White Heat - Recap

Firefly and his new girlfriend/accomplice Blaise Blazedale break into the Gotham University astrophysics department and prepare to steal a radioactive phosphorous isotope. They get it and escape the guards, and back at their lair Blaise works to use it to improve Firefly’s equipment. However, there’s a newscast about the theft, with the anchor misidentifying Firefly, and he’s distracted and sets off the isotope. The resulting blast takes him directly in the face.

Batman is on patrol with Robin and Batgirl and they get word of the explosion. Investigating, they find no signs of radioactivity from the phosphorous isotope. Meanwhile, Blaise is driving Firefly to the hospital but he revives and refuses to get treatment. Feeling hot, he gets out of the car and discovers that he’s radiating high temperatures. Batman and the others arrive and Firefly attacks them bare-handed, throwing heat blasts at them and mutating into a lavalike form. He renames himself Phosphorous. Batgirl tries to capture Blaise but is distracted and trapped in flames, and Batman and Robin have to rescue her while Firefly and Blaise escape on foot.

Firefly goes after a treasury gold shipment and easily subdues the gold, but discovers he can’t even pick it up without it melting. Batman arrives and imprisons Phosphorous in a special heat-resistant cocoon, and Blaise admits she’s relieved since he was getting out of control. However, Phosphorous’ body temperature increases and he breaks free, and Batman and the others are forced to retreat. At the Batcave, Alfred gives the Batsuit an extra layer of lead armor, while Batman determines that Phosphorous could cause a nuclear meltdown destroying the city. Batgirl goes off on her own to find Phosphorous and spots him and Blaise trying to get food. Phosphorous’ body heat is increasing, burning up everything he touches. Batgirl gets Blaise away but is unable to stop Phosphorous, who heads for the nearby nuclear plant.

Batman dons his lead armor and goes after Phosphorous, but the super-villain’s heat proves too much for him. He gets to the nuclear power plant and starts a meltdown, but Batman manages to stop him by releasing liquid nitrogen, freezing him in place and stopping the reactor from overloading. Phosphorous is taken to Arkham, where it’s revealed he must remain in a special gas-filled cell to restrain his powers. Blaise says that she no longer loves him and walks away.

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