The Fury of Firestorm's Family - Dan Jurgens on The Nuclear Man's Penultimate Chapter

As writer/artist Dan Jurgens's time on The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man winds down and fans [...]

As writer/artist Dan Jurgens's time on The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man winds down and fans bid adieu to the troubled series with next month's #20, there's a pretty high-stakes battle that ramps up this issue, with fallout promised for next issue and, depending on your reading of tonight's penultimate chapter, beyond that as well. That's because Ronnie Raymond--one of the two teens who form the Firestorm matrix--has been baited into trying to rescue his kidnapped mother--and the kidnappers? A group of six supervillains culled from DC's and Firestorm's history and revamped for the New 52. Besides Killer Frost, who was teased earlier in the series and seen on the cover with a newly-redesigned costume from Cully Hamner and Andy Kubert, Firestorm got to meet Hyena, Black Bison, Typhoon, Plastique and more. It was an organized attack by the villains--who will be joined next month by yet another shadowy figure, this one with ties to the government. Jurgens joined us to discuss the title's final arc, to clarify a few points about today's issue and to give a tease of what's to come. You can check it out below but remember - This is a SPOILER-FILLED conversation, meant to be read as a "commentary track" for the issue in question. If you haven't already bought it, you should do so and follow along with us. ComicBook.com: Is this the first time we've seen Killer Frost in The New 52? Dan Jurgens: As far as I know, yes. Her new look was put together by Cully Hamner and Andy Kubert, and then I stepped in with a few tweaks. ComicBook.com: These guys are all reinventions of classic DC villains - was it important to get some of these characters back on the board before the end of the series? I know you had primarily been concerned with introducing new baddies since the relaunch.

Jurgens: Yeah, it was important. Firestorm has a fairly rich history of villains and we all thought it was important to get them on stage before the book goes away. ComicBook.com: And--hey! Karl Kesel's back! Will he and Ray be platooning for the rest of the run? Jurgens: Actually, my old buddy Norm Rapmund stepped in to ink #20 and did a brilliant job. ComicBook.com: It's interesting--so often, supporting characters in this kind of story know stuff that they shouldn't, and you just believe it because it's necessary for the plot (not talking about your work in particular, just about action/adventure stories and stories with complex villainous plots). Jason's dad kind of inverts that with the assumption--wrong--that the badguys already knew who Jason and Ronnie were. They don't really know that yet, just know that there's a connection, right? Jurgens: Multiplex knows, but he's the only one. So you're right, Al did what everyone in comics should do-- assume the worst! But it helped convey the overall problem the guys face going forward. They're wanted by nearly everyone in site. ComicBook.com: Would the Firestorm body automatically change the water into oxygen as it entered the lungs? It seems like something where survival instinct would kick in.

Jurgens: Maybe-- if he needs oxygen to breathe. I always wanted to get to an issue where we explored the true nature and limits of his powers and I do think it's a legit question to ask: When Ronnie and Jason are in Firestorm form, does Firestorm need to breathe? Or is this form kind of subconscious manifestation of what's created? That's actually how I look at it and I think there were places to take that theory. ComicBook.com: So--does Ronnie read Spider-Man? Sinister Sixers? Jurgens: Say WHAT? Um, could be, I suppose... Seriously, I just thought of it as a fun gag. ComicBook.com: Now, just to keep the scorecard straight--did General Eiling send Killer Frost and company before he added this last component? Jurgens: No, he didn't. They're acting on their own, all of which will be made clear in #20. ComicBook.com: Things don't look good for Ronnie's mom. Any hope on that front? Jurgens: Stay tuned! ComicBook.com: Seems like things are ticking down here...will we see Jason take over the body before the run is up? Jurgens: That was something else I always wanted to play with. It'd be a major event for the guys and there simply wasn't room in #20 to make it happen. We have some other special treats in the book-- things that are lots of fun, I think. Firestorm is a great character and I had great, great fun doing the book. I am genuinely sorry to see it go, but I think readers will like what we have in store.

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