Martin Stein is an esteemedphysicist who created the Hudson Nuclear Power Plant. Following an attack on the plant, Stein and civilianRonnie Raymond are fused into Firestorm. Due to Stein being unconscious during the accident, Ronnie controls Firestorm's body, with Stein advising him.[1] Stein is initially unaware of their dual identity and unable to remember his actions while transformed before Ronnie informs him of the truth.
After the accident, Firestorm takes to defendingNew York City from villains. During this time, several supporting characters are introduced: Firestorm's love interestFirehawk and stepmotherFelicity Smoak.[3][4][5] After graduating high school, Ronnie enters college inPittsburgh, where Stein is a professor.
When Conway left the series in 1986,John Ostrander began writing the Firestorm stories. His first major story arc sees Firestorm attempting to convince the United States and theSoviet Union to destroy theirnuclear weapons.[6] He later battlesPozhar inNevada, where anatomic bomb is dropped on them. This forms a new Firestorm, composed of Ronnie and Pozhar and controlled by Stein.[7][8][9]
After Firestorm becomes a Fire Elemental, Martin Stein is separated from the Matrix, but continues to support him.[1] He later becomes the sole Fire Elemental and leaves Earth before returning duringInfinite Crisis.[1][10]
Martin Stein is later resurrected inThe New 52 continuity reboot. He is depicted as a scientist who created the "God Particle" and is uninvolved with Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch, who obtain the Particle and become Firestorm together.[13][14]
Doomsday Clock reveals that Martin Stein is the head of the Department ofMetahuman Affairs and deliberately transformed himself and Ronnie Raymond into Firestorm to research metahumans.[15][16] Despite this, the two continue to work together until Lazarus Pit resin corrupts the Firestorm matrix and causes Stein to age rapidly.[17]
An alternate universe variant of Martin Stein appears in the "Trinity War" event.[18] This version experimented on humans to unlock the secret of life through death, transforming into Deathstorm and becoming a member of theCrime Syndicate of America.[19] He is killed byMazahs, who steals his powers.[20]
Martin Stein / Firestorm was intended to appear inJustice League Unlimited, with writer/producerDwayne McDuffie stating that the series' creators had permission from DC Comics to use the character, but were unable to create a story that they liked.[citation needed] Later on, it was stated that the character was intended to be the focus of "The Greatest Story Never Told", but was replaced withBooster Gold.[21]
First appearing in the live-action TV seriesThe Flash, this version developed the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. matrix before he was exposed to dark matter energy amidst the explosion ofHarrison Wells' particle accelerator and presumed dead. As a result, Stein became fused with his matrix andRonnie Raymond. Stein initially holds primary control over their fused form until Team Flash develops a way to safely separate them. Following this, Stein and Raymond master their powers and assist theFlash in fighting theReverse-Flash until Raymond sacrifices himself to close a singularity that had opened overCentral City. Afterward, Stein continues to assist Team Flash until the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. matrix begins to destabilize without a partner of the same blood type, endangering his life. Eventually, Team Flash find Stein's new partner inJefferson "Jax" Jackson and the pair leave Central City to master their powers.
Stein appears in the animated web seriesVixen.[29][23]
Stein appears in the live-action TV seriesLegends of Tomorrow, with Graeme McComb additionally portraying a younger version.[30] In thefirst season, he and Jax are recruited byRip Hunter to join hisLegends and defeatVandal Savage. Amidst the team's mission, Stein is captured by and forcibly fused withValentina Vostok, who intends to use his powers to create a Soviet Firestorm, but he escapes with Jax's help. By the season finale, Stein and Jax develop the ability to transmute matter and use it to foil Savage's plot to undo history. In thesecond season, Stein helps his teammates combat theLegion of Doom, encounters his past self, and inadvertently causes timeline changes that grant him a daughter named Lily Stein. Despite initially viewing Lily as a time paradox, he eventually comes to accept her. By thethird season, Stein has become a grandfather after Lily has a son named Ronnie, promptingRay Palmer and Team Flash to develop a formula to depower him so he can spend time with his family. During the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover, Stein is fatally injured while helping the Legends andEarth-1's heroes defeatNazis fromEarth-X and drinks the formula to prevent Jax from dying alongside him.[31]
Martin Stein / Firestorm appears as a playable character inInjustice 2, voiced byFred Tatasciore.[32] This version is an ally ofBatman who works to help him restore order following the fall ofSuperman's Regime.
^McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s".DC Comics Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle.Dorling Kindersley. p. 177.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.If inventiveness is the fusion of ideas, then Firestorm was one of the most original characters to emerge from a comic book in years. Penned by Gerry Conway and by Al Milgrom, the Nuclear Man was a genuine sign of the times—the explosive embodiment of a nuclear world.{{cite book}}:|first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Brightest Day #10 - #12 (September - October 2010). DC Comics.
Brightest Day #15 - #18 (December 2010 - January 2011). DC Comics.
Brightest Day #22 (March 2011). DC Comics.
^Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016).The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 109.ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Men #1 (September 2011). DC Comics.
^Johns, Geoff (w), Reis, Ivan (p), Prado, Joe, Eber Ferreira, Rob Hunter, Andy Lanning (i), Reis, Rod, Tomeu Morey, Tony Avina (col), Napolitano, Nick J. (let). "Forever Numb" Justice League, vol. 2, no. 26 (February 2013). DC Comics.
^ab"Martin Stein Voices (DC Universe)". Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedMarch 17, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^Paul Dini (writer); Doug Murphy (director) (November 27, 2016). "Nuclear Family Values".Justice League Action. Season 1, Episode 6. Cartoon Network.
^Ernie Altbacker and Jennifer Muro (writers); Shaunt Nigoghossian (director) (September 2, 2017). "Nuclear Family Values".Justice League Action. Season 1, Episode 34. Cartoon Network.
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