Thunderbird
| Thunderbird | |
|---|---|
| Author | /u/PM_ME_UR_SIMURGH |
| Civilian name | Virginia Delaney |
| Alignment | Hero |
| Affiliation | Protectorate (Minneapolis) |
| PRT Classification | Shaker, Blaster, |
| Born |
May 1, 1975 Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Died |
May 31, 2021 (aged 46) Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Status | Deceased |
 | This is a lore cape, and thus this page may contain limited information. If you have questions, please consult the author of the cape (listed in the sidebar to the right). |
Thunderbird was until her death the most famous hero in the State of Minnesota. A native of the city, she triggered at 14 years of age, and almost immediately began operating as a hero in the city. At 16, she joined the Minnesota Brigade, one of the first recognized hero teams in the United States.
After the 1991 bombing during the Minneapolis Super Bowl, she quickly rocketed onto the national stage; despite being the youngest member of the Brigade, she was by far the most personable, and became the face of a city struggling to cope with an unprecedented disaster. It's widely believed that her presentation at the time directly led to the Brigade being absorbed into the Protectorate in July of 1991. However, despite remaining as the face of the city's hero team, she didn't become Captain of the team until 2006, following her predecessor's transfer to a quieter department.
Beloved as she was, her leadership was not without controversy. In 2015, a bitter divorce with her husband nearly resulted in her (and her family's) identities being outed to the public. Tabloids reported that her ex, now known to be one Arthur Delaney, only agreed to a quiet settlement at the last minute after considerable concessions made by Thunderbird. However, custody over the couple's sole child would remain a constant source of pressure on the hero. In addition, in mid-2020 she was involved in a cape fight that left two dead and dozens injured. Despite an investigation clearing her name (an errant lightning bolt deflected by the kill-ordered villain resulted in an improperly-installed gas line blowing up), the incident tarnished the hero's otherwise-sterling reputation.
On May 31st, 2021, while having a lunch break with her daughter and boyfriend (an independent hero known as Bear Witness), Thunderbird was shot and killed by members of a trafficking ring who were attempting to enter the Exclusion Zone. She was declared dead on-scene, and her daughter spent several weeks in the ICU in a coma. Her funeral, held a week after her death, was nationally televised, with coworkers, heroes, and political figures from across the world attending. In addition, the city of Minneapolis renamed their (new) football stadium Thunderbird Field in her memory.
Power
Thunderbird was a potent Shaker/Blaster with unparalleled control of weather phenomena. She could throw lightning bolts with her hands, summon the deepest winter blizzard around her in a moment's notice, and bake her enemies in the heat of Death Valley, all in a moment's notice.