"The Nuclear Man" FIRESTORM appreciation

[Slaughter]

I liked the new concept they came up with too. It added alot to the mythos. If nothing else I would like in the future that when Jason and Ronnie do become Firestorm that whoever is in charge is random and switch back and forth often.

It was a nice idea but developed baddly.

There was already a idea from Jason's book (building upon older elements) that the Firestorm matrix doubtlessely already had other hosts in the past, from other planets, etc. It was more than a mere metahuman power.

The Firestorm Protocols were a nice addition to the mythos in that they were a great analogy with nuclear proliferation - a great world-shaking power, becoming more and more common and less restrict, finding its way towards people who may be too dangerous or incompetent to handle it. The Rogue Firestorms were essentially living suicidal dirty bombs.

I think the mistakes there were making Firestorm not actually be the first - in a way, Firestorm is just another knockoff. The Protocols should've been based on Firestorm the original. Firestorm protocols should've come along once Firestorm was better estabilished - the original, accidental one vs the mass-produced, industrialized Firestorms. And not all these guys are evil suicidal dirty-bombs, even if they are wielding great power that may be dangerous, what to do?

There was also too much angst in that book for my tastes. Needed more cast estabilishing, world building, etc.

Pohzar was downright villanesque in that story.

They could've been explored deeper as well. Firestorm is not just a perfect weapon of war. Imagine every country having a nuclear man capable of making any material he feels like. Sure, oil is probably out (hidrocarbon, so organic - or not?) but imagine infinite supplies of Titanium! Promethium! Helium! Uranium! (yay, infinite nuclear power!) Thorium! Kryptonite! Graphene! Ethanol! Carbon Nanotubes! And it goes on and on.

In fact, I don't get why we never saw Firestorm or its hosts use the power for material gain that helps people. Nothing wrong with a honest Firestorm supplying some rare material that helps people and getting some money from it, a super-hero gotta eat and pay his bills. Say, making enough ultra-thin ultra-resistant material to build a space elevator. Dessalinize water into drinkable water. Fix oil spills. Or make enough ozone to seal the ozone layer, Or safely dispose of chemical weaponry by turning deadly nerve gas into water vapor. Can Superman turn nerve-gas into water vapour? Thought not.

A villain (Deathstorm?) with the same powers could use this to, say, give enriched uranium to dictators and terrorists willy-nilly. Or create immense stockpiles of chemical weaponry. Or flood the market with so many preciousm materiais that it causes economic ruin and unemployment. Or increase global warming by making a lot more greenhouse gas. Or simply turn rocks into sea-water until the world floods. Or turn the air into Joker Toxin.

[Slaughter]

Here's a topic: Is Firestorm too powerful?
I'm sorta afraid we're going to see Firestorm reduced to mere fire powers in The Flash. His powers are much above that.

I haven't read new/recent Firestorm.
I'm still working on his 1982 series, and I am loving it.

Someone here recommended reading his stuff about a year ago, and I picked up the first four issues, read them, and knew I needed more.
I think it's Gerry Conway's way of writing him that has me sucked in, though, I do find it neat that Ronnie Raymond has to (or had to) be connected to Stein to be Firestorm.

I am excited to watch him in The Flash, but really hoping they don't mess the character up.

Yes, Gerry Conway created such a fantastical, nice true-blue super-hero. Two men in one, the school attlete and the middle-aged scientist, together wielding immense power. Two different worlds in contact. Its like Infinity Man plus physics and nuclear fusion, with Spider-Man like cast dynamics but with its own touch.
The cast, the writing, the hero... like nuclear fusion, by fusing many things into one, extra energy was gained. It was more than the sum of its parts.

It always made sense that the default mode was Ronnie on the wheel with Stein mentoring - Ronnie was the body, Stein the brains. Its like a hero that brings his wise mentor with him into combat, except dear wise mentor IS the hero as well!

[Cold Water]

Yes, Gerry Conway created such a fantastical, nice true-blue super-hero. Two men in one, the school attlete and the middle-aged scientist, together wielding immense power. Two different worlds in contact. Its like Infinity Man plus physics and nuclear fusion, with Spider-Man like cast dynamics but with its own touch.
The cast, the writing, the hero... like nuclear fusion, by fusing many things into one, extra energy was gained. It was more than the sum of its parts.

It always made sense that the default mode was Ronnie on the wheel with Stein mentoring - Ronnie was the body, Stein the brains. Its like a hero that brings his wise mentor with him into combat, except dear wise mentor IS the hero as well!

I really, REALLY LOVE the series so far.
I even got slightly teary-eyed when Ronnie's dad died.
And, as you can tell, I really like Killer Frost. I don't know about the current Killer Frost, but Crystal Frost/Killer Frost from back in the day? YES.
I could read Firestorm battling Killer Frost all day everyday, and I'd never get sick of it.

[Nix Uotan]

It was a nice idea but developed baddly.

There was already a idea from Jason's book (building upon older elements) that the Firestorm matrix doubtlessely already had other hosts in the past, from other planets, etc. It was more than a mere metahuman power.

The Firestorm Protocols were a nice addition to the mythos in that they were a great analogy with nuclear proliferation - a great world-shaking power, becoming more and more common and less restrict, finding its way towards people who may be too dangerous or incompetent to handle it. The Rogue Firestorms were essentially living suicidal dirty bombs.

I think the mistakes there were making Firestorm not actually be the first - in a way, Firestorm is just another knockoff. The Protocols should've been based on Firestorm the original. Firestorm protocols should've come along once Firestorm was better estabilished - the original, accidental one vs the mass-produced, industrialized Firestorms. And not all these guys are evil suicidal dirty-bombs, even if they are wielding great power that may be dangerous, what to do?

Sometimes, I think about how they could have handled it... should Jason and Ronnie be separate Firestorm's like they did in Fury of Firestorm or should perhaps every time they merge randomly one of them gets chosen as the 'pilot'? Seems like a shame for diversity to have Jason being made the 'rider' instead of the Ronnie though at the same time I kind of do like Ronnie and makes sense for him to be the 'pilot' since he can't provide the equation's like Jason could.

Also, I always did wonder if the Firestorm Matrix had been accessed on other worlds... I mean, if it was discovered by Earth, surely alien civilizations would have discovered it? And if its unique, why did it manifest on Earth? Is it because Earth is the centre of the Multiverse so it gravitated to it? I know for readers it is of course obvious it would be on Earth otherwise we would have no story but in-universe explanations would be good.

And indeed, the Firestorm Matrix in Firestorm should be the original one. A great thing I liked about Brightest Day was them saying that the Matrix was actually the spark of the Big Bang captured in a bottle. It should be the original. The Firestorm Protocols should be the knock-offs based on the original making Firestorm the perfect version of the Matrix with the others being flawed copies. There were the dirty suicide bomb Firestorms but also the national ones... like Hurricane the British one or Firehawk the French Firestorm. That was just brilliant in my opinion. Ultimately, I think there needed to be a trimming down of the excess Firestorms and the ability to create new ones but it allowed fore new Firestorm variants and designs. One complaint I heard from people that multiple Firestorms made the actual Firestorm seem less important which is partly true but there are ways to combat that.

But considering the setting... the world had been invaded by Apokolips, superhumans were popping everywhere and a scientist discovering the Firestorm Protocols... it seemed only a natural development for nation's to weaponize them to create living WMDs. Technically, a deterrent against future invasion from other worlds but partly to keep each other in line. Seemed like a perfect look into the idea of MAD scenarios and WMDs. And some of the Firestorms they created like Hurricane and the Indian one were cool to see. The whole idea of Ashra Khan, this mysterious mastermind mass producing them and using them as dirty bombs was also cool to show the idea the dangers of such weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. All good ideas, just nothing happened with it....

There was also too much angst in that book for my tastes. Needed more cast estabilishing, world building, etc.

Indeed, it did drag a bit and became a bit depressing and dark. Sadly, when Jurgens came along, it degraded even further to being about 'Hey, I'm a jock and I don't like you nerds!'

Pohzar was downright villanesque in that story.

Initially, he came across as an anti-hero to me but became downright villainous indeed. Though the costume redesign and making him a colleague of Martin Stein from the Russian program was good.

They could've been explored deeper as well. Firestorm is not just a perfect weapon of war. Imagine every country having a nuclear man capable of making any material he feels like. Sure, oil is probably out (hidrocarbon, so organic - or not?) but imagine infinite supplies of Titanium! Promethium! Helium! Uranium! (yay, infinite nuclear power!) Thorium! Kryptonite! Graphene! Ethanol! Carbon Nanotubes! And it goes on and on.

In fact, I don't get why we never saw Firestorm or its hosts use the power for material gain that helps people. Nothing wrong with a honest Firestorm supplying some rare material that helps people and getting some money from it, a super-hero gotta eat and pay his bills. Say, making enough ultra-thin ultra-resistant material to build a space elevator. Dessalinize water into drinkable water. Fix oil spills. Or make enough ozone to seal the ozone layer, Or safely dispose of chemical weaponry by turning deadly nerve gas into water vapor. Can Superman turn nerve-gas into water vapour? Thought not.

A villain (Deathstorm?) with the same powers could use this to, say, give enriched uranium to dictators and terrorists willy-nilly. Or create immense stockpiles of chemical weaponry. Or flood the market with so many preciousm materiais that it causes economic ruin and unemployment. Or increase global warming by making a lot more greenhouse gas. Or simply turn rocks into sea-water until the world floods. Or turn the air into Joker Toxin.

I think the potential applications are limitless... though with national Firestorms, I think the idea would be them being used as weapons not heroes. So, that would have nicely contrasted with the actual Firestorm who wants to be a hero and make the world a better place.

[liwanag]

[liwanag]

[liwanag]

[colonyofcells]

For a firestorm tv show, can maybe set it in high school similar to smallville. Firestorm can fight the freak of the weak from the nuclear accident. Probably simpler for firestorm to have just 1 person similar to spider man and static.

[wickedmountain]

Always been a fave of mine

[liwanag]

there seems to be limited story material to draw from with the current state of firestorm in the arrowverse. ronnie seems to be on the run right now and i'm not sure if there is enough material to sustain a series. it would be cool though if cw considers a spin off series.

[liwanag]

[victorxd1999]

What do you guys think is thr top 3 best Firestorm runs? I'd probably rate Ostrander's as 1 and Conway's as 2. No idea what 3 should be

[liwanag]

[Cold Water]

What do you guys think is thr top 3 best Firestorm runs? I'd probably rate Ostrander's as 1 and Conway's as 2. No idea what 3 should be

Conway's. All the damn way.
Not that I have read any others, but YEAH.
Conway's. It's blasphemous that you should even ask. :P

[liwanag]

can't wait.