Firebug (comics)#Joe Rigger

{{Infobox comics character

| character_name = Firebug

| image =

| caption =

| publisher = DC Comics

| debut = (Rigger)
Batman #318
(December 1979)
(Combs)
Gotham Central #3
(March 2003)
(Unnamed)
Deadshot (vol. 2) #1
(February 2005)

| creators = (Rigger)
Len Wein (writer)
Irv Novick (artist)
(Combs)
Ed Brubaker (writer)
Michael Lark (artist)
(Unknown)
Christos Gage (writer)
Steven Cummings (artist)

| alter_ego = -Joe Rigger
-Harlan Combs
-Unnamed

| full_name =

| species = Human

| homeworld =

| alliances =

| aliases =

| supports =

| powers = (Rigger)
Military training
Costume contains napalm tanks to set things on fire

}}

Firebug is the name of three supervillains appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as enemies of Batman. All three are insect-themed arsonists, similar to Firefly.

Firebug has made limited appearances in media outside comics, with Tom Kenny voicing the Joe Rigger incarnation of the character in Batman: Caped Crusader.

Publication history

The Joe Rigger incarnation of Firebug debuted in Batman #318 and was created by Len Wein and Irv Novick.{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |title=The Essential Batman Encyclopedia |date=2008 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=9780345501066 |page=136}}

The Harlan Combs incarnation of Firebug debuted in Gotham Central #3 and was created by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark.

The unnamed Firebug debuted in Deadshot (vol. 2) #1 and was created by Christos Gage and Steven Cummings.

Fictional character biographies

=Joe Rigger=

Joe Rigger is a soldier and demolitions expert who returns to Gotham City when several family members are killed in building-related accidents. Using his military training and a costume containing tanks of napalm, he becomes Firebug and attempts to destroy the buildings to prevent further accidents. He is defeated by Batman atop the Gotham State Building and believed dead after his tank explodes.Detective Comics #689-690. DC Comics.{{cite book |last =Rovin |first =Jeff |title =The Encyclopedia of Supervillains |publisher =Facts on File |date =1987 |location =New York |isbn = 0-8160-1356-X |pages=129–130}}

Firebug later resurfaces and becomes a rival of Firefly before being scarred in an explosion and retiring.Hero Hotline #5. DC Comics.Gotham Central #4-5. DC Comics. He returns to villainy in The New 52 continuity reboot.Batgirl (vol. 4) #17 (April 2013). DC Comics.Batgirl (vol. 4) #18 (May 2013). DC Comics

=Harlan Combs=

The second Firebug, Harlan Combs, is a civilian and thrill-seeker who succeeds Joe Rigger following his retirement. He is later implicated for the murder of his family babysitter Bonnie Lewis and arrested.Gotham Central #3-5. DC Comics.

=Unnamed=

An unnamed character using the name Firebug debuted in Deadshot - Urban Renewal #1 (February 2005).Deadshot (vol. 2) #1. DC Comics. He had won the name and costume from an Internet auction. After taking on the Firebug name, he enters the costume business.Deadshot (vol. 2) #4-5. DC Comics.

Firebug later appeared in a flashback revealing that he teamed up with Mr. Freeze, but was defeated by Batman and Harvey Dent prior to Batman leaving Gotham City for a year.Batman #651-654. DC Comics.Detective Comics #817-820. DC Comics.

In other media

Firebug appears as a boss in Batman: The Video Game. This version is the Joker's bodyguard who seeks revenge on Batman for defeating his brother and possesses super-speed and pyrokinesis.
The Joe Rigger incarnation of Firebug appears in the Batman: Caped Crusader episode "The Night of the Hunters", voiced by Tom Kenny.{{Cite web |last=Flook |first=Ray |date=July 22, 2024 |title=Batman: Caped Crusader Spotlights Firebug, Gentleman Ghost, Nocturna |url=https://bleedingcool.com/tv/batman-caped-crusader-spotlights-firebug-gentleman-ghost-nocturna/ |access-date=July 22, 2024 |website=Bleeding Cool |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Firebug Voice - Batman: Caped Crusader (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Batman-Caped-Crusader/Firebug/ |access-date=November 30, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.