DC’s recent Icons cover theme showed their characters in dynamic poses against a stark white background. Well it looks like DC over-commissioned and were left with unused artwork. The above image of Jade was posted to the web by Adam Hughes (who is at pains to point out that DC didn’t reject the image and that they are reserving it for something other than the planned Icons cover run).The medium was “Pencil & PITT pen on Strathmore Drawing Paper, then colored in Adobe Photoshop CS2″.

The actual Justice League of America Icons cover showed the entire JLA and was drawn by Mark Bagley. The Starman/Congorilla one-shot Icons cover was drawn by Gene Ha.

Adam Hughes’s preliminary design sketches (A and B) for Fire’s 1990s costume have been shared online by their owner Mike Frigon. Note the reference to Keith Giffen wanting a “Madonna look.”

Beatriz DaCosta, Fire (previously the Green Fury/Flame), was introduced in the comic book that accompanied the Super Friends cartoon. She was a Brazilian superhero who had the ability to breathe green fire and, while she was never seen in the cartoon, she was patterned after international/ethnic heroes like Samurai or Black Vulcan. Fire and her best friend Ice (Tora) were brought into the Justice League during the Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis era.

The Invasion crossover was used to change her into Human Torch like living flame. At the same time JLA artist Adam Hughes updated Fire and Ice’s costumes. Fire’s original Super Friends costume was a full body yellow/green leotard, but when she came into the DCU she acquired a rather less conservative costume that was split down to her naval. Hughes updated that costume for a Madonna/Rock inspired ensemble. Since the end of the JLI era Fire has reverted to hero spy roots and has joined the Checkmate organisation as Black King’s Knight.