The Arrowverse crossover, “Crisis on Earth-X” saw the assembled heroes save Earth-1 from invading Nazi’s from Earth-X. However, that victory was tempered by the loss of one of their own and now The CW has released a featurette paying tribute to the fallen hero.
Professor Martin Stein (Victor Garber) who was one half of the superhero Firestorm along with Jax Jefferson (Franz Drameh) died during the fourth hour of “Crisis on Earth-X,” gunned down by Nazis on Earth-X while trying to reactivate the heroes’ only gateway home to Earth-1. The death of Stein, who has been a regular character on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow since the series’ debut and previously appeared on The Flash, was an emotional one for fans and in the featurette Garber talks about the impact being part of not just Legends but the superhero genre overall has had on him. You can check out the clip above.
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“I’ve loved the whole experience of being in this genre and this world which is something I never really knew about and didn’t really understand,” Garber says. “Meeting fans of the shows has been really a lovely thing. You know, when you sign a picture for a nine-year-old kid, it’s very humbling and sweet. I like that.”
Stein’s death may have been something of a surprise for Legends fans. While news broke in October that Garber was going to be leaving the show, for the last few episodes it had looked like Stein and Jax would find a way to separate their powers so that Stein could retire and go home to his family. Ultimately, they did find a way to separate their powers — Cisco created a serum that served as a cure and stripped both men of their powers — however, it was technically the cure that killed Stein. After being shot, Jax bonded with him as Firestorm to keep Stein alive, but, unfortunately was going to lead to Jax dying, too. Stein refused to let that happen and asked Jax to allow him to pass on, sacrificing himself for Jax.
However, despite Stein’s death and Garber’s departure, this isn’t the last time fans will get to see a version of the character. The Legends will encounter young Martin Stein in the upcoming midseason finale, though that circumstance won’t be the best. The Legends will encounter the young version of their beloved friend while dealing with a blue stuffed animal who has somehow become a Viking god in the upcoming “Beebo The God of War.”
Legends of Tomorrow airs Tuesdays after The Flash at 9/8c on The CW.