| FIREBRAND II (Danette Reilly) | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by Roy and Danette Thomas, Jerry Ordway and Rich Buckler |
PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: Danette Reilly
Identity: Secret
Occupation: Student Vulcanologist
Status: Deceased
Citizenship: American
Marital Status: Single through 1942
Known Relatives: 'Emerald' Ed Reilly (father, deceased) unnamed mother, Rod Reilly (brother), Terri Curtis Rothstein ("goddaughter")
Base of Operation: New York City, NY
Group Affiliation(s): All-Star Squadron
Gender: Female
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 118 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red
First Appearance: (as Danette Reilly): Justice League of America #193/2 (August 1981)
(as Firebrand): All-Star Squadron #5 (January 1982)
Creators: Roy and Danette Thomas, Jerry Ordway and Rich Buckler
OVERVIEW
A vulcanologist, Danette Reilly survived a traumatic encounter with Per Degaton and some lava on a Hawaiian island, discovering that she now had the ability to create fires simply by gesturing. On her return home to New York, she discovered that her brother Rod, who had been injured at Pearl Harbor, had been the athletic crimefighter Firebrand. Taking a variant of his costume and her own unique abilities, she joined the All-Star Squadron. As part of this group, protecting America against the Axis powers, she gradually acquired more and more control over her abilities, also acting as one of the Young All-Stars' mentors. While serving with the group, she met and fell in love with the Shining Knight. Little is known about her activities since the end of the war, save that she is the adoptive mother of Terri Rothstein. It seems that she perished recently at the hands of the Dragon King, a death which her paramour, the Shining Knight, has avenged.
HISTORY
As a graduate student in Vulcanology, young Danette Reilly was visiting her brother Rod in Hawaii when on the evening of December 5, 1941, she heard reports of a mysterious volcano that had appeared in the ocean nearby. Taking a small boat, Danette investigated and found that the volcano's origins were not natural, but somehow man-made. During the course of her investigations she was startled to see The Shining Knight, an adventurer and mystery man that had appeared earlier that year, approaching the island. After speaking together, Danette and Sir Justin looked further at the mysterious island.
Stumbling across the villainous plans of the time-traveling Per Degaton, Danette was attacked by the villain Wotan, who fired a magical bolt of energy at her, causing her to fall into a pit of artificial lava. The combination of the mystical bolt and the artificial lava changed her. After being saved by The Shining Knight, Danette found she had acquired flame-based powers. She could control fire and fire flame bolts from her hand. After being told by her brother's confidant, Slugger Dunn, that her brother Rod was formerly the mystery man known as The Firebrand, she took the identity as her own, using a modified version of his costume.
Joining up with the fledgling group of unaffiliated heroes, the All-Star Squadron, she spent most of her time with that group, seldom adventuring by herself.
Nothing is known of her activities after June, 1942, but it has been stated that she perished at the hands of The Dragon King. The exact circumstances of her death have not been revealed to date.
POWERS AND WEAPONS
Firebrand could generate fire and plasma, usually in the form of fireblasts and "bolts". She was impervious to fire and could absorb and redirect it. It is not known whether she used her flame powers to fly, as is the case with many flame-based mystery-men.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Firebrand in chronological order click here
PROFILE REFERENCES
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #8 (October 1985)