Spontaneous Combustion

Sam is the adult subject of the experiments, who discovers he can summon and control fire and electricity through intense emotion. Raised under a coercive program, he resists his manipulators, attempts to protect Lisa, and ultimately sacrifices himself as his powers spiral out of control.

Peggy and Brian are the nuclear-test-era parents whose child birth triggers the Fire Syndrome. She and her husband are celebrated as heroes but suffer a tragic decline as Peggy dies in agony due to the consequences of the experiment.

Brian Bell shares the burden of the family’s fate, living with the knowledge that their child’s condition was born from a secret project. He embodies the personal cost of the experiments and the way familial ties are strained by state power.

Lisa is a key ally who also carries the scars of similar experiments. She teams up with Sam to uncover the truth, showing resilience and a determination to escape the project’s reach and protect others from a similar fate.

Dr. Marsh is a member of the scientific establishment behind the experiments, representing the cold, calculated mindset that treats people as means to an end. He becomes an antagonist as Sam seeks freedom from the project’s reach.

A high-ranking military figure overseeing the project, he embodies institutional power and the willingness to prioritize secrecy and national interests over human welfare. His role highlights the bureaucratic pressure that fuels coercive experimentation.