Keith Andes :: Character Guides

Birdman is a superhero with various powers that he must recharge by exposure to the sun. At one point he offered thanks to "the great spirit Ra" for his powers. Whether this Ra is the same Ra that ancient Egyptians worshiped as a sun god is unclear. Birdman can fly, and this is his usual means of travel; he flies fast enough to get almost anywhere in the world very quickly. He can project solar rays, erect shields that can deflect most attacks, and can generate great heat and brilliant flashes sufficient to dazzle many foes. His singular weakness is his dependence on the sun. If he uses too much power too fast his energy will become depleted, a fact his enemies routinely exploit. A quick trip to the sun, or even sometimes brief exposure to its rays, soon recharges him. He has a friend/companion, a gigantic purple eagle named Avenger, who has saved him from sticky situations more than once. Birdman takes his orders from the mysterious Falcon 7, who usually relays his requests via a special television circuit with a receiver located in Birdman's secret lair. Birdman makes his lair in the caldera of a dormant volcano, where he is surrounded by sophisticated machinery that he never seems to use for much. An irising door in the top of the caldera opens to allow access to the space. At least one of his enemies, Mentok the Mind-Taker, knows the location of this base, for he once built a base of his own nearby specifically so that he could seize control of Avenger's mind.