STEEL RAVEN

Real Name: Aranda Charboneau

Identity/Class: Human, high-tech combatant

Occupation: Mercenary, guard, field agent

Group Membership: Fortress

Affiliations: Dr. Zachary Hoofner (supervisor), New Genix (students), Typhoid Mary (aka. Bloody Mary, Mary Walker);
   formerly Jessie Drake

Enemies: Black Cat (Felicia Hardy), Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Jessie Drake, Vengeance (Michael Badilino), Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)

Known Relatives: Unidentified son (not specifically identified as such)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Fortress headquarters in Upstate New York

First Appearances: Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (late March, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Steel Raven is a master of armed and unarmed combat. She uses a variety of high-tech energy weapons, such as energy bola, which drains the strength of its victim. She is an excellent marksman, using both conventional and advanced firearms. She is highly knowledgeable in computer technology and is extremely wealthy.

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 127 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde

History:
She shows some antipathy towards men, indicating a possible history of abuse. Her son is extremely withdrawn, and she has mentioned that it is related to some past psychological (?) trauma. It would seem likely that these events are connected. At some point she was employed to work as an agent of the Fortress.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#150) - Within a few months of starting at the Fortress, Steel Raven retrieved the mutant empath/metamorph Jessie for Dr. Hoffner. Shortly after this, Wolverine attempted to retrieve Jessie for Professor X. Wolverine was aided by Typhoid Mary, who was captured in the process. Upon capture, Typhoid psychically cried for help to Daredevil and Vengeance. Steel Raven fought off Daredevil, while Wolverine and Vengeance fought it out in one those case-of-mistaken-intentions-all-heroes-must-fight-before-teaming-up-things. During the struggle, Typhoid broke free and escaped with Jessie, and Steel Raven was called back for further orders.

   She was briefed on her next mission, to recapture Typhoid and Jessie, at her own home. One of the agents placed a friendly hand on her son, which caused him to bite through his lip in terror. Steel Raven threatened the agent's life if he ever spoke to or touched her son.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#151) - Steel Raven, after observing Typhoid (or Bloody Mary, at the time)'s actions against women-bashing men, found herself sympathetic to her cause. Not wishing to see Jessie become a guinea pig for the Fortress, she abandoned her mission, and even helped Typhoid to escape, by attacking/stalling Wolverine. She told Typhoid that Typhoid now owed her.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#175//175/3) - Steel Raven forcibly takes over control of a robot during a training exercise for New Genix, challenging the authority of Fortress scientist Dr. Michael Franklin. She escalated the level of the threat to force New Genix to learn how to fight better.

(Civil War: Battle Damage Report) - Tony Stark considered Steel Raven as a potential Initiative recruit.

SECRET WARS III HAPPENED

(Marvel's Voices: Pride I#1/5 (fb) - BTS) - Steel Raven was hired to impersonate Black Cat and tarnish her name. Around the same time she targeted former Fortress test subject Jessie Drake to kill him.

(Marvel's Voices: Pride I#1/5 - BTS) - Black Cat and Jessie Drake both tried to gather information on Steel Raven at the abandoned Fortress facility, but found nothing to get them closer to Steel Raven. Despite that Black Cat learned from Jessie that Steel Raven was a mercenary, which meant that someone had to have hired her to impersonate her. Black Cat suggested to Jessie to work together to track down Steel Raven.

Comments: Created by Ann Nocenti and Steve Lightle

Vengeance received a summons from Typhoid, intended for Ghost Rider/Dan Ketch/Noble Kale, because Ghost Rider was missing or believed dead (or something like that) at the time, and Vengeance had assumed his identity and role.

I think Steel Raven, New Genix, and Fortress belong in some storyline involving the Weapon X Project.

The story in MCP#175 may have taken place before that of 150 and 151. Whatever the case, no explanation is given to clarify her connection to Fortress in that story.

Steel Raven got an entry in OHotMU 2006 A-Z#10.

Clarifications:
Steel Raven should not be confused with:

• White Raven - an extra-terrestrial mercenary who was employed by thanos to obtain an artifact of power--Silver Surfer: Dangerous Artifacts

images: (without ads)
Marvel Comics Presents I#175, p2, pan2, barcode side (main image)
Marvel Comics Presents I#150, p29, pan3 right side (head shot)
Marvel Comics Presents I#150, p29, pan3 left side (unnamed boy)

Appearances:
Marvel Comics Presents I#150 (late March, 1994) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Steve Lightle (artist), Richard Ashford (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#151 (early April, 1994) - Ann Nocenti (writer), Fred Harper (artist), Richard Ashford (editor)
Marvel Comics Presents I#175 (March, 1995) - Steve Lightle (writer/artist), Richard Ashford (editor)
Civil War: Battle Damage Report (2007)
Marvel's Voices: Pride I#1/5 (August, 2021) - Leah Williams (writer), Jan Bazaldua (artist), Sarah Brunstad (editor)

First Posted: 09/09/2001
Last updated: 09/30/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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