Wildfire (Drake Burroughs)

For another character, see Wildfire (Carol Vance Martin).

Wildfire
Wildfire pencilled and inked by Dave Cockrum
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #195 (June 1973)
Created by	Cary Bates (writer) Dave Cockrum (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Drake Burroughs
Species	Metahuman
Place of origin	Earth (31st century)
Team affiliations	Legion of Super-Heroes
Notable aliases	ERG-1, NRG
Abilities	Anti-energy physiology Superhuman strength and durability High-speed flight Energy manipulation Minor object conjuration

Wildfire is a superhero appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. Created by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum, the character debuted in Superboy #195 (June 1973).

Publication history

Cockrum originally wanted to name the character Starfire, but was rejected because there were already plans to introduce a character named Starfire in the Teen Titans.

Wildfire was immediately popular with readers. At that time, the editors of Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes held periodic elections in which readers could choose the Legion's leader. Soon after his introduction, Wildfire was elected to that post. In-story, Wildfire actually lost the election to Superboy, but as no candidate had received a majority of the votes, the membership decided that the Legion needed a member who was available full-time rather than the time travelling, part-time Kryptonian member.

Fictional character biography

Original

Wildfire was originally Drake Burroughs, a failing astro-engineer student at Metropolis University. While helping with a propulsion system the university was developing, Burroughs was disintegrated by a blast of anti-matter energy and transformed into a being of pure anti-energy. Professor Vultan, of whom Burroughs had been a student, developed a special suit to contain him. He again possessed a semblance of humanoid form, but he had no true human form and lacked most human sensory functions, such as taste or touch.

Drake's new form has vast super-powers, the most potent of which is the power to fire energy blasts. He was originally reluctant to use the ability due to an accident in which he nearly killed his former girlfriend. Calling himself ERG-1 (Energy Release Generator 1), Drake decides to petition for membership in the Legion, where he "bulled" that he was an astrophysicist so as to seem more impressive. To his surprise, he is turned down because the abilities he demonstrated simply duplicate those of other members such as Mon-El, Colossal Boy, and Chemical King; at that time, Legion's by-laws required that each member possess at least one superpower no other active member had. Drake had not demonstrated his energy-blasting or manipulation abilities because he was concerned he could not control them safely. Still, anxious to prove his abilities, he followed several Legionnaires on a mission to the planet Manna-5, during which Colossal Boy is knocked unconscious by an enemy machine, and none of the other Legionnaires present have the power to save him. ERG-1 destroys the machine, but he expels all his energy from his containment suit. Because his energy form is invisible, the Legionnaires assumed he was dead, but he was not.

His energy form was stable enough so that he could survive without his suit, though he can neither take humanoid form nor communicate with anyone. He followed the Legionnaires back to Earth where they put his containment suit on display. Upon reaching the Legionnaires' headquarters, he manages to regain the suit and save the Legion from another menace. He was then admitted to the team and adopted the name Wildfire.

Over time, Wildfire loses many of his powers. This is partly because of the trauma of the explosive exit from his containment suit. In addition, his original containment suit is eventually destroyed, and subsequent copies were not as versatile. His later suits are also not nearly as durable, and it is easier to cause him to be expelled from it. Even so, he always retains his powers of flight, energy absorption, energy projection, and super strength. He is commonly considered among the four most powerful Legionnaires along with Superboy, Mon-El and Ultra Boy.

Initially, Wildfire and Superboy are rivals and fight over the position of team leader. Wildfire acquits himself well in that battle, establishing that his raw power is comparable to a Kryptonian's. As leader, Wildfire receives mixed reviews. Though he is decisive and a gifted tactician, his poor people skills alienate many of his fellow members. He leads the Legion through the Earthwar and Omega crises but is defeated for re-election by Lightning Lad.

Shortly after becoming leader, Wildfire recruits Dawnstar, who he develops a love-hate relationship with. It is eventually revealed that Dawnstar does reciprocate his feelings, but she fears that she will never know physical love since Wildfire does not possess a physical body.

Some time later, new Legionnaire Quislet, who is also an energy being, teaches Wildfire how to control his energy form without needing the containment suit. In this new form, Wildfire is tangible and closer to human, but his body is still so hot that his mere touch burns Dawnstar. After Quislet's containment device is destroyed and he is forced to return to his dimension, Wildfire loses his physical form and possesses Sun Boy's corpse.

Post-Zero Hour

Wildfire
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Legionnaires #74
In-story information
Alter ego	Drake Burroughs
Team affiliations	Legion of Super-Heroes Amazers (Atom'X only), Workforce (Blast-Off only) Justice League
Notable aliases	ERG-1, Atom'X (Randall Burroughs), Blast-Off I (Jahr-Drake Ningle)
Abilities	Composed of thermonuclear energy

Following Zero Hour, Wildfire is absent from Legion comics for some years, and when he returns, he is given a drastically different origin.

Atom'X (Randall Burroughs) and Blast-Off (Jahr-Drake Ningle), members of the Uncanny Amazers and Workforce respectively, are seemingly killed by Mordru. Later, they are discovered to have survived and fused into an energy being who becomes known as Drake Burroughs / ERG-1.

"Threeboot"

Drake was eventually introduced into the "Threeboot" continuity in the "Quest for Cosmic Boy" storyline. This version of Drake has the same abilities as the previous versions, and his containment suit is identical to the one he used in pre-Zero Hour continuity. This version of E.R.G.-1 was believed to have been destroyed when his containment suit ruptured during his try-out mission, but his energy was collected and reconstituted by his brother Randall. This E.R.G.-1 was manipulated by his brother to become an assassin, but that was eventually stopped by Brainiac 5 and Atom Girl. He was later seen fighting the creatures from the Intruder Planet.

One year later

A version of Drake resembling his original incarnation appears in "The Lightning Saga" crossover in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) and Justice League of America (vol. 2), unwillingly masquerading as a statue in the Fortress of Solitude. He reveals that his containment suit is the Red Tornado's robotic shell and that he possesses some of his memories.

By the end of Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, this version of Drake enters a relationship with Dawnstar.

The New 52

In The New 52 title Legion Lost, Wildfire, Dawnstar, Chameleon Girl, Tellus, Tyroc, Gates, and Timber Wolf are stranded in the 21st century while battling a time-travelling terrorist. During this time, he temporarily joins the Justice League.

In Doomsday Clock, Wildfire is erased from existence when Doctor Manhattan alters the timeline. However, he is restored when Superman convinces Manhattan to undo his actions.

The New Golden Age

In The New Golden Age, Wildfire is among the Legionnaires who arrive in the present and confront the Justice Society over their decision to recruit Legionnaire, a young, heroic incarnation of Mordru.

Powers and abilities

After being disintegrated by an anti-matter wave, Wildfire was transformed into a being composed of it with the ability to manipulate energy, fly at high speeds, and alter his size. However, he is forced to wear a containment suit at all times to maintain his form and prevent his energy from hurting others.

Equipment

As a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, he is provided a Legion Flight Ring. It allows him to fly and protects him from the vacuum of space and other dangerous environments.

Other versions

• An alternate universe variant of Wildfire appears in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #5.
• An alternate universe variant of Wildfire appears in Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #7. This version is the last surviving Legionnaire, his energy powers having rendered him immortal.
• An ancestor of Dawnstar known as Wildstar is a member of the 21st-century hero team R.E.B.E.L.S. She has the combined powers of Dawnstar and Wildfire.

In other media

• Wildfire makes a cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Far From Home" as one of several Legionnaires mind-controlled by the Fatal Five.
• Wildfire makes non-speaking cameo appearances in Legion of Super Heroes (2006). According to producer James Tucker, he would have had a more prominent role in the cancelled third season, replacing Kell-El / Superman X as a member of the Legion.
• Wildfire makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Legion of Super-Heroes (2023).
• Wildfire appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.