After 48 Years, DC Is Officially Rebooting Justice League Icon Firestorm
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Published Mar 25, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT
Shaun Corley is a Staff Writer for ScreenRant, a position he has held for five years. While he enjoys many types of comics and graphic novels, he has a particular interest in the licensed Star Trek titles.
48 years after his debut, DC is officially rebooting a Justice League icon. DC’s Next Level initiative, an offshoot of its wildly popular All In program, is giving the spotlight to some well-deserving characters, such as Zatanna and Lobo. Next Level is also bringing back heroes who have been off the radar for some time.
One of them is Firestorm. Created in the late 1970s, Firestorm was a unique hero in the DC Universe. Instead of being one person, Firestorm was actually two in one: Professor Raymond Stein and student Ronnie Raymond. An accident gave the two the ability to fuse together into one being: Firestorm.
Firestorm was, during the 1980s, one of DC’s most popular characters. He joined the Justice League early in his career, and even achieved a small degree of mainstream recognition by appearing in two seasons of the Super Friends cartoon. Yet, as the decade ended, Firestorm's star began to dwindle, but now he is returning, and all is not well.
Firestorm Is Coming Apart, Thanks to Some Dark Secrets
What is "Project Firestorm?"
DC Comics released its June solicits, including Firestorm #3. Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Rafael de Latorre, Lorraine Reilly, also known as Firehawk, is trying to locate Ronnie Raymond. Something has happened to drive Ronnie and Professor Stein apart. Unfortunately, Stein may be the only one who can help him.
DC also released a small handful of covers to Firestorm #3 that may shed some light on the now-frayed relationship between Professor Stein and Ronnie Raymond. One, by regular artist de Latorre, shows an image of Stein, with an official-looking dossier referencing something called “Project Firestorm.” Could the knowledge of this program be what drove Ronnie and the Professor apart?
Firestorm May Have Deeper Ties to DC History Than Fans Thought
Firestorm's Origin Is Tied to a Shady Chapter in DC History
Firestorm’s return to the DC Universe should be a cause for celebration. The character has not carried his own book since the beginning of the New 52 in the early 2010s. While Firestorm may not have the extensive lore of other DC heroes, he is still an integral part of the Justice League’s history.
And it is this history that DC’s new Firestorm book will be drawing on. The Firestorm Project mentioned on the cover to issue three has all the bearings of a government-sanctioned military program. This leads to questions over the true origin of Firestorm, namely: was the accident that created him truly one? Or were other forces at work?
This leads to questions over the true origin of Firestorm, namely: was the accident that created him truly one? Or were other forces at work?
2018’s Doomsday Clock introduced another wrinkle into Firestorm’s origin. Professor Stein, as revealed in that series, was part of a top-secret government initiative, called the “Superman Project,” which was tasked with developing super-humans. Niles Caulder and Will Magnus were among the other participants, and Stein’s involvement raises the possibility Firestorm is connected to this program too.
Will Ronnie Raymond and Professor Stein Reform Firestorm?
Firestorm Is Simply too Powerful to Sit on the Sidelines For too Long
DC’s new Firestorm book opens with a rift between Stein and Raymond. What caused their falling out will be one of the book’s century mysteries, but it can be assumed that the new revelations about Firestorm’s origin will be the impetus for their breakup. Ronnie Raymond is no doubt angry he was an unwilling test subject for a ghastly experiment.
DC's Absolute Universe has given the heroes of the Justice League amazing new layers, and now one of its founding members gets a major retcon.
Bringing Stein and Raymond back together somehow will also be one of the central tenets of the upcoming Firestorm title. Firestorm can only exist when Raymond and Stein combine. Without one or the other, Firestorm falls apart. Stein and Raymond worked well together, and losing this bond would be a great disservice to the DC Universe.
What Happened to Jason Rusch? Could He Be the Key to Saving Firestorm?
Firestorm's Biggest Battle Is Just Around the Corner
Firestorm’s impending return raises even more questions, namely the whereabouts of Jason Rusch. After Ronnie Raymond was killed in 2004’s Identity Crisis, the Firestorm Matrix sought out a new host, finding it in Rusch. When Ronnie returned in The Blackest Night, he and Rusch entered into a power-sharing agreement. However, the solicitation makes no mention of Rusch.
Without Rusch, Raymond or Stein, then Firestorm is done. Ronnie and the Professor are going to have to work together, despite what has come between them. Firestorm’s best days are far from behind him, but this Justice League icon is first going to have to fight his toughest battle: with himself.
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