The history and story of Derek Adams AKA Firebird is legendary. He is a superhero, an amazing engineer, a life-saver, a husband, a father, an example to the community and the world, a business leader, a military veteran and the face of what a real superhero is.

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Born to Gabriel and April Adams, Derek was raised in Detroit, Michigan where his father worked as a fireman.  When Derek turned 13, while at a sporting event's bonfire party, Derek spontaneously burst into flames...and within a minute's time, extinguished himself...with no injuries or burns at all.  After being taken to a hospital, it was quickly discovered that his fire powers were based on his newly activated mutant genes; genes that had been dormant in the Adams family bloodline for generations.  Derek's parents were quickly contacted by the US Government who wanted to 'take over' Derek's education (and life), to which his parents declined (they didn't want to give up their son to the government). Derek remained in the public school system for the next year, however, it was too difficult to get through things from day-to-day (too many distractions and anti-metahuman issues and fights).  Eventually his parents had Derek homeschooled with a hybrid learning system that allowed dozens of different teachers volunteering to teach their lessons/topics for a small fee, but following the national and state education standards. As such, with the individualized learning, Derek excelled.

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Derek has two brothers and a sister, Joseph, Jeremiah and Teresa, respectively.  None of them ever developed powers, but were tested and discovered to have a latent mutation in their genes, but was inactive and not capable of being activated in their current physiology.  This caused a lot of issues between the siblings, especially Jeremiah.  Jeremiah fell in with the wrong crowd and constantly tried to get Derek to use his powers to steal, burn things, melt things and/create distractions allowing Jeremiah and his gang to do small penny-ante crimes.  When one such 'favor' cause a store to catch fire, Derek himself went to the police and told on Jeremiah and his gang, telling the police everything including his involvement. As a result, Derek gained a juvenile criminal record and spent several month in Juvenile Hall for his actions. Jeremiah, since he was 17 at the time, was tried as an adult and was sentenced to 4 years in a maximum security prison; a judgement that was seriously overcharged. As a result, Jeremiah learned how to become a career criminal in his time in prison. By the time Jeremiah got out of prison, he'd blamed his family and especially Derek for his misfortunes. He's been in trouble since then; trouble that led to the other brother's, Joseph's, death.

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Both Derek and Joseph tried hard to bring Jeremiah back to the side of the good, but Jeremiah was too set in his ways. Each time Jeremiah was about to get into trouble again, both Derek and Joseph intervened, sometimes trying to physically haul Jeremiah away from the crime scene or just before the crime was to be committed. Sadly, in one such encounter, Joseph got shot by one of Jeremiah's fellow gang members, killing Joseph right in front of Derek. Derek was nearly traumatized as a result; Jeremiah got away, cursing Derek for intervening and getting Joseph killed.  From that day forward, Jeremiah hated Derek with a passion while also 'disowning' his 'wimpy ass' family. Derek graduated high school days later. Even though Derek was offered a job with the CIA upon graduation, Derek instead decided to go to college and follow his dream of becoming an aerospace engineer.

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Months after graduating college with a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering, the Soltan Star Empire attacked Earth. His new job's facility was immediately destroyed in the first invasion wave, killing most everyone that Derek worked with. Using his powers, Derek fought alongside military forces, fighting against the Soltans for the next several months. Although he was not an 'official' US military officer at the time of the invasion (or in the military at all), he was given a field commission by a US Army General to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant that, by the end of the invasion, had been advanced to Captain.  After the invasion, the US military made Derek an official US military officer with the rank of Captain. After the invasion, Derek, named by others as, "Firebird", was presented several national and international medals and awards recognizing his heroism and distinguished actions.

 

Derek, using his engineering skills and his powers, was able to contribute to getting the US military back into a fully operational state in the next five years.  He was awarded dozens of prestigious medals and decorations as well as the rank of Major. Sadly, after doing several 'covert' military missions, Derek quickly realized that further military service was not what he wanted and instead put in his papers to leave active duty. He stayed in the US Army Reserve for the next ten years, eventually becoming a Lieutenant Colonel, and as of 2012, is no longer required to serve in any military capacity.

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During his time in the US Army Reserves (where he was a bit of a 'weekend warrior' for a decade's time), Derek started his own engineering company, Firebirds.  After a year or two, his designs and business earned him enough contracts and money that he was able to incorporate several other failing businesses and together, making a stronger, more productive firm called "Firebirds, Incorporated".  His new business make specialized rescue equipment, transportation equipment and vehicles and powerful equipment designed to help save, protect and/or spin-off for commercial use.  To cut down on lawsuits and expensive insurance claims, Derek usually tested his own equipment and designs using his superpowers, wearing a specialized suit with a variety of sensors, recording devices and protections. He made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits and even to this day is considered one of the most impressive engineering businesses in the world.  That, however, didn't compare to his other jobs of being a superhero...and a family man.

 

During the Soltan Invasion, Derek ran across a female mutant fighting the Soltans calling herself Monique Marques, also known as 'Conflagration'.  She operated out of Louisiana where she and her fellow New Orleans militias and back-swamp boys took the fight to the Soltans, eventually causing the Soltans to retreat from the Southeast United States. When Derek and Monique met while fighting the Soltans, it was love at first sight.  Once the Soltans evacuated from the South Eastern United States, Monique joined Derek in taking down the Soltans up and down the Midwest and back up to Detroit by the time the Soltans finally chased off Earth. Not long after that, both Derek and Monique actually helped rebuild and provide some law and order assistance to the authorities in Detroit and New Orleans.  Eventually they became known as "Firebird" and "Conflagration", both superheroes in actions as well as name. Although Derek was very organized, by-the-book and heroic, Monique was more fiery, emotional and sometimes a bit more of a vigilante.  In time, thanks to Derek's influence and training, Monique was able to 'reign in her emptions' and learned to become a better, more stable hero...although at times she was still emotional and 'fired up' about things.  To add to this, Monique also became pregnant, eventually bearing one boy and three girls.  She became a mom as well as a superhero and also became the public relations director for "Firebirds, Inc.".

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Derek AKA Firebird became a celebrity superhero that quickly became an icon for kids, families and especially to those who worked in the first responder and life-saving businesses. Derek's father eventually retired from firefighting after being a Fire Chief for his last three years in Detroit.  His mother now works for the Michigan state government in Education, specializing in alternate educational systems and youth development.  Jeremiah, still the black sheep of the family, has been in and out of jail dozens of times and at last report, was tied up with either CANIS or the Gold Syndicate.  Derek's sister Teresa went on to be an interior designer for the rich and famous and is married to her longtime female lover, Janis, both living a professional life in Detroit. Every year, the family gets together as Joseph's gravesite to honor him and spend a day together as a family, culminating in a family dinner for the entire clan of the family (numbered in the dozens). All attend every year...except Jeremiah.

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As each of Derek's and Monique's children were raised, each of the kid's powers quickly developed, most of the time before puberty, all as mutants with a version of a fire-based power or variant therein.  Their youngest, Fiera AKA Fyrette, gained her powers at age 9 and, just like the rest of her siblings, has learned to master their powers and abilities and are all directly involved in the superhero life, the Firebirds business and of course schooling.  A few years ago, a young, street tough black homeless boy discovered his fire-based powers and almost killed several people in the process. Rather than have him incarcerated and imprisoned in a concrete fire-proof cell for years, Derek and the Firebird family opted to adopt him. Ronald "Ronny" Reese was allowed to be adopted, pending quarterly Child Service interviews and analysis. Although the 'safety' concern for Ronny was a consistent heavy issue that was highly controversial in his adoption evaluation period, the US government, along with professional psychological medical reviews and inputs, continued to identify that Ronny's family life with the Firebirds was far better than any other options for Ronny to be raised in. Today, Ronny is officially adopted by the Adams family with his last name legally changed to Ronald Adams. He is a well adjusted teen, however, he has, at times had several emotional breakdowns that, thanks to his loving new adopted mother, Monique, he has learned how to control and cope with.

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Today, the celebrity superhero and industrial entrepreneur that is Derek Adams AKA Firebird continues to be a positive role model and family man. He works hard and usually finds himself overwhelmed with work, family or the superhero life in one way or another, but with his strength of character and demeanor, he usually finds his way to get through each day's continued assault of issues and conflicts.  He is emotionally stable and a true loving father and example to others. He still works late into the night on new equipment designs with his engineers and at times, seems very tired and run down. As such, it's become more evident recently that the oldest son, Frenel AKA Fireblaze, is starting to learn the family business in hopes of taking it over in the next 10 years. As Firebird, he is a man who is constantly sought out by heroes, nations, businesses and of course his immediate and extended family to help them with whatever issues and crisis's that keep popping up. Again, he is getting more tired than not, but he keeps fighting, keeps pushing and keeps on being the best man, hero, leader, boss and father he can be. It's only a matter of time before this amazing hero's fire begins to burn out after having burned his candle at both ends for decades now.

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