War

Cal'syee was born with atavistic features and was fiercily proud of it. Unfortunately, the atavism also caused her to experience fits of uncontrollable rage that eventually forced Cal'syee to kill her mother and younger sister. For these crimes she was stripped of her name and became known as Deathbird. She lost the right to the throne and was exiled from the Shi'ar Empire.

Wanting the throne, she rebelled against D'Ken, who was emperor at the time, and allied herself with the Brood to usurp him and, later, Lilandra (who succeeded D'Ken). She eventually usurped the throne and became empress of Shi'ar, although she had to face many rebellions. A group of Skrulls maimed her wings and forced her to abdicate in their favor.

Deathbird sought the help of Lilandra's allies the X-Men but, once the Skrulls were removed from the throne, Deathbird chose not to sit on it, and she abdicated again in favor of Lilandra.

Deathbird was rescued by the Imperial Guard, but Lilandra imprisoned her because she posed a threat to her rule.

On his quest for vengeance against the entire Shi'ar race, Vulcan was captured and incarcerated in the same maximum security installation that housed Deathbird. Released by a member of a secret order that wished D'Ken to lead the Shi'ar once more, Vulcan himself released Deathbird.

Vulcan was enthralled by Deathbird, and they became romantically involved. He promised to put his quest for vengeance on hold. Deathbird convinced Vulcan to finish the healing process that the Shi'ar members of the secret order had begun on D'Ken, who remained in a coma since the M'Kraan Crystal incident. When D'Ken discerned Vulcan's feelings for Deathbird, he invoked an ancient Shi'ar custom and invited Vulcan to marry Deathbird and become part of Shi'ar royalty.

Vulcan and Deathbird were married in front of the M'Kraan Crystal just as the X-Men, Lilandra, The Starjammers, and the Shi'ar loyal to Lilandra attacked. During the chaos that ensued Vulcan killed D'Ken (as he didn't promise not to kill him) and assumed the throne of Emperor of the Shi'ar Empire, with Deathbird as his Empress. During the fight Polaris crushed the ribs of Deathbird's husband and she instructed the Imperial Guard, still loyal to the ruling family, to protect them as they fled.

Vulcan's rule was initially compared to Lilandra's as the Shi'ar thought Cal'syee's husband another weak human. Vulcan however proved that he was a strong emperor and the people fell in love with him. During the Starjammers escape from their prison planet Cal'syee was severely injured by Polaris.

At some point after Vulcan's death she was captured by the Providian Order. However they wasn't interested in Deathbird, but only in her child - hybrid of atavistic Shi'ar and powerful Mutant. Sharada Darthri experimented on the baby and infused it with Kree geneline.

Due to the threat of the Titans impending war against the Shi'ar Empire, Majestor Kallark had Deathbird brought to serve as an adviser to Xandra and ready her to rule the Empire.