Firestorm Just Permanently Proved He's More Powerful Than Superman
Warning: contains potential spoilers for The Fury of Firestorm #1! The Justice League’s most powerful hero just proved he permanently outranks Superman. While Superman is traditionally viewed as DC’s most powerful hero, there are in fact those who can squash the Man of Steel. These characters are few and far between, and one of them, Firestorm, is getting his own title as part of DC’s Next Level initiative.
Created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom, and debuting in the late 1970s, Firestorm is also one of DC’s most powerful characters, even if he does not totally realize it. Created when a nuclear accident fused Professor Stein and his student Ronnie Raymond into one being, the two men discovered they could combine themselves at any time to create the being known as Firestorm. He would become one of DC’s most popular characters throughout the 1980s, even appearing in cartoons.
Firestorm made his animated debut in the Super Friends cartoon.
Firestorm’s ability to rearrange matter at the subatomic level, gives him the potential to be like a god. Indeed, his powers are not too far from powerhouses such as Captain Atom or Doctor Manhattan, yet Firestorm has rarely lived up to this potential. Now, all of that has changed in a preview for The Fury of Firestorm #1.
After 48 Years, Firestorm Has Gone Rogue
Firestorm's Rampage in Colorado is a Terrifying Warning
The Fury of Firestorm #1 will be written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Rafael De Latorre. The preview opens with Firestorm crashing to Earth near a small town in Colorado. He enters the town the next day, and begins “experimenting” on it. Firestorm begins by changing the buildings to glass and chalk. When the townspeople rightfully push back, Firestorm punishes them.
The preview paints a dire picture: after nearly 50 years, Firestorm has finally gone rogue, yet there is hope.
The preview paints a dire picture: after nearly 50 years, Firestorm has finally gone rogue, yet there is hope. Lorraine Reilly, AKA Firehawk, is recruited by the military to help bring Firestorm in, and get to the bottom of his seemingly drastic shift in personality. The preview’s final page recounts Firestorm’s origins and many different looks.
Firestorm Is in the Midst of a Major Comeback in the DC Universe
Firestorm Has Finally Developed a God Complex
Despite Firestorm’s popularity back in the day, his role in the DC Universe has diminished greatly. An attempt to revive Firestorm in the 2000s was moderately successful. It introduced fans to Jason Rusch, who replaced Ronnie Raymond after the latter’s death in Identity Crisis, as well as flipping the script on the very concept by allowing Jason to combine with anyone to form Firestorm. Firestorm also had his own title at the dawn of the New 52, but it was canceled shortly thereafter. Jeff Lemire and Rafal De Latorre are looking to once again cement Firestorm’s place in the DC Universe, and they are doing so by having him finally unlock his potential, albeit in a disturbing fashion. Firestorm has seemingly evolved, shedding his humanity and becoming like a god. Something has caused Firestorm to act this way, and the mystery of why will play out in the months ahead. Furthermore, the preview, while showing Jason Rusch, does not mention what happened to him, adding another mystery.
Firestorm briefly led an incarnation of the Justice League during the weekly 52 series.
Firestorm is far from the first such character to develop a god complex. Captain Atom, whose powers are similar to Firestorm’s, has gone insane due to his powers on more than one occasion, most recently in the Jenny Sparks miniseries. Doctor Manhattan, the architect of the New 52, is perhaps the prototypical character in this mold, and Firestorm’s actions in the preview eerily echo Manhattan’s tampering with space and time.
If Firestorm Is Not Stopped, Not Even Superman Will Be Able to Defeat Him
What Caused Firestorm to Betray His Friends?
Firestorm from DC Comics
The preview for Fury of Firestorm #1 sends a disturbing reminder to the rest of the DC Universe: that Firestorm is one of its most powerful heroes, capable of god-like feats. Prior to this, Firestorm was viewed as a goofy, happy-go-lucky kid, but those days are now gone. Firehawk alone may not be enough to stop Firestorm’s rampage.
And if Firehawk is unable to curb Firestorm’s “experiments,” then no one, not even Superman, will be able to stop him. While the Man of Steel has a fantastic suite of powers at his disposal, the ability to rearrange matter is far beyond his scope. A mere thought from the Justice League’s most powerful member is enough to kill Superman, and anyone else who stands in his way.
The Fury of Firestorm #1 is on sale April 8 from DC Comics!
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