Ted Tyler was a fireman who was left to die in a laboratory fire when he was knocked unconscious by an arsonist known as the Bug. Ted became coated in chemicals, allowing him to both survive the fire and gain the power to control and absorb it. Ted Tyler decided to use his powers to become Fireball and dedicated his life to bringing arsonists and all other criminals to justice. Unlike many other heroes, Fireball has no secret identity, he was thanked in costume by city officials as Fireman Tyler. He was also was not above killing criminals. His powers besides controlling and absorbing fire include super human leaps and being bulletproof, since all bullets melt before making contact with him.