NORTHWIND (Norda Cantrell)	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway; Feithera & Worla created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert

Northwind (Norda Cantrell)

PERSONAL DATA

Real Name: Norda Cantrell
Occupation: Former super hero
Place of Birth: Feithera
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Worla (grandfather); Fred Cantrell (father); Osoro Cantrell (mother); Carter Hall and Sheira Hall (godparents); Emma Cantrell (grandmother; deceased); Ed Cantrell (grandfather; deceased)
Base of Operation: Kahndaq
Group Affiliation(s): Infinity, Inc.
Gender: Male
Height: 6'
Weight: 195 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Golden feathers
First Appearance: All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983): "The Infinity Syndrome"
Creators: Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway; Feithera & Worla created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert

OVERVIEW

A citizen of the fabled "bird-city" of Feithera, Northwind was a member of Infinity Inc. and is now one of Black Adam's key allies in Kanhdaq.

HISTORY

Norda Candrell was born in Feithera, a hidden city, somewhere in the Arctic Circle, built by an evolved civilization of intelligent birds. This civilization was the stuff of legend until 1946 when a pilot managed to see some of its inhabitants during a flight. The novelty was carried on to the United States by radio and was brought to Hawkman's attention when, as Carter Hall, he overheard a conversation between members of the explorator's club he frequented. The club members, a group of gentlemen-adventurers, spoke of the possible existence of those "man-birds" and the challenge it would represent for them to finally hunt an intelligent species. Alerted, Hawkman decided to find this bird-people and warn them of the coming threat.

In Feithera, he made the acquaintance of Worla, leader of the bird people. He learned of their great, millennia-old culture, their language and technology. The Fietheran spoke in melodic, bird-like intonations but also possessed telepathic abilities. Worla told Hawkman that the pacifistic Feithera had the means to defend itself against the humans with its "goblass" technology. The goblass is the authorized weapon in Feithera. It consists of a gun firing a non-lethal ray which affect the equilibrium centers of the brain. Trata, a political adversary of Worla overheard the warning of Hawkman and, with a small group of dissidents, chose to warn the hunters and provide them with the means to protect themselves from the effect of the goblass. Fortunately, Hawkman stopped their machinations and managed to convince the hunters that killing an intelligent species, even birds, could only be considered as murder. The hunters seemed impressed by the accomplishments of the bird people and, proved to be less begotten and short-sighted than the average safari-hunter. They agreed to leave and keep secret the existence of this civilization.

Years later, Worla had a girl: Osoro; and she fell in love with a human savant named Fred Candrell. Fred was eventually accepted in Feithera and the two soon got married. They had a son, an hybrid, and named him Norda. The old Worla was still the ruler of the hidden city and the family frequently received the visit of Hawkman and Hawkgirl who became Norda's godparents. The friendship between Norda and their son Hector Hall dates from this period. When he reached adulthood, Norda left his native Feithera to live in Los Angeles. Along with Hector Hall, Lyta Trevor and Albert Rothstein he applied for membership in the Justice Society under his super-hero identity of Northwind. After the JSA's refusal to take the youngsters in on the team, they joined with Jade and Obsidian whom they had encountered at that same JSA meeting and, along with the Star-Spangled Kid and Brainwave Jr., they formed Infinity, Inc. [Infinity Inc. #1].

Norda first told his comrades of his origins and of his native community when the team was looking for a way to detain Solomon Grundy with whom they just had a fight [Infinity Inc. #4]. The Feitherans studied Grundy until the long-dormant glacier surrounding Feithera shifted and threatened the city. Jade made a deal with Grundy that, if he held back the glacier long enough to save the Feitherans, she would free him and take him somewhere warm. But the glacier collapsed and buried Grundy before she could honor the terms of their bargain.

Norda served with Infinity Inc. for a time, but eventually returned to his city, where he became a spiritual leader to his people. The Feitherans recently underwent an accelerated evolution brought on by the pollution caused by homo sapiens, becoming more bird-like and feral. They, with Norda still at their head, came into contact with Black Adam, helping him to liberate the people of his country, Kahndaq, from oppression. Here, they can live in safety, their abilities sometimes brought into use in a military context.

POWERS AND WEAPONS

From his Feitheran origins Northwind inherited the ability to fly, along with a level of force and agility far greater than those of ordinary men. Norda also carried a "Globlass Gun", an energy weapon from his native Feithera that can subdue any opponent by scrambling his sense of equilibrium. Later, Norda trained in the spiritual and mystic ways of his people, and learned to practice the mystic arts. In his new, more bird-like form, Norda is now stronger and faster than ever.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Northwind in chronological order click here

PROFILE REFERENCES

Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #17 (July 1986)

Who's Who in the DC Universe #6 (January 1991)