Yoof (Yrd; S.H.I.E.L.D./Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistial Development; Firebird character)

yoof-yrd-shield-upper YOOF

Real Name: Yoof

Identity/Class: Extraterrestrial (Yrd) technology-user

Occupation: At least formerly a "base-level pupil" of SHIELD

Group Membership: SHIELD (Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistical Development; Chlree, Cmar Har, Hji, unidentified Flb’dbi, unidentified extraterrestrial (tall), unidentified extraterrestrial (short))

Affiliations: Possibly affiliated with the Intergalactic Institute of Advanced Learning on the planet Rus;
Firebird (Bonita Juarez)

Enemies: At least formerly

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Base-level Pupil Yoof";
"selfish little creature" (from Firebird)

Base of Operations: Mobile throughout space via the SHIELD orbiter (see comments);
possibly visits the Intergalactic Institute of Advanced Learning on the planet Rus;
presumably at least formerly the planet Yrest, third from the sun in the Corinum system, Draco Galaxy

First Appearance: Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (November, 1988)

Powers/Abilities: As a Yrd, he has a several inch long horn protruding forward and upward from the top of his head. He had three fingers and an opposing thumb on each hand

He is presumably both highly intelligent and highly educated, likely in various fields of science.

Height: Unrevealed (he is not shown directly next to anyone of known height. Yrd have an average height of 6'2", but Yoof may be smaller and/or may be the equivalent of college, high school, or possibly even middle or elementary school age; Cmar Har of the R'Malki, who average 6'8", looks to be at least, 12-16" taller than him; Chlree of the Glx, who average 8' tall, looks to be at least 2-3' taller than him; the 5'5" Firebird is shown nearly perpendicular to him, but he appears to be smaller than her; I would put him at anywhere from 4'10" to 5'4", but definitely just an estimate...)
approximately 5')
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 90-120 lbs.)
Eyes: Apparently dark (black or dark green), with a central curved (perhaps sigmoid) lighter green structure
Hair: None yoof-yrd-shield-full-ish

History:
(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - At some point, Yoof became a base-level pupil in the Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistical Development (SHIELD).

(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - Yoof worked independently on a project that proved untenable. He then secretly expunged the experimental by-product of an independent project that had proved untenable into space.

The by-product eventually landed on Earth where it crashed like a flaming meteorite in the desert 15 kilometers outside Albuquerque, New Mexico in the vicinity of local Bonita Juarez.

(Incredible Hulk II#256 / Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - The by-product eventually landed on Earth where it crashed like a flaming meteorite in the desert 15 kilometers outside Albuquerque, New Mexico in the vicinity of local Bonita Juarez.

(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - Bonita investigated the structure, which had cracked open and seemed to be emanating cold fire. yoof-yrd-shield-fb-confront

(Incredible Hulk II#256 / Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - Bonita subsequently gained flight and fire powers, which she believed to be a gift from God, and she adopted the super-heroic identity of Firebird.

(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - Learning of Yoof's actions, Prime Theoretician Chlree tracked the by-product to Earth, after which he sent the SHIELD orbiter to Earth to evaluate the effects on the being exposed to it.

yoof-yrd-shield-fb-floating (Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - SHIELD teleportation probes collected Firebird -- as she was in the process of aborbing flames from a forest fire in Yosemite National Park -- and brought her to the SHIELD orbiter for study.

(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2) - After Hji projected Firebird's memories of her encounter with the by-product, Chlree asked Yoof if "that was it," and Yoof respectfully confirmed this. Chlree then asked Yoof if he was aware of the difficulties his actions had precipitated, and he further asked Yoof what he suggested they do with the fruits of his labor.

However, Firebird then broke free and confronted her examiners, demanding explanations. After the translators had been activated, Chlree explained that they were trying to assess whether she -- or her fellow sentients -- had suffered any difficulties due to the negligence of their base pupil and his unsupervised experiments.

After Chlree identified his organization's nature and summarized events that had led to her powers, Firebird was distraught, as she had believed her powers to be a gift from God. When she questioned that they were saying her powers were the result of a child's failure, another SHIELD member, Cmar Har of the R'malki, telepathically considered whether they should now consider the experiment a success. This statement led Yoof to ask if that meant that he passed.

Firebird commanded Yoof to be silent while she called him a selfish little creature and created a cushion of hot air to lift him high above her head. She asked him if he had any idea what he had done to her life and of the illusions she had lived under. Asking God to forgive her vain self-importance, as well as her anger and stupidity, Firebird allowd Yoof to float gently down to the ground. As he dropped, Yoof exclaimed, "Yow!"

(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - Chlree subsequently explained to Firebird the true nature and extent of her powers, and this understanding helped Firebird regain her faith, considering that God had granted her abilities through a more circuitous route.

Comments: Created by Fabian Nicieza, Gavin Curtis, and Steve Buccellato. yoof-yrd-shield-byproduct

Chlree noted that the Yrdian race was notorious for their haphazard disposal of dangerous wastes. I don't recall the details off the top of my head, but I think that all relates back to their first appearance in Tales of Suspense I#54, from which their OHotMU entry notes that they had a history of using nuclear power and were "humane, guilt-ridden, and short-sighted."
The Yrd will eventually get a profile on the Appendix...

I included the image from Incredible Hulk II#265 showing Bonita and the seeming meteorite in by-product sub-profile, but I also wanted to include the image from the Avengers Spotlight flashback, but space was a little tight in main part of the profile, so I'm including it here...

Yoof had a sub-profile in the SHIELD profile first posted 06/07/2004.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Yoof should be distinguished from:

YOOPER - briefly possessed by venom spawn clone--Venom I#7
YOOSUF, JAFAR - telepath, terrorist, mind-controlled Stacy Dolan into shooting Trenton Craft, sent Thing against Vanguard, slain by Blade. Control minds of others--Marvel Comics Presents II#1
other "Yoo" characters, groups, items, events, races, or places...

Yoof's by-product

yoof-yrd-shield-byproduct-inchulk265 yoof-yrd-shield-byproduct-coldfire (Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - SHIELD base-level pupil Yoof worked independently on a project that proved untenable. He then secretly expunged the experimental by-product of an independent project that had proved untenable into space.

The by-product eventually landed on Earth where it crashed like a flaming meteorite in the desert 15 kilometers outside Albuquerque, New Mexico in the vicinity of local Bonita Juarez.

(Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (fb) - BTS) - Bonita investigated the structure, which had cracked open and seemed to be emanating cold fire.

--Incredible Hulk II#256

images: (without ads)
Incredible Hulk II#256, pg. 6, panel 5 (Yoof's by-product crashing on Earth);
Avengers Spotlight I#24/2, pg. 5, panel 2 (Yoof's by-product crashing on Earth);
            panel 3 (Bonita investigating the seeming meteorite);
        pg. 6, panel 1 (upper body);
        pg. 7, panel 4 (mostly full, beside/behind Chlree);
        pg. 9, panel 6 (chastised by Firebird);
        pg. 10, panel 2 (held high in air);
            panel 3 (face in profile, showing eye structure)

Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#256 (November, 1981) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (penciler/inker), Al Milgrom (editor)
Avengers Spotlight I#24/2 (November, 1988) - Fabian Nicieza (writer), Gavin Curtis (penciler), Steve Buccellato (inker), Mark Gruenwald (editor)

First posted: 03/01/2023
Last updated: 03/01/2023

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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