Firehawk (DC)
Firehawk is a female comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Lorraine Reilly was the daughter of U.S. Senator Walter Reilly who was kidnapped and transformed by Multiplex at the behest of industrialist Henry Hewitt who wanted to recreate the accident that had created Firestorm. Henry Hewitt's experiments gave her the ability to generate intense heat and tremendous energy blasts. As Firehawk, she also had wings of "atomic fire" enabling flight. Afterward, Hewitt used the data he'd gathered to transform himself into the villain known as Tokamak. Brainwashed into attacking Firestorm, Firehawk was defeated, after which she soon reverted to her usual self, remembering little of what had happened. She was later jogged into becoming Firehawk again, but this time as a hero. Since then, she battled crime and evil on a regular basis. Originally, Firehawk was intended as the love interest of Firestorm - or rather of Ronnie Raymond, one of the people who made up Firestorm. Later, she was involved in an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with Booster Gold.
As the daughter of a U.S. senator, she was kidnapped by the 2000 Committee, a secretive political group that experimented on her. After being subjected to an atomic process, she emerged as Firehawk, possessing nuclear-based powers similar to Firestorm’s. Immediately upon her transformation, she demonstrated her abilities by releasing bursts of nuclear flame at her captors, scattering armed guards and burning through their equipment. Her escape from captivity was forceful and dramatic, as she used sustained blasts of atomic fire to clear her way, asserting her new powers against her would-be masters. (Firestorm, the Nuclear Man v1 #1)
Lorraine took a more active role in superheroics. When Firestorm engaged in a skirmish against Multiplex, Firehawk intervened, taking to the skies alongside him. She unleashed wide arcs of nuclear flame to cut off Multiplex’s duplicates, forcing them back and preventing their numbers from overwhelming her ally. In the fight, she absorbed incoming energy blasts directed at her, showing resilience in battle. She also counterattacked with precision blasts that struck clusters of duplicates, dispersing them and reducing Multiplex’s advantage. Her contributions during the battle underscored her ability to operate as a full combat partner to Firestorm. (Fury of Firestorm v1 #23)
Firehawk faced Killer Frost and Black Bison. Entering the fray with speed and aggression, she streaked across the battlefield in a trail of atomic fire, colliding with Killer Frost’s icy blasts and neutralizing their advance. She redirected her flames to melt through Bison’s mystical constructs, weakening his assault against civilians. During the fight, she endured intense cold projected by Killer Frost, but retaliated with a full-body flame surge that forced the villainess into retreat. Firehawk balanced offense and defense in this issue, engaging two villains simultaneously and helping Firestorm shift the battle’s momentum in their favor. (Fury of Firestorm v1 #33)
Lorraine announced her retirement from superheroism in Identity Crisis, in order to spend time with her father. At some point after this, she began to plan a senatorial career of her own. Later, she was contacted by Ed Raymond, Ronnie's father, to investigate Jason Rusch, the new Firestorm, and discover if there was a connection to Ronnie, who had been killed during Identity Crisis.
While Lorraine was observing Jason, he was attacked by an old Firestorm foe, Killer Frost. Needing someone to merge with to create Firestorm, Jason merged with an unwilling Lorraine. However, perhaps because Lorraine was a Metahuman, or perhaps because of the nuclear nature of Lorraine's powers, the merge allowed Ronnie Raymond's consciousness to manifest from within the Firestorm matrix, becoming the dominant persona in the new Firestorm.
Unfortunately, both Lorraine and Ronnie began to dissipate, 'burned out' by the Firestorm matrix. Jason ended the merge, and Ronnie apparently disappeared again; however, Lorraine was able to say goodbye before he went. With Lorraine and Jason separated, Killer Frost attacked again, clubbing Lorraine to the floor and leaving her for dead. Fortunately, the supervillain was scared off by the police before she could kill her victims. Lorraine spent some time afterwards recovering from her injuries.
During Infinite Crisis, Firehawk assisted Donna Troy in recruiting heroes to aid Donna in battling a cosmic threat to the universe. Lorraine brought Firestorm in for Donna's strikeforce (Firestorm #19). As the Crisis unfolded, Lorraine remained on Earth, bringing her alter-ego out of retirement to fight an unknown nuclear-powered adversary (Firestorm #21) A few months after the Crisis, Lorraine took her father's seat on the Senate, becoming the junior Senator from New York. She also revamped her Firehawk costume (Firestorm #23).
Firestorm appeared to hold mixed feelings against Lorraine, still blaming her for Mick's death while in space, after returning active during the 52 ordeal he agreed to join her in a short lived new Justice League. They face Skeets, who kills one of the League and many innocent civilians. The group resigns in disgrace.<ref>"52" #24 (2006)</ref>. However, during the World War III event, the battle against Black Adam Jason was forced to put aside all grudges with Lorraine, and asked her to merge with him and activate Firestorm, unable to act alone due to the mysterious disappearance of his recent merge partner, Martin Stein. Under duress Lorraine rekindled their friendship, and they start working together again. One year after Infinite Crisis, Lorraine and Jason are still merged as Firestorm, while Martin Stein, Jason's normal partner in the Firestorm merge, is missing. While they're merged, Jason can use Lorraine's powers along with his own. When the two are separated, Lorraine can still use her powers as Firehawk on her own. However, if Lorraine and Jason are separated by a distance of more than a mile, there are serious consequences; Lorraine loses her powers, while Jason manifests uncontrollable blasts of energy.
Lorraine was invited by Oracle to join the Birds of Prey, but apparently did not take her up on the offer.<ref>Birds of Prey #100</ref>
During the Brightest Day event, Lorraine makes a brief cameo as one of the metahumans driven insane by Alan Scott's Starheart power. Batman explains to the Justice League that during her rampage, Lorraine destroyed three blocks in the city of St. Petersburg.
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Firehawk wore a striking costume: a skin-tight red bodysuit adorned with bright yellow flame motifs across the torso, arms, and boots. A dramatic flaming plume of energy often extended from her head like hair, emphasizing her transformation into a nuclear-powered being. She was drawn with a sleek, athletic build and a confident stance, highlighting her status as both a political figure’s daughter and a fiery metahuman heroine. Later iterations of her costume maintained the red-and-yellow motif, with variations emphasizing flame patterns across her limbs and chest, and her flaming 'hair'. (Firestorm, the Nuclear Man v1 #1)
Lorraine was depicted as confident, assertive, and at times fiery in both temperament and demeanor, a reflection of her powers. Coming from a wealthy political background, she initially displayed an upper-class polish and directness, but once empowered, she demonstrated independence and resolve. Her loyalty to her allies, particularly Firestorm, defined much of her early personality, and she showed a willingness to put herself at risk for the sake of others. While sometimes brash in the heat of combat, she also exhibited compassion and courage, balancing her privileged upbringing with a genuine commitment to heroism. (Fury of Firestorm v1 #23)
Powers and abilities
As Firehawk, Lorraine possessed nuclear-based powers derived from atomic experimentation. She could generate and project nuclear flames, which manifested as streams, blasts, or protective shields. Her flames could counteract ice-based powers, burn through mystical constructs, and deflect attacks. Firehawk was capable of flight, propelling herself at high speeds while wreathed in atomic fire. Her physiology granted her resilience against energy attacks, and she could withstand extremes of heat and cold while in her empowered state. (Fury of Firestorm v1 #33)
Firehawk has a wide array of thermal and radioactive powers. She can create bird-like wings of atomic flame and fly at high speeds. She can fire blasts of fiery thermal energy or bursts of searing radiation. She can lower her molecular density to the point that she can fly through solid matter. She can even manipulate energy fields, such as draining stolen energy back from Parasite. In Crisis on Infinite Earths, she is shown creating a new costume for herself by rearranging molecules.
Notes
- Firehawk was created by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick where she made her first appearance in the Fury of Firestorm v1 #1 (June, 1982).
Appearances
- Firestorm:
External Links
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