Warning: the following contains spoilers for Earth-Prime: Legends of Tomorrow #3!
As the Arrowverse comes to comics, the Legends of Tomorrow reveal that Firestorm will become a totally different kind of hero. One that might seem contrary to his name but that is actually surprisingly fitting given his unique power set.
Throughout the Legends of Tomorrow show, the cast of characters continuously rotates as some Legends join the crew of the Waverider while others step away. Firestorm was a unique addition to the team, as the powerful hero is actually two people sharing control of one superpowered body. Firestorm was initially controlled by Ronnie Raymond and Martine Stein. After the Robbie Raymond half of Firestorm sacrificed himself, he was replaced by Jax Jefferson. Now, Jax is returning with a new superhero identity.
Earth Prime #3, focuses on several members of the Legends that are no longer a part of the show. The group, which consists of the Atom, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and one-half of Firestorm, gets together out of concern for their former teammates and go out on a mission in order to see if they are okay. In the issue, which was written by Daniel Park and Lauren Fields and contained art by Paul Pelletier, only Jackson was present at the time. As Firestorm, he would also need Martin Stein to transform. Since he couldn't do that as Martin was busy with his own family, Mick Rory, aka Heatwave, offered him an alternative. He gave Jackson not just Captain Cold's gun but also his goggles and jacket as well. As the Legends went in search of Mick's abducted children, Jackson seems perfectly at ease with his new weapon, battling aliens and freezing them using the gun.
At first glance, it might seem that Jackson is going in the completely opposite direction as a hero by going all-in on the Captain Cold persona. After all, his superhero name was originally Firestorm, and fire and ice could be considered total opposites. But Firestorm’s name is a bit of a misnomer. Really, Firestorm is all about transmutation and altering matter. This includes both things extremely hot as well as extremely cold. So in some sense, Jackson would be perfectly at ease handling Captain Cold's freezing weapon.
Although it might have seemed like a practical measure at the time to give Jackson a way to defend himself, for Mick, this shows the tremendous level of respect he must have for Jackson. Leonard Snart, aka the original Captain Cold, was Heatwave’s best friend and partner in crime. It also wouldn't be so far as a stretch to say that Mick loved Leonard on some level. So the fact that he would be willing to give Firestorm the honor of carrying on the Captain Cold legacy is a humongous sign of Legends of Tomorrow's trust.
Look for Earth-Prime: Legends of Tomorrow #3 available now from DC Comics!