Firestorm Vol 2 1

Day of the Bison

Summary
Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Month: June Year: 1982

Credits
Editor in Chief: Dick Giordano Head Writer: Gerry Conway Writers: Pat Broderick Cover Artists: Pat Broderick and Dick Giordano Pencilers: Pat Broderick Inkers: Rodin Rodriguez Colourists: Gene D’Angelo Editors: Len Wein

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond/Martin Stein)
 * Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky
 * Black Bison
 * Cliff Carmichael
 * Doreen Day
 * Edward Raymond
 * Jefferson Jackson
 * Lorraine Reilly
 * Quentin Quale
 * Vanessa Tremont
 * Walter Reilly

Locations:
 * Manhattan
 * &mdash;Bradley High School
 * &mdash;Central Park
 * &mdash;Concordance Research
 * &mdash;New York Museum of Natural History

Items:
 * Black Bison's talisman
 * Black Bison's coup-stick

First Appearances: Beanbag, Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky, Black Bison, Jefferson Jackson, Lorraine Reilly, Quentin Quale, Vanessa Tremont, Walter Reilly, Zero. Final Appearances: Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky

Synopsis: Firestorm lowers his molecular density and attempts to take a nap on a cloud. Upon falling asleep however, his mass returns to normal and he begins plunging to the earth below. Professor Stein telepathically screams at Ronald to “wake up”. Firestorm awakens minutes before hitting the ground. The two men separate, and Ronnie returns to his home to catch up on some sleep.

Elsewhere, a teacher named John Ravenhair prepares to leave for school. His great-grandfather, an aging Native American named, Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky, reads a newspaper and learns that New York senator, Walter Kelly, has recently donated a collection of artifacts belonging to the Black Bison Cult to the Museum of Natural History. The old man becomes enraged and begins screaming at his grandson about how the modern world has stolen their heritage. Ravenhair doesn't have time to listen to his grandfather's ramblings. Before the younger man leaves, Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky gives John a talisman of the Bison Cult. John leaves and heads towards Bradley High School.

Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky walks down to Central Park, where he begins conducting a supernatural ritual. After completing the ritual, two muggers named Zero and Beanbag come up behind him. They club him over the head in the hopes of stealing some money. The blow is too much for the old man, and he dies moments later.

At Bradley High, Ronnie meets with his girlfriend, Doreen Day, and has another of his classic altercations with the resident school jerk, Cliff Carmichael.

As luck would have it, John Ravenhair is chaperoning his students on a class trip to the New York Museum of Natural History. He lectures his students on the century-long history of the Bison Cult. As he nears one of the display cases, the spell woven by John's great-grandfather begins to take effect. The spirit of Bison-Black-As-Midnight-Sky takes control of John Ravenhair. He breaks open the display case and steals the Bison headdress and a mystical coup-stick

Calling himself Black Bison, he uses the magic of the coup-stick to animate the stuffed animal displays causing them to run riot throughout the musuem. Ronnie Raymond turns into Firestorm and tries to save as many people as possible from the stampeding animals. Bison himself animates a white steed and declares revenge upon all of those who have tarnished the sacred tradition of the Bison Cult. Firestorm is too distracted with saving his fellow students to notice Black Bison leaving.

Bison appears in front of the home of senator Walter Reilly.

Trivia

 * Lorraine Reilly will soon become the super-hero known as Firehawk in Firestorm (Volume 2) 17.


 * This issue features a letters column entitled “Nuclear Reactions”. It includes an article by writer/editor, Gerry Conway, speaking about his history with the Firestorm character.

Recommended Readings

 * Firestorm (Volume 1) 1

Related Articles

 * Firestorm (Volume 1)