Flamebird

FLAMEBIRD

Real Name: Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Superhero, tennis player

Group Affiliation: Titans West

Known Relatives: Elizabeth Kane (Alice, cousin), Colonel Jacob Kane (uncle), Katherine Kane (Batwoman, cousin), Kathy Kane (aunt)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City, formerly Hollywood, CA

First Appearance: Secret Origins Annual #3 (1989)

Powers: Flamebird wore a utility belt containing smoke bombs, grappling hooks and stylized boomerangs. She wore body armor that could emit pulses of blinding light, and was an acrobatic and athletic hand-to-hand-combatant.

History:

(Hawk and Dove Annual #1) - Bette Kane played an exhibition tennis match in Washington versus Hank Hall's friend Donna, and used the opportunity to shamelessly flirt with her old boyfriend. When the Washington S.T.A.R. Labs opened a portal to Limbo Flamebird, influenced by Lilith, decided to reunite the Titans West. Hawk, the new Dove, Mal, Golden Eagle, Bumblebee and Chris King joined together to enter Limbo to find Director Simons, the creator of the portal, and the rescue team that's been sent in after him. Deceased villains Iron Major, Top, Clayface, El Papagayo, Electrocutioner and Icicle were seeking to escape the underworld and return to Earth through the portal. They'd already taken the rescue team hostage to appease their demon jailer, a devil impersonating Etrigan. Hawk, Dove and the Titans battled them, and the tide turned when General Jeb Stuart came from Heaven to give Hawk his Haunted Tank. The false Etrigan was merely toying with the dead villains, and when he sent them through a portal, it turned out to be an entrance to Hell. The heroes returned to Earth with the rescue squad, and S.T.A.R. shut down the portal. Flamebird wanted the Titans West to reform, but no one was that interested.

(Beast Boy #1-4) - Bette was playing tennis when she heard on the news that Changeling was back in Hollywood. He was looking to reclaim his past glory as a Hollywood actor, but Bette assumed he'd come to lead Titans West and determined to meet up with him. Gar was framed for murder by an evil doppelganger, and put in jail. Flamebird visited the station house, and after offering her autograph to the officers, demanded Gar be released into Titans West custody, mortifying Gar. The police told her Gar wasn't going anywhere unless she had $25,000 for his bail, which she admitted she didn't have on her. Flamebird returned to the jail, but learned she couldn't pay bail with a personal check. Gar was cleared when reports came in of Nightwing fighting his doppelganger, and Flamebird was eager to help her hero in the battle. She joined Nightwing, but ended up distracting him, allowing the imposter to escape. Nightwing told her that although he admired her spirit, she wasn't cut out for crimefighting, and he strongly suggested he retire. He disappeared before she could respond, and she was determined to keep at her work and prove him wrong. The doppelganger turned out to be Gemini, the daughter of Gar's old enemy Madame Rouge. Flamebird revamped her suit and weaponry, and joined Gar in confronting her, taking out her henchmen Fear and Loathing while Gar defeated the villain. Flamebird offered her apartment to Gar and his cousin Matt, and put the idea of reforming the titans West in his head. Gar admitted he had a hard time saying no to a cute blonde.

(Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1) - When the Society broke out virtually every incarcerated supervillain around the world Oracle sent Flamebird and a number of other heroes to quell the breakout at the Slab, but a number of villains got past the heroes. The Society massed in Metropolis, and Flamebird and an army of virtually every hero on Earth confronted the villains and engaged in an epic battle with them.

(Teen Titans III #32) - Superboy Prime confronted Superboy because he wanted to take his place, and was willing to kill him to do it. Flamebird and the JSA and the Teen Titans were called in to combat Prime. There were casualties, but Flash Jay Garrick, Flash and Kid Flash took Prime out of action by running him into the Speed Force.

Comments: Created by George Perez & Tom Grummett.

Flamebird had a cameo in Titans II #21.

Flamebird was introduced as a post-Crisis on Infinite Earth's replacement for Titans West member Bat-Girl.