Ronnie Raymond

:This article is about one of the two characters whose fusion make up Firestorm.
:For other meanings, see Firestorm (disambiguation).
Ronald "Ronnie" Raymond (died May 19, 2015) was a former structural engineer for the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator prior to its catastrophic accident. He was also the husband of Caitlin Snow, and one half of the transmuted and conjoint meta-human Firestorm, nicknamed the "Burning Man" by the press. Ronnie died trying to save Central City during the Singularity.
==Biography==
===Original multiverse===
====Career at S.T.A.R. Labs====
Ronnie Raymond worked at S.T.A.R. Labs as the lead structural engineer of the particle accelerator. While working on the project sometime before 2011, he became romantically involved with Dr. Caitlin Snow and in 2013, they got engaged. Ronnie also became close friends with fellow engineer Cisco Ramon. 
At one point, Ronnie was working with Cisco and Caitlin on the iridium plating for the synchrotron for the particle accelerator. They were struggling and working late at night, as they could not get the dubnium capacitor to hold a single charge. Eventually, Ronnie lost his calm demeanor and yelled, "Come on, you dumb-nium capacitor! Take charge!"
====The accident at S.T.A.R. Labs====
On December 11, 2013, Ronnie attended the S.T.A.R. Labs' particle accelerator's activation with his fiancée. The two talked about their honeymoon prior to the particle accelerator being turned on by Dr. Harrison Wells. When Cisco joked about how it was going to be anticlimactic, Ronnie commented they would be in big trouble otherwise. Just as the scientists of S.T.A.R. Labs started their celebrations, the gravity was temporarily removed, and they heard a loud bang. Discovering a chain reaction caused by an anomaly in the core chamber, Ronnie, despite Caitlin's objections, and Cisco went down to the core to shut the particle accelerator down manually. Before going into the core chamber by himself, Ronnie told Cisco to shut down the blast door if he was not back in two minutes. Cisco protested, saying he would not be able to reopen it, but was convinced after Ronnie pointed out everyone in the building would die if the blast was not contained. Inside, he adjusted the system so the explosion would go upward instead of outward, but was unable to make it back to the door until the two minute deadline. Finding the blast door closed, he explained what he had done to Cisco over the radio, causing Cisco to leave to reset the particle parameters to compensate. Caitlin, who had arrived at the core shortly before, begged Ronnie to find a way to get out, but he told Caitlin the door would have to stay closed to protect her. When the core exploded, he was presumed dead and his body vaporized.
====Living on the streets====
Unbeknownst to his friends and family, the explosion merged Ronnie with Professor Martin Stein, via the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. project, and they became a meta-human. The merging vaporized Martin's body, leaving nothing but a shadow mark, and reassembled Ronnie's body but it was Martin's mind who was dominant rather than Ronnie's. Out of concern, Martin also wouldn't let either one of them see their respective significant others, though Ronnie was able to obtain control for certain moments. The resulting mind meld caused Martin to refer to them collectively as "Firestorm". One month after the particle accelerator accident, Firestorm disorientingly had gone to Clarissa Stein's home, watching Clarissa. Their abilities were witnessed by various people, and Firestorm was referred to as "the burning man" on Iris West's blog. Around ten months after S.T.A.R. Labs' accident, Firestorm was accosted under the freeway by two muggers who taunted the shivering individual by asking him if he was cold. Getting up, Firestorm demonstrated his abilities by sprouting flames from his hands and head to scare off the muggers.
A few days before Christmas, Firestorm followed Caitlin to the Central City Mall garage. He approached Caitlin as the latter was getting into the car, and ran away when Caitlin noticed him. However, Caitlin was able to catch up to him. Unwilling to face Caitlin, he covered his hands and head in flames to scare Caitlin off and escaped the garage. Later, Caitlin found Firestorm with Cisco's help by following the ionized particles Firestorm emitted. When Caitlin tried to talk to him, he denied he was Ronnie and warned Caitlin to get away but Caitlin insisted they needed to take him to S.T.A.R. Labs to remind him of who he is. Firestorm simply whispered their collective name and distracted Caitlin and Cisco with flames, and scaring the two scientists. That night, Firestorm arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs just as Barry Allen/Flash was fighting the Reverse-Flash, and saved the young speedster by shooting flames at the yellow speedster. When Reverse-Flash escaped, Firestorm warned Caitlin not to look for him before flying off.
====Separating the two====
Firestorm approached Quentin Quale, a scientist and old friend of Martin's, looking for help. He accidentally lost control of his powers and burned Quale, leaving the latter in critical condition. Upon hearing this news, the team decided to find and contain Firestorm, and interviewed Clarissa. As Wells and Caitlin staked out Clarissa's house, Firestorm eventually appears again, and was confronted by the Flash, whom he easily defeated by flying Flash way up into the air and dropping. When Firestorm was about to strike down Barry, he saw Caitlin and fled. However, Barry had planted a tracking device on Firestorm and was able to find him again. With Clarissa's help, Firestorm is convinced to go with Team Flash for treatment. Wells and Caitlin stabilized Firestorm's mind with a drug cocktail used for dissociative personality disorder. At this point, Martin's personality was dominant, with Ronnie's dormant, although Martin did have knowledge of Ronnie's memories and some of his feelings, including his love for Caitlin. When Wells discovered that Firestorm's body was destabilizing and would soon disintegrate in a massive nuclear explosion, Firestorm decided to isolate himself at a location far away from Central City to avoid harming anyone. He had planned on committing suicide by shooting himself. Barry and Caitlin arrived just in time with a Quantum splicer, which they hoped would harmlessly separate Ronnie and Stein while preventing the explosion. Caitlin activated the quantum splicer, but a huge blast of energy, resembling a nuclear explosion, was released from Firestorm's body, engulfing the area.
====Accepting Firestorm====
 
The explosion, despite destroying everything nearby, separated the two and Ronnie was finally truly with his fiancée again. The two were brought back to S.T.A.R. Labs where Ronnie was reunited with Cisco and Wells. He was sorry to see Wells now confined to a wheelchair, and was given a fresh batch of clothes. Caitlin did some more tests on Ronnie as they also made out, much to Cisco's chagrin. Martin talked to Ronnie, expressing displeasure of being merged for so long. Ronnie and Caitlin had drinks at CC Jitters and caught up with Caitlin's adventures with Barry and Team Flash in the past year. However, Ronnie proposed moving away but Caitlin was hesitant as Caitlin had formed new responsibilities; but Ronnie, though understanding, wanted away from the building that separated them for a year. Before they could discuss the matter more, General Wade Eiling's men attacked the bar to retrieve Ronnie but the Flash came to his rescue, despite being pinned down with a special device from Eiling, Ronnie punched Eiling as a distraction while he and Flash escaped in Caitlin's van. At the lab, Ronnie and Martin realize that one can fell everything the other felt; a brain test Caitlin confirmed their minds were still very much linked. To hide Ronnie, Barry let him stay at his house where Joe West, previously told of Ronnie's demise, was surprised to see him. Iris West also walked in and Caitlin made the excuse that Ronnie was her cousin "Sam". However, Iris thought "Sam" looked familiar, though Iris cannot recall having seen him at this point from his appearances as Firestorm from Iris's blogging days. Later, Martin was captured and Caitlin ran tests to see if Ronnie could find Martin and after carving the word "where" on his arm. Martin gave him to follow to a military facility. Cisco gave Ronnie the quantum splicer as a means to keep them separated as Ronnie left with Flash to save Martin but when they came under fire, they were forced to merge but on Wells's advice rather than fight it they embraced it. Firestorm this time was Ronnie's body but both his and Martin's mind and Firestorm fought Eiling's men before confronting Eiling himself but the general used an ion grenade to stun Firestorm and tried to execute him but Flash knocked Eiling out saving Firestorm as they returned to S.T.A.R. Labs. While there, Firestorm described the new process of merging and successfully de-merged back into Ronnie and Stein but because of the danger Eiling posed to both men decided they need to leave Central City. After Ronnie talked to everyone in Team Flash and kissed Caitlin goodbye, as Martin said goodbye to Clarissa, the two merged once more as Firestorm said "we love you" to Caitlin and Clarissa and flew off.
Later Barry realized of being too slow as a speedster, calling Firestorm and Oliver Queen/The Arrow for help. Eobard Thawne arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs to use the particle accelerator to which the Flash arrived and Firestorm and Arrow soon joined, resulting in a three-on-one fight. When Flash was down, Firestorm distracted the Reverse-Flash so Arrow could shoot with a special arrow to disable speed, but Reverse-Flash used tornado powers to send Firestorm blocks away. Flash quickly recovered him and stopped him from falling to his death and resumed the fight shooting a massive ball of fire at Reverse-Flash atop S.T.A.R. Labs when Flash lead Reverse-Flash up there, causing Reverse-Flash to fall on a car where Arrow finally finished off with an arrow and passed out. Having defeated Reverse-Flash, Firestorm and Arrow parted ways with Flash.
====Marriage and death====
After Eobard's defeat, Ronnie reminded Caitlin that he proposed prior to the particle accelerator explosion and asked if she still would like to accept it. Later, Ronnie married Caitlin just outside S.T.A.R. Labs, with Martin as their rabbi officiating the ceremony. Shortly after, Ronnie and Team Flash bid farewell as Barry left to save Nora Allen. After the Flash returned without saving Nora, Ronnie and Caitlin rushed to cut off the internal generators to shut the wormhole down. After Eddie Thawne committed suicide to wipe the Reverse-Flash out of existence, the team rushed out of S.T.A.R. Labs as the Singularity formed.
After Flash stabilized the singularity, Ronnie and Martin thought they could separate the eye of the singularity. Ronnie told Caitlin he had to try, despite the danger. Ronnie and Martin merged as Firestorm and flew toward the singularity to aid Flash. As the singularity began to collapse in on itself, Firestorm separated and Ronnie was lost in the process, leaving Caitlin and Team Flash to mourn his death.
===New multiverse===
Ronnie worked at S.T.A.R. Labs as an engineer, injuring himself and getting medical support by Caitlin to which the two officially meet. Ronnie and Caitlin end up as a couple. He also plays video games with Cisco. On the way to a bed and breakfast which Caitlin had planned, Ronnie proposed. His life was presumably the same in the new multiverse, such as being half of Firestorm alongside Martin. Ronnie and Caitlin officially get married as husband and wife. As Firestorm, Ronnie helps the Flash disable the singularity over Central City at the cost of his own life. 
However, Ronnie's death released so much energy which created an evil cold fusion entity. Over the seven years, the Black Flame began feeding off the grief of people close to Caitlin to draw Caitlin in to trick into using the quantum splicer to give a physical form to the Black Flame. Cecile Horton felt the real Ronnie's desire to die and end the entity's existence. However, Caitlin and Frost fell for the Black Flame's ruse and gave the entity a physical form resembling Ronnie and calling itself Deathstorm.
==Legacy==
===Original multiverse===
After Ronnie's and Eddie's deaths, Caitlin took a job at Mercury Labs because Caitlin blamed herself for her husband's death, and working at S.T.A.R. Labs made Caitlin think of him every day. Barry also blamed himself for what happened to Ronnie and Eddie, deciding to work alone for the next six months to prevent any more friends from suffering what happened to Ronnie and Eddie. Barry once experienced a mid-day vision as the Flash where Ronnie as Firestorm helped take down Captain Cold and Heatwave, and Team Flash (including Ronnie and Eddie) praised Barry. Barry initially refused to go to the "Flash Day" rally as Flash since everyone wanted to see the man who saved Central City, which Barry thought was Ronnie.
Martin's health began deteriorating due to the Firestorm Matrix growing unstable without a partner as Firestorm. In order to save Martin's life, Team Flash found a suitable partner and eventually succeed with Jefferson Jackson. However, Martin constantly criticized Jax's mistakes whenever he threw himself into danger, as he is very protective of Jax and doesn't want him to suffer the same fate Ronnie did.
Killer Frost taunted Barry by mentioning Ronnie as one of the people Flash had failed to save.
The Speed Force used Ronnie's likeness while Barry was trying to rescue Wally West from a prison meant for Savitar. Ronnie was with Caitlin with holding a baby girl, representing what could have been for the couple. Ronnie talked to Barry about the sacrifices the speedster made while saving Central City, to which Barry claimed to willingly sacrifice himself for Wally. Ronnie denied Barry's request and said to leave while possible. Ronnie again warned Barry to leave, adding that in order to save Wally, Barry must free himself.
Martin's grandson was named in honor of Ronnie. 
Martin ended up fatally wounded during the war with Earth-X, subsequently joining Ronnie in death. At Martin's funeral, Caitlin requested that Martin tell Ronnie of missing him.
===New multiverse===
Cisco created a "Hall of Fallen Heroes" room in S.T.A.R. Labs where past friends could be remembered; the quantum splicer Ronnie used is there.
==Personality==
Ronnie is a cheerful, carefree, protective, and jolly individual. He will always look out for those he holds dear. Ronnie is also fun-loving, quick-witted and intelligent as he was the structural engineer for the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator, but used to joke he was "just a high priced plumber". Ronnie and his fiancée Caitlin Snow, both loves each other very much and they complimented each other, Ronnie brought out Caitlin's compassionate, vivacious side and Ronnie showed complete selflessness in entering the particle accelerator and venting the particle accelerator explosion so to save Caitlin and his friends' lives when the pipeline exploded.
When merged with Martin Stein as Firestorm, Ronnie's being was kept dormant with Martin's personality in control, though he came to be in control sporadically and was always drawn to S.T.A.R. Labs and Caitlin, showing he never forgot about his fiancée. When they were separated, Ronnie and Martin were initially on bad terms due to Martin being in control of his body. Ronnie was overjoyed at being reunited with Caitlin and settled back in with his old life. Initially, Ronnie wanted he and Caitlin to leave for a new life somewhere else.
However, when faced with the threat of Wade Eiling targeting Firestorm and seeing how his old friends and the world had changed, Ronnie adapted quickly. He displayed quick-thinking in using his link to Martin's mind to locate him when the latter was taken by Eiling and accepting the Firestorm Matrix with Martin, the two became friends in using their powers to help Barry Allen fight off Eiling. He was also not afraid to use all of his power in combat, which he used to fight and kill attacking soldiers. Ronnie showed his ever selflessness in leaving Central City to protect his friends from Eiling, having said goodbye to Caitlin, but remained in love with her.
==Powers and abilities==
===Powers===
*Firestorm Matrix connection/Meta-human physiology: After Ronnie was struck by the energy of the particle accelerator explosion, this altered his DNA and supercharged his cells, augmenting his physiology into well-beyond peak human condition. When Ronnie and Martin Stein merge, the two create the nuclear-powered composite being Firestorm. 
**: Ronnie can propel himself in the air via his flames and fly at great speeds.
**Psychic link: Ronnie can hear Martin's disembodied voice while the two of them are merged into Firestorm. Even when they are separated, their link allows them limited communication of sensations or emotions.
**: Due to the nuclear nature of the transmutation of the two bodies, Firestorm is able to produce nuclear energy in the form of fire from parts of his body. The energy can be used as burning or concussive fiery blasts. He could even cause explosions by colliding with targets, which allowed him as Firestorm, to blow up several vehicles when fighting Wade Eiling's men.
===Abilities===
*Genius-level intellect/Expert engineer: Ronnie was a very intelligent individual and highly trained in engineering, as evidenced by the fact that he was the lead structural engineer on the S.T.A.R. Labs particle accelerator.
**Bilingual: Ronnie was capable of fluently speaking English and French.
===Weaknesses===
*Ionized radiation: The Firestorm Matrix can be destabilized by bombarding its cellular structure with ionized radiation, temporarily disabling Firestorm's powers. Though it will not permanently separate Ronnie and Stein, it can cancel Firestorm's powers for a short time.
==Equipment==
*Quantum splicer: The quantum splicer allows for Firestorm's two halves to merge and separate any time they want.
==Appearances==
===The Flash===
===DC's Legends of Tomorrow===
====Season 1====
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====Season 3====
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===Supergirl===
====Season 3====
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===The Chronicles of Cisco===
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==Gallery==
===Promotional images===
====The Flash====
=====Season 1=====
Firestorm fight club promotional.png|Ronnie as "Firestorm's" appearance in "Fight Club"
==Trivia==
*Ronnie's body generates at least 430 cpm of radiation. That amount is enough to cause cancer in humans who are exposed over long periods.Geiger Counter Interpretation Simplified. Nuke Pro. Retrieved on January 3, 2015
**Given that Ronnie's Earth-2 counterpart could be near Killer Frost for said amount of time, it's likely Caitlin could as well since both are meta-humans.
*Ronnie loved pizza so much that Martin Stein (who hated pizza) craved it even after they've been separated.
*He liked the show Orange Is the New Black.
*Apparently, Firestorm doesn't exist on Earth-38, implying that if Ronnie even has a doppelgänger on that Earth, he never became Firestorm.
==Behind the scenes==
*In the DC comics, Ronald "Ronnie" Raymond became one half of the nuclear superhero Firestorm when he was combined with Dr. Martin Stein after an explosion at a nuclear facility. Similar to how the Flash tapped in to the Speed Force for his powers, Firestorm uses the Firestorm Matrix to transmute elements.
*In the original script, Caitlin Snow's fiancé was named Kyle."The_Flash_1x01_-_Pilot.pdf" - TV Writing Kyle appears in , where he is portrayed by Brendon Zub and can be seen standing next to Caitlin during Harrison Wells' press conference.
*Ronnie used to joke that he and Caitlin were like "fire and ice". This is a reference to their respective DC counterpart characters and future mantles, Firestorm and Killer Frost.
*Actor Robbie Amell, who plays Ronnie, is the real-life cousin of Stephen Amell, who portrayed Oliver Queen on . The two appeared on-screen together in the first season episode, .
*Ronnie was killed off in The Flash because Robbie Amell was unable to commit as a series regular for ."Robbie Amell On Why He Was Killed Off On The Flash And The Real Explanation Behind The X-Files Finale" - Bleeding Cool As such, he was replaced as the second half of Firestorm by Jefferson Jackson, played by Franz Drameh.
==References==
de:Ronnie Raymond
es:Ronnie Raymond
fr:Ronnie Raymond
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ru:Ронни Реймонд
Category:Allusions to the comics
Category:Vigilantes
Category:Team Flash members
Category:Scientists
Category:Characters with psychic powers
Category:Needs Power link