Fiery Superheroes believe in Peace Through Superior Fire Powers
Dresden:“ Fuego! Pyrofuego! Burn you greasy bat-faced bastards! BURN!”
The Dresden Files: Grave Peril
If there is one lesson humanity has learned over the years, it’s don’t screw with fire. Humans use fire as a weapon, a tool, and inspiration for stories. Prometheus stole fire from the Greek gods, a tale repeated in every culture. Most of those include a legendary hero wielding a sword shrouded in fire. Superheroes are no different.
Countless superheroes have pyrokinetic powers. These five are perfect examples of peace through superior firepower.
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#5 Fiery Superhero: Heat Wave
Played by Dominic Purcell
[Heatwave has just killed a Nazi soldier]
Legends of Tomorrow, “Crisis on Earth-X!” (Season 3, Episode 8)
Citizen Cold: “Excuse me! You can’t just go around roasting people! ”
Heat Wave: “Why not? ”
Citizen Cold: “You ever hear of due process? Rule of law?! ”
Heat Wave: [bluntly] “No. ”
Mick Rory was obsessed with fire. As a child he set his house on fire and watched it burn with his family trapped inside. Mick traveled with a trail of flames in his wake. While staying in Central City, Rory saw a villain gang called The Rogues pull a robbery. Inspired to become a supervillain, Mick created a portable flamethrower and an asbestos-lined suit. He began calling himself Heat Wave.
Heat Wave went on a crime spree that attracted The Rogues’ attention. They were impressed and let him join, even having Heat Wave become partners with their leader, Captain Cold. Heat Wave eventually ran across The Flash and was defeated by the speedster. The Flash convinced Heat Wave to turn over a new leaf. Heat Wave still commits crimes, but goes out of his way to not burn everything he sees.
Heat Wave made his live-action debut in The Flash and is played by Prison Break’s Dominic Purcell. He began as a recurring villain, but became an anti-hero when he is elevated to main character status in Legends of Tomorrow .
#4 Fiery Superhero: Liz Sherman
Played by Selma Blair
Liz: “I’m learning to control it. I’m learning where it comes from. For the first time in my life, I’m not afraid .”
Hellboy (2004)
Let’s take a step away from Marvel and DC to talk about a Firey Superhero from Dark Horse Comics. Liz Sherman is a pyrokinetic investigator from Hellboy and is based on Charlie, the main character of Stephen King’s Firestarter.
Liz developed pyrokinesis as a teenager. She tried to keep her powers hidden, but eventually lost control of them and accidentally killed her family. Liz was found by the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, which offered to teach her how to use her powers.
Liz joined the BPRD and slowly learned how to control the fire. She became a field agent and was assigned to work with the Bureau’s top agent, the demon Hellboy.
TV veteran Selma Blair played Liz in 2004’s Hellboy and reprised the role for the sequel. The film version is nearly identical to the comic, with the exception that Liz becomes Hellboy’s love interest.
#3 Fiery Superhero: Firestorm
Played by Franz Drameh and Victor Garber
Firestorm : “How about a little fire, Scarecrow?”
Injustice 2
Scarecrow : “A film reference?”
Firestorm [to himself] “Next time, professor, I’ll do the trash talking.”
We’re having a fire sale, two heroes for the price of one! Firestorm was created when college student Ronnie Raymond and professor Martin Stein were caught in an explosion. Ronnie woke up and heard professor Stein’s voice in his head. The pair realized their bodies had merged and quickly learned they had superpowers. They become a superhero called Firestorm, named after the Firestorm Matrix that combined them.
Firestorm had a lengthy career, but died when Ronnie was killed in the event series Identity Crisis. Firestorm was brought back when college student Jason Rusch absorbed the power from Ronnie’s death and fused with Martin Stein.
Both versions of Firestorm appeared on The Flash, but only the Jason Rusch version made the leap to Legends of Tomorrow. Firestorm left Legends in the middle of Season 3 when Victor Garber chose end his role as Martin Stein.
#2 Phoenix
Played by Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner
Phoenix: “Hear me, X-Men! No longer am I the woman you knew! I am Fire and Life incarnate! Now and forever – I am PHOENIX!”
X-Men #101
Jean Grey was one of the original X-Men and possessed psychic powers. During a mission in outer space, Jean died and encountered a being made of fire. This entity was the Phoenix Force, which offered to save Jean in exchange for her becoming its host. Jean rose from the ashes as Phoenix with massively upgraded powers and the ability to conjure “cosmic flames”.
Jean seemed to have a handle on the Phoenix Force, but slowly lost control. She was mind controlled during a mission but broke free by letting the Phoenix take control. Jean became a villain called the Dark Phoenix and went on a rampage. The X-Men managed to bring Jean back to her senses, but she knew that the control was only temporary. Jean killed herself to stop the Dark Phoenix from controlling her again.
Famke Janssen played Phoenix in the X-Men film series and the Dark Phoenix story in X-Men: The Last Stand. Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner plays a younger version of this Fiery Superhero and will star in 2019’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
#1 Fiery Superhero: Human Torch
Played by Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan
[A heat seeking missile is flying towards the Fantastic Four]
Fantastic Four (2005)
Johnny: “I’ve got an idea”
Sue: “Don’t even think about it!”
Johnny: “Never do! [jumps off a building] Come on. Come on, come on, FLAME ON! ”
The Human Torch is our pick for the greatest fiery superhero. Just to be clear, this is the Fantastic Four’s Human Torch, not the original android version that was one of Marvel’s first superheroes.
Johnny Storm was the brother of scientist Susan Storm. While visiting his sister at NASA, he became part of an unscheduled spaceflight conducted by Sue’s boss Reed Richards and pilot Ben Grimm. The group was exposed to cosmic radiation due to faulty shielding and developed powers based on the classical elements. Johnny burst into flames and gained the power to fly, leading to his nickname the Human Torch.
Human Torch is the hotheaded member of the Fantastic Four, often rushing head first into battles. Despite that, he’s had a major influence on the Marvel Universe. Human Torch has been a Herald of the world eater Galactus, fought in the Superhero Civil War, and even found Namor the Submariner, Marvel’s very first superhero. Namor had lost his memories and wandered the surface world until Human Torch helped him regain his memories. And in the small world department, Namor had been the original Human Torch’s rival.
This Firey Superhero recently died covering the Fantastic Four’s escape from a dimension called the Negative Zone. He was later resurrected by that world’s biotechnology and has rejoined the team.
Chris Evans played the Human Torch in 2005’s Fantastic Four and the sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. These days, you know Evans better as Captain America. Michael B. Jordan played Human Torch in the 2015 bomb Fant4stic before becoming the acclaimed villain Killmonger in Black Panther.
Which fiery superhero is your favorite? Leave a comment
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
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