Origin
When a top-secret, quasi-governmental research and development program acquired an old sample of the WWII Human Torch‘s thermogenic skin cells, they attempted to weaponize the cells into a semi-sentient virus. They essentially succeeded with their creation of the Pyronanos, but the hive-minded molecular machines they had created soon grew beyond their control and began spawning countless mechanized offspring which threatened to overtake the world.
Creation
The Pyronanos were created by writer and artist Adam Warren for his 2005 Livewires mini-series. They first appeared in issue #1.
Powers & Abilities
The Pyronanos are molecular machines that devour and restructure existing materials into the parts necessary to make more of themselves until they are able to make a mechanized body. This body then produces more machines and essentially continues to spawn more of them indefinitely. Although they look like they are on fire, Pyronanos do not burn, but instead produce massive amounts of waste heat that they expel outward, causing them to appear to be engulfed in flames. This waste heat can be redirected by the Pyronanos and fired as a flaming blast of energy.
Pyronanos also possess a primitive hive mind that allows their legions to communicate with each other and carry out complex tasks, even throughout a network of multiple, separate mechs that they created.