Fahrenheit (comics)
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| Fahrenheit | |
 Fahrenheit heats things up in StormWatch |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Wildstorm |
| First appearance | StormWatch #2 |
| Created by | Brandon Choi Jim Lee |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | Lauren Pennington |
| Team affiliations | Stormwatch |
| Abilities | Pyrokinesis, the ability to agitate molecules in objects, quickly heating them; ability to project fire blasts and create thermal updrafts and fly |
Fahrenheit (Lauren Jenette Pennington) was the name of a comic book character from Wildstorm. She was also a member of StormWatch.
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[edit] History
Lauren's latent powers are revealed when she found herself trapped in a burning building as a young woman. The building is reduced to ash and cinders. Firefighters find Lauren unconscious but otherwise unhurt. Hearing of her miraculous survival, Synergy tracks her down and activates her powers. After undergoing the rigorous training required of a StormWatch operative, Lauren is offered a position in StormWatch Two, the reserve team.
At this point, the UN is still under the control of the shadowy, paranoid group of multi-billionaires called the Special Security Council. Thus, while they were heroes, the operatives of StormWatch were quite ruthless and did not hesitate to violate the rights of a country in order to advance the Council's agenda.
Fahrenheit, an old StormWatch hand, serves under Bendix's leadership, then Synergy's. When Bendix is put in charge again and modifies the teams' lineup, Fahrenheit is appointed leader of StormWatch Red, the heavy fire team designed for deterrent display and retaliation.
Her missions were making her uncomfortable. For example, she is sent with fellow Stormwatch members Flint and Rose Tattoo to the island nation ruled by Kaizen Gamorra. This was in revenge for Kaizen's terrorist attack on Britain the destruction of a British passenger jet. Though Flint and Fahrenheit only damage property, they had to watch as Rose killed 233 civilians, the exact number of British civilians killed on the jetliner.[1]
Fahrenheit spends much time with her teamates and friends in various bars around the world, drinking and avoiding talking about work. Much of this was at Clark's Bar, a watering hole where only super-humans are allowed.
Bendix's insanity later reveals itself and in a fight with Jenny Sparks he is presumably killed. Fahrenheit stays with the team under the new leadership of Jackson King. In later missions, she is forced to kill, though she did not enjoy it. She began a relationship with fellow StormWatch Officer Hellstrike, which violated many Stormwatch rules.
[edit] Death
Fahrenheit met her doom when the StormWatch super-satellite was boarded by hundreds of xenomorphs. This was while Stormwatch is attempting to destroy an incoming celestial body before it would collide with the Earth. The courageous young woman was mourned as a hero by her few surviving team mates.
[edit] Reboot
After the Wildstorm reboot (in Captain Atom), Fahrenheit along with Fuji, Hellstrike and Winter, are alive as seen in the Stormwatch: Post Human Division series. The Authority's Doctor had discovered a way to resurrect Winter and in doing so brings back his other deceased teammates as well. A scan of Fahrenheit's memories seemed to indicate The Monitors were involved. Later, however, in the Stormwatch: PHD issue of Wildstorm: Armageddon it is suggested that it may in fact be a possible future version of Jackson King.
She rejoins Stormwatch, but during the "Battle of First Avenue" she fell from a height of several stories. Fahrenheit survives the fall, but awoke without her powers. Jackson King placed her on the new Stormwatch: PHD squad. Manipulating her through the grief of losing her powers, Defile uses Fahrenheit as a mole. She sides with PHD when Defile finally came to kill the team. Her powers also returned at this point.
Jackson King told her that her betrayal was not her fault, but manipulation on Defile's part. He admits to her superior that this is a lie to keep Fahrenheit on the team.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
Fahrenheit is a seedling (mutant) whose pyrokinetic powers enable her to agitate the molecules in objects, quickly heating them like a microwave oven. When used on combustible materials, they burst to flames. When using it on the air surrounding her, she can create and control updrafts strong enough to let her fly at formidable speeds. Fahrenheit's control is so fine, she can melt guns without causing injuries to the men holding them. In joining StormWatch, she also underwent a bit of combat training (from the hands of Backlash) to get a solid level of hand to hand fighting skill.
After a fall from several stories while fighting the Cooler. Fahrenheit awoke to find she had lost her powers. She would eventually regain them, but no longer has the fine control she used to.
By virtue of being a Seedling, Fahrenheit naturally has enhanced durability allowing her to survived the aforementioned fall.
[edit] References
- ^ Stormwatch #40 (Wildstorm Comics, October 1996)
