Summary
- Firestar's unique origin story sets her apart from other superheroes, as she was created for an animated TV show due to licensing issues.
- Her debut in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends introduced a new dynamic and love triangle with Spider-Man and Iceman, making her a fan favorite.
- Despite her potential to become a powerful mutant and major X-Men antagonist, Firestar's character never fully developed, and she often served as a supporting character in later appearances.
It isn't uncommon for superheroes to have unusual origin stories. Bitten by a radioactive spider! A wayward alien baby that crash lands on Earth! Doused in gamma radiation! The wilder the origins, the more interesting the character and the richer their lore. For some heroes, though, their origins don't take place in the pages of a comic, but in animated TV shows due to copyright issues. For Angelica Jones—aka, Firestar—that was exactly what happened and despite her odd debut into the Marvel Universe, she very nearly became a major X-Men antagonist.
Firestar officially debuted in 1981's animated series, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Introduced as a mutant and former member of the X-Men, Firestar possessed the ability to control heat (though her powers would later be refined in the comics). Spunky and full of sass, Firestar was a great foil alongside Iceman and Spider-Man and proved herself well both as a superhero and as a fan favorite. What makes her so interesting are the circumstances of her creation.
Firestar Made Her Debut as One of Spider-Man's Amazing Friends
The original line-up of heroes for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends was meant to be Spider-Man, Iceman, and The Human Torch. Three college-aged guys representing three different but major Marvel IPs, this original roster would have been a sure-fire success for Marvel as they sought to reproduce the success DC Comics had with their Super Friends animated series. However, due to licensing complications, The Human Torch was unavailable for the show. Marvel had already settled on him as a character, and rather than let the fire-based superhero slot fizzle out, Firestar was created to solve the problem.
Firestar (then spelled Fire-Star) proved to be a great success as a character. The new dynamic that Firestar introduced to Spider-Man and Iceman allowed for a casual love triangle to manifest, something that would never have happened otherwise. Bringing a female character into the show, not simply as a one-off love interest but as a powerful superhero herself, elevated the show to become accessible to a wider range of audiences. Firestar's positive reception helped her induction into Marvel Comics proper where she received radically different treatment.
Firestar's Induction Into the X-Men Was Very Different From Her TV Stardom
Firestar's first appearance in comics was in 1986's Uncanny X-Men #193 (by Chris Claremont, John Romita Jr., and Dan Green). Mixed up in a battle between mutants, Firestar proved her mettle in battle while also proving she was still plenty wet behind the ears. It was in 1985's Firestar (by Tom DeFalco and Mary Wilshire) that the titular teenage mutant was truly given her own story. Much like her other mutant comrades, Firestar was simply a young kid who was dealt an unfair hand in life and had to suffer the unfortunate consequences.
Determined to keep pace with Professor Charles Xavier and his X-Men, the evil Emma Frost was determined to build her own force of powerful mutants. Discovering Firestar, Emma Frost recruited her into her Massachusetts Academy with the vile purpose of transforming her into a deadly assassin. By lying to Firestar, manipulating her emotions, and sabotaging her life around her, Emma Frost became perilously close to turning Firestar into her devoted soldier. Luckily, Firestar was able to learn of Emma Frost's deception and defeat her, destroying her underground facility in the process.
Unfortunately, Firestar Never Became as Powerful as She Was Promised to Be
It's interesting to imagine how much different the history of the X-Men could have changed had Firestar never broken away from Emma Frost. The power she demonstrated in Uncanny X-Men #193 proved that she was more than a match for powerhouses such as Colossus and Wolverine. Emma Frost herself even stated that Firestar had the potential to become one of the most powerful mutants on Earth if her powers were cultivated properly. Firestar could have become a leading antagonistic force against the X-Men, similar to Sabretooth, Juggernaut, and Black Tom Cassidy. Her position as a manipulated teenager who truly meant well would have made her a tragic villain, one that would have broken the hearts of fans had any real harm come to her or the X-Men.
And yet, for all of her positive reception on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and in the comics, Firestar quietly fell by the wayside. Aside from a rare appearance here and there, Firestar was not seen very much after her four-issue miniseries. She would later become a founding member of the superhero team The New Warriors where she would be a player alongside the likes of Night Thrasher, Nova, Namorita, and Speedball. Firestar would enjoy moderate success with this team, but never the likes of which were hinted at during her early years. It's unclear as to why Firestar never took off on her own, but it could be due to the complication of folding her into the major X-Men mythos, the rise of X-Force in the late '80s, or the troubles of promoting a new singular female superhero at the time.
Firestar Still Has the Potential to be a World-Class Superhero
Firestar is an engaging character that never truly got her due. Following the Superhuman Registration Act from the Civil War event, Firestar effectively retired as a costumed hero and resumed her life as a college student. It was revealed later in 2009's Marvel Divas miniseries that Firestar had developed cancer from her own microwave-based superpowers, a very unfortunate turn of events for her. Since then, Firestar has appeared in various adventures with different groups, but mostly as a supporting character.
It would be nice to someday see Firestar become the superhero that she was once promised to become. Her powers of heat manipulation make her supremely powerful and her youthful ideals and determination make her as brave and stalwart as any other superhero. If there's ever been a single golden rule in comics, it is that any character can become amazing if given the proper chance. Firestar absolutely deserves her chance, whether in the comics or in another animated show.