Martin Stein

 ( Characters Created By Al Milgrom ) 

After the accident, Firestorm took to defending New York City from such threats as Multiplex and Killer Frost. The 1982 series began with the teenaged Raymond adjusting to this role and later delved into the issue of the nuclear arms race. The Fury of Firestorm slowly developed the lives of Raymond and Stein, as Raymond struggled with high school and moved towards graduation, and Stein found a life outside the lab after learning about his bond with Raymond. The series also tried to create a sense of fun, something that Gerry Conway felt was missing during his years writing Spider-Man;Conway, Gerry. "Nuclear Reactions: Just Your Average Hot-Headed Hero," The Fury of Firestorm #1 (June 1982). DC Comics. the banter between Raymond and Stein contributed to this. Upon graduation from high school, Raymond entered college in Pittsburgh, where Stein had been hired as a professor. Afterward, together they searched for a cure for their bond.

When Conway left the series in 1986, John Ostrander (with artist Joe Brozowski) began writing the Firestorm stories. His first major story arc pitted Firestorm against the world as the hero, acting on a suggestion from a terminally ill Martin Stein, demanded that the United States and the Soviet Union destroy all of their nuclear weapons. After confrontations with the Justice League and most of his enemies, Firestorm faces the Russian nuclear superhero Pozhar in the Nevada desert, where an atomic bomb was dropped on them. A new Firestorm is created, composed of Raymond and Pozhar and controlled by the disembodied Amnesia mind of Stein.

The Firestorm with Arkadin proved to be a transitional phase, as in 1989 Ostrander fundamentally changed the character of Firestorm by revealing that Firestorm was a "Fire Elemental". By the series' 100th issue, Stein learned that he was destined to be the true Fire Elemental and would have been were it not for Raymond also being there by circumstance. Raymond and Arkadin were returned to their old lives, and Stein as Firestorm was accidentally exiled to deep space in the process of saving the Earth. He thereafter spent many years traveling through space as a wanderer, rarely returning to Earth.

The 2006 miniseries Infinite Crisis revealed that Stein was alive in space as the "Elemental Firestorm", had sensed the presence of Jason Rusch within the Firestorm matrix, but was unaware of Raymond's death during Identity Crisis. When Jason, as Firestorm, is gravely wounded in the line of duty, Stein links with Jason in a variation of the merge, promising Jason a new Firestorm form to return into battle. Accepting Martin's proposal, Jason asks Stein to become the permanent second member of the Firestorm matrix. Sensing that his "errors" were the result of his youth and lack of experience, Jason sought the experience and maturity of Stein. Stein refused at first, but later accepted Jason's request, thus ensuring both a new Firestorm form and the reconstruction of human bodies for both Jason and Stein.

Rusch and Stein meet Shilo Norman, and are attacked in succession by the New Gods Orion, the Female Furies, and Kalibak. Shilo informs Stein and Rusch that the Firestorm matrix contains one-quarter of the Life Equation. Darkseid fears that the Life Equation might challenge him and the Anti-Life Equation. Stein is separated from the matrix, then vanishes without a trace. Jason, with Gehenna as a "hidden partner" in their fusion, begins searching for the missing Stein.

As the storyline jumps ahead one year (and the series was retitled as Firestorm the Nuclear Man from issue #23 on), it is revealed that Stein had been kidnapped and tortured by the Pupil (Adrian Burroughs), his former teaching assistant. Flanked by the D.O.L.L.I.s, a group of cyborg soldiers with limited cognitive ability, Burroughs questions Stein about the secrets of the universe. Jason, Firehawk, and Gehenna free the captured Stein and restore him to full health.

After running a test, Stein reveals the origin of the Firestorm matrix. Stein believes that, during the initial experiment, he was able to capture the spark that preceded the Big Bang, thereby making the Firestorm matrix a trigger for a similar one. If the boys continue to experience emotional imbalance, they increase the likelihood of triggering a new Big Bang. Deathstorm emerges from the Firestorm matrix and reveals its plan to Stein, stating that it intends to create enough emotional instability between Ronnie and Jason that the matrix will trigger another Big Bang, destroying all life in the universe. To help accomplish this goal, Deathstorm absorbs Stein's mind to use his knowledge of Ronnie against him. While confronting Firestorm, Deathstorm brings Stein out of the matrix to taunt him. Deathstorm attempts to turn Ronnie into salt, but Stein takes the brunt of the attack and dies.

• Martin Stein / Firestorm appears in , voiced by Olan Soule. This version gained his powers from a molecular fusion experiment that went awry.
• Martin Stein / Firestorm appears in , voiced by Ken Sansom.
• Martin Stein / Firestorm was intended to appear in Justice League Unlimited, with writer/producer Dwayne McDuffie stating that the series' creators had permission from DC Comics to use the character, but were unable to create a story that they liked. Later on, it was stated that the character was intended to be the focus of "The Greatest Story Never Told", but was replaced with Booster Gold.
• Martin Stein / Firestorm appears in Justice League Action, voiced by Stephen Tobolowsky. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. This version is a college friend of Mister Terrific who became Firestorm during an attack on the Hudson plant by bandits seeking plutonium.Paul Dini (writer); Doug Murphy (director) (November 27, 2016). "Nuclear Family Values". Justice League Action. Season 1, Episode 6. Cartoon Network.Ernie Altbacker and Jennifer Muro (writers); Shaunt Nigoghossian (director) (September 2, 2017). "The Cube Root". Justice League Action. Season 1, Episode 34. Cartoon Network.

• First appearing in the live-action TV series The Flash, this version developed the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. matrix before he was exposed to dark matter energy amidst the explosion of Harrison Wells' particle accelerator and presumed dead. As a result, Stein became fused with his matrix and Ronnie Raymond. Stein initially holds primary control over their fused form until Team Flash develops a way to safely separate them. Following this, Stein and Raymond master their powers and assist the Flash in fighting the Reverse-Flash until Raymond sacrifices himself to close a singularity that opened over Central City. Afterward, Stein continues to assist Team Flash until the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. matrix begins to destabilize without a partner of the same blood type, endangering his life. Eventually, Team Flash find Stein's new partner in Jefferson "Jax" Jackson and the pair leave Central City to master their powers.
• Stein appears in the animated web series Vixen.
• Stein appears in the live-action series Legends of Tomorrow, with Graeme McComb additionally portraying a younger version. In the first season, he and Jax are recruited by Rip Hunter to join his Legends and defeat Vandal Savage. Amidst the team's mission, Stein is captured by and forcibly fused with Valentina Vostok, who intends to use his powers to create a Soviet Firestorm, but he escapes with Jax's help. By the season finale, Stein and Jax develop the ability to transmute matter and use it to foil Savage's plot to undo history. In the second season, Stein helps his teammates combat the Legion of Doom, encounters his past self, and inadvertently causes timeline changes that grant him a daughter named Lily Stein. Despite initially viewing Lily as a time paradox, he eventually comes to accept her. By the third season, Stein has become a grandfather after Lily has a son named Ronnie, prompting Ray Palmer and Team Flash to develop a formula to remove his powers so he can spend time with his family. During the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover, Stein is fatally injured while helping the Legends and Earth-1's heroes defeat Nazis from Earth-X and drinks the formula to prevent Jax from dying alongside him.

• Martin Stein / Firestorm appears as a playable character in Injustice 2, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. This version is an ally of Batman who works to help him restore order following the fall of Superman's Regime.
• Martin Stein / Deathstorm appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced by Lex Lang.

• Firestorm at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Archived from the original on July 29, 2016.