Origin

In ancient times the Eskimo Gods of the North battled the Great Beasts for the fate of the world. After being exiled they looked for a champion to battle the Beasts if ever they arose. Nelvanna, goddess of the Northern Lights, appeared to the man Richard Easton and convinced him to mate with her. Afterwards Easton was returned to Earth, he believed he was only gone for one night while in reality it was 9 years. The realization of this eventually drove him insane. When Nelvanna was about to give birth she sought the assistance of Dr. Michael Twoyoungmen to act as a midwife. Sensing the child's unstableness (the result of being a transmorph) the young shaman bound it to the Earth allowing it to have a human form. The child, whom he named Narya, went to live with him and aged at a surprisingly rapid rate. Twoyoungmen taught her the ways of the Earth and how to use her powers. Narya had the ability to assume the form of any animal native to Canada, super strength, flight, pre cognition and post cognition and she can also sense mystical and magical energies.

Dr. Twoyoungmen was visited by his friends, Guardian and Vindicator, the founder of Alpha Flight. After discovering Narya's powers they invited her and her foster father to join the group. Dr. Twoyoungmen was given the name Shaman. Narya was given the name Snowbird and assumed the public identity of Anne McKenzie, a records keeper with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. While working there she met and fell in love with Doug Thompon. The two married and conceived a child which angered the Eskimo Gods. When she went to the Arctic Circle along with Shaman to give birth the resulting magical energies awoke Pestilence. Her newborn was possessed by the evil being and rapidly grew up. Pestilence was eventually defeated and driven away while still possessing her sons body. After being exiled by the Gods she sought to redeem herself in their eyes and regain entrance to Paradise. This angered her husband and when she did not seek out her possessed son he left her to find him alone.

Snowbird and Shaman later found Pestilence in an abandoned mining town with the help of Doug Thompson, who had been given a fatal disease by the evil being. During the ensuing battle Snowbird killed her child and was slain by Vindicator. After her death she was forgiven by the Gods and allowed entrance to Paradise. She refused until they allowed her husband and child to enter with her.

Powers

Snowbird has the ability to take on the form of any animal native to Canada but if she retains their shape for too long her personality becomes animalistic. Capable of flight she also has super human strength. Her connection to the Gods allows her to sense mystical energies and gives a limited precognitive ability. In her human form, Snowbird has the ability of flight, super-strength, enhanced healing and stamina. Snowbird has learned that there is a limit to her power and she could only reside in Canada, or her health begins to deteriorate due to a spell cast by Shaman when she was born.