| Firestorm, The Nuclear Man | |
|---|---|
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | series |
| Publication date | March 1978 |
| Number of issues | 5 |
| Main character(s) | Ronnie Raymond Martin Stein Jason Rusch |
| Creative team as of March 1978 | |
| Writer(s) | Gerry Conway |
| Artist(s) | Al Milgrom |
| Creator(s) | Gerry Conway Al Milgrom |
Firestorm is the name of several comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 (March 1978), and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom.[1][2] Martin Stein, by himself as Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm the Nuclear Man vol. 2 #100 (August 1990), and was created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. Jason Rusch, the third Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm vol. 3 #1, (July 2004), and was created by Dan Jolley and ChrisCross.
He is distinguished amongst superheroes: he is not merely one being with superpowers/super-abilities/super gadgets (as most superheroes are, such as Superman and Batman), nor is he one being when human and another semi-distinct being in "super" mode (a la Captain Marvel or Etrigan). Firestorm instead is two normal human beings when non-powered, who then combine in "super" mode to form Firestorm.
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The first Firestorm series was short-lived, canceled abruptly in a company-wide cutback (the "DC Implosion")[3] with #5 (the first part of a multiple-issue story) the last to be distributed, and #6 included in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade. Writer Conway added Firestorm to the roster of Justice League of America. This led to a series of 8-page stories in the back of The Flash (with art by George Pérez), and a revival of a monthly Firestorm comic in 1982. The Fury of Firestorm (later called Firestorm: the Nuclear Man) lasted from 1982 until 1990. A new Firestorm title starring both Ronnie and his successor, Jason Rusch, was launched in 2011. The series, The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men is written by Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver and drawn by Yildiray Cinar.
In Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #1 (March 1978) Ronnie Raymond is named for the very first time when Martin Stein calls him "Ronald", later Raymond introduces himself to Doreen Day and Clifford Carmichael as Ronnie, afterwards while Martin Stein refers to him only as Ronald everyone else calls him Ronnie. In Who's Who in the DC Universe #8 his name is listed as Ronald (Ronnie) Raymond, originally Ronald Rockwell.[4] The same pattern continues in Firestorm (vol. 2) until John Ostrander takes over with Fury of Firestorm #58 and continuing through to the series finale in issue #100, he has everyone refer to him as Ronald or Ron except for family and friends.[5] In Who's Who Update '88 #1 he is also listed as Ronald (Ronnie) Raymond.[6] In Who's Who in the DC Universe #10 Martin Stein is listed as Firestorm, and the entry refers to Ronald as "Ron Raymond".[7] In Extreme Justice #4 and for several issues after that he is the supermodel known as "Ron Ray".[8] In Firestorm vol. 3 #6 and in later issues he is referred to as Ronnie Raymond.[9] Most recently in the DC Comics Encyclopedia (ISBN 0-7566-4119-5, 2004) he was listed only as Ronnie Raymond.
A new Firestorm series began in 2004 with a new character, Jason Rusch, in the role. Like his predecessors, Jason had a sense of humor which he often used to hide his insecurities.
A new The Fury of Firestorm title starring both Ronnie and Jason is set to debut in late 2011 as one of the new titles launched in the wake of DC's Flashpoint crossover event. It will be written by Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver, with art provided by Yildiray Cinar.[10]
The original Firestorm was distinguished by his integrated dual identity. High school student Ronnie Raymond and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Martin Stein were caught in a nuclear accident that allowed them to fuse into the "nuclear man" Firestorm. Due to Stein's being unconscious during the accident, Raymond was prominently in command of the Firestorm form with Stein a voice of reason inside his mind. Banter between the two was a hallmark of their adventures.[1]
After the accident that created him, Firestorm took to defending New York from such threats as Multiplex and Killer Frost. The 1982 series began with the teenaged Raymond adjusting to his newfound role and later delved into the issue of the nuclear arms race and Firestorm’s role as an "elemental." The Fury of Firestorm slowly developed the lives of Raymond and Stein, as the teenager struggled with high school and moved towards graduation and the scientist found a life outside the lab. A second nuclear hero, Firehawk, was added as a love interest for Firestorm in 1984. The series also tried to create a sense of fun, something that Conway felt was missing during his years writing Spider-Man;[3] the banter between Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein contributed to this. Upon graduation from high school, Raymond entered college in Pittsburgh, where Stein had been hired as a professor.
In 1986, Conway abruptly left the series, and John Ostrander (with artist Joe Brozowski) took over the reins. Ostrander sought to make Firestorm more relevant to the world and a good deal grittier. His first major story arc pitted Firestorm against the world, as the hero, acting on a suggestion from a terminally ill Prof. Stein, demanded the United States and the Soviet Union destroy all of their nuclear weapons. After tussles with the Justice League and most of his enemies, Firestorm faced off against a Russian nuclear man named Pozhar in the Nevada desert, where they had an atomic bomb dropped on them. When the smoke cleared, a new Firestorm was created who was made up of Raymond and the Russian, Mikhail Arkadin (the Russian superhero Pozhar), but controlled by the disembodied amnesiac mind of Prof. Stein. The stories featuring this version of the hero were highly political, with a good deal of action taking place in Moscow.
The Raymond/Arkadin Firestom proved to be a transitional phase, as in 1989, writer John Ostrander fundamentally changed the character of Firestorm by revealing that Firestorm was a "Fire Elemental". Firestorm now became something of an environmental crusader, formed from Raymond, Arkadin, and a Soviet clone of the previous Firestorm, but with a new mind. Prof. Stein, no longer part of the composite at all, continued to play a role, but the focus was on this radically different character.[1] New artist Tom Mandrake would create a new look to match. It was during this phase that Firestorm met and befriended Shango and the Orishas, the elemental gods of Africa. He also met their chief deity and Shango's older brother Obatala, Lord of the White Cloth. This was also the situation in which the Shadowstorm entity first appeared.
By the series' hundredth issue, Stein learned that he was destined to be the true fire elemental and would have been were it not for Ron Raymond also being there by circumstance. Raymond and Arkadin were returned to their old lives, and Stein, now Firestorm, was accidentally exiled to deep space in the process of saving the Earth. He thereafter spent many years traveling through space as a wanderer, returning to earth on only two occasions: the War of the Gods crossover event, and again in Extreme Justice #5, where Stein cured Raymond of his leukemia and allowed Raymond to retain the original Firestorm persona on his own.
After the transition to the elemental Firestorm, all of the main characters from the series vanished from the comics for some time after the cancellation of the Firestorm comic in 1990. Raymond eventually returned in the pages of the JLA spin-off, Extreme Justice.[11] Raymond, who at the time was undergoing treatment for leukemia, regained his original powers after a chemotherapy session. It took the combined might of the Justice League, led by Captain Atom, and the returned elemental Firestorm to restore Ronnie's health. Firestorm began to appear regularly in a number of DC titles, though lacking the guidance and knowledge necessary to use his skills wisely. In 2002, he returned to active duty with the Justice League and also appeared briefly in Kurt Busiek's heroes-for-hire comic The Power Company.
Raymond was killed during the Identity Crisis mini-series. During a battle with a villain called the Shadow Thief, Raymond was impaled by the Shining Knight's sword, which the Shadow Thief had stolen. The magical sword ruptured the nuclear man's containment field, resulting in Firestorm's body exploding and his residual essence funneling into the body of Jason Rusch, the new host of the Firestorm Matrix.[1] His name was featured posthumously on Rip Hunter's chalkboard in Booster Gold (vol. 2) #1 in the statement "Ronnie Raymond + X = Firestorm".
In 2004, DC revived the Firestorm comic for the second time, with writer Dan Jolley and artist Chris Cross, but instead of the original Firestorm, Ronnie Raymond, there was a new protagonist; Jason Rusch, a teenager.
Jason was a seventeen-year-old living in Detroit, who wanted nothing more than to escape his home city. He lived with his father, who had turned abusive after he lost his hand in an industrial accident. His mother left his father sometime after the accident, leaving the young Jason with his father. With the loss of a job he needed to fund college, Jason turned to a local thug for money, accepting a job as a courier. It was on that job that he encountered the Firestorm matrix, searching for a new host after Raymond's death. In the aftermath, Jason struggled to cope with his new identity and powers - a struggle that led to the death of the man who'd hired him.
Eventually, Jason managed to develop a degree of control over his powers. Ronnie Raymond eventually returned within the Firestorm matrix in Firestorm #9, remaining with Jason as part of Firestorm until he appeared to dissipate in Firestorm #13.
Shortly after Jason's eighteenth birthday, a few weeks after Raymond's dissipation, Jason was kidnapped by the new Secret Society of Super Villains for use as a power source in a hidden complex. Freed when the new Secret Six launched a raid on the complex, Jason discovered two important things: he had a fellow prisoner (a mysterious girl named Gehenna), and his imprisonment by the Society had significantly depowered him (Firestorm #17).
Together, Jason and Gehenna escaped the complex. Gehenna disappeared in the aftermath, but telepathically promised Firestorm that she'd see him again. In Firestorm #19, Donna Troy recruited Firestorm - this time comprising Jason and his best friend Mick Wong - for her outer space team to fight the oncoming instability from Infinite Crisis.
It was revealed that Martin Stein, alive in space as the "Elemental Firestorm", had sensed the presence of Jason within the Firestorm Matrix, but was unaware of the final demise of Ronnie Raymond. When Jason, as Firestorm, was gravely wounded in the line of duty, Stein linked with him in a variation of the merge, promising Jason a new Firestorm body to let him return into battle (although Martin had been unable to save Mick) and asking him about the fate of Ronnie.
Accepting Martin's proposal, Jason asked Stein to become the permanent second member of the Firestorm matrix. Sensing his "errors", including Mick's death, were the result of his youth and lack of experience, he sought the experience and maturity of Stein. Martin refused at first, but finally accepted Jason's request, thus ensuring both a new Firestorm body and the reconstruction of human bodies for both Rusch and Martin.[1]
It was revealed in Infinite Crisis that if the Multiverse had survived up to the present, Jason would have been a native of Earth-Eight.[12]
In 52, it is revealed that Firestorm was fused with Cyborg due to malfunctioning Zeta Beam technology. Unmerged after several weeks, Jason, as Firestorm, tried to reform and lead a new Justice League, along with Firehawk, Ambush Bug, Super-Chief, and the Bulleteer. After a failure in handling a time-displacement crisis staged by Skeets, the new League was disbanded in disgrace, adding strain to the already shaky friendship with Lorraine, as Jason still holds her and the rest of Donna's Space Team as responsible for Mick's demise. Finally, during the World War III event versus Black Adam, Jason settled all differences with Lorraine, rekindling their friendship and asking for her powers, necessary to activate Firestorm after the mysterious disappearance of Martin Stein.
As the storyline jumped ahead a year (and the series itself was now retitled as Firestorm: The Nuclear Man issue #23 on), Professor Stein has mysteriously vanished, and Jason has been merging with Firehawk to become Firestorm, allowing him to use her powers as well. The two decided to look for Stein together. Stein had been kidnapped and tortured by the Pupil, a former teaching assistant of Martin's. Flanked by the D.O.L.L.I.'s, a group of cyborg soldiers of limited cognitive ability, the Pupil (formerly known as Adrian Burroughs) questioned the nearly dead Stein about the secrets of the universe. Jason and Lorraine, along with the mysterious teleporter Gehenna, freed the captured Stein and restored him to full health. Jason is a college freshman at New York City's Columbus University and seems to have ties with Dani Sharpe, a member of the senior staff at LexCorp.
The Firestorm team of Jason and Firehawk made several appearances across the DCU before the search for Martin Stein ended. This included dealing with the latest OMAC and teaming up with Superman in the "Back in Action" arc in Action Comics. Firehawk later introduced Jason to Pozhar, a Russian superhero who was once a part of the Firestorm matrix; together, the trio take on a newly reborn Tokamak. This series ended with Firestorm: The Nuclear Man issue #35 in April 2007.
Jason Rusch and Martin Stein meet Shilo Norman, and are attacked in succession by Orion of the New Gods and the Female Furies of Apokolips. Shilo informs Stein and Rusch that one quarter of the Life Equation is hidden within the Firestorm Matrix. The others are held by Earth's other three Elementals, (possibly the Red Tornado, Naiad, and Swamp Thing). Darkseid fears that the Life Equation might challenge him and his Anti-Life Equation. Orion wished to keep Professor Stein safe, and the Furies wished to secure the Matrix for Darkseid.[13] With Gehenna as a "hidden partner" in the Matrix, Jason began his search for Stein.
While apprehending Killer Frost in the commission of a heist, Jason is severely wounded by Lex Luthor, the Joker, and Cheetah. While still recovering, he goes to aid the captive members of the Justice League. Upon freeing the members of the League, he joins the battle against the Injustice League. After this victory, Firestorm is drafted into the League by Batman.
During the team's encounter with the planet destroying villain Starbreaker and the black-ops team the Shadow Cabinet, Jason eventually faces Carl Sands, AKA Shadow Thief, the villain who killed Ronnie Raymond and inadvertently caused Jason's transformation into Firestorm. Sands mocks Jason for being an unworthy successor and nearly kills him like he did his predecessor, but Jason rejects the villain's insinuation that he is inferior, and emerges victorious.[14][15] Jason instead uses his abilities to seal Sands' mouth shut with duct tape, preventing him from utilizing the shadows within his body, thus rendering him powerless. He later assists Icon and the rest of the Justice League in the final battle with Starbreaker.[16]
After this, Jason plays a minor role in the mini-series Justice League: Cry for Justice. A short time later, Firestorm is seen helping search for survivors alongside Animal Man and Starfire after Star City is destroyed by Prometheus.[17]
In Blackest Night crossover, Ronnie Raymond is called by a black power ring to join the Black Lantern Corps. In the following issue, his reanimated corpse is shown confronting Barry Allen and Hal Jordan alongside Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Elongated Man, Sue Dibny, and J'onn J'onzz.[18] He then attacks Jason Rusch (the current Firestorm), and absorbs him into his own version of the Firestorm matrix. Then, using Jason's unique abilities, turns Gehenna into table salt, simultaneously ripping her heart out with a smile. He uses the Firestorm Matrix to absorb Jason's anger over Gehenna's death, providing the Black Lanterns with even more emotional energies[19] He goes on to attack Barry Allen and co. at the Justice League satellite. Jason then briefly asserts himself, allowing the heroes to escape. Regaining control, Ronnie proceeds to absorb Jason's willpower. Like other Black Lanterns, the undead Firestorm mimics the personality of Ronnie Raymond, often wisecracking and exhibiting other stereotypical teenage behavior.[20] In the final battle against Nekron, Ronnie is restored to life alongside Jason, the two separating from Firestorm. Ronnie is confused, asking Atom where Professor Stein is while Jason is upset with Ronnie killing Gehenna. Ronnie, however, apparently has no memory of doing so.[21]
In the Brightest Day storyline, Ronnie, still clad in casual clothing from a wild party the night before, arrives at Jason's apartment with Professor Stein and Ray Palmer to attend Gehenna's funeral. Stein and Palmer discuss Ron's return and how he no longer remembers anything since his death at the hands of Shadow Thief. While the two talk about the paperwork needed to have Ronnie's legal status as "dead" reversed, Ron approaches Jason and offers an apology about Gehenna's murder. Jason refuses to accept it, telling Ronnie that he forced him into being an accomplice to the death of his girlfriend, and that he probably doesn't even remember her name. When Ronnie is actually unable to remember Gehenna's name, Jason angrily lashes out and punches him in the face. This causes the two young men to merge into Firestorm, and they begin arguing inside the Matrix while Palmer transforms into his Atom persona in order to help them separate.[22][23]
Palmer manages to separate Jason and Ronnie, but not before the Firestorm matrix causes a huge explosion, transmutating everything in the Professor's laboratory into table salt.[24] While recovering in the hospital, Stein explains to Ronnie that it seems to be very dangerous to fuse into Firestorm again. Also, it is revealed that Ronnie, after quickly leaving the hospital and being threatened by Jason's father to stay away from Jason, lied to everyone, as he seems to perfectly remember murdering Gehenna as a Black Lantern.[25]
Some time after the forceful separation, he lies sleeping in preparation of a party, when a previously heard voice prods him awake - a monstrous construct of Gehenna, made totally of salt, which proceeds to throttle and choke him, taunting him to remember her name; while she is interrupted before killing him, Ronnie is left covered in salt.[26] Not too long after, he is lying, recovering from a massive binge, when Jason again forces the merge to help several construction workers endangered when the girders at the site are transmuted without warning to bubble gum. This time, they again hear the mysterious voice taunting them, and Ronnie accepts he remembers killing Gehenna, and they realize something else is lurking from within the Firestorm Matrix.[27]
As Firestorm, Ronnie and Jason visit Stein in an attempt to find out what is happening to them. Stein reveals to them that the Black Lantern Firestorm still exists in the Firestorm Matrix. Firestorm is then told by the Entity that they must learn from each other and defeat the Black Lantern Firestorm, before he destroys the Entity. Somehow, Jason and Ronnie trade places.[28]
After running a test, Professor Stein reveals the origin of the Firestorm Matrix. Stein believes that during the initial experiment he was able to capture the spark that preceded the Big Bang that created our universe. Thereby making the matrix a trigger for a new big bang, if the boys continue to experience emotional imbalance, they increase the likelihood of triggering a new big bang. After explaining this to the boys, the voice inside them speaks again. Declaring that it is not the matrix, a pair of black hands reaches out from inside Firestorm. Forcibly separating Jason and Ronnie, Black Lantern Firestorm stands between them, separate from both Ronnie and Jason and apparently calling itself "Deathstorm".[29]
Deathstorm reveals its plan to Stein, stating that it intends to create enough emotional instability between Ronnie and Jason that the Matrix will trigger another Big Bang thereby destroying of all life in the universe. In order to help accomplish this goal, Deathstorm absorbs Stein's mind in order to use his knowledge of Ronnie against him; then, to torture Jason, Deathstorm brings his father, Alvin Rusch, to the lab and absorbs him as well. Taking flight Deathstorm beckons Ronnie and Jason (who by now have merged into Firestorm) to follow it. Deathstorm leads them to Silver City, New Mexico and the resting place of the Central Power White Lantern Battery. Deathstorm tries to lift the battery but is unable to until he infects it with black energy, after which he is able to lift it with ease. After he threatens to destroy the White Lantern Battery and therefore prevent Ronnie and Jason to truly live, a voice beckons him not to. The voice, commands him to bring the Central Power White Lantern Battery to the voice as well as an army, at which point Deathstorm brings back the Black Lantern versions of Professor Zoom, Maxwell Lord, Hawk, Jade, Captain Boomerang, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Deadman and Osiris.[30]
Deathstorm and the Black Lanterns teleport to an unknown location, Firestorm, Jason and Ronnie ultimately seek the help from the Justice League.[31] Firestorm arrive at the Hall of Justice asking for help.[32] Firestorm is placed in a containment chamber while the League search for a way to stabilize the energy. However, an internal argument between Ronnie and Jason ignites the spark, apparently resulting in the destruction of the universe.[33] Ronnie and Jason quickly notice, after defeating an hive of Shadow Demons, that the universe was not destroyed as they thought but they were actually transported to the Anti-Matter Universe. There they are contacted by the Entity who reveals to them that since Boston Brand has not yet found the one who will take the Entity's place, it is Firestorm mission to protect the Entity.[34] Meanwhile, Deathstorm and the Black Lanterns are shown on Qward delivering the White Battery to someone.[35] That someone is revealed to be the Anti-Monitor, who seeks to harvest the life energy within the Lantern to grow stronger. Firestorm takes the White Lantern and attempts to fight the Anti-Monitor, but is defeated. Deathstorm then brings Professor Stein out of his Matrix to taunt the two with. Deathstorm then attempts to turn Ronnie to salt, but the Professor takes the brunt of the attack. Angered, Ronnie decides to truly work together with Jason to avenge the Professor. The Entity then declares that Ronnie has accomplished his mission, returning life to him in a burst of white energy that obliterates the Black Lanterns, returns Jason's father to his home, and deposits Firestorm in the Star City forest. Ronnie angrily attempts to make the Entity resurrect the Professor, but is refused. Deadman then arrives, demanding that he be given the White Lantern.[36]
When the "Dark Avatar", made his presence known, Firestorm is part of the Elementals. Ronnie Raymond was then transformed by the Entity to become the element of fire and protect the Star City Forest from the "Dark Avatar" which appears to be the Black Lantern version of the Swamp Thing.[37] The Elementals are then fused with the body of Alec Holland in order for him to be transformed by the Entity into the new Swamp Thing and battle against the Dark Avatar. After the Dark Avatar is defeated, Swamp Thing brought back Firestorm to normal. Afterward, Ronnie and Jason must find a way to contain their Firestorm matrix from the explosion less than ninety days.[38]
After the events of Flashpoint, reality is altered so that Firestom's personal history is completely restarted. Ronnie is now introduced as a high school senior and the captain of the football team. During a terrorist attack on their school, Ronnie's classmate Jason Rusch produces a vial given to him by Professor Stein, which contains the "God Particle", one of Stein's creations. The God Particle transform both Jason and Ronnie into Firestorm, and the two teens briefly battle each other before accidentally merging into a hulking creature known as the Fury.[39]
Firestorm has the ability to rearrange the atomic and subatomic structure of matter, rearranging subatomic particles to create objects of different atomic characteristics of equal mass. He can not only change the atomic composition of an object (e.g., transmuting lead into gold of equal mass) but he can also change its shape. He cannot, however, affect organic matter. If he does there may be painful, even lethal, feedback. This organic limitation does not extend to his person as he can change himself at will, allowing him to regenerate tissue, to shapeshift, and to survive indefinitely without food, water and air. Much like a Green Lantern's limitations, Firestorm can only create items the "driver" of the Firestorm matrix is able to understand the workings of. Unlike a Green Lantern's creations, Firestorm's alterations are permanent unless he reverses them.[1] Following Raymond's resurrection during Brightest Day, Firestorm gained the ability to switch "drivers" between Ronnie and Jason at will. Firestorm has also demonstrated the ability to fly at fantastic (but unmeasured) speeds, to render himself intangible and thereby pass through solid objects harmlessly, to generate destructive blasts of energy from his hands, and superhuman levels of strength and resistance to injury.
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