Fireball (Seekers; Darkhawk, Venom, and Metahumes foe)

fireball-seekers-spdmfe2 FIREBALL

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human; advanced technology/exo-skeleton user

Occupation: Mercenary

Group Membership: All-New Seekers (Jenn, Chad O'Nay, Tonic);
formerly the Seekers (Chain Lightning/Thomas Bannion, Laserworks, Sonic/Daniel Bannion; two unidentified)

Affiliations: Anti-Arach9 (Aeturnum/Michael Marchand, Brothers Grimm/Percy and Barton Grimes, Espadas Gemelas de Toledo/Luis and Ray, Ice Queen/Octavia Vermis, Krazy Goat/Perry P. Parish, Lady Bullseye, Rose Roché, Stegron/Vincent Stegron), Leonard Carlson

Enemies: Darkhawk (Chris Powell), Metahumes (Assault/Edward Wong, Blazeye/Barbara DeGioia, Diamond Hammer/Carl Hollister, Hardnose/Alexander Patel, Hyperia/Denise Havens, Makina/Fiona Rivera), Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), Venom (Eddie Brock/Klyntar symbiote)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unrevealed

First Appearance: Darkhawk I#35 (January, 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Fireball wears an armored exoskeleton, which granted her superhuman strength (lifting roughly 10 tons) and durability due to the armor's metal (presumably steel) composition.

At least earlier versions of the Seekers' armors had limited resistance to extreme heat and cold.

Like her teammates, Fireball's armor included simple onboard computers with radar and contained jet boots that enabled flight at 150 mph.

Laserworks could project fiery blasts, although her maximum heat level and duration of sustained output are unrevealed.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately 5'6")
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately 125 lbs.); (armored) unrevealed (perhaps 300 lbs.)
Eyes: Unrevealed (he was not shown unmasked)
Hair: Unrevealed (he was not shown unmasked)

History:
(Darkhawk I#35 / Iron Manual Mark 3: Seekers) - The Seekers renovated their armors and reassessed their membership. Grasp left, with new members Fireball and Laserworks joining in his stead.

(Darkhawk I#36 (fb) - BTS) - The Seekers were hired by corrupt ex-policeman Louis Cale to capture Venom (Eddie Brock), in hopes that Cale could synthesize Venom's symbiote.

(Darkhawk I#35) - In California, the Seekers (Chain Lightning, Fireball, Laserworks, Sonic) ambushed Venom as he fought Darkhawk; Sonic blasted both combatants to the ground and then demanded their surrender.

(Darkhawk I#36) - Fireball joined her three teammates' energy assaults against Darkhawk and Venom, projecting fiery blasts at them. Fireball advised the pair that they didn't want to hurt them unnecessarily as they were just doing what they had been hired for.

(Darkhawk I#36) - Laserworks and the others unleashed a barrage of energy attacks against Darkhawk and Venom.

    Darkhawk shielded himself and Venom from the collective assaults and then leapt to the attack, snaring Chain Lightning's wrist with his cable-claw and swinging him into his teammates; feedback from the Seekers' combined energies traveled back along the claw to Darkhawk, who flew away.

    Venom spread his symbiote over Darkhawk, making them both black and camouflaged at night, allowing them to escape the Seekers' detection.

(Darkhawk I#36) - However, once they were free and clear, Darkhawk again attempted to subdue Venom to bring him in.

(Darkhawk I#36 (fb) - BTS) - The Seekers detected the fighting Darkhawk and Venom.

(Darkhawk I#36) - After Venom stunned Darkhawk and took off, the Seekers attacked en masse, incapacitated Venom's symbiote and captured Brock.

     Darkhawk recovered and went after the Seekers, but when he tried to ambush them, their sensors warned them of his approach. Noting that Laserworks was right that they should have taken care of this busybody before, Fireball projected a fiery blast at Darkhawk. Though Darkhawk got up his force field in time to block this, Laserworks blasted him in his unprotected back, causing the dazed Darkhawk to fall into the water below.

    As Laserworks contained Venom in a laser cage, Fireball and the other Seekers attempted to finish off Darkhawk. However, while they blasted at the mostly submerged Darkhawk, the hero unleashed a wide-angle force blast from his amulet, stunning them.

(Darkhawk I#36 - BTS) - Darkhawk and Venom (who had escaped captivity) swam underwater escaping to nearby shore.

(Darkhawk I#37) - The Seekers ambushed Darkhawk as he approached the Fisherman's Wharf building in which his father was being held by Louis Cale; the distraction allowed Venom to sneak into the building undetected.

    As Darkhawk's force field held off blasts from Chain Lightning and Fireball, Laserworks again nailed him in the back. Enraged with his father's fate and the Seekers' involvement, Darkhawk turned his shield to block blasts from all four Seekers then savagely confronted and took down Sonic and Fireball, who fell into the water.

(Darkhawk I#37 - BTS) - After Chain Lightning noted that the two fallen Seekers had never had too much spunk anyway, Darkhawk subdued him and Laserworks, who also fell into the water.

    The police fished the Seekers out of the bay.

(Iron Manual 3#1) - The Seekers were again arrested, but soon regained their freedom.

(Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Seekers recruited two other unidentified members (see comments).

(Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies#2 (fb) - BTS) - The Seekers were hired by gangster Leonard Carlson (backed by unidentified west coast power brokers) to capture a new team of superhumans known as the Metahumes.

(Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies#2) - At Carlson's command, the Seekers confronted the Metahumes, with Laserworks noting that this was where they would earn their pay.

    However, Assault mentally disoriented Fireball (see comments), leaving her (see comments) vulnerable to a telekinetic blast from Hyperia, and the rest of the Metahumes incapacitated the rest of the Seekers in short order.

(Spider-Woman VII#14 (fb) - BTS) - Fireball was hired by Rose Roché, along with Bruiser and Lady Bullseye, to get a bag from Spider-Woman's apartment.

(Spider-Woman VII#13) - Fireball broke into the apartment and took hold of the bag she was supposed to steal, but got attacked by Jessica Drew, who hit her with a stroller. Fireball didn't even know who she was stealing from and got zapped by little Gerry's venom blast. She told Jessica to put her child on a leash and got tackled through the window. Fireball dropped on a taxi on the street and tried to flee from Spider-Woman, who was close behind her. Fireball managed to get to the subway, but as soon as she tried to get off at the next station she was quickly defeated. Bruiser grabbed the solen bag out of her hand and quickly got into a fight with Spider-Woman himself.

(Spider-Woman VII#20) - Fireball introduced the All-New Seekers to the Anti-Arach9 and demanded a shot at taking down Spider-Woman. Marchand and Roché reminded her that she had already failed once, but gave her the chance she desired even though they considered her team a complete joke.

Jessica Drew was having fast food at a bistro with her son and Lindsay McCabe. When Fireball and her new team tried to attack her, Spider-Woman got up and verbally took them down until they left.

Back at the Anti-Arach9's HQ Fireball told them how mean Spider-Woman was to them. Fireball and her team were kicked out.

Comments: Created by Danny Fingeroth, Todd Smith, and Ian Akin.

We don't know the circumstances under which Grasp left nor why Laserworks and Fireball joined. We also know nothing of the pasts of Laserworks and Fireball. Were they also previous AIM members? Who knows?
That Shadow kno...I mean, I bet Danny Fingeroth knows.

In Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies#2, Sonic noted that they had three new members, but it looks like the same four from the Darkhawk issues, plus two more unidentified. Maybe there was a new person in one of the armors? Fireball doesn't look quite the same...Or maybe there was a seventh Seeker not shown on panel? fireball-seekers-sdmfe2-blasted
The Iron Manual noted that they had TWO new members at that point.

    OK, whoever Hyperia blasts is not clearly shown, and Assault says, "I disoriented HIM mentally..." when Fireball's armored form makes it clear she is a woman.
    However, we clearly see Sonic and Laserworks being taken out by Hardnose and Blazeye, respectively.
    We then see Diamondhammer punch out someone who is barely seen as he notes, "Three down!" There is a cable connected to the gauntlet (which both Laserworks, Chain Lightning, and one of the unidentified characters have), and there are large shoulder pads structures. However, we clearly see Laserworks taken out in the previous panel, and then the unidentified character with cables running from/to the gauntlets is clearly active before being taken out in the following page; the shoulder pads fit with Chain Lightning.
    Again, the fourth person taken out cannot be identified at all, but since we see the two unidentified characters still conscious in the next panel before being taken out, it has to be Fire ball by process of elimination.
    Yes, Assault says "him," but the confrontation was fast and furious, and Assault may not have gotten a good look at his target in those seconds...

Spider-Woman update by Markus Raymond.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Fireballs should be distinguished from:

FIREBALL X-S - used by Johnny Storm in an effort to break the land-speed record, but destroyed when he had to become the Human Torch to save Sheila Donner--Human Torch II#2
FIRE-BALLER of Earth-148611 (Orel ) - Forsaken. Project bursts of flame--Justice#32
FIREBALLS (Jack Farley*) - claimed alien floating orbs from arsenal of X-Cutioner, used them against Gambit in attempt to assassinate him--Gambit III#17
other "Fire" or "Ball" characters

images: (without ads)
Darkhawk I#36, pg. 2, panel 2 (flying, projecting fiery blast);
Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies#2, pg. 17, panel 1 (red mask, flying toward foreground);
pg. 18, panel 1 (blasted by Hyperia);
Iron Manual Mark 3: Seekers entry

Appearances:
Darkhawk I#35-37 (January-March, 1994) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Todd Smith (penciler), Ian Akin (inker), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Spider-Man: Friends and Enemies#2 (March, 1995) - Danny Fingeroth (writer), Ron Lim (penciler), Mick Gray & Mark McKenna (inkers), Nel Yomtov (editor)
Iron Manual Mark 3 (June, 2010) - Ronald Hugh Byrd Jr., Anthony Flamini, Kevin Garcia, Michael Hoskin, Rob London, Mark Robert O'English, Mike O'Sullivan, Markus Raymond, Peter Sanderson, Gabriel Shechter (writers), Mario Gully (new art), Alex Starbuck (assistant editor), John Denning (associate editor), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Spider-Woman VII#13-14 (September-October, 2021) - Karla Pacheco (writer), Pere Perez (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)
Spider-Woman VII#20 (April, 2022) - Karla Pacheco (writer), Pere Perez (artist), Nick Lowe (editor)

First posted: 02/19/2020
Last updated: 04/17/2022

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and © 1941-2099 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com

Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!

Back to Characters