FIRE
FOUNTAIN
Classification: Terrestrial
mystic-energy fountain
Creator: Loki
User/Possessors: Berserkers
(Anodyne (Madelyne
Jennifer Pryor), Beastmaster (Boyd Wilson), Brawler (Jacques Moreau),
Cornucopia (Carla Ballenger), Earth-Mover (Jeanne Chretien), Lord of
the Plants
(Phil Descad), Lorelord (Sam Ross), Master Builder (Paul Domenic),
Pathfinder
(Nick Rodriguez)), Loki, Vindicator (Heather Hudson); indirectly
Aurora
(Jeanne-Marie Beaubier), Cyclops (Scott Summers), Puck (Eugene Judd),
Rogue
(Anna Marie), Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski), Wolverine (Logan/James
Howlett)
(they were transformed by Anodyne’s powers, which were derived from the
Fountain)
First
Appearance: X-Men/Alpha Flight
I#1 (December, 1985)
Powers/Abilities/Functions: The Fire Fountain
was a large fountain
composed of mystic energy, which it absorbed. As it absorbed more
mystic
energy, it grew in size and affected a larger area. The Fountain could
transform those who stepped through it, granting them superhuman
abilities,
often related to their personality in some way but the transformation
cost the
user their inherent creativity.
History:
(X-Men/Alpha
Flight I#1 (fb) – BTS) – In
an effort to prove his worth to Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, Loki was
tasked
with doing a good deed for the people of Midgard. As part of his deed,
Loki
decided to create the mystic Fire Fountain to grant those of Midgard
superhuman
powers capable of solving their worldly problems.
(X-Men/Alpha
Flight I#1) – To
test the Fountain out, Loki arranged for Madelyne Pryor's charter plane
to
crash and empowered everyone onboard the plane using the Fire Fountain.
(X-Men/Alpha
Flight I#1 – BTS) –
Gaining the ability to generate building materials, Paul Domenic became
the
Master Builder. Using his powers, he created a giant citadel around the
Fire
Fountain, which the Berserkers referred to as the "Magic Fountain."
(X-Men/Alpha
Flight I#1) – When the
X-Men and Alpha Flight arrived to investigate the plane crash that
included
their ally Cyclops, Master Builder and the other transformed plane
survivors
(now known as the Berserkers) greeted them and revealed their
transformations.
When Professor X became curious as to how the plane crash survivors had
been
transformed, Lorelord led the heroes to the Fire Fountain itself, where
Heather
Hudson was drawn into the Fountain and emerged taller and with perfect
vision.
(X-Men/Alpha
Flight I#2) – While searching
for the missing Rachel Summers, Shadowcat ventured into the caves
surrounding
the Fire Fountain and Alpha Flight's Talisman went looking for her.
Discovering
an old abandoned Norse city within the caves, Talisman found an
Asgardian rune
dedicated to Loki. When the caves began to cave in, Rachel Summers
blasted
through one of the walls and the trio found themselves at the Fire
Fountain.
Talisman accidentally brushed into the Fountain, causing mystic
feedback that
launched both her and Rachel Summers into the nearby walls, learning
the Fire
Fountain's mystical nature. After Wolverine discovered that the Fire
Fountain was
draining the mystic energy from Alpha Flight's Snowbird and Shaman, a
battle
broke out between the Berserkers and some of the X-Men and Alpha Flight
members. The battle was broke up when Loki arrived, revealing his hand
in the
Fire Fountain's creation and the Berserkers' origins. Angry that Loki
intended
to force humanity to accept his "gifts" via the Fire Fountain, Cyclops
attacked
him and Loki unleashed Asgardian Snow Giants to battle the three teams.
Eventually, Those Who Sit Above in Shadow appeared and deemed Loki
unworthy,
prompting Loki to remove the Berserkers' "gifts." As Loki teleported
away, the
Fire Fountain disappeared.
In Alpha Flight I#50 it was revealed that Loki didn't actually create the Firefountain. While Alpha Flight was looking for the Firefountain to cure a dying Northstar they came across what they believed to be the shaft within which the Firefountain once existed. At the bottom of that shaft they found a giant round golden gate and speculated that Loki had only found the Faerie gate within the ruins of the Viking village and, by opening it, had allowed the magic of the Firefountain to flow forth. Unfortunately, Loki had secretly guided them to the wrong gate and had used his magic to alter the "evil" runes on the gate into beautiful and benevolent forms. Later, while wandering around in the world behind the gate, the team came across a second Firefountain but this one was "black as pitch" instead of the "pure white light" of the original Firefountain. This Firefountain could also "cure" people but at a terrible price.
Later, Loki (while talking/gloating aloud to himself) stated that he had not created the benevolent magic of the first Firefountain but that it had come from the realm of Faerie known as Alfheim where the Light-Elves dwell, and that that gate had been forever shut. In contrast, the gate through which Alpha Flight had passed was another Faerie Gate, one which led to the realm of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, and the black "Firefountain of the Svartalfer" existed entirely within that realm.
--Donald Campbell
Comments: Created by Chris
Claremont, Paul Smith
and Bob Wiacek.
Profile
by Proto-Man.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Fire Fountain has
no known connections to:
- any other "Fire” or “Fountain” items
images: (without ads)
X-Men/Alpha Flight I#1, p44, pan2 (Fire Fountain, main image)
Appearances:
X-Men/Alpha Flight I#1 (December, 1985) - Chris Claremont (writer),
Paul Smith,
Bob Wiacek (art), Ann Nocenti, Denny O’Neil (editors)
X-Men/Alpha Flight I#2 (January, 1986) - Chris Claremont (writer), Paul
Smith
(pencils), Bob Wiacek & friends (inks), Ann Nocenti, Denny
O’Neil (editors)
Any
Additions/Corrections? please
let me know.
Last
Updated:
07/07/13
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