mass, termed "solid sound". She could initially create simple 3-dimensional sound/mass constructions, though as she has gained experience in her new powers, she has learned to create more complex forms. She shapes and animates these by mental command and they only remain in existence for as long as she wills them to. She can "fly" by generating solid sound "wings" attached to her body; initially, these were created as glider-style wings, stretching from wrists to feet, though more recently they are shown attached to her back. Presumably, she animates the wings to flap or somehow generates a propulsive force with her powers, since her airborne speed and maneuverability to date extend well beyond simple gliding.
Songbird has also occasionally exhibited an ability to influence others through sub-vocal (below the level of conscious human hearing) sonics; this is more of a subtle "nudge" or subconscious suggestion rather than outright mind control. This is apparently an effect generated by the remnants of her original sonic enhancements; it remains to be seen if her "Screaming Mimi" powers will ever return in full.
As a former wrestler, she is extensively skilled in hand-to-hand combat using wrestling techniques, and was trained by Titania. Her physical abilities were augmented by the Power Broker
's special process, though she could not be fully augmented to the usual superhuman levels.
. In this alternate timeline Songbird has become a member of the Avengers
.
miniseries attacking Thor and later Nova. She is quickly destroyed by the Invisible Woman when she tries to bite Nova.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a superheroine and former supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
ess in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
.
Publication history
The character first appeared as Screaming Mimi in Marvel Two-in-OneMarvel Two-in-One
Marvel Two-In-One was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel...
#54 (August, 1979), and was created by Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
, Ralph Macchio
Ralph Macchio (comics)
Ralph Macchio is an American comic book editor and writer, who has held many positions at Marvel Comics, including executive editor. Macchio is commonly associated with Daredevil, the Spider-Man line of comics and the popular Ultimate Marvel line...
, and John Byrne.
Early life and the Grapplers
Melissa Gold was a troubled runaway from an alcoholic father and incarcerated mother. In order to survive on the streets, Melissa developed a hard edge to her personality, referring to herself as "Mimi." She was eventually imprisoned, where she met PoundcakesPoundcakes
Poundcakes is a super villain in the Marvel Comics Universe and former member of the female villain team, the Grapplers.-Fictional character biography:...
, a female wrestler who invited her to join the Grapplers
Grapplers (comics)
The Grapplers are a fictional organization in the Marvel Comics universe. It was a loosely-organized band of female wrestlers, most of whom gained superhuman strength after their first published appearances, through the group known as Power Broker, Inc....
under the name Screaming Mimi, alongside Titania
Titania (Grapplers)
Davida DeVito, now known as Lascivious and formerly known as Titania, is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
and Letha
Letha
Letha is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe and former member of the female villain team, the Grapplers.-Publication history:...
. The Grapplers became renowned for their colorful personalities and ringside antics, but the wrestling federation denied them the opportunity to make the amount of money their male counterparts made. Instead, the group agreed to earn supplementary income by performing a covert operation for the Roxxon Oil Company. Roxxon gave the Grapplers special paraphernalia to assist them in their mission; Mimi received an apparatus that converted her voice to high-frequency sonics for various effects. The Grapplers tested these powers by fighting Thundra
Thundra
Thundra is a Marvel Comics superheroine who is often aligned with the Fantastic Four. She is a powerful, red haired, amazon-like warrior, or Femizon, from a matriarchal, technologically advanced future timeline where men have been subjugated by women...
in a wrestling ring. On their mission, Thundra led them into Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus
Project Pegasus is a fictional scientific base in the Marvel Comics universe which has been the location of a variety of stories for superheroes and supervillains, most notably in the title Marvel Two-in-One...
to smuggle in the Nth Projector for Roxxon. The mission failed when they were defeated by the heroes Quasar and Giant-Man
Bill Foster (comics)
Dr. Bill Foster, also known as Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, and the fourth Goliath, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
. The Grapplers were tried and jailed for their misdeeds. Alongside the Grapplers, she victimized Dazzler
Dazzler
Dazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
while she was in Ryker's Island prison with them. When the Grapplers were finally paroled, they discovered that the women's wrestling movement had lost its momentum without them, so they continued to perform crimes to support themselves and working as professional criminals. Alongside the Grapplers, Mimi attempted to attack the Thing
Thing (comics)
The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
while he was in the hospital, and battled Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. Later, the Grapplers set their sights on a women's division of the superpowered Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation
The Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation is a fictional organization in the Marvel Comics Universe. It is an association for professional wrestlers who possess superhuman strength, endurance and resistance to injury.- Overview :...
. Their manager, Auntie Freeze
Auntie Freeze
Auntie Freeze is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Auntie Freeze first appeared in The Thing vol. 1 #33 , and was created by Mike Carlin and Ron Wilson...
, arranged for the women to augment their natural abilities with artificial powers created by the agency Power Broker, Inc. While the other Grapplers received superhuman strength, Mimi instead had her vocal enhancements internalized as a throat implant; it was once believed that Mimi had also gained superhuman strength, but it was established after the fact in the Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts (comics)
The Thunderbolts are a Marvel Comics superhero team, which consists mostly of former supervillains. The group first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 , and was created by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley.-Publication history:...
series (see below) that this was not the case. The all-new Grapplers made a legitimate professional comeback that proved short-lived. When Titania
Titania (Grapplers)
Davida DeVito, now known as Lascivious and formerly known as Titania, is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
was murdered by the vigilante Scourge
Scourge of the Underworld
The Scourge of the Underworld is the name of a series of fictional characters that have appeared in various series set in the Marvel Comics universe....
, Mimi was among the female wrestlers of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation who participated in a mass attack upon the Thing, blaming him for Titania's death. After Letha
Letha
Letha is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe and former member of the female villain team, the Grapplers.-Publication history:...
was later also killed by Scourge, the Grapplers broke up.
Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts
Mimi was later contacted by the criminal Baron Helmut ZemoBaron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
to join his version of the Masters of Evil
Masters of Evil
The Masters of Evil is a name for a number of fictional supervillain teams that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6 , with the lineup continually changing over the years....
. Her first assignment was to help bust the female Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)
Yellowjacket is a fictional character, as initial reluctant supervillainess and later superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe...
out of prison, but Mimi was captured in the subsequent battle with the Wasp
Wasp (comics)
The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
, Black Knight
Black Knight (Dane Whitman)
Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe, the company's third person to bear the name Black Knight. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, he first appeared in The Avengers #47 Dane Whitman is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics...
, and Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
. Later, she formed a romantic and criminal partnership with the similarly-empowered Angar the Screamer
Angar the Screamer
Angar the Screamer , also known as Scream, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain- Publication history :...
, at one point battling the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
Hawkeye
Hawkeye (comics)
Hawkeye , also known as Goliath and Ronin, is a fictional character that appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #57 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Don Heck. Hawkeye joined the Avengers in Avengers Vol. 1 #16 Hawkeye...
and Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)
Mockingbird is a fictional character, a superhero in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales #6 written by Gerry Conway and pencilled by Barry Smith...
. The pair impersonated Hawkeye and Mockingbird, but battled them and were defeated. Mimi was also seen among the various female superhumans aboard Superia
Superia
Superia is a fictional character, a misandrist supervillain and criminal scientist in the Marvel Universe. She was created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Rik Levins in Captain America Superia (Dr. Deidre Wentworth) is a fictional character, a misandrist supervillain and criminal scientist in...
's cruiseship, where she battled Captain America and Paladin. Angar was eventually mortally wounded by a gunshot during a robbery attempt that went sour, and died in Mimi's arms after they escaped. Mad with grief, Mimi screamed, burning out her power. Immediately afterward, she was contacted by Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo
Baron Zemo is the name of two fictional characters, both supervillains, in various Marvel Comics comic books, notably Captain America and the Avengers...
once more, and she accepted his offer to join a formative Masters of Evil. Zemo allowed Mimi to be nursed back to health, and his accomplice, the Fixer, gave her new powers via a voice-augmenting harness and high-tech implants in her neck based on technology from the villain Klaw. With her newly-transformed powers, she resumed the use of her given name Melissa, and adopted the identity of Songbird as a member of the Thunderbolts, a new Masters of Evil group posing as superheroes to win the world's trust while secretly plotting world conquest under Zemo's direction. However, Melissa and most of the other Thunderbolts grew to like their heroic roles. In particular, Melissa began to truly grow into her own and even began a romance with her teammate Abner Jenkins, alias MACH-1, formerly the Beetle. Ultimately, the Thunderbolts turned against Zemo, foiling his attempt at world domination and rescuing the Avengers in the process. Melissa continued to serve with the team, who operated as a team of outlaw superheroes.
Following the battle with Zemo, Songbird began gradually slipping back into her hard-edged Mimi-type persona, and was verbally abusive to Jenkins on several occasions and angrily rebuked him whenever he offered her any type of assistance, in stark contrast to her previous emotional dependence on him. When Jenkins' love and concern for her remained unaffected despite her treatment of him, Songbird finally explained to him that after repeatedly losing the things and people she most cared about, including Angar and the public adulation she had enjoyed before the Thunderbolts were exposed as villains, she had developed a fear of abandonment and felt that the only way she could cope would be to not care about anything or anybody that might abandon her, including Jenkins. Jenkins assured her that he would never abandon her, and the two became close once again.
When veteran Avengers member Hawkeye joined the Thunderbolts as their new leader to help them regain the public's trust, Hawkeye insisted that MACH-1, as the team's only convicted murderer, would have to serve his prison sentence for the good of the group's image. Jenkins reluctantly agreed, separating him from Melissa. The timing of Hawkeye's demand was unfortunate, as it happened shortly after Melissa had ceased pushing Abe away, and after he had given his word that he would never leave her. When MACH-1 returned months later through a bargain struck with the Commission on Superhuman Activities
Commission on Superhuman Activities
The Commission on Superhuman Activities is a fictional government group from the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:...
(CSA), adopting a new identity as MACH-2, he underwent appearance-altering surgery to conceal his true identity. He was unexpectedly turned into a man with African-American features, and Melissa was initially disturbed by the change. However, she has since become accustomed to it, and their relationship survived. When the Thunderbolts uncovered and thwarted a CSA-connected conspiracy to exterminate all superhumans, Hawkeye blackmailed the CSA into giving the Thunderbolts full pardons in exchange for the group's silence; however, CSA agent Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich
Henry Peter Gyrich is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers Vol. 1 #165 and was created by Jim Shooter and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
insisted that he would not go along with the deal unless Hawkeye went to prison for his technically illegal vigilante activities as a member of the Thunderbolts. Hawkeye agreed, despite the protests of his teammates, and surrendered to federal custody. Most of the rest of the Thunderbolts, including MACH-2 and Melissa, were pardoned and released. However, as part of the terms of their deal, they were forbidden from public use of superhuman powers or costumed identities. Melissa turned her equipment over to the authorities and the two started new civilian lives in the town of Burton Canyon, Colorado as Abe Jenkins and Melissa Gold.
Unfortunately, their quiet lives were shattered when the super-criminal Graviton
Graviton (comics)
Graviton is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #158 and was created by Jim Shooter and Sal Buscema....
launched his latest attempt at world conquest in Burton Canyon, imprisoning the world's superheroes and literally reshaping the planet in his own image. Despite their reluctance to risk their newfound freedom, MACH-2 and Melissa agreed to join Citizen V (secretly Baron Helmut Zemo controlling Citizen V's body) in attacking Graviton as part of a new team of Thunderbolts. Melissa was given a new power-harness provided by the Citizen V's financiers, the V-Battalion. Graviton was defeated and the world was saved, but MACH-3 and the other Thunderbolts disappeared in an implosion created by the dying Graviton's power, with the exception of Songbird, who appeared left behind as the sole survivor. In reality, MACH-3 and the other vanished Thunderbolts survived but were stranded on an alternate Earth. Melissa had little time to mourn, as immediately afterward, she was attacked by Scream, a rogue creation of the CSA who turned out to be Angar resurrected as an entity of pure sound. She helped the intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
destroy Scream, and she also destroyed her sound-shaping harness, apparently intending to retire her Songbird identity again.
Quest for Hawkeye
However, she was outfitted with new sound technology by SHIELD, who recruited her to help track down Hawkeye, who was officially an escaped fugitive but was unofficially pursuing a secret mission on behalf of SHIELD commander Dum Dum DuganDum Dum Dugan
Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader "Dum Dum" Dugan is a fictional character in the . He is an officer of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most experienced members of Nick Fury's team, known for his marksmanship with rifles and for his impressive physique...
. After doing some undercover detective work in her old criminal persona as Mimi, Songbird was reunited with Hawkeye, joining forces with him and a captive Plantman to seek out the mysterious legacy of Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer
Justin Hammer is a fictional character that has appeared in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics. As a frequent adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Justin Hammer exists in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe...
on behalf of SHIELD. They discovered that Hammer's legacy was a biological toxin that had been ingested by every single villain who had ever worked for him and that one of the villains, Plantman
Plantman
Plantman aka Blackheath is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. The character first appeared in Strange Tales vol. 1 #113.-Fictional character biography:...
, was the carrier. Hawkeye, Songbird, and Plantman began a new search for the trigger that would release Plantman's toxin. The search ended with Hammer's daughter, Justine, who turned out to be the Crimson Cowl, leader of the Masters of Evil. Hawkeye convinced several members of the Masters of Evil to side with him and Songbird against Crimson Cowl and their former allies. As a new team of Thunderbolts, the group ultimately defeated the Crimson Cowl and her Masters of Evil, and Plantman (now Blackheath) managed to release an antidote for the toxin into the atmosphere.
Songbird was often acting second-in-command to Hawkeye in keeping his Thunderbolts under control. They next helped the true Citizen V and the V-Battalion
V-Battalion
The V-Battalion is the name of two incarnations of a fictional secret organization composed of Golden Age superheroes and their descendents in stories from Marvel Comics...
, whose ship was powered by an engine of alien technology that began distorting and threatened to suck the Earth into the null space of a white hole. The Thunderbolts were asked to move a great quantity of mass to plug the hole. In so doing, the Thunderbolts encountered Zemo's Thunderbolts, who emerged from the void after severing the alien ship's presence from Counter-Earth. The two teams combined forces to plug the void and shunt the alien ship from Earth, similar to the manner in which Zemo's team stopped the threat on Counter-Earth. Songbird's reunion with Jenkins was short-lived. After much discussion, MACH-3 once more remanded himself to police custody to serve the remainder of his sentence. Most of the other costumed heroes and villains chose to part company as well, and Songbird agreed to stay with the Thunderbolts under Zemo's leadership, despite his claim that their mission was to attempt to rule the world in order to save it.
For the last six months, while keeping an eye on Baron Zemo with Atlas and Vantage
Dallas Riordan
Dallas Riordan is a character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Dallas Riordan's family had a long storied history of being police officers. Dallas was once an NYPD officer and a soldier before she went into politics and became the aide to the New York mayor...
's help. Melissa fed information to Abe Jenkins while he was in prison. Following the Liberator project, in the course of which Moonstone was brain-damaged and Zemo was badly scarred, the Thunderbolts broke up again. The Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
offered Songbird a reserve membership post, but she declined, feeling that she could not be on a team that she didn't trust and that didn't trust her.
New Thunderbolts
Eventually, she rejoined her lover, Abe Jenkins in reforming the Thunderbolts. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of stopping Baron StruckerBaron Strucker
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker is a fictional character created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #5...
, Melissa was displeased with Abe over his dealing with HYDRA
HYDRA
HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.Despite the name's capitalization per Marvel's official spelling, the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra...
and decided to quit the team. Melissa returned to school while trying to figure out the truth behind Atlas and Genis-Vell
Genis-Vell
Genis-Vell, also known as Legacy, Captain Marvel, and Photon, is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is depicted as the son of Mar-Vell of the extraterrestrial Kree Empire, who was the first character to be known as Captain Marvel in the Marvel Universe...
which caught the attention of Zebediah Killgrave
Purple Man
The Purple Man is a Marvel Comics supervillain. Originally a foe of Daredevil, he was introduced in Daredevil vol. 1 #4...
a.k.a the Purple Man. Ambushed by Killgrave at her dormitory, Melissa was rescued by the Swordsman
Andreas von Strucker
Andreas von Strucker is a comic book character in Marvel Comics' main shared universe. The character was created by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr. Andreas and his twin sister Andrea were known together as Fenris; after she was killed, he became the new Swordsman. Andreas first appeared in...
who told her that there was an even bigger plot to destroy the Thunderbolts in place. Following the Purple Man's defeat, Melissa agreed to return to the team on the condition that she was permitted to lead it.
During her tenure as team leader, she led the Thunderbolts' attack on the Avengers and apparently entered a romantic relationship with the returned Baron Zemo. This was revealed to be a ruse, in order for her to get revenge on Zemo for killing Genis.
Civil War
During the superhero Civil WarCivil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
, the Thunderbolts were approached by the government to catch supervillains and rehabilitate them. The Thunderbolts becomes a team of villains under government watch assigned to hunt down and incarcerate unregistered heroes. Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
became the director of the Thunderbolts and demoted Melissa because she was too moral, giving her leadership position to the recently recovered Moonstone. Melissa is clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and is only still on the team for fear of imprisonment. However, when the team yet again makes a mess of a job trying to capture Steel Spider
Steel Spider
The Steel Spider is a fictional character who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics, primarily in the various Spider-Man titles.-Origin:...
and Moonstone is wounded, she and Radioactive Man decide to approach the matter the old way, and decides to temporarily act as leader in capturing the Steel Spider. Melissa has been shown to dislike most of her teammates, as instead of villains seeking redemption, the new team of Thunderbolts are largely fighting for personal gain. She also misled Bullseye
Bullseye (comics)
Bullseye is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.A psychopathic assassin, Bullseye uses the opportunities afforded by his line of work to exercise his homicidal tendencies and to work out his own personal vendetta against Daredevil.Although he possesses no...
, leading him to be gravely injured.
Recently, Melissa was gravely injured by the Golden Age superhero Toro
Toro (comics)
Toro is the name of two characters from Marvel Comics. The first Toro was originally featured in Timely Comics and later as a Marvel Comics superhero who appeared as the partner of the original Human Torch.-Publication history:...
when he, along with the time-displaced Invaders
Invaders (comics)
The Invaders is the name of two fictional superhero teams in the . The original team was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema in The Avengers #71 . A present-day incarnation was introduced by writer Chuck Austen and artist Scott Kolins in The Avengers vol...
attacked the Thunderbolts after witnessing them attempting to arrest Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, and thinking them to be Nazis. Interestingly enough, Toro displayed a slight attraction to Melissa, commenting that she was, "Too cute to be a Nazi", before engaging her in combat, and defending his remarks about her after Namor claims that his display of affection for an enemy was disgusting.
Secret Invasion
During the SkrullSkrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
invasion, Songbird was attacked by a Skrull who not only had her powers, but also had the powers of Atlas and the rest of the original Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts save her by causing this Skrull to merge into a nearby building, killing him.
Dark Reign
When Norman Osborn is given control of H.A.M.M.E.R. and decides to make the Thunderbolts into his own hit squad, Melissa becomes a liability. Under Osborn's orders Bullseye corners Songbird with a blade to her back, telling her to ask him to kill her. She manages to deflect him, and escapes as Venom also hunts her down under Moonstone's orders. Stealing the team's Zeus jet, she crashes outside the Thunderbolts Mountain due to Venom attacking her in mid-flight, but she manages to survive. Swordsman saves her from Bullseye after he corners her once again, and after Swordsman fakes her death by blowing up the Zeus, she departs. She is next seen remarking to a couple of homeless men that Osborn is going to destroy the country "unless somebody steps up and stops him."When H.A.M.M.E.R. agents attack the shanty town where Songbird is hiding, she protects the homeless people there and defeats the agents. Osborn found out, and he sends his newest Thunderbolt, Scourge, after her. Songbird meets with her old teammates Fixer
Fixer (comics)
The Fixer is a name used by two fictional characters, both of are which were introduced as villains in the Marvel Comics universe.-Roscoe Sweeney:...
and Abner Jenkins, enlisting their assistance in her battles against Osborn. She then finds out that Natasha Romanova, the original Black Widow who had been disguised as Yelena Belova
Black Widow (Yelena Belova)
Black Widow is a fictional character, a spy in the . She first appears in Inhumans #5 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee.-Publication history:...
, had been assigned by Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
to protect her when the Thunderbolts attack.
Heroic Age
After the SiegeSiege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
of Asgard, and Osborn's subsequent downfall, Songbird has taken a position at "the Raft", as the prison's female warden. Songbird has joined the new Thunderbolts team, led by Luke Cage
Luke Cage
Luke Cage is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1...
in large part to keep a close eye over Moonstone, whom Cage has offered a chance for freedom in exchange for her serving on the team. When Songbird objects to Moonstone's inclusion on the team due to her history of manipulation and deceit, Cage counters that Songbird herself used to be regarded the same way and that she should give Moonstone the same chances she was given by others.
Powers and abilities
As Screaming Mimi, Gold's enhanced vocal cords were bionically altered and enhanced by technicians in the employ of Roxxon. As such, she had the ability to generate a high-pitched sonic "scream" of great volume and for a variety of effects. She was capable of emitting a sound equivalent in decibels to the noise of a jet engine passing 5 feet from one's ear. She has perfect pitch, the ability to hear in her mind the correct frequency for every musical note on the scale. Every note on the scale she screams induces a different effect upon those who hear it. Low C causes low level anxiety and shortness of breath, D causes high level anxiety and panic attacks, E causes dizziness and vertigo, F causes nausea and stomach cramping, G causes severe headaches and fatigue, A causes blindness, B causes euphoria and eventual stupor, and high C causes the listener to visually hallucinate. By rapid oscillation between two notes she can combine effects. In addition, she could produce certain vocal effects in harmony with Angar the Screamer, such as specific sustained illusions. Her nervous system is immune to her own vocal powers. At the upper limit of her scream's power, it could actually damage physical objects. Faced with the death of her lover, Angar the ScreamerAngar the Screamer
Angar the Screamer , also known as Scream, is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain- Publication history :...
, she screamed for 43 minutes in a fit of hysteria, creating a large blast crater and literally liquefying nearby plant life. This outburst nearly destroyed her vocal cords, and depowered her briefly until she used new technology to assume the Songbird alias. During a later encounter with the Hand
Hand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
, Songbird unintentionally reactivated her sonic scream ability.
As Songbird, Gold uses a derivation of technology created by the criminal Ulysses Klaw that converts sound into a malleable form of energy that has physical form and mass, termed "solid sound". She could initially create simple 3-dimensional sound/mass constructions, though as she has gained experience in her new powers, she has learned to create more complex forms. She shapes and animates these by mental command and they only remain in existence for as long as she wills them to. She can "fly" by generating solid sound "wings" attached to her body; initially, these were created as glider-style wings, stretching from wrists to feet, though more recently they are shown attached to her back. Presumably, she animates the wings to flap or somehow generates a propulsive force with her powers, since her airborne speed and maneuverability to date extend well beyond simple gliding.
Songbird has also occasionally exhibited an ability to influence others through sub-vocal (below the level of conscious human hearing) sonics; this is more of a subtle "nudge" or subconscious suggestion rather than outright mind control. This is apparently an effect generated by the remnants of her original sonic enhancements; it remains to be seen if her "Screaming Mimi" powers will ever return in full.
As a former wrestler, she is extensively skilled in hand-to-hand combat using wrestling techniques, and was trained by Titania. Her physical abilities were augmented by the Power Broker
Power Broker
Power Broker is the name of two characters in Marvel Comics.Power Broker, Inc. is a fictional criminal corporation in the Marvel Universe which provides individuals with superhuman physical abilities for a price...
's special process, though she could not be fully augmented to the usual superhuman levels.
Avengers Forever
A Songbird from an alternate future is one of the featured characters in the limited series Avengers ForeverAvengers Forever
Avengers Forever is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern and drawn by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.-Publication history:...
. In this alternate timeline Songbird has become a member of the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
.
Marvel Zombies
Songbird appears alongside the Thunderbolts in the Dead Days one-shot of the Marvel ZombiesMarvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
miniseries attacking Thor and later Nova. She is quickly destroyed by the Invisible Woman when she tries to bite Nova.
Television
- Songbird appears as Screaming Mimi in The Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad ShowThe Super Hero Squad Show is an American cartoon series by Marvel Animation. It is based on the Marvel Super Hero Squad action figure line from Hasbro, which portray the characters of the Marvel Universe in a cartoonish super-deformed-style...
episode "Hulk Talk Smack" voiced by Julie Morrison. She and Klaw are seen searching for a fractal for Doctor DoomDoctor DoomVictor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
. After failing to recover one from the library, Screaming Mimi and Klaw are sent with MelterMelterThe Melter is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Tales of Suspense #47 and was created by Stan Lee and Sam Rosen.-Publication history:...
and ToadToad (comics)Toad is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 ....
to search for a fractal at the local reservoir. In "Deadly is the Black Widow's Bite," She is sent with MODOK and Abomination to search for the Infinity Fractal. When the Super Hero Squad arrives, MODOKMODOKMODOK is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Tales of Suspense #93 MODOK (acronym for Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
tells Screaming Mimi that the Super Hero Squad insulted her voice causing her to use her sonic attacks on them. She alongside MODOK and AbominationAbomination (comics)The Abomination is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
were easily defeated by the arrival of Black Widow (whom was actually Mystique in disguise for Doctor Doom's next plot). When it came to the Vault, Screaming Mimi was shown with Mystique, Abomination, MODOK, Klaw, and Toad in a raid upon the Vault. During the climax of the episode, Screaming Mimi is revealed to be an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent named Songbird when Captain America revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. planted an undercover agent in Villainville.
Video games
- Songbird is a playable character in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 voiced by Susan Spano. She is locked into the Pro-Registration faction during the Civil War portion of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. On Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, her sound-based wings are depicted as being more like those of a butterfly rather than the bird-like ones she has in the comics. A variant of her Screaming Mimi costume appears as her alternate costume. She also is in the Wii, PSP, and PS2 versions of the game. Her first overall appearance (not counting her silhouette on the selection screen) is as a nanite-controlled boss alongside Moonstone. You unlock her upon getting a silver medal score on her mission which has you saving scientists from a collapsing and guard-infested Prison 42 only to encounter a Nanite-controlled Moonstone. Her attitude also differs between the platforms. On the Xbox 360 and PS3, she appears as a more caring and less conceited person. An example of this is when Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic tell her the nannite procedure is done with her teammates, she cares for how they'll feel after they tell them. But on the other consoles, she is more stubborn and mean natured. An example on a side mission is when she tells a scientist she is supposed to rescue that she "isn't [his] mommy", but reluctantly agrees to help.
External links
- Songbird at Marvel.com