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Wildfire
Wildfire pencilled and inked by Dave Cockrum
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #195 (June 1973)
Created by	Cary Bates (writer) Dave Cockrum (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Drake Burroughs
Species	Metahuman
Place of origin	Earth (31st century)
Team affiliations	Legion of Super-Heroes
Notable aliases	ERG-1, NRG
Abilities	Anti-energy physiology Superhuman strength and durability High-speed flight Energy manipulation Minor object conjuration

Wildfire is a superhero appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. Created by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum, the character debuted in Superboy #195 (June 1973).

Publication history

Cockrum originally wanted to name the character Starfire, but was rejected because there were already plans to introduce a character named Starfire in the Teen Titans.

Wildfire was immediately popular with readers. At that time, the editors of Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes held periodic elections in which readers could choose the Legion's leader. Soon after his introduction, Wildfire was elected to that post. In-story, Wildfire actually lost the election to Superboy, but as no candidate had received a majority of the votes, the membership decided that the Legion needed a member who was available full-time rather than the time travelling, part-time Kryptonian member.

Fictional character biography

Original

Wildfire is originally Drake Burroughs, a failing astro-engineer student at Metropolis University. While helping with a propulsion system the university is developing, Burroughs is disintegrated by a blast of anti-matter energy and transformed into an anti-energy entity. He gains a special suit to contain his form, but loses his senses.

Calling himself ERG-1 (Energy Release Generator 1), Drake attempts to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, but is rejected due to his abilities overlapping with other members. He is admitted into the Legion after saving them from a villain.

Initially, Wildfire and Superboy are rivals and fight over the position of team leader. Wildfire acquits himself well in that battle, establishing that his raw power is comparable to a Kryptonian's. As leader, Wildfire receives mixed reviews. Though he is decisive and a gifted tactician, his poor people skills alienate many of his fellow members. He leads the Legion through the Earthwar and Omega crises but is defeated for re-election by Lightning Lad.

Shortly after becoming leader, Wildfire recruits Dawnstar, who he develops a love-hate relationship with. It is eventually revealed that Dawnstar reciprocates his feelings, but she fears that she will never know physical love since Wildfire does not possess a physical body.

Some time later, the Legionnaire Quislet, who is also an energy being, teaches Wildfire how to control his energy form without needing the containment suit. In this new form, Wildfire is tangible and closer to human, but his body remains hot to the touch. After Quislet's containment device is destroyed and he is forced to return to his dimension, Wildfire loses his physical form and possesses Sun Boy's corpse.

Post-Zero Hour

Following Zero Hour, Wildfire is absent from Legion comics for some years, and when he returns, he is given a drastically different origin.

Atom'X (Randall Burroughs) and Blast-Off (Jahr-Drake Ningle), members of the Uncanny Amazers and Workforce respectively, are seemingly killed by Mordru. Later, they are discovered to have survived and fused into an energy being who becomes known as Drake Burroughs.

One year later

A new incarnation of Wildfire resembling the original version appears in "The Lightning Saga" crossover storyline. This version's containment suit is made from Red Tornado's robotic shell, giving him access to his memories.

The New 52

In Legion Lost, Wildfire, Dawnstar, Chameleon Girl, Tellus, Tyroc, Gates, and Timber Wolf are stranded in the 21st century while battling a time-travelling terrorist. During this time, he temporarily joins the Justice League.

In Doomsday Clock, Doctor Manhattan erases the Legion of Super-Heroes from existence before eventually restoring them.

Powers and abilities

After being disintegrated by an anti-matter wave, Wildfire was transformed into a being composed of it with the ability to manipulate energy, fly at high speeds, and alter his size. However, he is forced to wear a containment suit at all times to maintain his form and prevent his energy from hurting others.

As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Wildfire is provided a Legion Flight Ring, which enables him to fly and protects him from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.

Other versions

• An alternate universe variant of Wildfire appears in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #5.
• An alternate universe variant of Wildfire appears in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #7. This version is the last surviving Legionnaire, his energy powers having rendered him immortal.
• An ancestor of Dawnstar known as Wildstar is a member of the 21st-century hero team R.E.B.E.L.S. She has the combined powers of Dawnstar and Wildfire.

In other media

• Wildfire makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home".
• Wildfire makes non-speaking cameo appearances in Legion of Super Heroes (2006). According to producer James Tucker, he would have had a more prominent role in the cancelled third season, replacing Kell-El / Superman X as a member of the Legion.
• Wildfire makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023).
• Wildfire appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.

References

1. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 328. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
2. Cadigan, Glen (2003). The Legion Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 71. ISBN 978-1893905221.
3. Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #34-35
4. Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 5) #50 (March 2009)
5. Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #5
6. Justice League of America (vol. 2) #9
7. Justice League of America (vol. 2) #10
8. Doomsday Clock #12 (December 2019). DC Comics.
9. Justice Society of America (vol. 4) #10. DC Comics.
10. "The World's Finest - Batman: The Brave and the Bold". dcanimated.com. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
11. Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 25, 2024.

• Characters created by Dave Cockrum
• Comics characters introduced in 1973
• DC Comics aliens
• DC Comics characters with superhuman strength
• DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes
• DC Comics male superheroes
• DC Comics metahumans
• DC Comics superheroes
• Fictional characters who can change size
• Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities
• Legion of Super-Heroes members