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Jack Kirby Lost Drawing of Firestorm

A page of Jack Kirby’s original pencils from Super Powers vol II #6 (Feb 1986) recently appeared on ebay. The auction for the original pencils for Page 18 fetched $911! The page had a four-panel design, one of which featured Firestorm! Check out the panel below (Firestorm is on the far right)!

Jack Kirby pencils from Super Powers #6 featuring Firestorm

Now here is the surprising bit… when that particular panel appeared within the final comic, Firestorm had disappeared! See the final panel below.

Jack Kirby pencils and Greg Theakston inks from Super Powers #6

How utterly disappointing to find Kirby’s version of the Nuclear Man on the cutting room floor. Not sure if inker Greg Theakston chose to cut Firestorm, or if someone else made the call. Either way, it’s a shame we lost a drawing of Firestorm by the King himself!

Below you’ll find the cover to Super Powers vol II #6 by Jack Kirby and Greg Theakston!

Jack Kirby pencils and Greg Theakston inks from Super Powers #6 cover

Thanks to our good friend Jon, webmaster of FIZZIT, the Firestorm-themed blog and original Firestorm art collector, for the heads-up on this piece!

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7 Comments

  1. Ken Deemer says:

    I never appreciated Kirby until well After his Prime. Now, like many artists I can see the influence of his works around today! I’ve gained a respect for the legend that is Jack Kirby! The Mighty Thor, Avengers, FF, New Gods, Dr. Doom, Machine Man, etc. Anything he drew was GOLD! Would have loved to seen Firestorm make it to print!
    I met him at a Con back in the Mid 80’s Chicago Con or Mid Ohio, maybe St. Louis I don’t recall, but what a Nice guy! Didn’t really get a Ton of attention, but I think he was OK with that. I’d love to see Marvel give him a Nod (Maybe a Picture on a Desk or a Few of his books in plain site) in Any of the upcoming Avengers/Thor Movies!

  2. Ken Deemer says:

    BTW, here is a list of Characters Jack Kirby created!
    http://www.marvunapp.com/list/appkirby.htm
    If you weren’t a Fan before, this might help understand this man’s place in the Comic Book Universe!

  3. Steven Marsh says:

    My guess — pulled out of a hat — is that the editor might have felt the composition was off. If Martian Manhunter is freeing Superman followed by Red Tornado, he’s presumably going from right to left. If so, why didn’t he free Firestorm first? (“Sorry, Match-Head; but Superman gets priority… then Red Tornado… Wonder Woman… B’wana Beast… Detective Chimp… Aquaman… Look, I’ll probably free you sometime after Goody Rickles. But I need to help a friend move a couch first.”)

  4. Frank says:

    Well, it’s also clear that Theakston took major liberties in inking the panel. Aside from the layout, I can’t see how a single figure wasn’t repositioned/face redrawn/etc. As for J’Onn leaving Firestorm under glass… well… his head is on fire, you know.

  5. Kirby would be a good match to Firestorm… Matchhead looks like a New Gods style chacter to begin with, so he would have translated to the King’s pencils well.

  6. Keith Samra says:

    Holy Crap! I thought that was Bizarro in the pencilled page, turns out to actually be Superman…
    As for Firestorm, maybe he transmuted glass infront of him during the time the pencils went to inks.

  7. Shag says:

    Thanks for all the comments!

    @Ken – Like you, I didn’t appreciate Kirby in my younger years. It took a while to realize his importance to the comic genre.

    @Steven – Firestorm in the foreground does appear a bit off. And love your description! :)

    @Frank – Just another example of J’Onn’s biased against Firestorm. First JLA #200, now this.

    @Luke – Totally agree! The first issue cover of Firestorm by Al Milgrom looks like a Kirby drawing (or at least Kirby inspired)!

    @Keith – Superman’s eyes in the pencils are frightening! :)

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