Heat Wave (comics)
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This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (April 2009) |
| Heat Wave | |
|---|---|
 Cover to The Flash #218. Drawn by Howard Porter, Inked by Livesay |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Flash #140 (November 1963) |
| Created by | John Broome |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Mick Rory |
| Team affiliations | The Project Rogues Underground Society The Society |
| Notable aliases | Rory Calhoun |
| Abilities | Possesses a handgun sized flamethrower and a knowledge of pyrotechnics and combustibles. |
Heat Wave is a fictional villain in the DC Universe and a primary foe of the Flash.
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[edit] Fictional character biography
Born on a farm outside Central City, Mick Rory became fascinated with fire, as a child. This fascination turned into an obsession and one night, he set his family's home ablaze. His obsession was so great, that he simply watched the flames engulf his house, instead of running to get help.
After this event, Rory went to live with his uncle. His pyromania continued and he was forced to run away after locking a schoolmate in his house and setting it on fire, after the boy locked Rory in a meat locker during a field trip. He took a job as a fire eater with a traveling circus. This did not last long either, as he ended up setting the circus on fire. He has an intense fear of cold, called cryophobia. This was due to a school field trip (noted above) to a slaughterhouse, during which one of his friends locked him in a walk in freezer
It was these events that made him desperate to fight his fire obsession and after seeing the Rogues in action in Central City, he decided to use his mania to become a villain. He created a protective costume made of asbestos (this was back before the dangers of asbestos were known), built a gun-sized flamethrower, and became Heat Wave. As he was committing crimes in Central City, it was inevitable that he'd run into the Flash, which he did quite regularly. Subsequently, he also ended up in jail quite regularly. He also became an adversary of Captain Cold, due to his aversion to cold temperatures. It was Captain Cold who introduced Heat Wave to the Rogues, and in his first appearance they teamed up to get rid of the Flash as they competed over a newscaster they hyad both fallen in love with and fought each other as they each tried to compete a larger crime spree, but the Flash jailed them both.
Eventually, Mick went straight, due largely to the manipulations of the Top. He took a job as a firefighting consultant, using his vast knowledge on fires and heat. He also became good friends with Barry Allen, whose secret identity as Flash was discovered by Rory years before. Rory later succumbed to an offer by Abra Kadabra of gaining respect and infamy in the world. He and four other members of the Rogues sacrificed themselves, quite unwittingly, to unleash the demon Neron.[1]
Neron returned the soulless bodies of the five to Earth, in a plan to force Flash into a deal.[2] The five Rogues each possessed incredible powers and wreaked havoc, death, and destruction before Neron was forced by Flash to halt their actions and return their souls to their bodies.[3]
Heat Wave would only briefly return to his criminal ways before abandoning them to study with Zhutanian monks.[4] Afterwards, he worked for Project Cadmus as a backup agent, but eventually quit that too and moved to the Quad Cities, Illinois area. He eventually got a job at the FBI, along with other reformed members of the Rogues. This was a spectacular failure and Rory became a villain once again after the Top arrived and undid the mental program that had kept him reformed.
In Infinite Crisis, Heat Wave became a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains.
[edit] One Year Later
One Year Later, after being caught by the police, he and several more of the Rogues are approached by Inertia with a plan to kill the Flash (then Bart Allen). Though Inertia is defeated, he, Weather Wizard, and Captain Cold shot Bart to death and are now on the run. He, Weather Wizard, and Captain Cold seemed to express guilt immediately after Bart's death.
[edit] Salvation Run
Heat Wave is one of the exiled villains featured in Salvation Run along with his fellow Rogues: Captain Cold, Weather Wizard, Mirror Master, and Abra Kadabra.
[edit] Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge
He was seen as the member of Rogues who joined the Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains. In Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge #1, however, Heat Wave and the rest of the Rogues reject Libra's offer, wanting to stay out of the game. Before they can retire, they hear of Inertia escaping and decide to stick around long enough to get revenge for being used.
In Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #2, Human Flame seeks out Heat Wave, hoping to purchase one of his signature flamethrower guns. He refuses, denouncing Human Flame as "pathetic", and gives Human Flame a harsh beating.
[edit] The Flash (Vol. 3)
Heat Wave and the Rogues visit Sam Scudder's old hideout and unveil a giant mirror with the words In Case of Flash: Break Glass written on it.[5] Rory is still on the run with The Rogues.[6] A futuristic version of Heat Wave, calling himself Heatstroke, appears as part of the 25th Century cops known as The Renegades.[6]
[edit] Powers and abilities
Heat Wave carries a hand held flamethrower that allows him to project a concentrated stream of fire at opponents. He wears an asbestos suit with a breathing mask that affords him protection against fire and heat. Heat Wave has a pipe attached to his left arm that can project a fire retardant which allows him to put out fires.
[edit] Other versions
- Heat Wave has appeared in the Justice League Unlimited spin-off comic book, in issue # 21.
- In Tangent Comics (now Earth-9 of the DC Multiverse) Heat Wave is mentioned as New York's weather-manipulating villain that was defeated by Superman.
- In JLA/Avengers Heat Wave is among the villains enthralled by Krona to defend his base in #4. He is shown blasting Jocasta.
- In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Heat Wave kills Jason Rusch in an attempt to take his place in the Firestorm Matrix, but is defeated by Cyborg. He is then sent to death row in the military Doom prison. During this time, Eel O'Brian arrives to break him out, having been hiding in the body of his cellmate Cluemaster.[7] During the prison break, Heat Wave forces an inmate to join him, after taking out another inmate Victor Zsasz and the corrections officer Atom, who controls the actions of Amazo. While retrieving his weapons, Heat Wave then attacks the guards' control room and attempts to ram Cyborg's home city of Detroit with the Doom prison.[8] Heat Wave then betrays O'Brian and apparently kills him with his flamethrower. Cyborg arrives and moves the Doom prison away from the city with his sonic weapon. When the Doom prison crashes, Heat Wave attempts to escape, but Cyborg challenges him to a fight. During the fight, Cyborg manages to defeat Heat Wave and the inmates are willing to surrender. Later, Heat Wave is imprisoned in Belle Reve with his new cellmate, when O'Brian is revealed to be alive in his new cellmate's body and gets revenge on him at the end of the page.[9]
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
- Heat Wave (spelled Heatwave in the show's billing) was shown in Justice League Unlimited voiced by Lex Lang. He appears as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society. In "To Another Shore," he was seen helping Giganta, Killer Frost, and Devil Ray retrieve a frozen Viking ship containing the Viking Prince's corpse. His job was to defrost the Viking ship. In "Alive," he was seen burning Blockbuster and being struck by Silver Banshee, who was subsequently shot by Star Sapphire. In "Destroyer," he was with Lex Luthor and the other remaining Secret Society members when it came to Darkseid's invasion upon Earth. In Justice League Unlimited #21, he shared a relationship with Killer Frost.
- Heat Wave appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!" voiced by Steven Blum. He assists Captain Cold and Weather Wizard in a crime spree.
[edit] Video Games
- Heat Wave appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Videogame as on of the villains, with Steven Blum reprising his role.
- Heat Wave appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by David Jennison as a Tech arms dealer in the Hall of Doom.
[edit] References
- ^ Underworld Unleashed #1 (November 1995)
- ^ Flash #126 (June 1997)
- ^ Flash #129 (September 1997)
- ^ New Year's Evil - The Rogues #1 (February 1998)
- ^ Flash Secret Files and Origins (2010)
- ^ a b The Flash (vol. 3) #1 (April 2010)
- ^ Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #1 (June 2011)
- ^ Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #2 (July 2011)
- ^ Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3 (August 2011)
[edit] External links
- Alan Kistler's Profile On: THE FLASH[dead link] - A detailed analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Alan Kistler. Covers information all the way from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to today, as well as discussions on the various villains and Rogues who fought the Flash. Various art scans.
- Hyperborea entry for Heat Wave
- Crimson Lightning - An online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.
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