The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #20 (July 2013)

Tags

Black Bison, Dan Jurgens, Firestorm, General Eiling, Hi-Fi Design, Jason Rusch, Killer Frost, Major Force, Multiplex, Norm Rapmund, Plastique, Professor Martin Stein, Ronnie Raymond, Superman, The Hyena, Travis Lanham, Typhoon

>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS<<<<<<<<<
(You’ve been warned)

“Problems Multiplied Part Three”

• Writer: Dan Jurgens
• Pencils: Dan Jurgens
• Inks: Norm Rapmund
• Colors: Hi-Fi Design
• Letters: Travis Lanham
• Cover: Dan Jurgens & Ray McCarthy

I had not intended to review this book on this blog.  It is a Captain Atom blog, and the only reason I let myself get away with this whole “Firestorm Appreciation Month” was because each of the books I reviewed featured Captain Atom.  This book, this final issue of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man, does not feature Captain Atom at all.  But it does introduce Major Force into the New 52 continuity.  And based on the fact that Force is working with General Eiling, it is a safe assumption that the New 52 Major Force is somehow tied in with the New 52 Captain Atom.  So I decided to slap this issue up on my blog after all.  I think that maybe that was Dan Jurgens’ goal all along, to trick me into reviewing his book.

Okay, probably not.

Anyway, this issue opens up at the Continuum, where Eiling is monitoring a battle between Firestorm and his rogues (Hyena, Multiplex, Killer Frost, Black Bison, Typhoon, and Plastique) on a monitor.  This is a battle continuing from The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #19.  An aide tries to tell Eiling he has a visitor but the General is far too busy.

Jason Rusch’s dad and Ronnie Raymond’s sort-of girlfriend Tonya drag Firestorm’s semi-conscious body into an alleyway (Ronnie and Jason, for the uninitiated, are the two dudes who combine to form Firestorm).  The three are attacked by Hyena (which Tonya says is a werewolf – sort of a running gag with the character).  Hyena is about to rip Alvin Rusch to shreds when a mysterious newcomer grabs his arm and throws him against a lightpost.

It is none other than Major Force.  Regular Captain Atom readers know Major Force all too well.  An anti-hero of the worst kind, the modern age Major Force was created as part of the Captain Atom project in the 1960s. Unlike his predecessor Nathaniel Adam, Clifford Zmeck (Major Force) was guilty of the crime he had been accused of.  And with his new-found powers he became even worse.  Remember Green Lantern’s girlfriend Alex?

(DC Comics can have a thousand “New 52″s and keep bringing back Major Force but they can never erase the stink of this act.  Ron Marz had Major Force murder Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend Alex and then stuff her dead body in the refrigerator. This act prompted Gail Simone to compile a list of dead female comic book characters and a corresponding web site.)

Major Force tells the now-conscious Firestorm that Eiling sent him to help.  Firestorm doesn’t trust Eiling and Mr. Rusch warns the boys to be careful what they say to the government.  Killer Frost attacks with a blast of ice.  Back at the Continuum, General Eiling’s impatient visitor punches in a thick metal door.

Major Force tells Firestorm to go see about the hostage (Ronnie’s mom) while he takes on Killer Frost, Black Bison, and Multiplex.  Down on the dock, Plastique is holding Ronnie’s mom.  As Firestorm approaches, he is body slammed by a tidal wave generated by Typhoon.  But Ronnie is super pissed and one good punch sends Typhoon flying.

At the Continuum, Eiling’s guest turns out to be Superman (who is younger and brasher in the New 52), and Professor Martin Stein.  Stein says “there are plans for Firestorm that supercede any notion of his falling under your control.”

(In the previous, Post-Crisis Pre-New-52 continuity, Martin Stein was originally the other half of Firestorm, along with Ronnie Raymond.  In this current continuity, he was the brains behind the Firestorm Protocols that gave Ronnie and Jason their powers, as well as Jason’s friend.  He was believed to be dead.)

Jason and Ronnie are formulating a plan to take down Plastique when Alvin Rusch clocks the villain from behind with a board.  Firestorm and Major Force then take out the other rogues together – except for Multiplex, who manages to skip away.  Major Force leads Firestorm to his ride, a military vehicle of some sort.  Force asks Firestorm to pose for a picture, but the “camera” turns out to be some sort of neural shocker that knocks the boys both out.

They come to (as Firestorm) at the Continuum, where Eiling, Stein, Superman and Major Force are arguing.  Stein says he came out of hiding when he learned of the military’s plans for Firestorm, and sought the help of the Justice League.  Major Force tells Superman that the two of them have no authority there.  Superman flicks Major Force in the chest, sending him flying through a wall.

Firestorm and Superman leave together, with Superman offering Firestorm a position with the Justice League.

And that is the end of The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man.  Beautifully drawn and inked by Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund, the issue naturally left me wanting more.  The story was wrapped up far too quickly (but to be fair, Dan had to condense a whole storyline into just a couple of issues).  As much as I love Captain Atom and his universe, I think the New 52 could’ve done without Major Force.  His new costume is better than the old one, for sure.  But I never really was a fan of the character.  Taking into consideration the rush job on the story, I give this issue a B+.

That also wraps up Firestorm Appreciation Month at Splitting Atoms.  Thanks for joining me.  Thanks also to Luke Daab for the picture I used as an avatar this month, and a big huge thank you to The Irredeemable Shag for organizing and pulling off the social media event that was #FirestormFarewell.

FAN THE FLAME!

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Firestorm: The Nuclear Man #63 (September 1987)

Tags

Amanda Waller, Batman, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Captain Boomerang, Captain Marvel (Shazam), Chief Ferguson, Deadshot, Dick Giordano, Dr. Fate, Firestorm, Guy Gardner, Joe Brozowski, John Ostrander, John Workman, Killer Frost, Martian Manhunter, Martin Stein, Mikhail Arkadin, Mister Miracle, Modern Age Captain Atom, Multiplex, Nansi Hoolahan, Oberon, Parasite, Pozhar, Rick Flag, Ronald Reagan, Ronnie Raymond, Slipknot, Superman

“Rogue Hero”

• Writer: John Ostrander
• Pencils: Joe Brozowski
• Inks: Dick Giordano
• Colors: Nansi Hoolahan
• Letters: John Workman

In the previous issue of Firestorm, the titular character (whose secret identity is Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein) interrupted a press conference being held by Vice President George H. W. Bush.  He has announced that he has begun to disarm nuclear weapons around the world, belonging to both the United States and the Soviet Union.  It is his intention to force the two super powers into nuclear disarmament.  This decision has proven to be unpopular with world leaders.  Already the president has contacted Amanda Waller, who says Belle Reve Prison can hold Firestorm (presumably meaning she will send the Suicide Squad after the nuclear man).  Firestorm has warned the governments, “…disarm your nuclear weapons or I will.  And next time I won’t transmute the warheads, I’ll detonate them.”

Cut to Nathaniel Adam, General Eiling, and Dr. Megala watching the story unfold on television (Nathaniel’s hair is brown rather than white).  Eiling is pissed off, naturally, but Nate seems somewhat sympathetic to Firestorm’s cause.  Both Megala and Eiling argue that Firestorm’s plan will do more harm than good.  Nate says that Firestorm may be a fool, but a well-meaning one.

At the Justice League’s New York headquarters, Green Lantern Guy Gardner is itching to go after “that commie scum.”  Martian Manhunter says, “Not unless we all agree.”  Dr. Fate, Captain Marvel, Blue Beetle, and Mister Miracle attempt to stop Guy from going after Firestorm, but it is Oberon who stops the agitated Green Lantern (using an oversize mallet).

In the Oval Office, President Reagan has asked Superman to go after Firestorm.  The man of steel declines, indicating he is also sympathetic to Firestorm’s plight.  Reagan then addresses the nation, saying he and Premier Gorbachev are neither accepting or declining Firestorm’s ultimatum.  They want a face-to-face meeting with the super-hero.

Watching the address on television, Professor Stein seems quite pleased with the outcome.  As he tells Ronnie, “they have no idea we’re bluffing.”  Ronnie says it sounds like a trap to him, but goes along with the Professor.  As Firestorm, they go to police chief Bernard Ferguson and ask him to pass along word that he’ll meet Reagan the next day at the Statue of Liberty at noon.  He wants Reagan to come alone.

Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, Mikhail Arkadin is demonstrating the powers he obtained in the Chernobyl disaster.  Mikhail was introduced in Firestorm #62, but is now wearing a modified Rocket Red suit and is being called “Pozhar.”  Arkadin will play an important role in Firestorm’s life in the next few issues.

Noon the next day, Firestorm arrives at the Statue of Liberty.  Reagan is there, and asks that the hero touch down and talk with him.  Ronnie feels like something is wrong, and indeed it is.  He is bum rushed by Captain Atom.

Cap tells Firestorm he’s caused an international incident.  He reminds Firestorm that he took the nuclear man down once before, and is capable of doing it again.  Firestorm brushes off Cap’s atomic blast and says he won’t be stopped by “some headline-hunting glory hog.”  He then punches Cap right in the silver face.  He tells Stein he thinks he broke his hand, to which Stein replies that Ronnie is using the same tactics he did last time he fought Captain Atom, and those tactics failed him.

Firestorm conjures up a kryptonite bat, hoping Captain Atom shares the same weakness as Superman (he does not), and Cap is knocked back.  Firestorm then rains bricks on Cap, who calls Firestorm a “brat.”  Firestorm then smashes Cap between two boulders, momentarily stopping Atom.  Stein warns Ronnie that he feels a seizure coming on (Professor Stein has a brain tumor and is dying).  Captain Atom realizes there is something wrong with Firestorm, but is still resigned to bring him in.

Captain Atom grabs Firestorm from behind, and Firestorm fires a blast at Reagan.  Atom quickly flies down to intercept the blast, which turns out to be a huge ball of harmless daisies.  Firestorm takes off towards the city and Captain Atom follows.

The chase leads them through the offices of a comic book publisher in New York City (an unnamed comic book publisher, specifically the office of a comic book writer that may or may not be John Ostrander).  There is a miscolored panel at the bottom of page 18 in which Captain Atom’s head is not silver.  The two heroes cut a path of destruction through DC’s offices, passing (among other people) Joe Brozowski and Denny O’Neil talking about Joe drawing the very page they are on (meta!).

Leaving the DC offices, Captain Atom blasts Firestorm into another building.  When he goes down after him, Firestorm is nowhere to be found.  Captain Atom sees and weak old man and a young redheaded jock and asks, “Where is he?!”  The redhead says Firestorm flew through the floor.  Captain Atom curses and flies off looking for Firestorm.  Of course, the old man and the jock were Professor Stein and Ronnie Raymond (Captain Atom does not know Firestorm’s secret identities).  I really liked that move.

As Ronnie helps Professor Stein home, Reagan addresses the nation on television.  He says the U.S. will not “accede to the ultimatums of terrorists.”  At Belle Reve Prison, Amanda Waller is on the phone with some government big wig (possibly General Eiling).  She says she has the Suicide Squad ready to bring Firestorm in.  On her desk are pictures of Killer Frost, Rick Flag, the Parasite, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Slipknot, and Multiplex.

I loved this issue.  I was always fond of Captain Atom/Firestorm stories, whether they were fighting together or against each other.  Over the years, I’ve gone back and forth on John Ostrander.  Some of his stuff I really loved but some of it I really hated.  This story is an A+.  It sets up a lot of big changes coming Firestorm’s way.  I also really liked the way Joe Brozowski drew Captain Atom.  Except for the couple of coloring mistakes, this was a beautiful book.  An A- for art gives this issue of Firestorm an A rating.

DC Comics Presents #90 (February 1986)

Tags

Albert DeGuzman, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Dave Hunt, Denys Cowan, Firestorm, Gene D'Angelo, Paul Kupperberg, Professor Martin Stein, Rayburn, Ronnie Raymond, Superman

“Escape From Solitude!”

• Writer: Paul Kupperberg
• Pencils: Denys Cowan
• Inks: Dave Hunt
• Colors: Gene D’Angelo
• Letters: Albert DeGuzman

This story is commonly regarded as non-canonical.  It is the final full-story appearance of the Bronze Age Captain Atom, but was published after the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths that merged all the worlds.  Technically, Captain Atom does not exist in this world (his own series didn’t debut until a year after this was published).  With the return of the multiverse in the New 52, whether or not DC Comics Presents #90 is canon or not is a completely moot point.  This Captain Atom, Firestorm, and Superman no longer exist.  But that doesn’t change the fact that it is a fun story.

The story opens at Johnson Space Center Mission Control in Houston, Texas.  The space shuttle Atlantis has blasted off and Captain Adam is communicating (and flirting) with a female astronaut on board.  Watching the control room from an observation room are some tourists, two of which are Ronnie Raymond and his younger friend Rick Matthews (Ronnie is Firestorm and Rick is the brother of the female astronaut on Atlantis).  On a monitor, the two can see the shuttle drop its booster rockets, but the ship’s engines haven’t fired.

NASA cuts off the PA in the observation room.  Rick freaks out, fearing for his sister Connie’s safety.  Ronnie tells him to chill out while he goes to find some help.  Meanwhile, Captain Adam has someone take over his post as he rushes out of the room (this sort of thing used to happen in the Charlton series all the time).

Ronnie becomes Firestorm, apologizing to his other half, Professor Martin Stein, for pulling him away from whatever he was doing.  Stein says it was okay as this seems to be a geniune emergency.  Firestorm flies off to help.

At the same time, Captain Adam has ducked into a storeroom and transforms into Captain Atom.  He also goes after the failing shuttle.  We are treated to a retelling of his origin story.  It hasn’t changed.

Captain Atom flies towards the shuttle, but sees something else headed for it that is emitting high levels of radiation.  This jibes with readings Connie gave him.  (By the way, Atlantis has somewhere made it to at least the upper atmosphere of Earth.)  He blasts at the object.

Of course, the object is Firestorm.  Captain Atom recognizes him and apologizes.  Firestorm has no idea who Captain Atom is, though.  Cap explains he works in secret, primarily for the president.  Both men try to use their powers to help the incapacitated shuttle, but they seem to have no effect.

On board Atlantis, the astronauts only have 90 minutes of oxygen left.  Out of nowhere appears a strange man in tattered clothing.  He says he saw the shuttle was in distress as he was “passing by.”  Then he notices that Connie is different (a girl).  Outside, Firestorm says he’s going to seek the advice of a pro (which offends Cap).

Planetside, Superman is flying home to rest (he’s been busy lately — Crisis?).  He notices a giant “S” symbol in the sky composed of scraps of paper.  Investigating, Superman discovers Firestorm floating in the middle.  He transmutes the paper back into oxygen molecules and explains the situation to Superman.  Together, they head up into space.

Captain Atom decides not to wait for Firestorm and he boards Atlantis just as the stranger leaves with Connie.  He tells her is name is Rayburn and he is taking her home because he is lonely.

On Atlantis, the astronauts clue Cap in on what’s been going on.  Superman also shows up (beating Firestorm cause he’s Superman).  Superman tells Cap to go with Firestorm to find Connie while he returns Atlantis to the surface.  There isn’t a moment where Superman asks Cap who he is, so we have to assume the two have met.

As Firestorm approaches (he is much slower than Superman), he sees what he thinks is Captain Atom in the distance.  As he gets closer, he sees it is Rayburn and Connie.  As he gets closer, Firestorm becomes weak and passes out.  Professor Stein calls out to Ronnie (Ronnie is in the Firestorm driver’s seat and Stein is a voice in his head).  Captain Atom flies by and catches Firestorm, but he also feels weakened.

After safely delivering Atlantis to Cape Canaveral, Superman comes across Captain Atom and Firestorm passed out in the grass.  Upon examining them with his x-ray vision, Superman discovers that their radioactive powers are having an adverse effect on each other.  He picks Captain Atom up and flies him a short distance away, reviving him.  Supes tells Cap to keep a few hundred yards away from Firestorm.

A short distance away, Rayburn is telling Connie not to be afraid of him.  He says he has been imprisoned and has grown lonely.  Connie says she’s not the answer he’s looking for.  Rayburn, who has a simplistic Asperger’s reasoning, doesn’t understand what Connie is saying.  She tells him he can’t just take people, but he points out that he can because he has.

An explosion nearby distracts Rayburn.  He flies off to help whomever may be in need.  Connie promises to wait for him, but books it as soon as Rayburn is gone.  The source of the explosion is unclear (a little more exposition might help here).  It is some sort of machinery that then wraps around Rayburn as it is being manipulated by Firestorm.

Rayburn breaks free and decks Firestorm.  I’d like to point out right here that Superman is watching this entire exchange and is doing nothing to help.  Firestorm falls, transmutes a truck top into a trampoline, and bounces back up towards Rayburn.  Rayburn tries to tell Firestorm he isn’t his enemy, but his actions contradict that.  He says again that he was imprisoned and is lonely.  He blasts Firestorm, knocking the hero back.  Finally, Superman asks if his help is needed.

Captain Atom finds Connie, still in her space suit, standing on a street corner.  When he approaches her, Rayburn shows up and blasts Cap.  Atom is knocked to the ground.  Rayburn’s powers somehow cause all the manhole covers in the area to shoot upward.  Captain Atom blasts them and checks on Connie.  Rayburn scoops her up and flies away.

Superman and Firestorm approach Rayburn.  Superman suggests a diplomatic approach.  Rayburn says he only wants to help people.  Firestorm says giving Connie up would go a long way toward proving that.  Examining Rayburn closely with his supervision, Superman sees something he recognizes.  He then flies off, leaving Firestorm with Rayburn.

Captain Atom flies in, careful to keep his distance from Firestorm.  He demands that Rayburn surrender Connie and begins blasting at him.  Rayburn says he will never surrender his “end of solitude” to anybody.  Superman returns and takes over.  He tells Rayburn that he is actually Dr. Sam Raybourne, a scientist employed by S.T.A.R. Labs.  He had been exposed to deadly radiation and had to be isolated to keep others safe.  Rayburn remembers this and said the isolation was driving him crazy.  When he discovered he had gained nuclear powers, he escaped his isolation.

Rayburn drops Connie and passes out.  Superman catches her and Captain Atom catches Rayburn.  Connie says she is feeling weak, that she has absorbed a lot of Rayburn’s radiation.  Superman says Rayburn is going to go critical, which Rayburn promptly does.  He explodes and in doing so absorbs all the nearby radiation (including Connie’s, I assume).

The heroes and Connie go their separate ways.

Like I said, a fun little story.  Lots of action but it ends abruptly, just like the Captain Atom stories in Space Adventures did.  It was really great to see this version of Cap in the DC Universe, interacting with Superman and Firestorm.  And DC’s tendency to throw Firestorm and Captain Atom together really does make sense.  This is the last time the Bronze Age Captain Atom is featured in a DC book (excluding cameo appearances in the background of other books), and I’m digging Cowan and Hunt’s take on the character.  I give this book an A.