John was born on an Nvative American reservation in Arizona. He was endowed with superhuman strangth and endurance. After serving in the US Army, John entered the X-Men under the codename Thunderbird.

Thunderbird died in Uncanny X-Men #95 during a battle with Count Nefaria. This was only his second mission and truly shocked the X-Men. Cyclops took his death very hard, blaming himself for the death of the first X-Man.