Jason Strongbow was a young Navajo man who tried to prevent mining developers from excavating a mountain that was sacred to his family's ancient tribal grounds. He soon found out through an anonymous tip that the developers were working in league with the Belgian black-market arms-dealer Ulysess Klaue, seeking to obtain the uranium deep inside the mountain. When Jason and his brother Ward confronted Klaue in the mines, the combination of radiation and Klaue's Vibranium-powered sonic weaponry knocked both of them out, yet triggered Jason's genetic marker, revealing he was a Inhuman.
After this event, Jason took up the mantle of American Eagle, champion of the Navajo people. He and his brother followed Klaue's trail for several weeks, stopping various operations he was overseeing. Klaue knew they were following him, and led them into a trap involving HYDRA troopers in the wilderness of Canada.
Klaue almost instantly killed Ward with his sonic blaster, and nearly killed the American Eagle, but Black Panther arrived and incapacitated both Klaue and his men. T'Challa then revealed he was tracking Klaue as well, and saw how American Eagle grew. He helped him overcome his brother's death, sympathizing with Jason over both his father's and cousin's deaths. With a new purpose, Jason headed back to his reservation, intending to help his people overcome their internal problems as well as stop any threats coming to the Navajo Nation.
Powers and Abilities[]
Due to exposure to an unknown radioactive isotope causing his Inhuman transformation, the cellular fortification of Strongbow's bodily tissues have increased dramatically, granting him various superhuman physical attributes.
- Superhuman Strength: Strongbow possesses superhuman strength enabling him to lift about 15 tons, which is enough force to uproot a large tree.
- Superhuman Speed: Strongbow can run and move at speeds greater than the finest human athlete. His speed is slightly greater than that of the cheetah, the fastest land animal on Earth, and can reach a top speed of 65 mils per hour.
- Superhuman Stamina: Strongbow's heightened musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than an ordinary human. He can exert himself physically at peak capacity for approximately 5 hours, which is roughly 50 times the stamina of an average human.
- Superhuman Durability: Strongbow's bodily tissues are somewhat harder and more resistant to physical injury than that of an ordinary human. However, he is far from invulnerable. While can be injured by weapons composed of conventional materials, he can withstand impact forces that would severely injure or kill a normal human with little to no injury to show for it.
- Superhumanly Acute Senses: The American Eagle's sensory organs have also been fortified by the radiation-induced mutation. Like his namesake, the Eagle, he has hyperkeen eyesight, able to see at 800 feet what the average human being sees at 20 feet. His senses of smell, taste and hearing are approximately three times that of an average human being.