In 1994 DC Comics published Zero Hour, a five issue mini-series designed to not only serve as a major summer crossover but also fix some of the continuity problems that had emerged since the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Zero Hour was written and pencilled by Dan Jurgens (who later went on to write and draw Firestorm in The New 52), and represented the dawn of an exciting new era for DC. To kick off this new age, DC followed Zero Hour in August & September 1994 with “Zero Month.” As the name suggests all of the main DC books published an issue numbered zero, though each had a different approach to the idea. Some books featured a new origin. Some contained tweaks to the existing origin. Some contained brand new versions of old characters. Some were intended to launch new ongoing series. All of them served as a jumping on point for new and old readers alike.

To celebrate this new era, some of us in the comic book fan community have banded together today from remote galaxies. We’re celebrating our characters appearances in Zero Month along with some promotional material!

Not a lot of Firestorm in Zero Month, but he would eventually go on to be a member of the Justice League splinter group, Extreme Justice. Below you’ll find a blurb promoting Extreme Justice found in Wizard Magazine Zero Hour Special, which was published around the time of Zero Hour. Click to enlarge!

In typical fashion for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, they showed up late to the party. While Zero Month was spread across August & September 1994, this zero issue didn’t hit stands until mid-November. Below you’ll find the cover to Extreme Justice #0, featuring a distinct lack of metallic silver ink that the other zero issues received as cover enhancements. Also note Firestorm didn’t make the cover, though Ronnie Raymond (or “Ron” as he was called at the time) does appear on the inside.

That art is soooooo ’90s and only became more “extreme” as the series went continued. For further Firestorm-related posts involving Extreme Justice, check out these links:

• How Ronnie Beat Cancer and Got His Powers Back
• Getting the Wonder Twins Drunk
• Hi, My Name is Ronnie Raymond and I’m an Alcoholic
• Unhappy Valentine’s Day to Firehawk and Booster Gold
• Unhappy Valentine’s Day to Plastique and Captain Atom
• Firestorm Original Artwork Celebration

It’s Zero Hour for These Sites!

As mentioned, several websites have teamed-up today to reflect upon Zero Month! While we’re featuring Extreme Justice, you should visit these other sites to see how they spotlight their own favorite heroes today. Visit them now, visit them later, and visit them often!

• The Fortress of Baileytude
• Aquaman Shrine
• Legion of Super-Bloggers
• Pop Culture Affidavit
• Speed Force
• Corps Conjecture
• Being Carter Hall

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Shot of several Firestorm’s in the game

Ronnie Raymond version of Firestorm, with Firestorm Protocols costume
(9th incarnation of Firestorm).

Jason Rusch version of Firestorm, with his original costume
(6th incarnation of Firestorm).

Elemental Firestorm (3rd incarnation of Firestorm).

Firestorm suit available to playable character, Maxwell.

Group shot of the Firestorms hanging with Red Tornado.

Black Lantern Firestorm (a.k.a. Deathstorm)

Extreme Justice featuring Firestorm (though costumes are more modern)

Firehawk with Lorraine Reilly text, but with New 52 Therese costume.

Soyuz and individual entries.

Captain X, Ronnie Raymond’s grandfather.

Killer Frost

Multiplex

Black Bison

Plastique

Brimstone

Bolt

Naiad

Zuggernaut… yes, Zuggernaut is in the game!

Finally, Keith was incredibly thorough and searched the game for numerous other characters. Sadly, here is a list of characters that didn’t make it into the game: Typhoon, Hyena, Professor Martin Stein, Doreen Day, Cliff Carmichael, Gehenna, Pozhar, Bug & Byte, Tokamak, Silver Deer, Mindboggler, Goldenrod, Moonbow, Shadowstorm, Shoe Shine, Power Company, Stalnoivolk, Weasel, and most disappointing is… Slipknot.

Again, our thanks to Keith for sending all these great screenshots! Be sure to pick up your copy of Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure today!

Support Firestorm (and Scribblenauts)! Fan the flame!

]]> http://firestormfan.com/2013/10/01/scribblenauts-2/feed/ 6 http://firestormfan.com/2013/03/05/artwork-celebration/ http://firestormfan.com/2013/03/05/artwork-celebration/#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:30:25 +0000 http://firestormfan.com/?p=7650 It’s time for more original Firestorm artwork from our good friend Jon from FIZZIT, the Firestorm-themed blog! He happens to own several original Firestorm pages and convention sketches and has been kind enough to allow me to publish scans of them here. Jon’s been a great contributor to FIRESTORM FAN and my thanks go out to him!  I’ve been terribly remiss in publishing his more recent acquisitions, so hopefully we’ll make up for some lost time here.  You may view scans of his entire art collection online by clicking here.

We’ll start with three pages from the classic Fury of Firestorm #36 featuring Plastique, Firehawk, and our favorite Nuclear Man by Rafael Kayanan and Alan Kupperberg!

Fury of Firestorm v2 #36 page 16 by Rafael Kayanan & Alan Kupperberg. Click to enlarge.

Fury of Firestorm v2 #36 page 19 by Rafael Kayanan & Alan Kupperberg. Click to enlarge.

Fury of Firestorm v2 #36 page 20 by Rafael Kayanan & Alan Kupperberg. Click to enlarge.

Next up are three pages from Firestorm v3 featuring Jason, his best friend Mick, and an O.M.A.C. by Patrick Olliffe and Simon Coleby!

Firestorm v3 #18 page 12 by Patrick Olliffe & Simon Coleby. Click to enlarge.

Firestorm v3 page 17 by Patrick Olliffe & Simon Coleby. Click to enlarge.

Firestorm v3 #18 page 19 by Patrick Olliffe & Simon Coleby. Click to enlarge.

And finally, something interesting that I just had to call…

ANATOMY OF AN EXTREME JUSTICE PAGE!

Below you’ll find several versions of Extreme Justice #12 page 5 by Tom Morgan & Ken Branch. First up is a straightforward pencil and ink drawing of the page. Click to enlarge.

This next one is also pencil and ink, but notice Firestorm’s hair is missing in the parts I circled. More on that in the next image.

Below is an overlay for this page featuring Firestorm’s hair (see how they match up with the image above). These were used to distinguish a specific color. After checking out this image, scroll down to see the final comic page. You’ll see how the flames below are colored red in the finished comic, rather than the usual black ink.

Below are the computer readouts for each character from this page. Presumably the creators used a computer printer to generate these fonts then added them afterwards.

Finally, here is how it all came together.  Notice Firestorm’s red hair (instead of black lines), and the computer type on the middle images. Seems like a lot of effort just to produce one page! … Especially a page of Extreme Justice. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Easy target.

Thanks again to our good buddy Jon of the Firestorm-themed FIZZIT blog for letting us publish the artwork he purchased!  Be sure to check out Jon’s awesome Firestorm original art collection!

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Richard was kind enough to share this awesome tattoo with us! It’s inked on the upper left-hand portion of his chest. You can see the progression of the tattoo coloring on his Facebook page (and his cool Speedball tattoo too)! Richard  mentioned that the tattoo was really painful. You gotta suffer if you love Firestorm!

Below you’ll find the source material on the cover to Extreme Justice #8 by Steve Lightle! One of my all-time favorite Firestorm covers!

To see other Firestorm tattoos we’ve previously featured, please click here.

Support Firestorm (and Firestorm tattoos)! Fan the flame (and ink)!

Support Firestorm (perhaps not ever decision he makes, but still support him when you can)! Fan the flame!

As a match-head, you undoubtedly know of Plastique’s encounters with Firestorm. Some of you may not be aware of the long courtship between Plastique and Captain Atom. That’s right, the Bombastic Bombshell and the Quantum Creep were romantically linked for years and eventually married.

While it’s not unheard of, it is uncommon for a superhero and a supervillain to marry. One such example is the Pre-Crisis Earth-2 Batman and Catwoman. They found a way to make their relationship work. I imagine it took a lot of trust and honesty. Qualities that were lacking in the marriage of sweet Plastique and that wretch Captain Atom. Plastique may be a supervillain, but at least she was always honest and fair in love (unlike that scum Captain Atom). Just look at Captain Atom’s history, his superhero career was founded on lies. Poor Plastique, her heart was always destined to be broken by the Quantum Creep.

THE EARLY YEARS

There is no denying Plastique has a shady background. When she first appeared on the scene, she was part of a French-Canadian separatist group who engaged in terrorism against both Canada and the U.S. They believed that U.S. capitalists were exploiting French-Canadian resources. One of her operations brought her into direct conflict with Captain Atom. Below is their first meeting from Captain Atom #2 (April 1987).

Later in that issue, Plastique attempted to destroy the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and the Statue of Liberty in New York City, as well as personally attempted to assassinate the U.S. President and Canadian Prime Minister. As this was Captain Atom’s comic, he unsurprisingly foiled her plans. Check out the magazine cover below. I think Captain Atom is showing exactly how he treats the ladies.

Wow, that Captain Atom is a real gentleman.

Plastique next encountered the Quantum Creep in Captain Atom #7 (September 1987). The superhero was grievously wounded in issue #7, which led right into issue #8. Check out the cover below and you’ll get a sense for Plastique’s true nature.

As the issue opened, Plastique had the superhero at her mercy. She considered taking her revenge…

… but ultimately she found herself playing nursemaid.

That’s right, she saved Captain Atom’s life. She watched over him in the hostile jungle and protected him. Somewhere along the line, I believe she unfortunately fell victim to the Florence Nightingale effect. That would explain what happened in their next encounter.

ROMANCE BLOOMS

When Plastique next met the Quantum Creep in Captain Atom #21 (November 1988), it appeared their relationship would take a surprising turn. Romance was in the air! Plastique was falling for the good Captain. And the good Captain was… well, not so good. This louse faked an attempt to seduce Plastique, when in reality all he wanted were the keys to his freedom. To make matters even more uncomfortable, Captain Atom’s ex-girlfriend Nightshade showed up. Seriously Captain, you really know how to hurt a girl.

It would be months until Captain Atom and Plastique met again. Can you really blame her for staying away so long? Clearly she was interested in Captain Atom, but he was only interested in using poor Plastique. In Captain Atom #44 (August 1990), Plastique’s explosive powers were out of control. She needed help or her powers were likely going to kill her. She asked Captain Atom for help. He sweetly promised to help… but apparently his idea of help is to lock people in prison.

In Captain Atom #49 (January 1991), Plastique stood trial. Apparently this is how Captain Atom fulfills his promise to “help” people. Adding insult to injury, the prosecuting attorney for Plastique’s case was Jean Loring. Jean-friggin’-Loring?!?!? The craziest chic in the entire DC Universe! Thanks, Captain! You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet!

Then unexpectedly, Captain Atom grew a conscious! Such Quantum craziness! I guess it was the combined guilt of turning her in, and his upcoming court appearance as a witness against Plastique. So the Captain did what any guilt-ridden guy would do — he proposed. Wait a minute… he proposed?!?! The guy who punched her in the face? The guy who faked seducing her? The guy responsible for locking her up? Wow, he’s got balls of Quantum Steel!

Plastique is a smart girl. Thankfully, she turned down the Captain’s proposal. He then promptly testified against her. He’s such a class act!

Plastique was found guilty and sentenced to twelve years in prison, with probation likely in about five years. Unfortunately for Plastique, she was still clinging to her feelings for Captain Atom. Even after everything he’d put her through.

Then in Captain Atom #50 (February 1991), the Quantum Creep FINALLY did something kind for Plastique. He arranged a Presidential pardon in exchange for her participating in a mission of national security. After being released from prison, Captain Atom and Plastique spent some quality time together in the desert. The next morning, Captain Atom proposed to Plastique. For you kids keeping track at home, this is Marriage Proposal #2.

By the way, any marriage proposal featuring an appearance by the Black Racer doesn’t bode well. I’m just sayin’.

So at the conclusion of the mission, everything appeared settled. Plastique was a free woman, and the Captain could finally make good on his multiple marriage proposals.

Isn’t that great! I bet you’re thinking they got married and lived happily every after. Right? Well… not so much.

EXTREME ROMANCE

Captain Atom got tied up in some mission (whatever, excuses excuses) and totally abandoned poor Plastique. In fact, it would be another four years before the Quantum Creep got up the courage to even call her. Personally, I think he telephoned just looking for a booty call. That seems his style. Below is their first contact from Extreme Justice #6 (July 1995) after a long separation.

So Plastique had managed to get over Captain Atom. Just goes to show how one phone call can ruin your life. Poor girl. She should have hung up on the Captain and never spoken to him again. She would have been better off.

After years apart, Plastique and Captain Atom were finally reunited in Extreme Justice #7 (August 1995). Be sure to notice below how the Captain is overwhelmed with joy at their reunion. Oh wait, no he’s not. He appears to be embarrassed, and then yells in her face. Once again, the Captain demonstrates his true capacity for love. And yes match-heads, that long-haired red-head is Ronnie Raymond.

Plastique and Captain Atom spent some time together rekindling their long-dead romance in Extreme Justice #8 (September 1995). You’ll see below how Plastique completely forgave Captain Atom for being such a dillweed. Such a sweet girl. She doesn’t deserve the heartache he’s going to bring upon her.

Later during a crisis, Plastique dons a new costume and helps Captain Atom. This just goes to show how far she’s come. She started as a terrorist, and here she’s helping superheroes.

Now we’ve got to spend a moment discussing her new costume. Based upon her dialogue, we can only assume she designed this hideous costume with Captain Atom in mind. Like so many other mistreated women, she was probably hoping some sexy/trashy clothes would help secure her man. Clearly she’s got a good understanding of the way Captain Chauvinist thinks.

After the battle, Captain Atom and Plastique spend some time discussing their relationship. At this moment Captain Atom chooses to go for his signature move — HE PROPOSES! Yup, that’s right! Don’t lose count here kids, this is Marriage Proposal #3! Unbelievable! After everything he’s put her through, she still agrees to marry him. Poor Plastique is so desperate now, she’s clinging to any possible hope. Curse you, Captain Manipulation!

In Extreme Justice #10 (November 1995), we see exactly what Captain Atom thinks of Plastique. First, she’s been relegated to housekeeping duties for this second-rate Justice League. Ouch! Former terrorist and budding superhero, now cooking and cleaning for Booster and Beetle. I’m shocked Captain Atom didn’t force her to wear a French maid’s outfit. That seems right up his alley.

Second, adding insult to injury, Captain Atom asks Maxima to plan Plastique’s wedding shower. Seriously, Maxima?!?!? Was Granny Goodness to busy to ask?

Agreeing to Captain Atom’s request, Maxima plans the wedding shower, which actually becomes more of a bachelorette party. The evening starts with Maxima making some disparaging remarks about Plastique. Then they pack the Justice League into an old pick-up truck, and head for Wo Sum’s Cowboy Palace. What an evening! Geez Maxima, could you be any more insulting towards Plastique? If you think about it, I guess it makes some sense. Maxima had been training for months at the Captain Atom School of Manners and Etiquette.

A few months later in Extreme Justice #16 (May 1996), Captain Atom was feeling sorry for himself and asked Plastique if they could postpone their wedding. Seriously?!?! He proposed to her three times (the first time over five years ago). He abandoned her for years and then begged her to take him back. He demeaned her by making her clean up after his friends. He assigned an intergalactic despot to plan her wedding shower. And now he wants to postpone the wedding?!?!? Is it even possible for him to hurt her any further?

HAPPILY EVER AFTER? NOPE.

Believe it or not, after all that pain and sorrow Captain Atom and Plastique were finally married. It happened off-camera, so we’re not sure what kind of ceremony took place. However, I’m pretty confident it was a Las Vegas-style wedding with a cheap plastic toy ring. That’s about the Captain’s style.

Captain Atom stayed true to the courtship and the marriage was short-lived. When the Captain Atom: Armageddon mini-series was released in 2005, the marriage was already over.

After that Plastique returned to a life of crime. Who can blame her, really? After the awful treatment at the hands of Captain Atom, I believe any girl would fall into bad habits.

In conclusion, I think the following image pretty much sums up Captain Atom’s treatment of Plastique during their relationship.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY PLASTIQUE!

Without a doubt, Plastique is better off without Captain Atom in her life. Now that DC’s continuity has changed, it seems unlikely these two were ever together. That’s probably for the best.

Now this is just my take on the situation. Be sure to head over to THE POWER OF THE ATOM blog today to read Frank’s perspective on the doomed romance. My thanks to Frank for joining me in today’s crossover!

If you are looking for more Valentine’s Day hijinks, check out last year’s coverage of Firehawk and Booster Gold’s botched romance. You can read Firehawk’s perspective here on FIRESTORM FAN, and then check out Booster Gold’s perspective over on BOOSTERRIFIC!

Support Firestorm and Plastique (but not Captain Atom)! Fan the flame!

Let’s face it, everyone makes a relationship mistake at some point.  You look back years later and wonder, “What was I thinking?!?!”  Well, Firehawk’s relationship mistake was Booster Gold.   Let’s take a look at how it all began…

FIRESTORM vol II #100 (August 1990) – EXTREME JUSTICE #0 (January 1995)

At the close of Firestorm #100, it looked like Ron Raymond and Lorraine Reilly (a.k.a. Firehawk) were headed for relationship bliss.  Sadly, by Extreme Justice #0 Ron was most definitely flying solo.  That means that either Ron and Lorraine didn’t work out as a couple, or they never really got off the ground.  They seemed like a match made in heaven.  We may never know what happened between these nuclear paramours, but it’s probably safe to say that Firehawk was lonely and vulnerable afterward.  That would help explain what happened next…

CHASE #4 (May 1998)

The Teen Titans (the Dan Jurgens team, led by an age-reduced Atom) were making a public appearance when Booster Gold arrived to grab some of their spotlight.  Oh Booster, you shameless glory-hound!   Without warning, a group of supervillains attacked!  At the same time, Firehawk arrived on the scene apparently with the intention of trying out for the Teen Titans.  It was a hard-fought battle, but in the end the Titans, Booster, and Firehawk prevailed.  Booster even managed to save Firehawk’s life, which clearly impressed the young lady.

Lorraine was swept off her feet by Booster.  I suppose it’s understandable.  He was a handsome, charming guy that had just saved her life.  A partnership was formed, and something a little more.

I want you to notice a particular line.  One of the first things Booster says to Lorraine is, “You’re, uh, seeing Firestorm or something, right?” Sort of an abrupt question to ask a young lady at a moment like that, one that I’ll address in just a bit.

After their meeting in Chase #4, Booster Gold and Firehawk became quite the celebrity couple.  The press dubbed them “Red and Gold”, a pun on the old “Blue and Gold” duo of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.  The crazy part is that Firehawk isn’t red!!!  Booster and Firehawk both wear blue and gold!  They say love is blind, perhaps journalists are too.

One thing that has always bothered me about this issue is that Firehawk was planning to try out for the Teen Titans.  The TEEN Titans!?!?!  Firehawk is at least college-aged, why would she be interested in hanging with a bunch of high school kids?  If she’d never shown up to meet the Titans, she would have saved herself a bunch of heartache.

DCU Heroes Secret Files and Origins #1 (February 1999)

Booster Gold and Firehawk’s off-again/on-again romance continued for a few years.

Guide to the DC Universe 2000 Secret Files & Origins #1 (March 2000)

On one particular occasion, there was a very uncomfortable confrontation between Firehawk and Firestorm about Booster Gold.

THE END OF THE ROMANCE

Booster Gold and Firehawk were last seen together as a couple in the scenes above from the Guide to the DC Universe 2000 Secret Files & Origins #1.  By Formerly Known as the Justice League #1 (September 2003), Booster was in a relationship with a woman more than 30 years his age.  In classic Booster style, he was using the older woman for her money.  Classy, Booster; real classy.  Obviously his relationship with Firehawk had ended prior to that point.  Their relationship is never really mentioned again, but Firehawk did direct a snarky comment towards him in 52 #1 (July 2006).

This panel seems to imply that Firehawk and Booster Gold’s relationship didn’t end well.  No real shocker there.

OH FIREHAWK, WHY BOOSTER GOLD?

Firehawk is a bright lady.  Why, oh why did she have to fall for a lecher like Booster?  People often make mistakes in love, but this was a big one.

Booster Gold is best known for his love of three things: 1) gorgeous women, 2) money, and 3) fame.  Without a doubt, Firehawk is an attractive woman.  Additionally, the Reilly family is loaded!  Firehawk’s father was a Senator for goodness sake.  You know she’s gotta have a healthy trust fund or dowry stashed away.  It seems pretty obvious to me that Booster had ulterior motives for trying to get into Firehawk’s nuclear hot-pants.

REVENGE ON FIRESTORM?

Remember the line Booster asked Firehawk, “You’re, uh, seeing Firestorm or something, right?” Seemed like an odd question at the time, right?  Well, it just so happens that Booster and Firestorm had some bad blood between them.  So beyond Firehawk’s hotness and financial wealth, perhaps Booster pursued the nuclear princess in an effort to get back at Firestorm.  Maybe Booster saw this as a chance to steal Firestorm’s “girl”!

Here are a couple examples of Firestorm and Booster Gold clashing back in the Extreme Justice days.

Extreme Justice #10 (November 1995)

Extreme Justice #12 (January 1996)

In both instances, Firestorm was definitely teasing Booster.  No way around that.  Firestorm was being a jerk.  It’s kind of surprising that Ron picked on Booster so much, especially after Booster’s sidekick Skeets helped Ron through his cancer treatments.  However, was anything Firestorm did REALLY that out-of-line?  Think of all the pranks Booster played during the JLI days.  Firestorm’s hijinks were nowhere near Booster’s accomplishments.  Were harmless jokes such as these truly motivation enough to actively pursue Firestorm’s lost love?  Does some macho teasing justify breaking Firehawk and Firestorm’s hearts even further than they already were?  I don’t think so Booster.  I just don’t think so.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY FIREHAWK

Without a doubt, Firehawk is better off without Booster in her life.  I’m not sure who Firehawk is spending Valentine’s Day with this year, but I wish her a very happy one.   Who knows, now that Ronnie is back amongst the living, perhaps they’ll give their relationship another try.

Now this is just my take on the situation. Be sure to head over to BOOSTERRIFIC today to read Walter’s take on the doomed romance. My thanks to Walter for joining me in today’s crossover!

Support Firestorm and Firehawk (but not Booster Gold)!  Fan the flame!

Extreme Justice was a series that lasted only 19 issues and ran from 1995-1996.  The team was intended to be a more proactive version of the Justice League.  The initial members of the team were: Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Maxima, and Amazing Man.  The issues highlighted below were written by Dan Vado, penciled by Marc Campos, inked by Ken Branch, and colored by Lee Loughridge.

The Extreme Justice comic was definitely a product of its time.  Just look at the name, “Extreme”.  Nothing says 1990s comic books more than the word “Extreme”.  The art and coloring are also classic examples of the 1990s: busy panels, “gritty” art, screaming facial expressions, muscles everywhere, crackling energy, and exaggerated everything.  Love it or hate it, this is what many comics were during that era.

Below are two pages from Extreme Justice #0.  In these pages Ronnie was diagnosed with an advanced case of Leukemia.   Geez, Professor Stein had an inoperable brain tumor, and then Ronnie got Leukemia.  Maybe being Firestorm isn’t so great…

Next up are two pages from Extreme Justice #1…

Below are two pages from Extreme Justice #2.  In these pages Ronnie has his first chemotherapy treatment.  Skeets, Booster Gold’s sidekick, was kind enough to keep him company.  I gotta say that’s very generous of Skeets considering he never really knew Firestorm.

Below are two pages from Extreme Justice #3.  As you’ll see below, Ronnie’s therapy hadn’t been going too well…

Extreme Justice #4 featured quite a bit of Ronnie Raymond and his out-of-control powers.  Below I’ve scanned the three pages I felt were most relevant to this discussion.  At this point the Extreme Justice team had arrived and were attempting to assist Ronnie.

Thanks to Blue Beetle’s quick thinking and Amazing Man’s powers, they were successful in draining off Firestorm’s excess energy.  Once things calmed down, we found Ronnie had once again become Firestorm, this time without anyone else in the matrix.  Though his powers had returned, Ronnie was still suffering from Leukemia.  To make matters more complicated, Professor Martin Stein in the guise of the Firestorm Elemental chose this moment to return to Earth.

Extreme Justice #5 focused almost exclusively on Ronnie Raymond as Firestorm and Professor Stein as the Firestorm Elemental.  When the Firestorm Elemental arrived on Earth, he was several stories tall and his elemental powers were causing numerous fires to break out.  The Firestorm Elemental had been exploring deep space for the past five years and had lost touch with Professor Stein’s humanity.  The Elemental had returned to Earth with the intention of absorbing Ronnie into the Elemental being, joining their consciousness into one.

Below are six pages from Extreme Justice #5 that cover the highlights of the issue…

Next, the Firestorm Elemental showed Ronnie some of the wonders of the universe in an attempt to change his mind about  merging together.  Ronnie still chose to decline the offer.  We pick up the story as the Firestorm Elemental returned them to the real world…

So there you have it.  Ronnie’s Firestorm powers were reactivated by chemotherapy and/or gene therapy, and his Leukemia was cured by the Firestorm Elemental.  Seems to me Ronnie owes a huge debt of gratitude to the following folks: Skeets, Blue Beetle, Amazing Man, and the Elemental Firestorm.

Firestorm stayed with the Extreme Justice team for about a year until his alcoholism began interfering with his superheroics.  After Extreme Justice, Firestorm languished in obscurity for nearly 10 years.  During this period he joined the JLA and the Power Company, but his appearances were few and far between.  Ronnie remained active as Firestorm until his death in the 2004 mini-series Identity Crisis.

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!

During the Extreme Justice series in the mid-90s, Ronnie Raymond began drinking heavily.  At the start of the series, Ronnie was no longer Firestorm and was undergoing treatment for leukemia.  Due to a series of incidents involving chemotherapy, the Justice League, and the Elemental Firestorm, Ronnie was miraculously cured of leukemia and he regained his Firestorm powers (this time he was flying solo with no one else sharing the matrix).  Somewhere in here Ronnie adopted a “live for today” attitude.  This translated into Ronnie drinking more often.  Eventually Ronnie’s drinking interfered with his superheroic activities.  See below…

Extreme Justice #16  (May 1996)

• Writer: Robert L. Washington III
• Pencils: Tom Morgan
• Inks: Ken Branch

Now we skip forward a few pages…

The follow-up to this story was published in Showcase ’96 two months later.  It was a surprisingly dark and serious look at addiction.  See below…

Showcase ’96 #6 & #7  (July & August 1996)

• Storm’s Clearing – Part 1: Drying Out and Chasing the Clouds Away
• Writer: Robert L. Washington III
• Artist: Randy DuBurke

The second issue continued the dark and serious themes.  Here is how the story ended…

As you can see, DC took the time to deal with Ronnie’s alcoholism very seriously.  It’s not often that a comic addresses real-life issues like alcoholism in such a way.   Whether you liked these stories or not, you gotta admire DC for being brave enough to publish them.

So as you can imagine, long-time fans of Firestorm are concerned about Ronnie falling off the wagon.  To be fair, in Brightest Day we’ve only see Ronnie drink a few times.  We don’t actually know how much or how often he’s been drinking.  It’s implied that he’s getting blitzed a lot, but we don’t know for sure.  It’s quite possible this is part of the building story.  Perhaps Brightest Day will deal with Ronnie’s continued struggle with alcoholism.  In 2002 during a JLA story it was revealed that Ronnie had at least one night of binge drinking, but that is the only reference I’m aware of after Showcase ’96 and prior to Brightest Day.  Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are excellent writers and I’m hopeful this Brightest Day subplot will resolve itself, yet pay respect to what has come before.

This post was inspired by Scott Mateo’s entries on the Comic Book Resources forum and the ComicBloc forum.  On those sites Scott posted the majority of these scans.  I’ve added a few here myself to further show the impact of the story.  My thanks to Scott for his inspiration!  Visit the thread at Comic Book Resources by clicking here.  Visit the thread at ComicBloc by clicking here.

Support Firestorm! Fan the flame!