If you were paying close attention to the premiere episode of The Flash, you heard the name Ronnie Raymond’s name dropped as one of the STAR Labs people who were “lost” in the explosion. Does that mean Firestorm is on the way? Yes. Yes it does.
Variety reports that The CW series has cast Victor Garber as Dr. Martin Stein, the other half of Firestorm.
Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man No. 1 (March 1978) and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. The original Firestorm was distinguished by his integrated dual identity. High school student Ronnie Raymond and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Martin Stein were caught in a nuclear accident that allowed them to fuse into the “nuclear man” Firestorm. Due to Stein’s being unconscious during the accident, Raymond was prominently in command of the Firestorm form with Stein a voice of reason inside his mind. Banter between the two was a hallmark of their adventures.[1] Initially Stein was completely ignorant of their dual identity, leaving him concerned about his unusual disappearances and blackouts, but Ronnie was eventually able to convince him of the truth, allowing them to bond as separate individuals rather than as parts of a whole.
After the accident that created him, Firestorm took to defending New York from such threats as Multiplex and Killer Frost. The 1982 series began with the teenaged Raymond adjusting to his newfound role and later delved into the issue of the nuclear arms race and Firestorm’s role as an “elemental.” The Fury of Firestorm slowly developed the lives of Raymond and Stein, as the teenager struggled with high school and moved towards graduation and the scientist found a life outside the lab. A second nuclear hero, Firehawk, was added as a love interest for Firestorm in 1984. The series also tried to create a sense of fun, something that Conway felt was missing during his years writing Spider-Man;[3] the banter between Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein contributed to this. Upon graduation from high school, Raymond entered college in Pittsburgh, where Stein had been hired as a professor.
And remember, the two young scientists still working at STAR Labs are Killer Frost and Vibe. The Atom (played by Brandon Routh) is scheduled to appear on the show soon. The CW and Warner Bros. really did it right with The Flash, and if they continue to build and improve the show (and by extension Green Arrow, The CW should change its name to Comicbook Wonder.
