Hummingbird (comics)

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Hummingbird
Hummingbird as depicted in The New Warriors (vol. 5) #2 (March 2014). Art by Marcus To (penciler/inker) and David Curiel (colorist).
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceScarlet Spider (vol. 2) #1
(January 2012)
Created byRyan Stegman (artist)
Christopher Yost (writer)
Carlo Barberi (costume designer)
In-story information
Alter egoAracely Penalba
Team affiliationsNew Warriors
AbilitiesEmotional manipuation
Telepathy
Flight
Pyrokinesis

Hummingbird (María Aracely Penalba) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She made her debut in the 2012 Scarlet Spider comic book series written by Christopher Yost. The character is depicted as being from Mexico.

Publication history

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Created by artist Ryan Stegman and writer Christopher Yost, she first appeared in Scarlet Spider vol. 2 #1. She took on the superhero identity of Hummingbird during Scarlet Spider vol. 2 #17, with artist Carlo Barberi designing her costume.

Along with Kaine, the Scarlet Spider, she joined the New Warriors on the 2014 Volume 5 version of the team.[1][2][3]

Fictional character biography

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Aracely as depicted in Scarlet Spider #16 (April 2013). Art by Khoi Pham and Antonio Fabela.

María Aracely Penalba is originally from Mexico. She is the only survivor of a botched human trafficking operation by the Lobo Cartel, who smuggled her from Mexico to Houston. Aracely is rescued by Kaine Parker, who assumes that the traffickers are mere drug dealers who he can steal money from, picked them off one by one. After scaring away the criminals and collecting their money, Kaine notices the odor coming from the metallic crate and opens it, finding Aracely among a mound of crammed rotting bodies.[4]

That night, Aracely is visited by Kaine, who wanted to ensure she was okay before continuing his escape route to Mexico. Compelled by Dr. Donald Meland and police officer Wally Layton, who reason that Aracely would be better off in his hands, Kaine remains in Houston and brings Aracely to live with him.[5] Aracely manifests superhuman abilities and a preternatural knowledge of Kaine's location and thoughts. It is also revealed that she is unable to recall anything from before she was kidnapped.[6][7][8]

Shortly afterward, Aracely has recurring dreams filled with mythological imagery. During the first of these dreams, Aracely finds herself in Aztlán, the ancestral home of the Aztec people. There, she meets a coyote who tells her that the Fifth Era is ending and that she is Huītzilōpōchtli, the Left-Handed Hummingbird who will be killed during the apocalypse.[8][9]

While Aracely and Kaine discuss her dreams, their significance, and what to do about them, they are met by Carlos Lobo and his sister Esmeralda - crime cartel leaders, human smugglers behind the abduction of Aracely, and werewolves sent with the intent of killing her. In the ensuing fight, Kaine sacrifices himself to allow Aracely to escape.[10] When Lobo catches up to Aracely, he reveals that he believes her to be the reincarnation of Huītzilōpōchtli. Hiding inside a trash container, Aracely remembers that the Lobo Cartel trafficked her at the insistence of Mr. Moctezuma, a mysterious old man accompanied by a coyote. Kaine returns in the form of a monstrous spider, having accepted the power of the Other, and forces Lobo to flee. Aracely proclaims Kaine as her champion, which restores him to his human form while retaining the Other's powers.[4]

Aracely later joins the New Warriors as Hummingbird. After Hummingbird enters the Xavier Institute, Rachel Grey scans her mind. This triggers a voice coming from Hummingbird that states itself to be Huītzilōpōchtli. All the telepaths in the school are stricken with pain, with Rachel being the most affected. Iceman slows down Hummingbird's brain activity with his freezing powers, allowing her to return to normal.[11] Unbeknownst to Hummingbird, the High Evolutionary has been observing her and determines that she may be a demigod.[12]

Powers and abilities

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Hummingbird is able to fly and possesses psychic abilities that allow her to detect the emotions of others and sense their locations.[13][1] She possesses a special connection with Kaine, being able to sense him even from great distances.[4][14][8] Hummingbird's telepathy allows her to quickly learn languages; besides her native Spanish, she has demonstrated fluency in French, Japanese, English,[6] and Romanian.[15]

Hummingbird is able to generate sacred fire, which she uses to kill a demon who attempted to possess Thor. However, she is overcome by Huītzilōpōchtli and has no memory of the event. Haechi, who observed the battle, described Hummingbird as becoming fire.[16][17][8][1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ramos, Alexandra (October 25, 2022). "6 Mexican Marvel Characters We'd Like To See In The MCU After America Chavez And Namor". Cinema Blend. Retrieved February 24, 2025. Next up on the list, we have Hummingbird, otherwise known as Maria Aracely Josefina Penalba de las Heras, a young girl from Mexico. She is a part of the superhero team, New Warriors, and has several interesting powers such as telepathy, the ability to use psychic blasts, and she can fly. She can also create divine fire.
  2. ^ Davison, Josh (April 27, 2022). "10 Characters Who Could Be Moon Knight's Sidekick". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 24, 2025. Hummingbird, aka Maria Aracely Penalba, is a powerful telepath and pyrokinetic whose powers may have a link to the Aztec pantheon of gods. After being saved from the Salamander by Kaine Parker, aka the Scarlet Spider, Aracely took up the name Hummingbird and began working with Scarlet Spider as a sidekick and partner. When Kaine later joined up with a new iteration of the New Warriors, Aracely followed.
  3. ^ Ching, Albert (October 15, 2013). "Yost Puts the New Back in "New Warriors"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 24, 2025. Along with the above, the book will also include new characters Haechi and Water Snake, plus Sun Girl from "Superior Spider-Man Team-Up," and "Scarlet Spider" character Hummingbird, all united against a sweeping threat poised by the High Evolutionary.
  4. ^ a b c Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #15 (May 2013)
  5. ^ Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #2 (April 2012)
  6. ^ a b Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #4 (June 2012)
  7. ^ Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #6 (August 2012)
  8. ^ a b c d Murray, Kirsten (May 7, 2019). "The 13 Most Powerful Marvel Demigods, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved February 24, 2025. Scarlet Spider saved [Aracely] from a human trafficking ring though she had no memories of her life before. It's believed that she might be the reincarnation of the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli. Hummingbird can detect people's thoughts and even find their location, as well as read and manipulate their emotions. Perhaps her most powerful attribute is the ability to generate and control divine fire which can destroy demons.
  9. ^ Polo, Susana (July 10, 2019). "Spider-Man: Far From Home didn't show off these international Marvel heroes". Polygon. Retrieved February 24, 2025. There's a whole gaggle of Mexican superheroes in Marvel comics, including folks like the speedster Velocidad; or María Aracely Panalba, known as Hummingbird, who just might be the reincarnated form of the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli.
  10. ^ Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #13 (March 2013)
  11. ^ Scarlet Spider (vol. 2) #18 (August 2013)
  12. ^ "Open the High Evolutionary Journals Pt. 2". Marvel Entertainment. January 24, 2014. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  13. ^ The New Warriors (vol. 5) #3 (June 2014)
  14. ^ "Christopher Yost on Twitter: "her connection with Kaine is still there, but when the Other is dominant, she can't read him."". Twitter. July 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  15. ^ The New Warriors (vol. 5) #5 (August 2014)
  16. ^ The New Warriors (vol. 5) #6 (August 2014)
  17. ^ "Christopher Yost on Twitter: "it's not really pyrokinesis, more the first one."". Twitter. July 17, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
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