Heat Wave (comics)

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caption=Cover to "The Flash" #218. Drawn by Howard Porter, Inked by Livesay
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name= Heat Wave
real_name= Mick Rory
publisher= DC Comics
debut= "Flash #140" (November 1963)
creators= John Broome
alliance_color=background:#c0c0ff
alliances= The Project Rogues Underground Society The Society
aliases= Rory Calhoun
powers= Possesses a handgun sized flamethrower and a knowledge of pyrotechnics and combustibles.|

Heat Wave is a fictional villain in the DC Universe and a primary foe of the Flash.

Fictional character biography

Born on a farm outside Central City, Mick Rory became fascinated with fire, as a child. This fascination turned into an obsession and one night, he set his family's home ablaze. His obsession was so great, that he simply watched the flames engulf his house, instead of running to get help.

After this event, Rory went to live with his uncle. His pyromania continued and he was forced to run away after locking a schoolmate in his house and setting it on fire, after the boy locked Rory in a meat locker during a field trip. He took a job as a fire eater with a traveling circus. This did not last long either, as he ended up setting the circus on fire.

It was these events that made him desperate to fight his fire obsession and after seeing the Rogues in action in Central City, he decided to use his mania to become a villain. He created a protective costume made of asbestos (this was back before the dangers of asbestos were known), built a gun-sized flamethrower and became Heat Wave. As he was committing crimes in Central City, it was inevitable that he'd run into the Flash, which he did quite regularly. Subsequently, he also ended up in jail quite regularly. He also became an adversary of Captain Cold, due to his aversion to cold temperatures (see below). It was Captain Cold who introduced Heat Wave to the Rogues.

Eventually, Mick went straight, due largely to the manipulations of the Top. He took a job as a firefighting consultant, using his vast knowledge on fires and heat. He also became good friends with Barry Allen, whose secret identity as Flash was discovered by Rory years before. All good things must come to an end though, and Rory succumbed to an offer by Abra Kadabra of gaining respect and infamy in the world. He and four other members of the Rogues sacrificed themselves, quite unwittingly, to unleash the demon Neron.

Neron returned the soulless bodies of the five to Earth, in a plan to force Flash into a deal. The five Rogues each possessed incredible powers and wreaked havoc, death and destruction before Neron was forced by Flash to halt their actions and return their souls to their bodies.

Heat Wave would only briefly return to his criminal ways before abandoning them to study with Zhutanian monks. Afterwards, he worked for Project Cadmus as a backup agent, but eventually quit that too and moved to the Quad Cities, Illinois area. He eventually got a job at the FBI, along with other reformed members of Rogues. This was a spectacular failure and Rory became a villain once again after the Top arrived and undid the mental program that had kept him reformed.

In "Infinite Crisis", Heat Wave became a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains.

One Year Later, after a being caught by the police, he and several more of the Rogues are approached by Inertia with a plan to kill the Flash (then Bart Allen). Though Inertia is defeated, he, Weather Wizard, and Captain Cold shot Bart to death and are now on the run. He, Weather Wizard, and Captain Cold seemed to express guilt immediately after Bart's death.

He is later seen among the exiled Supervillains in Salvation Run.

He was seen as the member of Rogues who joined the Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains. In "" #1, however, Heat Wave and the rest of the Rogues reject Libra's offer, wanting to stay out of the game. Before they can retire, they hear of Inertia escaping and decide to stick around long enough to get revenge for being used.

Powers and abilities

Heat Wave carries a hand held flamethrower that allows him to project a concentrated stream of fire at opponents. He wears an asbestos suit with a breathing mask that affords him protection against fire and heat. Heat Wave has a pipe attached to his left arm that can project a fire retardant which allows him to put out fires.

Other versions

* Heat Wave has appeared in the "Justice League Unlimited" spin-offs comic book. His appearances are in issues # 21
*In Tangent Comics (now Earth-9 of the DC Multiverse) Heat-Wave is mentioned as New York's weather-manipulating villain that was defeated by Superman.

Other media

* Heat Wave (spelled Heatwave in the show's billing) was shown to be a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society in "Justice League Unlimited" voiced by Lex Lang. He was seen helping Giganta, Killer Frost, and Devil Ray retrieve a frozen Viking ship containing the Viking Prince's corpse. His job was to defrost the Viking ship. In the ultimate battle he was seen burning Blockbuster and being struck by Silver Banshee, who was subsequently shot by Star Sapphire. He was with Luthor and the other remaining Secret Society members when it came to Darkseid's invasion upon Earth.
* Heat Wave appears in Sony's "DC Universe Online".

Trivia

Heat Wave has an intense fear of cold, called cryophobia. This was due to a school field trip (noted above) to a slaughterhouse, during which one of his friends locked him in a walk in freezer.

External links

* [http://www.monitorduty.com/mdarchives/2005/12/alan_kistlers_p_3.shtml Alan Kistler's Profile On: THE FLASH] - A detailed analysis of the history of the Flash by comic book historian Alan Kistler. Covers information all the way from Jay Garrick to Barry Allen to today, as well as discussions on the various villains and Rogues who fought the Flash. Various art scans.
* [http://www.hyperborea.org/flash/heatwave.html Hyperborea entry for Heat Wave]
* [http://www.fourthhorsemanpress.com/Flash/ Crimson Lightning] - An online index to the comic book adventures of the Flash.