All-Star Squadron #5

[iamrman]

Writer: Roy Thomas

Pencils: Rich Buckler

Inks: Jerry Ordway

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Roy Thomas originally intended to use an obscure Golden Age heroine named Wildfire in this book, but there was already a character by that name in the Legion of Super-heroes. Instead, Thomas created a new character and I’m guessing he named her after his wife as well.

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Judicious bit of inking to make it seem like Danette isn’t totally naked.

Some time later, the All-Star Squadron fly out to Mexico to look for the missing Sheira.

Next: Amazing Spider-Man #110.

Comments

[scorntx]

The Golden Age Wildfire was a park ranger called Carol Vance Martin, who was orphaned at the age of five by a wild fire. She was spared by the mysterious entity known as the Lord of Fire, who was impressed by her total lack of fear at the fire and empowered her with "power over all flames".
Who was the Lord of Fire? Where did he come from? Who knows.

Since Wildfire was a Quality Comics character, DC has had ownership of her, and has never done anything with her.

Damn shame, because she's got such a delightfully mad and weird origin story.

But obviously, can't have two very different characters who operate in different places with the same name.
That'd just confuse people.

[xokaraoke]

Danette Reilly's origin is so flimsy it's even weirder. The source of her powers is never explained or even explored. She just fell into some lava and (shrug).

[scorntx]

To be fair, randomly falling into lava and getting free superpowers is entirely in keeping with a lot of golden age origin stories.

[full_metal_ox]

As a colorfully accident-prone Jeopardy contestant complained: “I’ve been electrocuted. I’ve been bitten by a monkey. What do I have to do to get superpowers, get bitten by an electric monkey?’

[icon_uk]

My favourites remain, the Whizzer, whose was shot up with mongoose blood and developed super speed as a result.

And the all time winner: Golden Age Black Condor, who is basically "John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke" if he was raised by condors instead of apes, and who learned how to fly by watching his adopted family do it and then just... doing what they did.

[blues32]

Jay Garrick got his powers from breathing in hard water vapors. Somehow that gave him super speed. At least falling into lava is related to fire to a degree.

[mister_terrific]

I've STILL never quite figured out Dr. Mid-Nite's origin...

[scorntx]

Blinded by a grenade thrown at him by mobsters, Charles McNider develops night and x-ray vision!
All without being hit by a radioactive anything.

also there's something about a pet owl?

[icon_uk]

That would have been an interesting way to introduce a Golden Age Fire Elemental.

[superfangirl1]

I remember Firebrand. I liked her a lot in Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was greatly cool to see her origins in this comic.

[fourds]

Nominative determinism gets a level-up or weird cousin here--"My brother took on the name Firebrand for reasons entirely unrelated to actual fire, but I just got fire-controlling powers!"

[dan_ingram]

I've always liked Firebrand, and I've always been disappointed that we never got a definitive answer as to what happened to her after the war.

[beyondthefringe]

According to Geoff John’s (I,e.the Stars and STRIPE series),Mishell had a romantic relationship with the Shining Knight and was killed by the Dragon King at some point.

[beyondthefringe]

So the original Firebrand was a confirmed bachelor with a bodyguard/best friend, and his outfit was pink and flimsy.

I bet he frequented the same bars as Alan Scott.

[bruinsfan]

Don't forget the bright red tights that fit Danette's proportions as well as they did Rod's. I'm surprised the red one-piece swimsuit was her addition rather than part of the original outfit.

I suppose Danette's not the first woman who's realized she didn't know her brother as well as she thought upon finding some of his hidden clothes.

[mister_terrific]

You know, I'd read this back in the day and it NEVER occurred to me what it was implying. Yes, I was clueless back then.