The Fury of Firestorm #1

Jun 1982 · DC · 0.60 USD; 0.20 GBP

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“Day of the Bison”

★ 1st appearance — Black Bison

About this Issue

The Fury of Firestorm #1 (June 1982) is the opening chapter of what became a 100-issue run — DC's most sustained showcase for the Nuclear Man — and proof that a character killed off by the 1978 DC Implosion could be fully rehabilitated. After surviving only five issues in his first series, Firestorm had been kept breathing through JLA membership and eight-page Flash backups; this issue formalized his comeback as a headliner and established the tone, cast, and ongoing rogues' gallery that would define Bronze Age DC storytelling for the rest of the decade. The debut of both Black Bison and Lorraine Reilly (the future Firehawk) in a single issue gave the new series an immediate sense of narrative infrastructure, seeding subplots and future heroic identities from the very first chapter.

"Day of the Bison" kicks off The Fury of Firestorm #1 with a thunderous clash when John Ravenhair is transformed into the monstrous Black Bison by a spell from his grandfather, unleashing chaos during a school field trip at a museum. As Ronnie Raymond shifts into Firestorm to intervene, the creature vanishes into Central Park, setting the stage for a high-stakes confrontation. Written by Gerry Conway and brought to life by Pat Broderick’s dynamic art, with inks by Rodin Rodriguez and colors by Gene D’Angelo, the cover by Broderick and Dick Giordano captures the moment’s intensity.

writer Gerry Conway · artist Pat Broderick · inker Rodin Rodriguez · colorist Gene D'Angelo · letterer John Costanza · cover Pat Broderick, Dick Giordano

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Raw (Fine) $4

CGC 9.8 · 245 in census $98

CGC 9.6 · 162 in census $62

CGC 9.4 · 76 in census $34*

CGC 9.2 · 53 in census $24*

CGC 9.0 · 45 in census $20*

CGC 8.5 · 24 in census $20*

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CGC 8.0 · 13 in census $20*

CGC 7.5 · 12 in census $20*

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CGC 6.5 · 4 in census $20*

CGC 6.0 · 7 in census $20*

CGC 5.5 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 5.0 · 2 in census $20*

CGC 4.5 · 1 in census $20*

CGC 4.0 · 1 in census $20*

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VG $2.99 NM · Newsstand $9.99 The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man #1 (1982) DC Comics🔥 $7 DC Comics The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man #1 1982 $9.95

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History

Firestorm's original 1978 solo title was canceled after five issues in the company-wide 'DC Implosion,' with the sixth issue printed only in Cancelled Comic Cavalcade. Writer Gerry Conway kept the character alive by adding him to the Justice League of America roster and running backup stories in The Flash (issues 289–304, with art by George Pérez, Jim Starlin, and others), building enough audience demand to justify a new monthly. Conway, energized by DC publisher Jenette Kahn's creative incentives, consciously modeled the book on his Spider-Man experience — he wanted a fun, light-toned teenage-hero series with an adult conscience perched on the lead character's shoulder — and brought in penciler Pat Broderick as his artistic partner. The editorial stack for the launch included Joe Orlando as editorial director, Dick Giordano as managing editor, Len Wein as editor, and Carl Gafford as assistant editor, with Broderick and Giordano collaborating on the cover.

Trivia · 8 facts

First appearance of the villain Black Bison (John Ravenhair), a Native American possessed by his great-grandfather's shaman spirit, created by Gerry Conway and Pat Broderick.
First appearance of Lorraine Reilly, who would eventually become the nuclear heroine Firehawk — her transformation into Firehawk itself did not occur until The Fury of Firestorm #17 (October 1983).
Lead story titled 'Day of the Bison!' — Part 1 of 2, continued in issue #2 — set at the New York Museum of Natural History and Central Park.
Written by Gerry Conway; penciled by Pat Broderick; inked by Rodin Rodriguez; cover by Pat Broderick and Dick Giordano; colored by Gene D'Angelo; lettered by Gaspar Saladino.
Instead of a traditional letters page, issue #1 features an article by Conway recapping the history and origin of Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein), created by Conway and Al Milgrom.
Firestorm's original 1978 first series was canceled after five issues in the DC Implosion; this 1982 series ultimately ran 100 issues (plus five Annuals) through August 1990, operating under the titles The Fury of Firestorm (#1–64), Firestorm: The Nuclear Man (#65–92), and Firestorm (#93–100).
The issue was reprinted internationally: in Flash (Arédit-Artima, France, 1983 series) #1 (October 1983) and in Supermans Freunde (Egmont Ehapa, Germany, 1984 series) #4, subtitled 'Feuersturm gegen Schwarzer Bison' (1985).
Firestorm was later adapted for live-action television in the CW Arrowverse, portrayed by Robbie Amell, Victor Garber, and Franz Drameh across The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.