Prof. Martin Stein

Martin Stein was a brilliant but troubled nuclear physicist who, during the explosion of an experimental reactor, was fused together with teenager Ronnie Raymond to become the nuclear-powered hero Firestorm — with Stein's scientific mind serving as a guiding voice within the shared consciousness.

Few characters in DC's Bronze Age carry the intellectual weight of Prof. Martin Stein, who first stepped onto the page in Firestorm #1 in 1978, brought to life by the creative team of Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. A fixture of the nuclear-powered corner of the DC Universe, Stein has kept remarkable company over nearly five decades — sharing adventures with Firestorm, Ronnie Raymond, The Flash, and even Batman and Bruce Wayne across titles like Justice League of America and The Flash. Three of his appearances have earned key-issue recognition among collectors, a testament to how meaningfully this professor has shaped the stories around him. That a character debuting in the Bronze Age is still turning up in catalog entries through 2024 speaks volumes about the enduring pull of Martin Stein — a man whose place in comics history is as solid as the science he embodies.