Firestorm searches through the night after the Hyena ambushes Ronnie outside the Day residence. Stein's ex-wife Clarissa asks to be Ronnie's friend. Summer Day undergoes an examination by Dr. Shi after her recent sleepwalking disappearance. Firestorm, still suffering from a nasty neck wound from the Hyena's ambush, seeks treatment from Dr. Shi. The Hyena attacks Firestorm at the hospital and flees. Summer talks to Firestorm about the were-hyena curse. A secret revealed leads Firestorm into battle atop the World Trade Center.
Firestorm826's Panel-by-Panel Story Summary (Spoiler Alert)
Dreams. Tortured by memory. Burning. Firestorm lies on his back on a point of the crown of the Statue of Liberty. He is stunned, softly saying “No more…no more…you’re supposed to be gone.” A landscape of horror. The geography of a nightmare. Confusing blurry images of hyenas in the night, gnashing teeth, arguing with Doreen, mystical eyes watching intently, and the visage of Clarissa Stein dance around and through Ronnie’s mind. His mind’s eye sees Clarissa. She is not Doreen Day. She is not Summer Day. Who is she? Why is she here? What does she want?
Professor Martin Stein’s subconscious voice yells to Ronnie to wake up. His nightmare is causing control of their atomic density to waver, and Firestorm is starting to pass through the Statue of Liberty’s crown! It is too late…Firestorm slips through the Statue’s framework headfirst into the upper viewing rotunda. A Park Service worker is lost in thought, unhappy that he joined the Park Service to work in the great outdoors only to end up with a broom in his hands doing clean-up work indoors. The face of Firestorm dangling headfirst through the ceiling suddenly appears before the worker’s eyes, causing them both to yell out in surprise. Swinging the broom like a baseball bat, the worker swats at Firestorm while yelling for the ghostly blasted spook to get away from him. Coming to his senses, Ronnie dodges the swipe and tells the man to watch it. Saying he is no more a ghost than the man is, Ronnie tells him that he simply lost control of his molecular structure resulting in his sudden appearance in the rotunda. With a little calmness returning, the worker recognizes Firestorm and says he’s “one of those super-guys like the punks with that weird tower in the middle of the East River!” Clearly unimpressed, the worker tells Firestorm that he must think he’s hot stuff and that he shouldn’t be scaring an honest working stiff for laughs. “Beat it.” he says, warning Firestorm not to come back or he’ll call the cops.
Flying away through the city skyline, Ronnie says that he’d ordinarily be laughing at the worker’s attitude but he is not in a laughing mood after his freaky dream. He and Stein have been looking all night for the Hyena who is still running around loose, and they’ve come up with a big fat zero. Two days have passed since the Hyena’s attack at Eastside Hospital, resulting in two days of nail-biting while waiting for another attack. Ronnie is exhausted. Stein reminds him that even though Ronnie maintains control of Firestorm’s actions, he’s just as exhausted as Ronnie is. Arriving at Stein’s apartment building, Firestorm’s molecular density lowers and he passes inside. Ronnie is late for school and will have to hurry to make it by the second bell. Firestorm lands and light shimmers around his single form. Seconds later, the separate forms of Ronnie and Stein appear. The Professor says he’s wanted to talk to Ronnie about his wife Clarissa ever since they met yesterday morning, and he did not like the way she stared at Ronnie. Feeling completely wiped, Ronnie asks to leave the talk until later.
Walking out of Stein’s apartment building, Ronnie thinks about not wanting to reveal to the Professor that Clarissa had been part of his nightmare. Ronnie is at a loss to understand why, as he has barely even met her. He wonders what made Clarissa and the Professor split up. Someone calling his name interrupts his thoughts. Pulling up next to him in a sporty red car, Ronnie recognizes Clarissa calling to him and greets her as “Mrs. Stein.” She reveals she lives just a few blocks away down off Queens Boulevard. She is on her way to work and offers him a lift. She instructs him to call her Clarissa, as the more formal “Mrs. Stein” makes her feel old.
Ronnie accepts the invitation and gets into the car. The two pull away. Clarissa explains that her marriage went to pieces after the Professor won his Nobel Prize. She says she knew he was committed to his work when she married him, but that he became obsessed by his work when he began designing the Hudson Nuclear Facility. He never had time for Clarissa after that. Ronnie thinks through the sequence of her story, and realizes that Clarissa and Stein must have split just before the accident that fused the two men into Firestorm. Ronnie, admitting it might be none of his business, asks why Clarissa and the Professor don’t get back together. She responds by saying nothing would make her happier, but she’s afraid Martin doesn’t love her anymore. That’s why she wanted to talk to Ronnie, who asks what he can do. She tells him that Martin explained to her about the science project they are working on. She understands that he and Martin are friends, and she says she’d like Ronnie to be her friend also. Clarissa asks Ronnie to talk to Martin to explain that she still needs him and that she loves him. As the car rides down the street, Ronnie can only think quietly…”Oboy.”
The red sports car pulls up outside Bradley High School and Ronnie gets out, thinking that as if he didn’t have enough troubles already, he’s now supposed to be a marriage counselor. He wonders why everyone throws their problems on him. After all, he thinks, he’s just a dumb jock. Who nominated him to be “Dear Abby?” He thinks Clarissa is nice and promises her that he’ll talk to Martin, but can’t guarantee he’ll listen. Happy, Clarissa calls Ronnie a doll and thanks him.
Ronnie is late for school as he swings open the entrance door. He is worried that he can’t afford to make his teachers mad, and that he’s been letting his schoolwork slip even worse than usual because of all the stuff that’s been happening. Doreen, Martin, Clarissa…everyone has someone to talk to except him. Ronnie has no one, not even Professor Stein since he is involved in it. Pulling his books out of his locker, Ronnie wishes he had told his father about Firestorm, but somehow he just couldn’t. His father scares him. Ronnie remembers that his father hit him upon learning that Ronnie had been suspended from the basketball team. Walking into his class that’s already underway, he wishes there was someone he could talk to. Out of the blue, he remembers…Lorraine Reilly! Sitting at his desk, he realizes how far out of it he’s been. He hadn’t thought of Lorraine in weeks. But, he then remembers that Lorraine only knows him as Firestorm, like she’d care beans about Ronnie Raymond. There’s nobody, he thinks sadly…
A friendly hand touches Ronnie’s left shoulder and tells him “Rise and shine!” Raising his head to look, Ronnie had dozed off and didn’t hear the class bell. His friend Jackson tells him naptime is over. Jackson takes a good look at his friend and tells Ronnie that he looks like warmed-over lunch meat. Jackson tells him to haul his carcass down to see Nurse Tremont, and worries that Coach Mason might think Ronnie has broken their team training requirements. Ronnie admits the Coach would be right, as he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in almost a week. Jackson says he looks worse than a simple lack of sleep. He tells Ronnie that he looks flushed and sick. As they talk, a familiar face walking nearby catches Ronnie’s eye. He recognizes her, but something has changed. He calls out “Doreen? Is that you?” Standing before him, Doreen shows off her new short-cropped punk rock hairstyle and tight-fitting clothes. She asks Ronnie if he likes what he sees. Ronnie is surprised, and says she has gone punk. Doreen explains that she isn’t blind. She remembers the way she saw Ronnie looking at the pretty girl in the airport when they picked up Summer. She explains that she got the message. Doreen walks off, saying that she’s off to meet her folks at the hospital where Summer is undergoing some tests. Ronnie stands with Jackson, watching her depart with mouth agape. He wonders about what he just saw, mumbling “Un-freaking-believable.”
Five hours later, Summer Day and her family are at Eastside Hospital. Stripped down to her bra and panties, Summer sits on the exam table. Dr. Shi checks her blood pressure and finds it to be a bit high, but still within normal range. Announcing that all tests on her have been negative, he tells the Day family that Summer is suffering from emotional exhaustion but that is to be expected. Turning to Mr. and Mrs. Day, he says that there is nothing physically wrong with Summer. However, her emotional state is another question. Bert Day asks for a better explanation. Summer, looking weary, softly asks Dr. Shi why she feels so tired and weak. Dr. Shi reminds her of what she learned during treatment with him in Arizona. Her “hyena-self” is a product of her subconscious, summoned by rage and anger that she felt toward her parents and society. Her rage is now under control, but the effort required to control her emotions is draining. Dr. Shi recommends the continued use of sedatives.
Bert asks Dr. Shi about two nights ago, when Summer disappeared, seemingly wandering off like a sleepwalker. Dr. Shi replies that that was an unfortunate but natural side effect of the medication. He will increase the dosage to control any nocturnal perambulation. Summer gets dressed; her mother helps her to put on her coat. Summer thanks Dr. Shi, saying she feels safe having him here in New York City. Dr. Shi says that if not for medical association rules requiring him to work as a resident to gain his U.S. doctor credentials, he might be in Arizona or somewhere else instead of New York. He calls the requirement “archaic.” The Day family leaves. As Doreen walks out the door, she looks back at Dr. Shi. She feels that something about him puts her on edge. She thinks he seems very repressed, like a bottled-up volcano.
In the Concordance Research office of project manager Quentin Quale, he is meeting with Professor Martin Stein. Having recently learned that his contract will not be renewed, Stein asks Quale to reconsider. Quale knows how much his position at Concordance means to his career, and that if word gets out that he’d been fired it would be the end for Stein. He reminds Quale of his recent productivity: working hard, filing reports, organizing his schedule, and producing good work. Quale tells Stein that as project manager he has to be concerned with the overall picture. Unfortunately, in the overall picture, Stein doesn’t fit in anymore. Quale offers an apology but reiterates there will be no new contract. Stein’s term of employment will end on Monday, and that is the final decision.
Stein departs dejectedly, walking out of the office wondering what happened, that it feels like he is slipping into a nightmare. He tried so hard, but nothing he does seems to matter. The position at Concordance was supposed to give him a chance to rebuild his reputation after the Hudson Nuclear Facility accident, and now this happens. Walking by, Harry Carew greets Stein. The Professor, lost in thought, doesn’t notice Carew, who thinks Stein looks like he’s seen a ghost. Walking into his office, Stein worries that he’ll be finished forever when word of his firing gets out. He wonders why Quale is doing this to him. He moves to start cleaning out his desk when a familiar nuclear light starts to appear swirling before his eyes.
Seconds later, Firestorm appears in a “Fzam!” of energy, flying fast over the city. Not in a mood for boyish hijinks, Stein tells Ronnie there better be a good reason for summoning him. Ronnie asks the Professor to give him a break and says he doesn’t feel so hot. His words are interrupted as Firestorm is headed right for a rooftop chimney. With a loud “Krash!” Firestorm smashes right through the chimney bricks. Stein calls to Ronnie, asking if he is alright. Firestorm comes to rest on the rooftop amid the bricks and debris. He tells Stein that he’s just great and peachy-keen, aside from the ringing in his ears and the bongo drum pounding in his chest. Stein asks what is wrong, and can feel a fever through their shared senses. Ronnie says he has been feeling crummy all day. He had to miss basketball practice this afternoon when he started feeling dizzy. Reaching a hand to his neck, he feels like someone is digging a trench across the bottom of his skull. Stein remembers their recent fight with the Hyena, and reminds Ronnie that his neck is where she scratched him on the night she first appeared. Stein tells Ronnie to seek medical attention, asking Ronnie to remind him of the name of the doctor that treated Summer. Turning in flight towards Eastside Hospital, Ronnie tells him it was Dr. Shi.
Firestorm flies down into the courtyard of Eastside Hospital. Stein suggests that Dr. Shi would surely be able to help them. He reminds Ronnie to be careful just as Firestorm overshoots the entrance and passes through a hospital wall, startling a doctor with his unexpected appearance. Ronnie apologizes to the surprised doctor as Stein asks if the new Hyena appeared at this hospital. Ronnie, pulling his lowered density leg from the wall, says this was indeed the place. Stein, thinking things over, says he has another thought. It is a bad feeling about the good Dr. Shi.
An orderly wheels a patient down the hallway, telling her that a nice rest will do her wonders. She agrees and hopes so, saying she’s been so nervous lately…then gets a shock as the flame-haired Firestorm walks past her. Ronnie tells Stein that they might just be overly paranoid, and next thing they know they’ll be seeing boogeymen in dark closets. An exploding “SKRASH!” of glass and door frames shatter the peace of the hallway! The Hyena bursts through a door, giggling a loud evil laugh, and lands a crushing blow on the shocked Firestorm! Ronnie, absorbing the blow, can only say “Me and my big mouth.” The Hyena laughs again, and tells Firestorm that “You’ve found me – yes you have! But what good will it do you, little man? Now that you know, what will you do?” An angry right paw blasts across Firestorm’s chin, and Stein yells to Ronnie to fight back, for the love of heaven, fight back! The Hyena hisses and laughs as it strikes again and that he’ll tell Firestorm what to do…he’ll die! Standing over the crumpled Firestorm, the Hyena shakes its head back and forth and yells his anger towards others who tried to crush his spirit with their rules and petty regulations. The Hyena lets out a chilling laugh. Ronnie begs to Professor Stein to help him.
The Hyena flexes and runs down the hallway, angrily telling the terrified on-looking staff that they are pathetic little men. He asks what they know of suffering, what they know of fear. Laughing, the Hyena says he will teach them fear! Shaking in fright at the sight of the Hyena, a doctor asks his co-workers what it could be, to call the police, call the fire department, call the Chief Resident, call someone, anyone, before he…His words end as he tried to flee, but is struck down with a slash from the Hyena, landing face-first on the floor with an unpleasant “Kthunk!” Near the Emergency Room entrance, a man unaware of what is transpiring just down the hallway loudly complains that he and his wife are getting tired of waiting to be seen. Demanding that somebody give him attention, the man’s words abruptly end as the running Hyena bursts past him laughing as it heads out the door and into the city.
Blurry. Can’t see clearly. Light swirling. A form appears, a human face. It says don’t move, you are under restraint. Eyes slowly open wider. The face of Firestorm slowly becomes recognizable. Something is wrong. The skin of his face looks brown. It looks like fur is covering it! Awakening in shock, Firestorm is tightly restrained on a hospital bed. A doctor next to him is delivering the diagnosis: they’re not sure because of Firestorm’s strange metabolism that makes examination difficult, but there is now little doubt that he has become infected and is slowly becoming…Ronnie yells “No! I asked you not to tell me that! It isn’t true!” Standing beside Firestorm are Summer Day, Dr. Shi, and a few police officers. Summer asks if she can speak to Firestorm alone. Dr. Shi expresses reservations that it might not be a good idea since there’s no telling how he might react. She explains that she came to the hospital after seeing the story on the TV news and that she wants to help. The police decide to give her a chance, as she knows as much about the Hyena character as anybody. Summer asks for just five minutes alone to explain. As the officers step out the door, one tells Summer that he is a friend of her father, and he knows Bert wouldn’t raise any dumb kids.
The door closes and Summer and Firestorm are alone. Ronnie asks Summer what she is doing there. She explains that she rushed over when she saw what happened. The hospital is doing tests to analyze her blood, trying to isolate the Hyena infection. She details that what the hospital doesn’t realize is that it is not an infection…it is a curse. She passed that curse on to Dr. Jivan Shi, and he passed that curse on to Firestorm.
She remembers how broken up she was when Firestorm captured her months ago. She was an emotional basket-case when her parents sent her to Arizona to find the cure, as if a supernatural curse could be cured by medicine. Summer was treated at the Phoenix Medical Center, the most modern addiction treatment center in the country. The physical separation of the distance between Arizona and the African veldt where she was stricken with the were-hyena curse years ago caused her to suffer even more. The first few weeks at the center, Summer felt as though she was a junkie with withdrawal. She spent her time in hysterics or drugged. Somehow, maybe because of the hysteria, she was able to fight off the Hyena change occurring within her, but it was slowly driving her crazy.
Two months into her treatment in Arizona, she met Dr. Jivan Shi. A doctor is his home country of India, Dr. Shi was a refugee in the United States that had to start his career from scratch. He was kind and warm to her, and she felt that they were both outcasts. They became inseparable and spent time together away from the confines of the hospital corridors. Summer thought she was in love with him, but thinks maybe it was only dependence. She should have known it wouldn’t last.
One quiet evening, she and Dr. Shi were together under a soft, moonlit sky. They embrace and kiss. Summer lost the ability to control the Hyena. In mid-embrace, she became the Hyena. Claws ripped into his back as she attacked! She explains further that she should have known she’d destroy their relationship, the same way she’s always destroyed anything good. She just couldn’t control herself anymore and she changed. She doesn’t remember what happened next, but within just a few short days, Dr. Shi had marked her case as “cured.” But she wasn’t cured! She recalls herself and Dr. Shi standing together, both in Hyena form. She yells to him that she’ll never be cured. Calling his name, she wonders what she has done to him. Asking to be forgiven through a hideous Hyena laugh, Summer leaps through a hospital window and escapes!
Ronnie now realizes he has two Hyenas to worry about, and announces to Stein that it is time they split this joint. A police officer re-enters the room, telling Ms. Day that they have a report that “Hairy” is on the World Trade Center. The Chief wants her to…”Fzam!” The officer’s words are cut off as Firestorm lowers his density to slip through the restraints and phase through the wall!
Zooming into the night of the New York skyline, Stein asks if Ronnie heard what the police officer had said. Ronnie says yes, that Jivan must be all animal by now and is seeking the high ground. Stein perceives their shared heart is racing and that they are still feverish. He asks Ronnie if he is certain he can handle this challenge. Ronnie replies that the way he sees it, the kid here hasn’t got much choice!
A helicopter orbits above the World Trade Center casting its searchlight beam down on the rooftop where the Hyena stands. Firestorm approaches on a trail of atomic rings. Summer said that Jivan Shi was a sweetheart, but Ronnie observes that Shi has caused more damage than a small war! The Hyena stands in readiness, flexing and stretching its arms and legs in preparation. Ronnie thinks that Shi’s mind has been twisted and it’s almost like he is waiting for Firestorm, begging for it. Stein asks about their shared mind, and Ronnie cuts him off saying they’ll talk later. Just now, he has work to do! Firestorm launches forward and lands a powerful right across and into the body of the Hyena.
Police helicopters hover overhead, dipping close in treacherous winds over the hundred-odd story Trade Center tower. Voices amplified by bullhorns are distorted and garbled, just like the growling noises of the creature who was once Dr. Jivan Shi. Firestorm and the Hyena form of Dr. Shi wrestle and dodge, trading blows. The Hyena circles, feints, and snarls. It lunges at the Nuclear Man, and their melee prevents them from seeing that another ominous figure has joined them on the rooftop. It is a figure whose blood-red eyes reflect no humanity, whose jaws slowly lift in a raging snarl, and who springs toward the others with a howl like the cries of the eternally damned! Summer in Hyena form! Firestorm hears her snarl. He is locked into a mass of wrestling muscles with Dr. Shi. Ronnie frees his left arm from the clutches and yells “Blast you, get away!” A powerful burst of nuclear energy shoots from his left hand and strikes Summer. Stein yells to question Ronnie’s attack on Summer, reminding him too late that he is not on the roof of some little two-story building. A sizzling “FZZAM!” is ringing out and Summer’s Hyena body is blown upwards by a huge swirling atomic ring of energy! The devastating blow flings her helpless body over the edge of the Trade Center rooftop and she plummets away to certain doom! Stein yells that she’s going to fall over a hundred floors! “You’ve killed her, Ronald! You’ve killed the sister of the girl you love!” With his left fist clenched in horrified anguish, Ronnie yells “Nooooooooo!!!!!”
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