(Image Source: Warner Bros. Discovery)
The DC Next Level initiative promised to “super-charge DC‘s main line” in unexpected ways. The new Fury of Firestorm series lives up to this promise. Rather than bringing back the classic superhero of Justice League fame, it offers a horror-themed take on the Nuclear Man.
Written by Jeff Lemire, with art by Rafael de Latorre, The Fury of Firestorm #1 offers a quick recap of the hero’s origins. Firestorm was born of a nuclear power plant accident, which created a fusion of two people: student Ronnie Raymond and professor Martin Stein. Together, they had the ability to alter matter at the atomic level.
(Image Source: DC / Rafael de Latorre)
This summary follows a horrific scene in which the full power of Firestorm is showcased. The Nuclear Man appears mysteriously in the town of Bedford, Colorado. Over the course of a week, the new Firestorm commits a number of atrocities. One of these is turning the town into glass and then transforming the people to match.
This is observed by the American military. Rather than call in the Justice League, they recruit the superhero Firehawk. Beyond having similar powers, she was also Ronnie Raymond’s girlfriend. It is hoped that she may be able to talk some sense into him. However, she is immediately skeptical that this Firestorm is the original.
(Image Source: DC / Rafael de Latorre)
The military’s intelligence indicates that Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein had a falling out. They believe that Raymond tried to become Firestorm alone and went mad with power. The truth, however, is far worse.
New Firestorm is power without humanity
The next sequence of the comic plays out a classic Firestorm adventure, with Professor Stein lecturing Ronnie as he goes out on patrol. This is revealed to be a dream or illusion, as Ronnie Raymond suddenly finds himself alone in a dark forest. He is then attacked by a Firestorm without a face, who insists that they are their own being.
(Image Source: DC / Rafael de Latorre)
The comic concludes with Martin Stein in a remote cabin, burning his papers on Project Firestorm. One of these has a note scribbled upon it – “IS IT SENTIENT?” The implication is that the Firestorm Matrix, presumably formed by the fusion of Raymond and Stein, has a mind of its own. Indeed, it has always had a mind of its own, which was seemingly subverted by the two minds pitted against it. This Matrix Mind apparently took over Ronnie Raymond’s body and subsequently trapped him in a repetitive dream. This terrifying idea puts a twisted take on the classic superhero and offers a thrilling hook for the new series.
The Fury of Firestorm #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
