Fahrenheit (comics)

Fahrenheit (Lauren Jenette Pennington) is a fictional character, a superhero in the Wildstorm universe. The character first appeared in StormWatch #2 and was created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee.

Fictional character biography

Lauren's latent powers are revealed when she found herself trapped in a burning building as a young woman. The building is reduced to ash and cinders. Firefighters find Lauren unconscious but otherwise unhurt. Hearing of her miraculous survival, Synergy tracks her down and activates her powers. After undergoing the rigorous training required of a StormWatch operative, Lauren is offered a position in StormWatch Two, the reserve team.

At this point, the UN is still under the control of the shadowy, paranoid group of multi-billionaires called the Special Security Council. Thus, while they were heroes, the operatives of StormWatch were quite ruthless and did not hesitate to violate the rights of a country in order to advance the Council's agenda.

Fahrenheit, an old StormWatch hand, serves under Bendix's leadership, then Synergy's. When Bendix is put in charge again and modifies the teams' lineup, Fahrenheit is appointed leader of StormWatch Red, the heavy fire team designed for deterrent display and retaliation.

Her missions were making her uncomfortable. For example, she is sent with fellow Stormwatch members Flint and Rose Tattoo to the island nation ruled by Kaizen Gamorra. This was in revenge for Kaizen's terrorist attack on Britain the destruction of a British passenger jet. Though Flint and Fahrenheit only damage property, they had to watch as Rose killed 233 civilians, the exact number of British civilians killed on the jetliner.^[1]

Fahrenheit spends much time with her teammates and friends in various bars around the world, drinking and avoiding talking about work. Much of this was at Clark's Bar, a watering hole where only super-humans are allowed.

Bendix's insanity later reveals itself and in a fight with Jenny Sparks he is presumably killed. Fahrenheit stays with the team under the new leadership of Jackson King. In later missions, she is forced to kill, though she did not enjoy it. She began a relationship with fellow StormWatch Officer Hellstrike, which violated many Stormwatch rules.

Death

Fahrenheit was killed in WildC.A.T.s/Aliens when StormWatch satellite was boarded by hundreds of xenomorphs. Winter, Hellstrike and Fuji are slain as well.^[2]

Reboot

After the Wildstorm reboot (in Captain Atom), Fahrenheit along with Fuji, Hellstrike and Winter, are alive as seen in the Stormwatch: Post Human Division series. The Authority's Doctor had discovered a way to resurrect Winter and in doing so brings back his other deceased teammates as well. A scan of Fahrenheit's memories seemed to indicate The Monitors were involved. Later, however, in the Stormwatch: PHD issue of Wildstorm: Armageddon it is suggested that it may in fact be a possible future version of Jackson King.

She rejoins Stormwatch. She participates in the "Battle of First Avenue", personally battling the ice-based villain 'The Cooler', a woman she has a history with. The Cooler's psychosis cause both to fall from a great height. Fahrenheit survives the fall, but awakes without her powers. Jackson King places her on the new Stormwatch: PHD squad. Manipulating her through the grief of losing her powers, Lord Defile, the villain responsible for the First Avenue fight, uses Fahrenheit as a mole. She sides with PHD when Defile finally came to kill the team. Her powers also returned at this point.

Jackson King told her that her betrayal was not her fault, but manipulation on Defile's part. He admits to her superior that this is a lie to keep Fahrenheit on the team.

Fahrenheit rejoins her old Stormwatch comrades when an old Henry Bendix facility is uncovered. They come into opposition against the super-group, the 'Authority'. Neither group trusts the other to gain control over the facility.^[3]

Powers and abilities

Fahrenheit is a seedling whose pyrokinetic powers enable her to agitate the molecules in objects, quickly heating them like a microwave oven. When used on combustible materials, they burst to flames. When using it on the air surrounding her, she can create and control updrafts strong enough to let her fly at formidable speeds. Fahrenheit's control is so fine, she can melt guns without causing injuries to the men holding them. In joining StormWatch, she also underwent a bit of combat training (from the hands of Backlash) to get a solid level of hand to hand fighting skill.

After a fall from several stories while fighting the Cooler, Fahrenheit awoke, injured, to find she had lost her powers. She would eventually regain them, but no longer has the fine control she used to.

By virtue of being a Seedling, Fahrenheit naturally has enhanced durability; this assisted greatly in the recovery of her albeit damaging fall. Later, she shakes off the effects of a thrown beer bottle, assuring her teammates that she still-retains her post-human durability.

References

1. ↑ Stormwatch #40 (Wildstorm Comics, October 1996)
2. ↑ WildC.A.T.s/Aliens #1 (August 1998)
3. ↑ "Authority Prime" #1-2