The CW Could Make a Great FIRESTORM Spin-Off… With the Right Elements!

By Justin M on Tuesday, February 24th, 2015

It’s been a week since last epic episode of The Flash, and it’s still has me geeking out. The story was solid, the action and humor spot on, Easter Eggs were a plenty, and the show avoided its periodic ‘afterschool special moment’ that makes me cringe every time. What was noteworthy about“Fallout” is that it seemed a lot like a backdoor Firestorm pilot. The only real difference between it and The Flash’s backdoor pilot on Arrow was that we didn’t have to wait another season to see a Brave and the Bold styled episode. Since The CW is getting pretty good at making quality superhero shows, I think their next project should be about The Nuclear Man. With the right key ingredients it could be another smash hit. Allow me to explain…

*WARNING: This article contains spoilers from episodes of The Flash*

INTRO

Call me old school, but I miss when TV shows had theme songs. No matter where you were, a familiar song will somehow bring you to the nearest TV. About a month ago, I heard “Save Me” by Remy Zero on the radio and I ended up thinking about Smallville. Even if they continue to use the “My name is blah blah, and blah blah blah” speech, let it be to a catchy song. My personal pick is the music and chorus of “We Are One” by 12 Stones. Something about that hook just says Firestorm to me…

BASIC PLOT

With the way General Eiling wanted Firestorm and his powers, I felt a vibe similar to The Incredible Hulk series (real life or cartoon, take your pick). One of the last scenes of “Fallout” showed Firestorm flying off to Pittsburgh to meet a colleague of Martin Stein’s who can help him and Ronnie Raymond understand their powers. Somewhere along the way, an event could keep them from flying to Pittsburgh (limited amount of time in their form, military jets, etc). This would force them to travel by much slower means, but give them a chance to be heroes while running from the feds across the country. This could also introduce other metahumans that aren’t some way connected to The Flash ergo expanding the ‘Arrow-verse’ even more.

MAIN CAST

The banter between Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein is what makes Firestorm such a unique hero. While we may get to read what other supers say in their heads, Firestorm has a voice that talks back, gives advice, and is an expert on nuclear physics. Robbie Amell and Victor Garber have great chemistry and it would be a waste to only have them for one or two episodes of The Flash. Assuming that Eiling escaped his *ahem* reunion with Grodd, he would make a first-rate antagonist. He could be the General Ross to our network Hulk, hunting him down while trying to harness his power for military purposes. To round out this cast, I would recommend Walter Reilly. Firestorm fans will know him as the father of Lorraine Reilly aka Firehawk. He could serves as Eiling’s superior who wants to end the nuclear arms race. Shows like Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D have shown that mixing government with superheroes can work. Let’s see what happens when nuclear power is thrown in the mix.

FIRESTORM’S POWERS

I was originally put off by Firestorm‘s abilities on The Flash. It seemed like he became a cheap knockoff of the Human Torch, much like how Girder somehow became a douchebag version of Colossus. According to various fans and wiki sites, Firestorm has a vast assortment of powers that would be great to see in live-action. For a TV show, I’d recommend sticking to the main five powers: flight, enhanced physicality, energy (or ‘fusion’) blasts, energy absorption, and transmutation. Early episodes could focus on Ronnie mastering his abilities while getting Obi Wan-esque mentoring from Stein and using them on the evil metahuman of the week. An episode dedicated to the psychic link between them would also be noteworthy. At least build it enough so Ronnie doesn’t have to keep cutting himself to ‘text’ Professor Stein.

Seriously readers, this is a guy who wields almost infinite power and does stuff like turn a skyscraper into gelatin! Wouldn’t you want to see something like that on television?

COSTUME CONSTRUCTION

When Arrow first came around, The CW made a more realistic Green Arrow, complete with a very simple costume. Then along came The Flash, which had its hero in a suit that was a little more comic bookish than its predecessor. For a Firestorm show, they would have to take it a step further.

Until DC Comics‘ heavier hitters show up, Firestorm is the biggest powerhouse and the right costume would reflect that. I’d personally go for look similar to Firestorm in DC’s Future’s End storyline but with Ronnie‘s New 52 colors. As long as they don’t stick to wearing a quantum splicer on a sweatshirt, I’ll be fine. Oh, and no more puffy shirts. They don’t work. Just ask Jerry Seinfeld.

VILLAINS

It’s true that a hero is only as good as their villains. That works against Firestorm, who’s always had a pretty crappy rogues gallery. To make things worse, two of his actual decent enemies, Multiplex and Plastique, were killed off on The Flash already. Luckily, DC Comics has a long list of B-list villains that could push the limits of a novice superhero. Some of my picks include Dr. Polaris, The Thinker, Mammoth & Shimmer, Typhoon, and Plasmus. Characters like Pionic Man and the Crystal Frost version of Killer Frost could be written as the other members of Stein’s F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. team out for revenge, while Major Force or Atomic Skull could be the military’s failed attempt at replicating nuclear powers. These villains may not be a Darkseid-level, but they could use some screen time.