ESSENTIAL FIRESTORM READING:

Ronnie Raymond & Professor Martin Stein

• Firestorm The Nuclear Man 1-5 (1978): Firestorm’s earliest adventures. Collected
• DC Comics Presents 17 (1980): Firestorm returns to action with Superman & receives an invitation. Collected
• The Flash 289-299, 301-303 (1980-1981): Firestorm 8 page back-up stories. Partially Collected
• Fury of Firestorm 1-9 (1982-1983): Firestorm’s most successful run. Fun stories!
• Fury of Firestorm 14-18; Fury of Firestorm Annual 1 (1983): Excellent story introducing Firehawk and Tokamak. My personal favorite!

Jason Rusch

• Firestorm 1-3 (2004): The origin of Jason as Firestorm Available Digitally
• Firestorm 8-13 (2005): Jason teams-up with Firehawk and … deceased Ronnie Raymond? Partially Collected
• Firestorm The Nuclear Man 28-32 (2006-2007): Jason and Professor Stein together in a fantastic adventure
• Blackest Night 1-8 (2009-2010): Firestorm changed forever. Collected

New 52: Ronnie Raymond & Jason Rusch

• The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man 13-20 (2012-2013): The New 52 Firestorm returned to a more iconic version. Collected

In my opinion, the comics above are the most essential Firestorm stories.  Up next are other Firestorm appearances definitely worth your time!

OTHER WORTHWHILE FIRESTORM APPEARANCES:

Firestorm-centric Justice League of America appearances:

• JLA 179-180 (1980): Firestorm joins the JLA
• JLA 183-185 (1980) : JLA travels to Apokolips. Collected
• JLA 192 & 193 (1981): Red Tornado goes wild. Collected
• JLA 205 (1982): Professor Stein vs Hector Hammond
• JLA 207-209, and All-Star Squadron 14 & 15 (1982): Crisis on Earth-Prime. Collected
• JLA 228-230, JLA Annual #2 (1984): Mars/Earth War and aftermath

Stories that dramatically changed Firestorm’s composition and personality:

• Fury of Firestorm 62-64, Fury of Firestorm Annual 5, Firestorm 65 (1987): Birth of the “Blank Slate” Firestorm
• Firestorm 85-100 (1989-1990): The Elemental era of Firestorm

Major DC Events Involving Firestorm:

• Crisis on Infinite Earths 1-12 (1985-1986): Collected
• Legends 1-6 (1986-1987): Available Digitally
• Brightest Day 0-24 (2010-2011): Collected Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3
• Forever Evil 1-7 (2013-2014): Collected

There you go. While Firestorm has appeared in hundreds of other comics, these are the ones I’d recommend to a new reader of the character. If you disagree with my selections, or think of other important appearances, sound off in the comments!

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Here is a snapshot of my own personal collection! Click to enlarge.

The very first Firestorm action figure is still the most beloved by many fans…
Super Powers Collection Firestorm (1985)

Next, the miniature DC Direct Pocket Super Heroes Firestorm action figure (Sept. 2002)
Instead of fire-hair, I’m pretty sure that’s just Aquaman’s hair repainted.

Then, the first “inaction” figure, part of DC HeroClix Cosmic Justice – Firestorm (Mar. 2003)
Cool pose, but the paint jobs can REALLY vary.

Next, my personal favorite Nuclear Man action figure, DC Direct JLA Series 2 (Dec. 2004)
Ironically, when this figure was released, Firestorm was already sporting a new look with
Jason Rusch as the new Firestorm, and thus this figure’s design was out-dated at release.

Then, Jason’s first action figure, DC Direct’s Infinite Crisis
Firestorm with flaming stand (May 2007)

Next, Jason’s entry in DC HeroClix Justice League – Firestorm (Sept. 2007)

Then, a pair of figures in Mattel’s DC Universe Classics line,
Firestorm (Jason) and variant (Ronnie) (Nov. 2008)

Next, Jason got animated with Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Rocket Blast with Firestorm action figure (Nov. 2009)

Then, Ronnie got small with DC Universe Infinite Heroes Firestorm action figure  (Jan. 2010)

Next, Ronnie got funky & chunky in this Blammoid Firestorm (Jan. 2010)

Then, Eaglemoss produced this lead mini-figurine as part of the
DC Comics Superhero Collection Figurine Magazine #46 featuring Firestorm (Mar. 2010)

Next, the first piece featuring Ronnie & Jason together was
DC Brightest Day HeroClix Action Pack with Firestorm (Oct. 2010)

Then, these adorable DC Universe Action League figures – Deathstorm vs Firestorm (Dec. 2010)

Next, Ronnie got animated in the Mattel Convention Exclusive
Justice League Unlimited 3-Pack: Angle Man, Firestorm & Killer Frost (Apr. 2011)
Yes, that’s right.. with Angle Man?!? Click to enlarge.

Then, the most unexpected Firestorm toy (and most unrecognizable) came in
McDonalds Happy Meal – Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Apr. 2011)

Next, one of my favorite Nuclear Man action figures, DC Direct’s Brightest Day Firestorm
(July 2011). Ironically (for a second time), when this figure was released, the New 52
costume redesign for Firestorm had already been promoted. That’s twice a new figure
was released just after a new look was revealed, thus making the figure’s design out-dated.

Then, the first New 52 Firestorm merchandise produced included DC Heroclix:
The New 52 Justice League with Ronnie, Jason & Fury (Aug. 2012).  Ironically (third time’s
the charm), when these HeroClix were released, the New 52 “Ronnie & Jason merged”
costume redesign for Firestorm had already been promoted. That’s three times a new figure
was released just after a new look was revealed, thus making the figure’s design out-dated.

Next, Eaglemoss produced another Firestorm mini-figurine as part of DC Superhero Chess
Figure Collector Magazine, issue #53 Firestorm White Pawn (Mar. 2014). Ironically
(a fourth time, seriously), when this figurine was released, The New 52: Futures End
costume redesign for Firestorm had already been promoted.  This makes four times
a new figure was released just after a new look was revealed, thus making the
figure’s design out-dated.

Finally, later this year the Mattel’s Matty Collector Club will release a Firestorm
figure as part of their Total Heroes line! It looks so cool and comes
with a floating Professor Stein head accessory!! Click to enlarge.

And just for fun, here is a Firestorm Cubee! A Fan-created do-it-yourself
figure made entirely from folded paper!

Thanks for checking out this Firestorm action figure index! I’ll update it from time to time as more Firestorm toys become available. Reminder, there will be a follow-up post soon featuring Firestorm’s supporting cast and foes. So check back!

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Dave Beaty, Scott’s long-time inker and creative collaborator, created this a memorial video to celebrate what would have been Scott’s 44th birthday. Many of Scott’s fans, friends & family contributed to this video. Please take a few minutes and celebrate his life and many contributions to the comic book art form. See all the titles Scott worked on by clicking here. For a celebration of Scott’s contributions to Brightest Day, click here.

If you can’t view the embedded video above, please click here.

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Seriously, if you are following the Forever Evil story line and haven’t read issue #3 yet, I strongly encourage you to avoid reading what follows.

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I’ve been following Forever Evil somewhat, but haven’t been completely enthralled by the story. In fact, I haven’t been to my local comic shop in a couple weeks and completely missed just how relevant Forever Evil #3 was to the character of Firestorm!  My thanks to Keith G. Baker and Joe Slab for drawing my attention to this comic!

ETHAN VAN SCIVER VARIANT COVER

Check out below the Forever Evil #3 variant cover by Ethan Van Sciver featuring our favorite Nuclear Man!! Firestorm looks amazing, and the faces in his mouth look great too! Though, took me a moment to realize that was Superman and not Cosmic Boy. Also, I spy Aquaman… a little FIRE AND WATER action going on here! Click the image to enlarge.

RETURN OF THE BIG BANG SPARK

We didn’t have to wait long for a big Firestorm moment, it happened right there on page 1! Deathstorm blows a hole in Firestorm and states Firestorm’s power source is “the spark of creation”.  This hearkens back to Geoff Johns’ Brightest Day where he introduced the concept that Firestorm is powered by THE spark that triggered The Big Bang, the creation of the universe. Click the image to enlarge.

THE PRISON REVEALED

Then on page 2 was the BIG SHOCKER! After the conclusion of Trinity War and prior to Forever Evil #1, many heroes were captured and locked away in a secret prison. We saw glimpses of this prison over in Justice League of America #8. Turns out the prison… is Firestorm!! Whoa!! Let that sink in for a moment and check out the splash page below. Click to enlarge.

SHAG’S COMMENTARY

Wow! Firestorm only got a 1 1/2 pages, but it sure felt like a lot more! We don’t know much at this point, but here are some things that have struck me so far.

• Making Firestorm the prison is a seriously cool idea for his powers!! Also, that splash page by David Finch is simply breathtaking! Look at his eye-beams and face!! Later I hope they further explore the impact of Ronnie & Jason merging with so many people.
• I wonder how long Geoff Johns has been planning to use Firestorm in this way. For example, was this an idea that struck him while plotting Forever Evil, or does it stretch back further? The cynic in me wonders if the whole reason for adding Firestorm to the Justice League was prompted by the opportunity to use him in this way. I hope not. I hope Firestorm gets a chance to properly explore his League membership.
• “The spark of creation” rears it’s head again. I’m just gonna put it out there, I’m not a fan of this Firestorm origin. Geoff Johns introduced the concept in Brightest Day #10 that the Firestorm Matrix is the spark that preceded The Big Bang. Yes, THE spark that triggered The Big Bang, the creation of the universe. As a science fiction concept, that’s pretty interesting. As an Earthbound superhero in ongoing serialized fiction, I’m not sure how that is supposed to work. How do you go from being the caretaker of The Big Bang Spark, to slugging it out with Hyena all in the same day? If Firestorm was some cosmic-level hero like Silver Surfer, I suppose I could get on-board a little easier. As it stands, Ronnie Raymond can’t even get to class on time, let alone protect the universe from the next Big Bang. On a related note, you can’t help but wonder if the other Firestorm Protocol characters had a piece of the Big Bang Spark inside them as well.
• Two observations with a dash of speculation… When Geoff Johns last wrote Firestorm, he introduced the Big Bang Spark into Firestorm’s origin. Since the start of The New 52, there has been no mention of the Big Bang Spark in relation to Firestorm. Then Geoff Johns starts writing the character of Firestorm in Justice League and Forever Evil, and suddenly the Big Bang Spark is reintroduced. Along the same lines, when Geoff Johns last wrote Captain Cold, he carried a cold gun to freeze things. Since the start of The New 52, Captain Cold had internalized his cold gun and now projected cold from his own body. In Forever Evil #3, Deathstorm rewrote Captain Cold’s DNA thus removing his cold powers. Captain Cold is once again an ordinary human that will need to rely on weapons and gimmicks to freeze things. So… did the story demand Firestorm and Captain Cold be returned to their previous status? Or did Geoff Johns simply revert the characters to versions he was more familiar with, disregarding any changes subsequent writers had introduced? I’ll admit it’s pessimistic, but it makes you wonder.

Again, I’m totally blown away by the concept of Firestorm as a prison! Very creative and an exciting opportunity for the Nuclear Man! I can’t wait to see where this goes next!

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]]> http://firestormfan.com/2013/11/12/forever-evil-3/feed/ 6 http://firestormfan.com/2013/07/23/deathstorm-new52/ http://firestormfan.com/2013/07/23/deathstorm-new52/#comments Tue, 23 Jul 2013 09:30:56 +0000 http://firestormfan.com/?p=8227 According to Bleeding Cool, Deathstorm might be coming to DC’s New 52!

The Crime Syndicate of America will be major players in the upcoming Forever Evil mini-series. Bleeding Cool suggests that Deathstorm will appear to counter-balance Firestorm. This is big news as Deathstorm hasn’t been seen since the conclusion of Brightest Day.

Die-hard Match-heads are probably wondering how to resolve Deathstorm’s creation now that Firestorm wasn’t involved with Blackest Night and Brightest Day. Inquiring minds want to know! Anyone feel like speculating how to resolve this within New 52 continuity?

My thanks to Match-head Brandon Leonard for the heads-up on this article!

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Scott Clark broke into superhero comics during the 1990s and worked for years in conjunction with Jim Lee’s WildStorm studio. Scott worked on many high-profile books, including: X-Men, Batman Inc, Alpha Flight, Grifter, Stormwatch, Adventure Comics, Wonder Woman, and Brightest Day, just to name a few. Scott’s death came as a real shock to the comics community. There was an outpouring of sadness from fellow comic creators, fans, and friends he left behind.  Jim Lee, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher, posted the following statement:

I’ve known Scott since the earliest days of WildStorm – he was one of the very first artists I brought into the studio back in 1993. I’m stunned and saddened by this news and at a loss for words. Scott was a great talent, a terrific guy, and a friend.  He was one of the regular crew of artists who worked well into the night (every night), took dinner at Denny’s at 2am and played ping pong in between drawing pages.  We will all miss him dearly. Our thoughts are with his family during this time.”

Dave Beaty, Scott’s long-time inker and creative collaborator, wrote this message on his Facebook the day the news broke:

So my friend and artistic collaborator Scott Clark passed away last night. It was a shock to his family and Micah and I. I’ve known Scott since the mid 90’s. I was his background assistant on Alpha Flight. We became friends and went on do create art for Stargodz, Brightest Day, X-Men, Batman Inc, Grifter, Adventure Comics, Wonder Woman, and the list goes on & on. He fought to get me at DC and at Marvel. He was the biggest supporter of my work. And I of his. I don’t know what this means for the future. Cuz things will never be the same for me. I will miss you Scott.”

I apologize to you Firestorm fans for taking so long to share this sad news. Honestly, I struggled how to report this story. I suppose I could have just done a straightforward news blurb, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Then Dave Beaty contacted me suggesting we run a series of Scott Clark’s pencils from Brightest Day. Such a fantastic suggestion from Dave! This is how we should remember Scott, by enjoying his amazing artwork and celebrating his contribution to the Nuclear Man’s history!

All the following images are original pencils by Scott Clark for Brightest Day. These were provided by Dave Beaty exclusively for you Firestorm fans! Be sure to click the images to enlarge. You won’t believe the amount of detail Scott put into each drawing!

Brightest Day #6 page 3 panel 1

Brightest Day #6 page 7 panel 3

Brightest Day #7 page 13

Brightest Day #10 page 1 panel 2

Brightest Day #10 page 1 panel 3

Brightest Day #10 page 3 panel 1

Brightest Day #10 page 3 panel 3

Brightest Day #10 page 22

Brightest Day #11 page 1 panel 3

Brightest Day #11 page 2 panel 3

Brightest Day #11 page 3 panel 5

Brightest Day #11 page 8

Brightest Day #11 pages 18 & 19

Brightest Day #14 page 24

Brightest Day #16 page 4

And finally, a really nice drawing of Firestorm in action!

Scott Clark, thank you for your fantastic contribution to Firestorm’s history. You will be missed.

Support Firestorm (and the memory of Scott Clark)! Fan the flame!

VOTE! Click here to vote for your favorite six entries from, “What do you like about Firestorm?”

The six individuals with the most votes will receive one of the following fantastic prizes:

• An original art page drawn by Dan Jurgens and Ray McCarthy from the recent The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #13 (courtesy of Ray McCarthy)
• Firestorm: The Nuclear Man trade paperback signed by writer and co-creator Gerry Conway
• The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #11 & #12 signed by inker Marlo Alquiza (courtesy of Jeremy Hobbs)
• The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Volume 1: God Particle trade paperback
• Brightest Day Firestorm action figure (courtesy of Mail Me My Comics)
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold t-shirt featuring Firestorm (courtesy of Lil’ Russell Burbage)

My thanks to Ray McCarthy, Jeremy Hobbs, Mail Me My Comics, and Lil’ Russell Burbage for donating prizes. Also, my thanks to Speed Force, the Flash blog, for inspiring this contest!

VOTE! Click here to vote for your favorite six entries from, “What do you like about Firestorm?”

Support Firestorm! Vote for those that Fan the flame!

UPDATE: If you voted prior to 11:00pm EST on Monday, February 25, please vote again. I apologize for the inconvenience. Due to some voting inconsistencies, I had to delete the original poll. The new poll was launched just after 11:00pm on Monday. You may select up to six responses, but please don’t vote for the same response multiple times. If there is a repeat of voting inconsistencies, I will terminate the voting and select the winners myself. The new poll URL is: http://twtpoll.com/m17u99

Happy voting! May the best Match-head win!

The rules of the contest are pretty simple… Just share what you like about Firestorm, or a favorite memory involving the Nuclear Man. Write these thoughts in the comments section of this post or e-mail them directly to me by clicking here. You can discuss any era/incarnation of the character, or any series where he appeared (i.e. Fury of Firestorm, Justice League of America, Brightest Day, Super Friends cartoon, etc).  The only restriction is haters need not apply. If you’ve got a bone to pick with a particular incarnation of Firestorm, this isn’t the place. This is a celebration of Firestorm, so let’s keep it positive! The contest will run until 10pm EST on Sunday, February 17th. So be sure to get your entries in before then. One entry per person please. Once the contest closes on February 17, we’ll collect all the entries and set them up as a poll to be voted on by readers, and the top-rated five will win!

We’ve got some great prizes! Check these out:

• An original art page drawn by Dan Jurgens and Ray McCarthy from the recent The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #13 (courtesy of Ray McCarthy)
• Firestorm: The Nuclear Man trade paperback signed by writer and co-creator Gerry Conway
• The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #11 & #12 signed by inker Marlo Alquiza (courtesy of Jeremy Hobbs)
• The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men Volume 1: God Particle trade paperback
• Brightest Day Firestorm action figure (courtesy of Mail Me My Comics)

Yes, you read that correctly! We’re giving away an original page from Dan Jurgens and Ray McCarthy’s premier issue of Firestorm!  How cool is that?!?!?!

My thanks to Ray McCarthy, Jeremy Hobbs, and Mail Me My Comics for donating prizes. Also, my thanks to Speed Force, the Flash blog, for inspiring this contest!

Tell us why you Support Firestorm! Share why you Fan the flame!

UPDATE: Vote for your favorite six entries from the contest!

What a gorgeous cover! While I dig Ivan Reis’ artwork, the coloring by Hi-Fi is what really  makes this cover pop! And I love the inclusion of the classic “The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man” logo! Such a thing of beauty!

My thanks to Rob Kelly from The Aquaman Shrine, and my co-host for The Fire and Water Podcast, for sending this scan my way! Thanks, Rob!

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We’ve now seen a few Brightest Day Firestorm sketches by Yildiray Cinar.  You can check out other Brightest Day Firestorm artwork by Yildiray by clicking here, clicking here, or clicking here.  Awesome stuff!  Sort of makes me sad he never got a chance to draw a post-Brightest Day Firestorm comic.

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