BIOGRAPHY - Page 3
In the absence of the Avengers, Bonita and Hank continued to spend time together. While testing Rover on the compound grounds, they were approached by Moon Knight, who stunned the two by pulling out from Bonita’s family Bible the centuries-old message from Hawkeye. During his travels in the past, the archer had encountered Moon Knight’s patron Egyptian god, Konshu, who had then waited five thousand years to instruct his “knight” to deliver this message. After reading the note, Bonita, Hank and Moon Knight contacted the Fantastic Four for assistance, only to learn that their time machine had been destroyed. Espirita, Hank Pym and Moon Knight raced to Four Freedom's Plaza, where Hank set about rebuilding the machine.
While they did so, Bonita was reunited with the Thing, who had returned to the Fantastic Four since their last encounter. The Thing thought it was good that Bonita was back with the West Coast Avengers and confessed that he didn't think it was fair the way she was passed over last time. To his surprise, Bonita told the Thing that, though she was back for now, she didn't plan to join them, as God had other plans for her. When she learned that the Thing was having trouble with his teammates, she offered her friendship should he want to talk about it.
Once the machine was rebuilt, Dr. Pym, Bonita and Moon Knight used it to travel back to 2940 BC, arriving right in the midst of the time-lost Avengers. Both groups were so shocked by their 
good fortune that they looked at each other in stunned silence – a silence that was only broken by Bonita’s cry of “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!” Finally with the means to return home, the West Coast Avengers used the time machine to return to the present. [West Coast Avengers (2nd series) #22-23]
Arriving back in the present day, the West Coast Avengers sought out the man responsible for sending them into the past – Dominus. Accompanying her friends on this mission, Espirita was present at the defeat of Dominus, who fled into outer space in his rocket ship. Not wanting him to get away, Espirita flew after the villain, accompanied by Wonder Man and Iron Man. Despite reaching the edge of the atmosphere, Bonita found that she could still breathe, which she simply 
proclaimed to be a miracle. Ironically, it was Wonder Man who could not go on after his rockets failed, sending him falling back to earth. More concerned about their friend and teammate than their quarry, Espirita and Iron Man turned to save him, allowing Dominus to escape. [West Coast Avengers (2nd series) #24]
Despite her intention not to become a member, Bonita continued to hang around the West Coast Avengers, accompanying them to Houston for their semi-regular baseball game against the East Coast branch of the team. This game was interrupted first by the Silver Surfer and then by a brilliant display of light. The Surfer had arrived with news that one of the Elders of the Universe, 
the Grandmaster, was plotting to kill the Avengers for unknown reasons. Unfortunately, he had arrived just as the energy bolt had arrived, killing the East Coast team. Along with the rest of the West Coast team, Espirita accompanied the Surfer to the ship of the Collector, who advised the group that the only way they could save their friends from the Grandmaster was to join them on the other side of death. He gave them all a potion to drink, which killed each in turn – except for Espirita. Despite drinking the potion, Bonita found that it did not kill her. [West Coast Avengers Annual #2]
While the Surfer and West Coast Avengers accomplished their mission on the “otherside,” Espirita continued to use her powers to keep the Collector at bay, including his desire to “collect” someone who could not die. Though both the East and West Coast Avengers ultimately prevailed in the realm of death, when Death returned them to the living the Avengers were sent back to Earth rather than the Collector’s ship. Fortunately, the Silver Surfer returned to make sure to the Collector that he was being watched and volunteered to return Bonita back home. As they neared Earth, Bonita bluntly asked the Surfer if he was the herald of the Messiah. Though he vehemently denied being such, Bonita explained that her Christian beliefs taught that that the son of God would one day return, preceded by other holy men. Everyone, she explained, had a special place in God’s plan. [Silver Surfer (3rd series) #3]
Making her way back to Palos Verdes, Bonita was reunited with Hank Pym, who was relieved to see her alive. Bonita informed Hank that this latest mystery regarding her powers had led her to believe she must retreat into the wilderness to seek a better understanding of herself. Hank used this opportunity to tell Bonita that he would never be able to repay her for the way she saved his life and helped him rebuilt it, but that he didn't love her. To his relief, Bonita replied that she was 
already aware and pointed out their current irreconcilable differences in that he didn’t believe in God. Tenderly, she told Hank that until the hand of God touched him, they would not be suited for each other. Hank offered to go with Bonita on her retreat, but she kissed him and told him they would meet again. [West Coast Avengers (2nd series) #25]
What happened during Bonita's subsequent retreat is not known, however at some point she returned to using her Firebird codename and adopted a new costume. While fighting a bushfire in Yosemite National Park, Firebird was mysteriously transported away by strange probes, then held prisoner aboard a spaceship by aliens known as the Society of Higher Interstellar Education and Logistical Development – or SHIELD. There, Bonita was probed and examined by their alien technology. When Bonita finally freed herself from their equipment, she learned that her powers 
were an accident. Her powers were not heavenly gifts bestowed upon her as she had originally believed. The meteor that had landed inches from her, bombarding her with alien energies, had been a young alien's scientific experiment that had been discarded into space. Incensed, Bonita lashed out at the aliens, angry with them for the illusions she had lived under. Despite her anger, Bonita never harmed them, though she did break down emotionally, falling to her knees and crying because she believed she was now simply nothing.
In the weeks that followed, Bonita was with renewed purpose, as she came to the realization that, even though her powers were a result of alien “experimentation,” God was still responsible and that she was still beholden to continue to do his work on this world. [Avengers Spotlight #24]
When Firebird answered a call to attend a meeting of all past and present Avengers at Avengers HQ in New York, she and the other Avengers learned that Captain America was consolidating the Avengers rosters into one large team. In this restructuring plan, they would all act as a pool of Avengers and be called when required. In this manner, Bonita officially obtained her dream of becoming an Avenger. [Avengers (1st series) #305]
Bonita was in Mexico during the invasion of Atlantis and there came across several lost Altantean warriors. The irony of water warriors lost and dehydrated in the desert was not lost on Bonita and, 
when she made a joke about them, one of them lashed out and attacked her. Fortunately, her fire powers easily dispersed the plasma blast that was aimed at her. Bonita provided more humor as she casually battled the Atlanteans, never harming them. When she eventually asked them what they would do if they won their “war,” the Atlanteans had no response for this. Thinking of her own solution, Firebird helped them back to their ship, refreshed their water and suggested that they seek out an island called Tahiti, which they might enjoy. [Avengers West Coast Annual #4]
Firebird continued to develop and expand her powers. When the Avengers' HQ Hydrobase was destroyed, she assisted with the clean up by using her abilities to lift tons of rubble on convections currents that she generated with her heat and settle the rubble down on shore, where several other Avengers – Hellcat, Moondragon and Black Widow – could deal with it. When they received a distress call from Stingray, who was under water dealing with the ruins of Hydrobase, Firebird 
dived under the water without hesitation. Moments later, however, she was tossed from the water by the Awesome Android, which had been found in the ruins of Hydrobase. The Awesome Android had copied Firebird's power and unleashed it towards the women. Fortunately, Firebird recovered in time to counter the blast the Awesome Android released. With the last of her waning energies, Bonita was able to assist Captain Marvel, who had arrived during the battle, to defeat the Awesome Android. [Avengers Spotlight #27]
As the Avengers' roster changed once again, Bonita essentially became a reservist to the Avengers West Coast. While enjoying a day at Marine World, she witnessed the arrival of the 
Atlantean rebels called SURF. Bonita contacted the Avengers West and kept the members of SURF occupied until the heroes arrived. Hawkeye, the Wasp and Hank Pym were the Avengers on hand and, when Hank was shot at by one of the members of SURF, both Bonita and the Wasp, Hank's ex-wife, both flew to his aid. Other than an awkward glance at each other, there was no spoken animosity between the women. Firebird later used her powers to superheat the water of a tank where SURF were hiding, but in doing so exhausted herself and passed out. [Avengers West Coast Annual #5]