Get to Know a Villain: Heat Wave

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Name: Mick Rory, Rory Calhoun

Born: Farm outside Central City

Died:and was resurrected

Affiliations: The Project, Rogues, Secret Society of Super Villains, Legion of Doom

Abilities: knowledge of pyrotechnics, explosives, and fire protection gear; in New 52 has metahuman pyrotechnic abilities from merging his DNA with his flamethrower. No, I don’t know how that happens. No, I can’t even being to fathom how someone would go about doing that. No, I don’t think it’s a good idea, even in comic-world.

First Appearance: The Flash #140 (1963)

The Story:

Mick Rory was obsessed with fire from a very young age. During one of his “experiments” his house caught fire. Rather than trying to stop it or save his parents, Mick watched the house burn with his mother and father still inside.

He was sent to live with an uncle and remained undeterred in his pyromania. After being sealed in a meat locker as a prank, Mick murdered the perpetrator by locking him in a burning house. He runs away and joins a circus as a fire eater but finds himself out of a job when he… wait for it… burns down the circus.

I know, you’re shocked too, right?

After seeing the Rogues in action in Central City, Mick decided to use his obsession for evil. He created a protective costume, built a gun-sized flame thrower, and claimed he name Heat Wave. He and Captain Cold were “friendly” rivals and it was Cold who eventually introduced Heat Wave to The Rogues.

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Like his friend, Mick eventually renounced his life of crime and took a job as a firefighting consultant, even becoming became good friends with Barry Allen (who he knew was The Flash. Go figure). He was eventually tempted by fame and fortune and returned to crime, only to find himself unwittingly sacrificed by Abra Kadabra to summon the demon Neron (no, I don’t know if he, like his surly but amusing counterpart, speaks in rhyme).

Eventually returned to life by The Flash, Heat Wave went went straight again, studied with a sect of monks, acted as a Cadmus backup agent, moved to the Quad Cities, worked for the FBI, had his reform programming undone, and became a villain again (are we sensing a theme vis a vis The Rogues Gallery?). He too was recruited by Inertia in the plot against Bart Allen and, like Cold, immediately expressed remorse upon discovering how young that particular Flash was. He was one of the first Rogues captured by the avenging heroes.

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He helped the Rogues kill Inertia and then blew up a fireworks factory. Then he sort of… faded away until the New 52.

I choose to reject the New 52 Heat Wave because, apparently, he and Captain Cold don’t get along. Having seen them in action on The Flash, I reject any universe in which that relationship isn’t the standard for these two Rogues.

Sources: DC Wikia, Wikipedia