DC Comics have released a new title for one of their most under-utilised characters, with Jeff Lemire as writer. The new The Fury of the Firestorm comic series is the first to focus on the character since The Fury of the Firestorm: The Nuclear Man in 2013. In a major twist however, Firestorm is not a hero but instead an unstable, murderous threat to humanity.
Major spoilers ahead for The Fury of the Firestorm #1!
DC K.O. and Alpha Energy
To understand, at least partially, how Firestorm became a villain, you have to go back to DC K.O.. The event ran over 2025-2026 and saw heroes face off against each other in a tournament, so that the winner may get enough energy to take on Darkseid. At the end of the storyline, Superman freed all the captive heroes and embued them with alpha energy, including Firestorm.
“I watch as its power strikes the world I love. A storm of Alpha Energy that ignites the Earth again and again. Setting strange new things in motion… And it’s beautiful. Our world should always be one of wild beginnings and new starts.” – Superman, DC K.O #5
We have yet to see the full effects of what this Alpha Energy might do to heroes but it is clear that DC has plans for it. It has already given Green Lantern Guy Gardner new powers with cosmic vision, and it is likely it has affected Firestorm too.
Firestorm turns evil
In The Fury of the Firestorm #1, Firestorm experiments on a town in Colorado by turning it into different materials. While he started these experiments on the buildings, it was not long until he was doing it on the residents as well.
Understandably, these actions are a cause for concern for the American government. Wisely, their first chioce is to try not escalate things and, despite a miltary presence, opt to try a softer approach. They seek out Lorraine Reilly, AKA Firehawk, with the hope she can get through to him.
Things do not go to plan. Rater than recognising Firehawk, Firestorm seems confused by her interruption. When her military escort calls Firestorm by the name Raymond Waters, he snaps. Firestorm disintegrates both soldiers before attacking Firehawk who just about fends him off.
Retreating, Firehawk tells the military that they have to find Professor Stein.
Where are Waters and Stein?
What makes Firestorm an interesting character is that he contains the conciousness of two men. Both Ronnie Waters and Dr Martin Stein were caught in the explosion at a nuclear power plant and fused together, forming Firestorm. Over the years, for both narrative and creative reasons, Firestorm’s character and power has changed.
“The one constant is that he has been completely unstable since his creation.”
The Firestorm attacking the town is neither Stein or Waters. Intel that the military have suggests that Stein split from Firestorm months ago.
Waters appears to still be linked to Firestorm, possibly trapped in the subconciousness somewhere. Wherever Waters is he seems to be reliving classic adventures with Stein. When he seems to realise this is not right, the being now controlling Firestorm quickly sends him back to his old adventures.
Stein however is not there. In his own body, he seems to be hiding away from reality, burning notes and documents about Firestorm.
What does this mean for the Firestorm Matrix?
The Firestorm Matrix has always been the way to explain how Stein and Waters are linked, however Lemire is hinting at something else. Throughout The Fury of the Firestorm #1 are suggestions that the Firestorm Matrix might be sentient.
“I no longer belong to you, Ronald Raymond.” – Firestorm
Ostrander had explored the notion of Firestorm being a fire elemental, but Lemire is going further than that. It looks like we might be getting a new type of force in the DC universe and it is just beginning to test its powers.
Firestorm had never really lived up to the potential power levels a matter-alterating being should have. This was partly down to Ronnie being a light-hearted joker. Remove Ronnie owever and replace him with a seemingly angry force with no regard for humans, and the world is in trouble.
Buy The Fury of the Firestorm #1 (cover G cardstock) – Forbidden Planet UK
Buy The Fury of the Firestorm #2 – Forbidden Planet UK
Leave a Reply