Firestar (Marvel)

Firestar in West Coast Avengers v4 #1.

Firestar is a female comic character who features in Marvel Comics.

Biography

Origin

Angelica Jones in Firestar v1 #4.

Angelica "Angel" Jones was a female human Mutant born on Earth in the modern age. When she was 13 years old, she was a student in high school who fell victim to a series of unfortunate events. She was bullied by the girls at her school, her beloved grandmother died suddenly, and Angelica was frightened to discover that she herself was manifesting a strange superhuman power to generate great heat. With her grandmother gone, Angelica lived alone with her father, who was unable to cope with helping Angelica deal with her new power. Angelica was desperately confused, lonely, and miserable. Her newly emerging mutant ability caused her presence to be detected by Cerebro, a machine designed by Professor Charles Xavier for the purpose of locating superhumanly powerful mutants. Angelica's presence was also registered by Multivac, a similar machine employed by Emma Frost, the White Queen of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. Xavier and the X-Men attempted to pinpoint the unknown mutant's location in order to recruit her for Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, where he trained mutants in using their powers. Meanwhile, Frost did the same, hoping to enlist the unknown mutant in her school, where she could train her to use her powers in order to serve the sinister purposes of the Inner Circle. Frost reached Angelica and her father only moments before the X-Men could. Frost, in her public role as headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, a renowned private school, persuaded Angelica's father to send her there to receive the special help she needed. (Firestar v1 #1)

Under the codename Firestar, first entered the conflict between mutants when she was manipulated into joining Emma Frost’s Hellions. In this issue, she directly engaged the New Mutants during a confrontation orchestrated by the Hellfire Club. Using her microwave generation abilities, Firestar unleashed intense heat waves to scatter her opponents, forcing them to retreat from cover. She targeted Cannonball with focused blasts that destabilized his flight path and briefly grounded him. Despite being new to battle, Firestar showed considerable power output, demonstrating her destructive potential even against a well-trained mutant team. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #193)

Angelica confronted armed criminals operating in New York, disabling their vehicles by overheating their engines from a distance. She then pursued them into a warehouse where she overloaded the building’s power systems with controlled microwave bursts, plunging the interior into darkness. During the fight, she incapacitated the gang members by heating their weapons until they were forced to drop them, then sealed off their escape route by welding shut a steel door with her powers. (Firestar v1 #1)

New Warriors

Joining New Warriors in New Warriors v1 #26.

Shortly after her resignation from the Massachusetts Academy, Firestar became a founding member of the New Warriors when she was 'invited' by Night Thrasher into joining, and helped them battle Terrax. (New Warriors v1 #1) She also aided Night Thrasher against Midnight's Fire. (New Warriors v1 #2)

The team battled the second Star Thief and Stane International's Mandroids. With teammates Marvel Boy and Namorita, and the Star Thief, she launched into space aboard a Stane rocket. (New Warriors v1 #5)

After many months, Angelica learned that her powers were slowly causing her to become sterile and she began to use her powers more sparingly and to a lesser extent. (New Warriors v1 #64)

Angelica proposed to Justice and he accepted. (New Warriors v1 #75)

Avengers

Joining the Avengers in Avengers v3 #13.

When the Avengers reformed, the founding members came to decide on the membership of the new team. In this time, Angelica and Vance both decided to try out to join the superhero team. To prove themselves, they went out to capture the supervillain Whirlwind where they were awarded a place as reserve members by Captain America who intended to train the pair in being better superheroes. (Avengers v3 #4)

The Avengers next had to battle the threat of the Kree Lunatic Legion who wanted revenge for the destruction of their empire. To accomplish that end, they intended to transform Earth into a new Kree homeworld with mankind genetically transformed into a neo-Kree race of duplicates. Information on their activities was leaked to the Avengers who intercepted the aliens with a confrontation occurring on the Blue Area of the Moon. The Kree sacrificed themselves by converting their bodies into energy to power the Omni-Wave Projector that worked in conjunction with the Terrigen Mists and Carol Danvers genetics to transform mankind. To stop their plan, Thor created a portal but needed more power to increase its size to fit the giant Kree machine. Vance suggested that Firestars microwave powers could add to it with Angelica being annoyed at his suggestion due to the strain her powers placed on her body. Despite that, she channelled her power into the portal whilst Astrovik used his own telekinesis to send the giant machine through the dimensional doorway to somewhere else in the universe thus saving the Earth from the Kree's plans. (Avengers v3 #7)

X-Men

Joining the X-Men in Amazing X-Men v2 #7.

Firestar then got a teaching job as a physics teacher at the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning and became a X-Man. She admitted that she had a crush on Iceman, but he rejected her. After being dragged to Hell with other members of the X-Men she was pulled into a quest to search for the deceased Nightcrawler. (Amazing X-Men v2 #1)

Whilst on a date, she encountered an ice hulk monster and battled it alongside Iceman and Spider-Man but afterwards the person she was seeing dumped her. (Iceman v4 #3)

As a consequence of the machinations of a fascist doppelganger of Captain America, the United States fell for a short time under the regime of Hydra. As part of Hydra's take-over, the mutant population of America was displaced to the newly created nation of New Tian. During New Tian's short-lived existence and until the United States returned to normalcy, Firestar became a member of the New Tian Strikeforce alongside Marrow, Toad, Mondo, Archangel, and Wolfsbane. (X-Men: Blue v1 #7)

Sometime later after the restoration of the United States, Angelica made her way back to the Xavier Institute in New York City. When the mansion was attacked by Soteria, she assisted Storm, Kitty Pryde, and Iron Man in preventing four giant projectiles from hitting the building. (Hunt for Wolverine: Dead Ends v1 #1)

House of X

Fighting for Krakoa in X-Men v6 #28.

However, a short while later, the mutant-hating organisation Orchis attacked another Hellfire Gala, killing several mutants, amongst them Jean Grey. With her final breath, Jean telepathically requested to Angelica that she becomes a mole for the mutants and joins Orchis, in the hopes of destroying them from within. Not able to refuse Jean's last request, Firestar seemingly betrays the X-Men and joins Orchis, with the X-Men believing that Firestar allowed Orchis access to Krakoa. (X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 v1 #1)

After the Hellfire massacre, Firestar was based at Orchis' headquarters in outer space. She was tracked down by Kitty Pryde who wanted to murder Firestar for betraying the X-Men, but Angelica was luckily able to convince Kitty it was all a ruse. Kitty and Angelica agreed to have Angelica maintain her cover as an Orchis mole, even risking the wrath of her fellow mutants. This made Angelica feel very alone but she endured. (X-Men v6 #25)

There, she was requested to work together with fellow mutant Judas Traveller. On another mission, Firestar had to take down her former, also mutant ex-fiancé, Justice. Orchis managed to capture Justice and he didn't understand why Firestar betrayed the mutants. Orchis also tried to disable Justice' powers using a Blightswill injection, but Justice managed to escape, much to Angelica's relief and she hopes he can forgive her someday. (X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic v1 #116) Following Justice's escape, Firestar saw her chance and made Orchis believe Traveller was a traitor. Traveller was caught and his powers disabled. Doctor Stasis decided to promote Firestar and she became Orchis' new acting director. She is now more determined than ever to burn Orchis to ash. (X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic v1 #117)

Firestar would eventually be uncovered as a spy within Orchis and would be captured and prepped for execution by her superior Doctor Stasis. However, she would be rescued by Emma Frost, Synch, and Shadowkat and would rejoin her fellow X-Men in the final push against Orchis. (Fall of the House of X v1 #3)

Overview

Personality and attributes

Angelica in Young Allies v2 #6.

In appearance, Firestar was a red-haired young woman with green eyes, often wearing a bright yellow bodysuit accented with a red mask and gloves, reflecting her fiery codename. Early depictions emphasized her resemblance to a traditional superheroine with bold, vibrant colors. Over the years, her costume underwent slight variations, sometimes incorporating flame motifs or updated design lines, but the color scheme remained a consistent signature of her identity. (Firestar v1 #1)

Angelica Jones was portrayed as compassionate, thoughtful, and sometimes uncertain about her place in the superhero community. Initially manipulated by Emma Frost, she developed strong mistrust of authority figures who sought to exploit her abilities. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #193) However, as an Avenger, she demonstrated maturity, reliability, and loyalty to her teammates. She was often portrayed as deeply empathetic toward other young mutants, recognizing the challenges of harnessing dangerous powers while striving to maintain one’s humanity. (Avengers v1 #351)

She was noted for being a fan of hockey. (Iceman v4 #3)

Powers and abilities

Manipulating microwave radiation in Firestar v2 #1.

Firestar possessed the mutant power to generate and manipulate microwave radiation. She used this to create destructive blasts capable of incinerating objects, melting metal, or disabling machinery. Her powers allowed her to fly by superheating the air around her, creating thrust and lift. Firestar could also subtly manipulate microwave energy to overheat weapons, jam electronics, or interfere with communication systems. At maximum output, she was capable of generating radiation levels powerful enough to cause severe harm, though she typically restrained herself due to awareness of the potential collateral damage. (Firestar v1 #1)

By superheating the air around her, Firestar can generate enough upward thrust to fly at high speeds and lift objects as heavy as the X-Man Colossus. (Uncanny X-Men v1 #193)

During training exercises with Emma Frost, she was chastised by her teacher for clumsiness and warned that she could have been 'severely burned' by a laser. (Firestar v1 #3)

However, she eventually displayed the ability to siphon heat energy and to detect electromagnetic signatures from broadcast transmissions. (Young Allies v1 #4)

Over time, Firestar appeared to be functionally immune to microwave radiation. (Avengers v3 #12)

In truth her powers stem to a much wider spectrum of low tier nuclear energy alternation as was disclosed in an alt. future timeline. (Immoral X-Men v1 #2)

Notes

• Firestar was created by Dennis Marks, Dan Spiegle, Christy Marx, John Romita Sr. and Rick Hoberg where she was an original character in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
• The character was introduced into the comics by Chris Claremont and John Romita Jr. where she made her first appearance in Uncanny X-Men v1 #193 (May, 1985).
• She was an original character created for the NBC Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends animated series.

Alternate Versions

• In Mutant X 1999 v1 #1 (1999), an alternate version of Firestar appeared in the Mutant X reality that was designated as Earth-1298 in the Multiverse.
• In Uncanny X-Men v5 #7 (2018), an alternate version of Firestar appeared in the Age of Apocalypse reality that was designated as Earth-295 in the Multiverse.

In other media

Television

• In Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar made her first appearance in the NBC animated television series where she was voiced by actress Kathy Garver. Angelica was raised by her father. Although they never had much money, the kind hearted Mr. Jones proved an attentive father and therefore her home life was a relatively happy one. Angelica's 'gifts' began to manifest at an early age and so it took her a little while to gain control over them. Inevitably, however, accidents did occur and after unwittingly melting both a snowman and a dolls house she was given the name Miss Angelica Jinx and taunted by the other children. One little rich girl, named Bonnie, persisted in harassing Angelica throughout her school days, but she never let it get the better of her. In fact on one occasion Bonnie's bullying lead to the discovery of Angelica's favorite gift, the power of flight. Not long after this happy revelation her new found ability was put to good use. While visiting her father at his job on a construction site, in disguise she saved his life by flying him to safety when part of the high story building he was working on collapsed beneath him. From then on she realized that her powers could be used to really help people and save lives. During her senior year in high school, Firestar was born. Having been framed for stealing the school's golden trophy cup and wrongfully suspended, Angelica sewed together a costume and set out to prove her innocence by catching the guilty party. Her plan worked, the two culprits were expelled and Angelica's name was cleared. The uncertainty she felt over what she should do next soon dissolved when The X-Men tracked her down and asked her to join them. She accepted and was consequently trained. This is where she met fellow X-Man, and future Spider-Friend, Bobby Drake. The two eventually left the X-Men though remained in contact with them.
• In The Super Hero Squad Show, Firestar appeared in the animated television series where she was voiced by actress Laura Bailey.

Video games

• In Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, Firestar appeared as an NPC support character in the video game.
• In Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Firestar appeared as a non-playable character in the video game where she was voiced by actress Kimberly Brooks.

Appearances

• Uncanny X-Men v1: (1985)
• Firestar v1:
• New Warriors v1:
• Avengers v3:
• Firestar v2:
• Amazing X-Men v1:
• Iceman v4:

External Links

• Marvel Database Entry
• Comicvine Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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