Fireball

Fireball was an Iraqi citizen who uses his control over fire to support the Brothers of Swords. He was later in aid of Ra's al Ghul and White Ghost to destroy Gotham City.

Azrael (Vol. 2)
His first appearance is Azrael: The Tears of God, Part One: Shock and Awe, begins with a flashback to a few years ago, a young Muslim boy in Iraq fully supports the invasion of Iraq, as he and some of his family deem it a “necessary evil.” His cousin Hakim on the other hand plans to fight against them. One night this all changes when Hakim comes to find Sami playing guitar, but the issue is that the power had been cut. Unknown to Sami, he was powering the guitar all by himself, as Hakim claims he is the devil. There is no time to panic as their hose is nearly hit by a bomb. Outside of Sami, Hakim and Smai’s father, most of his family die in the blast. Sometime later. Sami’s view on the American’s has changed, as his house is invaded, and soldiers interrogate his father, who has been a “broken man” since the blast. Believing the soldiers will kill his father, Sami uses his fire controlling powers to defend his family, but when the flames die down, the soldiers, and his father are all dead. Hakim, who has now embraced Sami’s powers as a gift from god, suggests that they seek out the Brothers of Swords so Sami can use his powers for the Jihad. This is where Azrael comes in. In Afghanistan, he comes across some members of the Brothers of Swords and asks “Where is Fireball?” Believing he is there to attack Fireball, the Brothers of Swords members open fire on him. Little do they know, ever since Azrael’s rebirth, and his gaining control over the Suit of Sorrows, he’s become stronger, nearly invincible, and makes quick work of the insurgents. He travels into the city, with Father Grieve following him, telling him he did what was right. In the small village, Azrael comes across Hakim, and asks to see Fireball. Hakim fetches his cousin, who looks tattered and burnt.

In Azrael: The Tears of God, Part Two of Two: Fire and Sand, Azrael and Fireball face to face, the Brothers of Sword call for Azrael’s death. Fireball tells Azrael that their fight was foretold to him, but he wishes to take it elsewhere, away from the people. The two ride in the desert as Azrael tries to get answers as to who told Fireball about him. All Fireball says is that it was the man who taught him how to use his powers. Through conversation, the two find that they are not that much unalike. They both serve the same god and they both control fire. Fireball uses the sun’s energy to creat a fiery storm that Azrael is forced to defend himself against. The two grow closer with both their powers at full strength, to the point where Fireball holds Azrael’s swords in his hands. The fight is a draw, neither is capable of killing the other. Out of no where, the man who taught Fireball to wield his powers rides in on horseback. It is none other than Ra’s al Ghul, who had planned for this day to come, and for Fireball’s village to be attacked. The three race back to the village in which the Brothers of Sword inhabit only to find the army absolutely decimating the place. Among many of the slain, is the last of Fireball’s family, Hakim. Ra’s wishes to bring back both Azrael and Fireball to Gotham, in order to start their “new world order” he has planned. Still weak from the emotion of his family dying, Fireball falls to his knees, causing Azrael to carry him to Ra’s jet.

Gotham City Sirens
In Gotham City Sirens #22, when Maggie turns to her sister and pleads for Selina to kill her in the name of God. Selina doesn’t know what to do. She stares at her sister, holding the blade, says “I love you,” and refuses kill her. Azrael informs her that she has failed the test, and turns his attention to Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, White Ghost gives Ra’s al Ghul, the confirmation of Selina’s failure, Ra’s figures all is according to plan, as he charges Fireball, full of energy.

Batman
In Batman: Judgement on Gotham: Part 1: One Good Man, at Devil’s Square, and Grayson assumes that it involves Azrael. He is correct as he arrives on the scene to find Azrael’s follower, the Crusader is creating a ruckus in the name of God and his boss Azrael. The Crusader has mental powers such as telekenesis and pyrokinetics. He utilizes these powers while quoting scripture or his own variation on it. Not only is the Crusader present, but so too are Catwoman and Red Robin. Azrael soon follows to tell them all that they will be tested to determine the fate of Gotham. Ra’s Al Ghul is involved, providing his “angels of death” with Fireball that will deal out Gotham’s punishment whether the heroes succeed in passing Azrael’s test or not.

In Batman: Judgement on Gotham: Part 3: Secret Sin, the judgement is high in Gotham City, as Batman faces down Azrael and the Crusader, who threaten to destroy Gotham City with the human bomb, Fireball! To save the city, Batman must confront an incident from his youth, and Azrael must face the truth behind his actions. Meanwhile, Ra's al Ghul plays with dominoes with the White Ghost. Yet, Dick meets Azrael, the Crusader, and Fireball on the top of a roof, as they summon their witness, a grown Prodigy, claiming he heard a voice that called him to Gotham. He tells his story. He was part of the same circus as the Flying Graysons, a big star, and one day he started hooking up with a girl who already had a boyfriend. The girl’s boyfriend and his buddies beat the crap out of the kid, leaving him for dead. The doctors say he was lucky to walk again, let alone live, and after the fact, he left the circus, drifting around the world. He tries to continue, but The Crusader stops him. Dick feels remorse for what he didn’t do, and tells Azrael that he will accept his sins, but they don’t deserve to be taken out on Gotham. Azrael offers Dick the chance to serve God under him, but Dick refuses and “dooms the city.” Before Azrael can act, Dick questions what would happen to Jenny and Azrael’s family, as he points out that they haven’t left the city, and are in the alley below. Azrael brings them up to him, saying that they should have left. Jenny can’t believe what she is seeing, realizing the truth. She says, even if he spares them, he’ll lose them regardless. Dick brings up the fact that Jenny used the Sword of Sin and Salvation on herself, which revealed the hidden truth in her life. Dick asks Azrael to do the same, to which he agrees, and stabs himself with both the swords. He sees that it is not God’s will he’s carrying out, it’s Ra’s al Ghuls. Ra’s wants to destroy Gotham, pinning it on terrorist attacks which would lead to more violence, and more attacks, until the world destroys itself, leaving him a blank canvas to recreate it in his name. Azrael realizes what he’s done, and his cause isn’t just or of God, but it’s too late, Fireball is losing control as his body starts to blow. The Crusader claims he can save them with the shield, but Dick tells him to try and contain Fireball’s blast. The Crusader isn’t sure, but Azrael tells him to do it. The Crusader puts his shield around Fireball, who barely gets his last words out “forgive me” and blows. The explosion shakes the Earth, but is contained by the Crusader, but Fireball lays in the ground, dead. Azrael feels ashamed of himself, picking up Fireball’s dead body, and asks the Crusader to take them away. Dick tries to stop them, but Azrael points out that he can’t, as he, Tim, Selina, and Jenny all watch Michael float away. The Prodigy finds the time to tell his story. He tells Batman that he always knew his friend, Dick, was there that night, but forgave him nonetheless. He knew Dick was a kid, and kids make mistakes, figuring he’s more than made up for it by now. White Ghost slams the table in anger of Azrael’s betrayal. Ra’s al Ghul brushes it off, claiming that he has the advantage. He has eternity, while Batman must win every single battle, all he needs to win is once, and it will be game over.