Volcanologist Danette Reilly is the sister of Rod Reilly, the first Firebrand. First introduced in a special "All-Star Squadron" preview in Justice League of America #193 (August 1981), Danette was studying volcanos north of Hawaii in the 1940s when she was kidnapped by the time travelling villain Per Degaton and one of the JSA foes he had pulled back in time, the powerful sorcerer Wotan. During her escape, she was struck by a bolt of lightning and fell into a pit of mystical lava. The combination of the lightning and magic lava not only allowed her to survive, but to develop the power to control heat and project plasma blasts (first seen in All-Star Squadron #5 (January 1982)). Her powers surfaced after she discovered her brother's Rod costume and put in on. As Rod had been injured during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Danette decided to become the new Firebrand. Due to Per Degaton going back to 1947 when he as defeated the All-Star Squadron forgot his attack. Originally she was quite racist towards the Japanese. However she visited her brother in hospital and he revealed he had been saved from death by a soldier whose parents were from Japan, and who later died from his wounds. Firebrand realized she had been racist and should show more respect towards those from Japan.
Danette appears in Crisis on Infinite Earths, wherein she was briefly rejoined by her former lover, the reluctant supervillain Cyclotron. Cyclotron, although deceased, phased into her time to assist her. Danette assumed partial custody of his daughter Terri, along with fellow hero the Atom. This makes her technically the godmother of Terri's son, Atom Smasher. Her later adventures during World War II have thus far been unchronicled.
After World War II ended, Danette assisted and later married the Shining Knight (Sir Justin). Together they faced the Dragon King and Danette was apparently killed.
Her name is a homage to creator Roy Thomas' wife, Danette "Dann" Thomas.
The Quality Comics heroine Wildfire was originally intended to play a major role in the All-Star Squadron but DC objected on the basis of her name, which she shared with the Legion of Super-Heroes member. Instead, Danette Reily was introduced into the series.
Firebrand was ranked 67th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.
Read more about this topic: Firebrand (DC Comics)
Famous quotes containing the word reilly:
“Oh, you cold-blooded English. You’ll be the death of me.”
—Norman Reilly Raine (1895–1971)