Firestar (comics)
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Firestar (Angelica "Angel" Jones) is a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
appearing in media and
American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...
published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Created by Dennis Marks, Dan Spiegle,
Christy Marx Christy Marx is an American scriptwriter, author, and game designer, especially narrative designer. She is best known for her work on various TV series including '' Jem'', ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', '' Conan the Adventurer'', ''G.I. Joe'', ...
,
John Romita Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. He was indu ...
, and
Rick Hoberg Richard Renick Hoberg (; born June 7, 1952) is an American comics artist and animator. Newspaper strips Hoberg began his career in comic books in the mid-1970s, working for Russ Manning on ''Tarzan'' comic books for overseas distribution (1975 ...
, the character first appeared in 1981 on the NBC animated television series ''
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends may refer to the following shows: * ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 cartoon series * ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (2021 TV series), a 2021 Disney Junior cartoon {{Disam ...
'' as Fire-Star. Firestar has the ability to generate and manipulate
microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...
radiation, allowing her to fly and create intense heat and flames. In the comics, she has acted as a solo hero and also as a member of the Hellions, the New Warriors, the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
, and the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
.


Development and publication history


''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends''

Firestar - spelled as Fire-Star - was created for the NBC animated series ''
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends may refer to the following shows: * ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 cartoon series * ''Spidey and His Amazing Friends'' (2021 TV series), a 2021 Disney Junior cartoon {{Disam ...
'', with Kathy Garver providing her voice. This version of the character has the ability to control heat in all its forms, as stated in the 1981 "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" one-shot comic. The creators had wanted to use the Human Torch, but the rights to the character were tied up. Fire-Star's pre-production names included Heatwave, Starblaze, and Firefly. Dennis Marks, one of the original writers of ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'', stated in a 2002 interview that he had come up with the name of Fire-Star's alias, Angelica Jones, taken from one of his old girlfriends. In the series, Fire-Star is identified as a former member of the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
, along with Iceman with whom she occasionally appears to have a playful flirtation and sometimes dates. At times, she dates Peter Parker (
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
) as well, resulting in a relaxed
love triangle A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...
of sorts (though Iceman states that "fire and ice don't really mix" despite having feelings for each other). Fire-Star also has a one-episode romance with
Sunfire Fire is a series of server computers introduced in 2001 by Sun Microsystems (since 2010, part of Oracle Corporation). The Sun Fire branding coincided with the introduction of the UltraSPARC III processor, superseding the UltraSPARC II-ba ...
. Her origin is explained in "A Fire-Star is Born." Young Angelica Jones was subject to constant bullying by another girl named Bonnie who called her "Miss Angelica Jinx" due mainly to events mysteriously happening (triggered by her powers) whenever Angelica was around. It was during this time that she became aware of her powers, once saving her father from an accident while disguised. Early in her senior year of high school, Bonnie and her boyfriend framed Angelica for the theft of a trophy, causing Dean Wilmer to temporarily suspend Angelica from school. A strong need to correct this situation led Angelica to become Fire-Star for the first time. She found proof of Bonnie's deception, retrieved the missing trophy, and compelled Bonnie to confess, which justified their expulsion from school. She was later approached by
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...
,
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
, and Iceman to join the X-Men. She accepted and was seen helping them against Magneto and the Sentinels. The animated series and the
one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'' (2 ...
''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' comic book (which adapted an episode for print) are not considered part of standard
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians of ...
continuity. However, the 2006 one-shot comic ''Spider-Man Family: Amazing Friends'' (August 2006) features an in-continuity story, " Opposites Attack!", in which the three superheroes work as a short-lived team. This story takes place shortly after the up-and-coming hero Firestar becomes a founding member of the New Warriors.


Firestar mini-series

Firestar's first in-continuity comic book appearance was in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #193. She next appeared in her own mini-series, which presented her definitive, in-continuity origin. The ''Firestar'' four issue mini-series depicts events both before and after Firestar's appearance in ''Uncanny X-Men'' #193, showing her development from a shy, insecure girl afraid of her developing powers to a confident young woman capable of easily defeating Emma Frost. The mini-series also established that Firestar's powers were microwave-based, rather than the more common fire-generation power that her animated counterpart displayed; the comic-book Firestar essentially harnesses ambient microwave radiation from her environment, making her powers far stronger in an environment such as space, where the concentration of microwaves is much greater than within a planetary atmosphere.


Established character

Despite the mini-series' efforts to flesh out the character, Firestar was not featured in any stories for a few years and seemed destined to fade into obscurity until she joined the New Warriors. She would go on to appear as a regular character in ''Avengers'', and the informal all-female team "Marvel Divas". After the special ''Firestar'' one-shot issue (April 2010), Firestar returned to full-time superheroics as a character in the short-lived comic series ''Young Allies''. Firestar appears as a main character in the ''I Am an Avenger'' comic book mini-series. Firestar was one of the feature characters in the 2011 six-issue limited series ''Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt''. At the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, Firestar was announced "to take her place as a major X-Men character for the first time" starring in the new comic book ''Amazing X-Men'' in November 2013.


Fictional character biography


Hellions

A lonely girl raised by her single father Bartholomew and paternal grandmother, Angelica Jones discovered that she possessed
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
powers. After her grandmother's death by heart failure and her revelation that she was a mutant, her father sent Angelica to the Massachusetts Academy. The
Hellfire Club Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high-society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century. The name most commonly refers to Francis Dashwood's Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe. Such clubs, ...
's original White Queen Emma Frost began training Angelica in the use of her powers for the Hellfire Club's team of young mutants. She was never sent on field missions with the other Hellions, however, because of her lack of control over her lethal powers and because the White Queen wished to instill cruelty and callousness in Firestar's personality, and befriending other young mutants would work against that goal. The White Queen manipulated Angelica into perceiving Frost as a loving mother figure, unaware that Frost was secretly grooming her to be a potential assassin and bodyguard. Angelica did meet the New Mutants at an Academy dance and, with the White Queen's telepathic prompting, formed a crush on
Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
. Firestar was later emotionally manipulated by
Empath Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...
, and accompanied the Hellions Thunderbird, Empath and
Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...
on a mission against the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
, in which Thunderbird sought revenge on Xavier, thinking him responsible for his
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
's death. Angelica felt terrible guilt over the incident once she was free of Empath's power, however. Professor Xavier offered her a place at the Xavier School, but although she declined out of loyalty to the White Queen, she was touched and pleased by the offer.''The Uncanny X-Men'' #193 While a student of the Massachusetts Academy, Angelica had Hellfire mercenary Randall Chase assigned to her as a bodyguard. Growing close to Angelica, Randall eventually began to suspect the White Queen's true motives and was to be terminated. He escaped, mortally wounded, and managed to warn Angelica of Frost's duplicity just before he died. In retaliation, Jones attacked and defeated the White Queen, and decimated the hidden training complex beneath Frost's Massachusetts Academy. Afterwards, she returned to living with her father (as she was still a minor at the time) but kept the unique costume and identity of Firestar given to her by Frost.''Firestar'' #4 Firestar was later to become one of the few surviving original Hellions after most members were murdered by
Trevor Fitzroy Trevor Fitzroy is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an enemy of the X-Men, in particular Bishop. Created by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio, he first appeared i ...
. She, Warpath and Empath were the only members of the team not present during the massacre. Firestar and Warpath (accompanied by Warpath's X-Force teammate and Firestar's former love interest Cannonball), travelled to
Nova Roma Nova Roma (Latin for 'New Rome") is an international Roman revivalist and reconstructionist organizationStrmiska, Michael: ''Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives'', pp. 335-36. ABC-CLIO, 2005 created in 1998 by Joseph Blo ...
in
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
to inform Empath and former New Mutant
Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
of their teammates' deaths. The trio then went to the Massachusetts Academy where they removed the few remaining files on record of the Hellions' existence.''The New Warriors'' #31


New Warriors

Shortly after her resignation from the Massachusetts Academy, Firestar became a founding member of the New Warriors when she was invited (or rather blackmailed) by
Night Thrasher In comics, Night Thrasher may refer to: * Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), the first Night Thrasher, a fictional superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics * Donyell Taylor N'astirh N'Garai N'Kantu, the Living Mummy Naga Nahr ...
into joining, and helped them battle Terrax. She also aided Night Thrasher against
Midnight's Fire Midnight's Fire is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''The New Warriors'' #2 (Aug. 1990), and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley. Midnight's Fire is a Mutant, hi ...
. She also helped
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
defeat the
Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originated in the mid-nineteenth century and was adapted from the Sanskrit word Jagannath. ...
alongside the New Warriors. The team battled the
Mad Thinker Mad, mad, or MAD may refer to: Geography * Mad (village), a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia * Mád, a village in Hungary * Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport, by IATA airport code * Mad River (disambiguation), several ri ...
and Primus, and then battled
Psionex Psionex are a team of comic book supervillains and occasional anti-heroes in the Marvel Comics universe. Publication history Created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley, Psionex first appeared in ''The New Warriors'' #4. Fictional character biogr ...
. The team battled the second Star Thief and
Stane International Iron Monger is an alias used by multiple fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to use the alias is Obadiah Stane, who first appeared in ''Iron Man'' #163 (Oct. 1982). The Iron Mong ...
's
Mandroid Iron Man has a large range of villains. They each have specific abilities which they use against Tony Stark. While these enemies include major independent operators such as Mandarin and Doctor Doom, many of the more minor foes, especially those e ...
s. With teammates
Marvel Boy M-11 Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first appearance in '' Menace'' #11 from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. ...
and Namorita, and the Star Thief, she launched into space aboard a Stane rocket. They encountered the Inhumans and the Watcher on the Moon. With the help of Black Bolt and the Star Thief, she destroyed the Stane rocket containing hazardous waste. Back on Earth, the New Warriors battled the
Force of Nature Forces of nature are literally natural phenomena. Figuratively, the term is also used to describe a thing or person that exhibits qualities which appear to be beyond outside control. Force or Forces of Nature may also refer to: Science *Fundamen ...
in a Brazilian jungle, and rescued teammate Speedball's mother. The New Warriors also battled the White Queen and her Hellions. Eventually, she fell in love and became engaged to teammate Vance Astrovik (also known as
Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
, formerly
Marvel Boy M-11 Originally known as the Human Robot, the character was given the name "M-11" in the 2006 to 2007 ''Agents of Atlas'' miniseries as an allusion to its first appearance in '' Menace'' #11 from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. ...
). She later discovered that using her microwave powers could eventually render her
infertile Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal state ...
. During a revenge scheme by a gang of thugs called the Poison Memories, Firestar's father was shot in the chest. He nearly died but recovered. Firestar also faced a time without Vance, as he had to serve a prison term for the involuntary slaying of his own abusive father. Firestar also provided vital assistance in helping Spider-Man tackle Carnage during " Maximum Carnage", when he was also forced to ally himself with
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
,
Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
and Morbius to stop Carnage's reign of slaughter. Her microwave power proved the only weapon truly effective against Carnage following his 'upgrade'—his vulnerability to sonics having been weakened—but she still refused to kill Carnage, even to stop his murders. For a time, she was briefly attracted to Spider-Man's clone, Ben Reilly, when he joined the New Warriors under the identity of the Scarlet Spider, but their relationship never went beyond an interest due to Firestar's engagement to Justice and Reilly's secrecy causing him to avoid revealing his identity.


Avengers

Firestar and Justice eventually left the New Warriors together. Some time later the two joined the
Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
after an alternate-universe adventure and a struggle against
Morgan le Fay Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morg e, Morgant Morge , and Morgue namong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a powerful ...
. Firestar helped demonstrate her fitness for the position when she and Vance took down Whirlwind, a villain that had foiled most of the other Avengers at once. Firestar demonstrated a more restrained fashion sense, refusing to wear a cleavage-baring costume designed by the
Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...
. Though she is seen wearing exactly that costume in an Avengers promo poster and in some early Avengers appearances, she quickly altered the costume to be more modest, which was consistent with her personality. During this period, Henry Pym determined that the cause of her potential infertility was her natural immunity to the effects of her own powers (which all mutants possess) had never fully developed. He designed a costume for her that would siphon off the excess radiation, give her natural immunity the opportunity to manifest fully and heal the damage already done.''The Avengers'' vol. 3, #12 After a distinguished tenure with the Avengers, including going undercover in a bizarre cult, facing a horde of
Ultron Ultron () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, and initially made his debut as an unnamed character in '' The Avengers'' #54 (July ...
robots, and struggling against Kang the Conqueror's takeover of modern-day Earth, she and Justice left the Avengers. She also made a tentative peace with Emma Frost during this time. Angelica started college and enjoyed a "normal life", but she abandoned wedding preparations, leaving Vance with all of the responsibility. When Vance confronted her about this, she confessed that she needed more life experience before settling into married life. Vance left in anger and presumably ended their engagement.


Retirement

Firestar is one of the few mutants left on the planet with her powers intact, after the
Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...
altered reality and decimated the mutant population. Firestar was not among the New Warriors who died in the catastrophe that sparked the events of ''
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
''. She was presumed to be among the Warriors who confronted the operator of an anti-Warriors hate site created in the wake of the catastrophe, revealed to be former Warriors member Carlton LaFroyge (
Hindsight Lad Hindsight (Carlton LaFroyge), formerly Hindsight Lad, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has appeared primarily in the ''New Warriors'' series. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Darick R ...
). She is seen flying in the background, above the confrontation. Firestar responded to the
Superhuman Registration Act Discrimination against superheroes is a common theme and plot element comic books and superhero fiction, usually as a way to explore the issue of superheroes operating in society or as commentary on other social concerns. Often in response to ...
by effectively retiring from her career as a costumed hero. She was seen as part of a New Warriors reunion of sorts with Nova and Justice, with whom she seems to be on good terms again.


Marvel Divas

In the limited series '' Marvel Divas'' (which was pitched as "''Sex and the City'' in the Marvel Universe"), it is revealed Angelica's closest friends are
Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...
, Hellcat and
Photon A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are massless, so they always ...
. At the very end of the first issue, Firestar announces she has been diagnosed with cancer.''Marvel Divas'' #1 She's later diagnosed by
Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
and the Night Nurse as being in the earlier stages of the illness, provoked seemingly by the same inability to shield herself from her microwave emission powers that's making her infertile. Despite her bravery in dealing with the illness (she asks Patsy to write a book and a blog to relay her experience to other cancer survivors, strongly believing in her ability to heal), and Henry Pym offering her a second opinion (despite Pym actually being a
biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
, and not a
physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
), she is still in visible distress; enough for Daimon Hellstrom to approach his ex-wife Patsy, ensuring her fast healing in exchange for Patsy remarrying him (and giving him her soul in the process). Learning about Patsy's brave move to help in her recovery, Angelica and her supportive friends travelled to Hellstrom's dimension to rescue her, thereby rejecting his 'healing' help for Hellcat's freedom and taking her chances against the cancer. After returning to Earth, Angelica had a follow-up exam that revealed her cancer to be in complete remission. During this series, she is a New York University graduate student in art history, specializing in Medieval European art. Due to her chemotherapy, Angelica began to lose her hair. Initially opting for a wig, she decided to cut her hair short instead.''Marvel Divas'' #4


One-shot and Young Allies

Firestar continues her education while engaging in super heroics part-time. In her one-shot issue, she is wearing a long-haired red wig as her natural hair has not grown back yet. When the Bastards of Evil attack at the World Trade Center Ground Zero, she is the first of New York's heroes to respond. Shortly after, she is joined by
Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...
,
Nomad A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
, Spider-Girl and Toro. The five heroes unite to defeat the menace, but are not taken seriously by the established teams (the Fantastic Four and Avengers) to arrive after the battle. The group worked to track down the Bastards of Evil, Firestar partnering with Gravity while the others pursued independent leads. In addition to tracking the Bastards, Firestar and Gravity begin to patrol the city at night fighting street level crime. During this period, Angelica is dismissive of Nomad and Spider-Girl, which she later regrets as it wasn't that long ago that she was an adolescent super hero. When Nomad and Spider-Girl are captured by the Bastards on their way to meet Gravity and Firestar, Angelica is able to use her microwave powers to track the Bastards and is able to drain the radiation that empowers them. With Gravity's help, she is able to expel the energy harmlessly into space. Nomad suggests that they remain together as the Young Allies, which everyone objects to, and they appear to go their separate ways. In the final issue of ''Young Allies'' (issue #6), Emma Frost attempts to recruit Angelica to move to Utopia with the rest of the mutant population. No offer to join the X-Men was explicitly made, but as most of the mutants living in Utopia appear to be on call as needed, it can be assumed that if Firestar moved she would have been available to the team. Angelica refused the offer, eventually burning down Emma's hotel room to be left alone. Gravity and Firestar continue their evening patrols, and Frost suggests that Gravity has a romantic/sexual interest in her. He also appears to recognize her civilian identity when he sees her in a coffee shop, but she does not notice him. The Young Allies are continuing to operate as a loosely affiliated team to fight
Onslaught Onslaught may refer to: Characters * Onslaught (Marvel Comics), a Marvel Comics supervillain * Onslaught (DC Comics), a DC Comics team of Quraci terrorists * Onslaught (Transformers), the leader of the Combaticons in the ''Transformers'' series G ...
alongside the Secret Avengers in ''Onslaught Unleashed'', despite the cancellation of their own series. Then Firestar appears at a meeting held by
Prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...
regarding magical hammers that have crashed into the earth. She and Gravity agree to co-lead an Initiative team to help keep order during the crisis. After Gravity is injured in a fight with Crossbones, she assumes full command until she and Prodigy travel to Las Vegas to assist with the damage control efforts after the Juggernaut's attack on the city and subsequent battle with the Heavy Hitters. Reunited with Gravity, who also went to Las Vegas to confront Heavy Hitters leader Hardball regarding civilian casualties during the fight, Firestar joined Gravity, Hardball and Telemetry on a mission to prevent seismic damage to the area. Believing they were going to die, she and Gravity revealed their secret identities to each other. Following the end of Fear Itself, Firestar has been seen with Gravity and their former Young Allies associate Spider-Girl fighting Hydro Man, indicating the group is still working together. Firestar applied for a teaching job at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning but when she admitted that she had a thing for Iceman she was rejected as Kitty Pryde, the headmistress of the school who was doing the interviewing, was at the time Iceman's girlfriend.


X-Men

Firestar joined the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
as a new teacher in the Jean Grey School assigned to teaching Physics. After being dragged to Hell with other members of the X-Men, she was pulled into a quest to search for the deceased Nightcrawler, at one point setting Hell itself on fire to stop a wave of demons attacking her and Iceman, an action that notably impressed Nightcrawler. Later on, after returning to Earth, Firestar and Iceman encountered
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
.


Powers and abilities

Firestar is a
mutant In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
whose body stores ambient electromagnetic energy, which she can project and manipulate for various effects. As she alters the electromagnetic wavelengths, they form a microwave aura around her body, at which point she mentally "pushes" the microwaves away from herself. Doing this allows her to release heat, light and radiation into her environment at various intensities. By focusing microwaves on a specific target, she can cause it to burst into flames, explode or melt. She can project microwave energy blasts which have a thermo-concussive effect, heating objects to the point of melting or being incinerated, while the superheated and pressurized air created by the directed microwaves produces impact. Firestar can also sense microwave signals (such as cellular phone signals or remote-control devices) and disrupt electronics with her own microwave emissions. By superheating the air around, her, Firestar can generate enough upward thrust to fly at high speeds and lift objects as heavy as the X-Man
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ''Colossus of Barletta'', a bronze statue of an unidentified Roman emperor * ''Col ...
. Firestar's mutant abilities do not grant her any particular immunity to the effects of intense heat other than that generated by her own microwave powers. During training exercises with Emma Frost in her limited series, she was chastised by her teacher for clumsiness and warned that she could have been "badly burned" by a laser. During a fight between the Avengers and Fantastic Four years later, the Human Torch was afraid of burning her with his own flames. However, she eventually displayed the ability to siphon heat energy and to detect electromagnetic signatures from broadcast transmissions.''Young Allies'' #4 Though exposure to high levels of microwave radiation can be harmful or fatal to living beings, Firestar is apparently immune to most of the damaging effects of her powers. Unlike most mutants, her immunity to her own power was not complete; she was in danger of rendering herself sterile until a cure was discovered by Henry Pym. He designed a suit of micro-circuitry to be worn under her costume that absorbed the excess microwave energy that was affecting her cells, and diverted it in a way that would "kick start" her natural immunity to her own powers. Pym claimed it would take about six months for process to be complete, and over time Firestar appeared to be functionally immune to microwave radiation. She was later diagnosed with breast cancer which was attributed to long-term exposure to her own power. Though the cancer is in remission, the current status of her immunity is unknown. On rare occasion, Firestar has demonstrated the ability to disrupt the
psionic In American science fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as telepathy and psychok ...
powers of others using her own power (namely, Emma Frost,
Empath Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, co ...
, and the Darkling). She is not immune to psychic assault, but when using microwave abilities at a high level she is capable of disrupting it. Onslaught, and the Gamesmaster, were both able to use telepathy against her effectively. The nature of Firestar's power grants her the capacity for large-scale destruction. She typically limits how much of her own power she accesses for fear of permanently damaging the planet, its atmosphere and electromagnetic field. In space, she is far less inhibited, and can access greater levels of ambient electromagnetic energy to fuel her powers. She easily produced an attack that injured
Garthan Saal Supernova, also known as Nova Omega and Garthan Saal, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. His first appearance was as an antagonist in '' The Avengers'' #301 in 1988. As a Nova Corps officer, he ...
when he possessed the energy of the entire
Nova Corps The Nova Corps is a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman, the Corps first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #205 (April 1979). They have since appe ...
, and also used her enhanced abilities to power a massive Shi'ar interstellar transport gate with very little effort.


Reception


Critical reception

Marvel Comics announced that Firestar was the winner of the second annual X-Men fan vote in July 2022.


Accolades

* In 2015, ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' ranked Firestar 34th in their "Let's rank every Avenger ever" list. * In 2019, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Firestar 4th in their "10 Most Powerful Members of The New Warriors" list. * In 2020, ''
Scary Mommy Scary Mommy is a website that produces content targeting mothers, which generally focuses on parenting, motherhood, current events and pop culture. The site is owned by Bustle Digital Group and is based in New York City. History Scary Mommy ...
'' included Firestar in their "Looking For A Role Model? These 195+ Marvel Female Characters Are Truly Heroic" list. * In 2021, ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included Firestar in thei"10 Marvel Superheroes From The ‘80s Who Should Join The MCU" list. * In 2021, ''
CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
'' ranked Firestar 15th in their "20 Most Powerful Female Members Of The Avengers" list. * In 2022, ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...
'' included Firestar in their "10 Iconic New York City-Based Marvel Superheroes We Haven't Seen In The MCU" list.


Other versions


Spider-Verse

Appearing in ''Edge of Spider-Verse: Web of Fear'', Spider-UK (a British Spider-Man who is a member of the Captain Britain Corps) witnesses Morlun kill Spider-Man, as well as Firestar and Iceman lying dead. This universe is an alternate version of ''Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends'' (Earth-1983).


Exiles

An alternate version of Firestar was forced to join the team known as Weapon X, a group of alternate reality-hopping super-people bound to repair broken worlds. Joining the team, Angelica was soon killed in a mega-blast unleashed by her own powers, opposing the evil Hyperion. In the process, her sacrifice also killed
Spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
. Because her body was reduced to ash, it was not returned to its native universe (Earth-3062).


Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness

In issue #3 of this miniseries, she is shown, in flashback, to be among the reserve members of the Avengers answering Colonel America's distress signal (unaware it was a trap), and subsequently leaving the mansion (with fewer people than went in) infected and hungry for human flesh.


MC2

Firestar appeared in a flashback detailing the last adventure of the original Avengers. Firestar was among the team members who died in the team's final battle.


Mutant X

In the Mutant X Universe, Firestar's powers had evolved to the point where her entire body was composed of microwave energy. She was one of the many people trying to resist the rule of
Madelyne Pryor Madelyne Jennifer Pryor is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith (comics), Paul Smith, the character first appeared in ''Uncann ...
. She, along with numerous other heroes, died in battle in the final issue of ''Mutant X''.


Spider-Man Loves Mary-Jane

Firestar appeared in ''
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane ''Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane'' is an American comic book series focusing on a teenage Mary Jane Watson, Mary Jane, the Romantic interest, love interest of superhero Spider-Man. The series, published by Marvel Comics, is a teen drama set outside th ...
''. In the initial Firestar story, Mary Jane watched Spider-Man and Firestar battling crime together and became very jealous. In subsequent issues, Firestar expressed a true romantic interest in Spider-Man. The Firestar story arc took place in issues #16-20 of the series and was compiled in digest format as ''Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Vol. 4''. Also, Iceman appears in a few pages of the final issue of the story arc, showcasing a rare comic-book moment in which the "Spider-Friends" are shown together.


Ultimate Marvel

Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...
, writer of '' Ultimate Spider-Man'', revealed his intentions to have the Ultimate Marvel version of Firestar appear in the book in an interview on
Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
on July 20, 2007. Bendis further stated he had spent 120 issues working toward this and making it an "organic" event and not something "I pulled out of my ass". Ultimate Firestar makes her debut in ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' #118, when Liz Allan claims to be suffering from some bizarre ailment shortly after kissing the Human Torch, and at the close of the issue catches fire while at a beach party with her friends. In the final moments of the story, Liz's body becomes a living mass of flames, signaling her transformation into what could be considered Ultimate Firestar. The next issue (#119) deals with Liz as she tried to come to grips with her powers. The Human Torch is forced to deal with a call from the Fantastic Four, while Shadowcat is grounded, leaving only Iceman and Spider-Man able to go after Liz, an homage to the ''Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends'' television series. After some friendly banter, Magneto shows up, asking Liz to come with him so that he can take her to her biological father. Unsure of what to do, Liz goes home to confront her mother who reveals that her uncle Frank is in fact her real father. Magneto and the X-Men, summoned by Spider-Man, then show up asking Liz to side with one of them. Liz chooses neither and flees to Mary Jane's house. Spider-Man quickly follows her there, and in order to convince her of his words, he reveals his true identity. She is greatly moved by this and refers to him as an "amazing friend". Swayed, Liz then thinks it might be cool to join the X-Men, leaving for the mansion alongside Iceman. The issue ends with a flashback that reveals that Liz's father is in fact the
Blob Blob may refer to: Science Computing * Binary blob, in open source software, a non-free object file loaded into the kernel * Binary large object (BLOB), in computer database systems * A storage mechanism in the cloud computing platform Mic ...
. It was revealed in ''Ultimate X-Men'' #94 that Liz has chosen the codename Firestar, and has some control of her powers. Liz Allan was believed to have been missing in action after Ultimatum, but survived and is featured in ''
Ultimate X The Ultimate X match is a type of professional wrestling match created by Impact Wrestling (formerly Total Nonstop Action Wrestling aka TNA), mainly used in their X Division. It is considered the signature match of the X Division. Match format ...
'' beginning with issue #4. In this issue, it is revealed she, her mother and her newfound half-brother Teddy (and son of the Blob) try to make a fresh start in California. She often teases Teddy because, as she says, he reminds her of her father, though her mother speculates it might be because he reminds her of what she is. When Teddy's friend kills the high school's principal, Teddy's powers manifest, and the situation goes awry. When approached by Jean Grey's Tomorrow People and Quicksilver's Brotherhood, Liz chooses to follow Jean whereas Teddy joins Quicksilver. After briefly working with the team, she settles in Tian, a safe haven for mutants, until its destruction. She then rejoins the X-Men. She also attended a small party that commemorated Peter a few years after his death with Iceman and Human Torch.


In other media


Television

* Firestar appears in '' Wolverine and the X-Men'', voiced by Tara Strong. This version possesses fiery hair while using her powers and hails from a
Mutant Response Division The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...
-dominated future. * Firestar appears in '' The Super Hero Squad Show'', voiced by Laura Bailey. This version is a high school student and classmate of Reptil and Amadeus Cho's in her civilian identity.


Video games

* Firestar appears as an assist character in the '' Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage''. * Firestar appears in '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2'', voiced by Kimberly Brooks. This version is an ally of Captain America in opposing the
Superhuman Registration Act Discrimination against superheroes is a common theme and plot element comic books and superhero fiction, usually as a way to explore the issue of superheroes operating in society or as commentary on other social concerns. Often in response to ...
and appears as a mini-boss in the pro-registration campaign and as a boss in the anti-registration campaign. * Firestar appears as a playable character in ''
Marvel Super Hero Squad Online ''Marvel Super Hero Squad Online'' was a massively multiplayer online game for younger audiences based on the ''Marvel Super Hero Squad'', developed by American video game companies The Amazing Society and Gazillion Entertainment. The open beta ...
'', voiced by
Tara Strong Tara Lyn Strong (née Charendoff; born February 12, 1973) is a Canadian-American actress. She is known for her voice work in animation, websites, and video games. Strong's voice roles include animated series such as ''The New Batman Adventures ...
.


Live performances

* In 1987, Firestar appeared as a guest in Marvel Comics' live reenactment of Spider-Man's wedding to Mary Jane Watson.


Merchandise

* Numerous items were marketed that feature Firestar. In 1994, a Firestar Real Heros cup was available at
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...
. Wizard Entertainment introduced a Firestar action figure offered in ''Toyfare Magazine'' #2 in 1997. Wizkids marketed Firestar HeroClix figurines (set of 4) in November 2004.
Art Asylum Minimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 point ...
produced a Firestar Minimate action figure in 2005. In December 2007, Diamond Select released a 6-inch Firestar minibust. Firestar is featured on cards in the Marvel Universe Trading Cards Series 1 (1990, card #85), Series 2 (1991, cards #32 and 156), Series 3 (1992, card #174), Series 4 (1993, card #20), and Series 5 (1994, cards #20 and 73). Firestar was also included in a number of T-shirts, posters, and art prints featuring New Warriors. In 2021 Hasbro released a 6” Marvel Legends action figure of Firestar.


References


External links


Firestar
at Marvel.com *
UncannyXmen.net Spotlight on Firestar
* {{X-Men media Avengers (comics) characters Characters created by John Romita Sr. Comics characters introduced in 1981 Female characters in animation Female characters in television Fictional characters with fire or heat abilities Marvel Comics American superheroes Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics mutants Marvel Comics television characters Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends X-Men supporting characters