Blubb

When I started this research I was trying to examine how metahumans, specifically Flambae, manifested their powers and how that would change the function of his internal biological systems. We know that magic exists in the dispatch universe but we also know most metas, unless specified otherwise, are regular genetic mutations (non-magical)

As a brief explanation of my start I examined the basics of fire. An exothermic chemical reaction that’s color is dependent on the type of fuel involved in the combustion. Things that can produce/fuel flames include but are not limited to: oxygen, hydrogen burning in chlorine, and certain metallic fuels. The most common flame color, including Flambae’s flames, are hydrocarbon flames. This led me to types of materials burning and the temperature they corresponded to; one of which being animal fat which has a max flame temperature of 1,472-1,652 degrees Fahrenheit (800-900 degrees Celsius).

Additionally Flambae’s fire exclusively ignites from his skin directly. He does not seem able to summon the fire (and the flame) from a distance. My theory of his anatomical process combines the idea of that animal fat burning with the emission from direct skin to that of a biochemical process internally allowing for ignition as well as examining which parts of his anatomy would allow his skin to not burn / why his hair still can.

My working theory is his powers are a conversion from fat to fuel in a literal sense. I did not calculate his bmi but I determined on baseline stats that he has to have a low fat ratio to his design as he is, quite literally, burning it before it develops. The basics of how fat works in the human body can be broken into three main stages: lipolysis, transport and oxidization, and the use of hormones. A very basic breakdown of the process is:

1. Fat is stored in the body in the form of triglycerides as seen above. Lipolysis breaks down the fat into fatty acids and glycerol.

2. Fatty acids and glycerol are transported through the bloodstream to various tissues and cells that require energy. The mitochondria break down the acids through a process called beta-oxidization into smaller units then burned through the Kreb’s cycle producing ATP (your body’s energy to function)

3. Hormones control when and how the fat is used. Insulin stores fat, glycogen burns it when blood sugar levels drop, adrenaline stimulates fat burning, cortisol attempts balance deciding when to store or burn based on the body’s needs in interpreting stress

Considering Flambae’s powers are tied to his emotions it only seemed practical his powers would be directly correlated with his hormones as well. If we think of the fire both as a chemical process as well as a physical extension of a muscle he practices we can then determine fat is the primary fuel to his flame.

Considering, as I stated before, that his fire is summoned from his skin and not from afar, I determined the easiest area for the fat to be distributed as energy from the body would be through his sweat glands (also known as eccrine glands as those are the more common ones in the general exposed regions of skin on the human body). But if the fatty acids are his muscular energy the question of the usage of glycerol came into play.

Glycerol is a sugar alcohol that’s structure is found as the backbone of lipids known as glycerides. Glycerol is mainly metabolized in the liver and, when not properly processed, can be elevated in cases such as diabetes. In the food industry glycerol serves as a sweetener and preservative commercially. Glycerol is not considered flammable or combustible under normal conditions but can burn if subjected to high heat and open flames. Auto-ignition occurs between 698-752 degrees Fahrenheit (370-400 degrees Celsius). I believe that this is one of the compounds excreted from his sweat glands after going through its own process internally to be better ignited. In a way leaning into the “sugar alcohol” name. If we have fun with it we can say that his sweat could have a sweet alcoholic tinge to it to allow for easier ignition / combustion.

To accommodate for the fact that his body burns a majority of fat in this case to use his powers he would have to accommodate that with a significant increase to his daily caloric intake. The ballpark caloric intake required of an approximately 6’4” 180lbs physically fit male is 3,200 calories per day. I would say, with his intensity and prolonged use of his flames, he would have to double that number to keep up with his body consuming nutrients faster than the average person. Working out in this scenario would only be useful for muscle definition and strength training. No need for aesthetic toning when your body is constantly burning fat (literally).

That’s my comprehensive analysis of his power and compounds in the body. I’m not sure if anyone’s also interested but I also have a bit of analysis on how his increased internal temperature could affect his reproductive systems as I’ve seen different mentions of it in certain fics and went down a different rabbit hole of research. If you’re interested in that portion, lemme know! But for now I hope you enjoyed my ramblings