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Human Torch
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Real name Jonathan « Johnny » Lowell Spencer Storm
The Human Torch is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. A similar, unrelated character of the same name and powers was created in 1939 by writer-artist Carl Burgos for Marvel Comics' predecessor company, Timely Comics.
Like the rest of the Fantastic Four, Jonathan "Johnny" Storm gained his powers on a spacecraft bombarded by cosmic rays. He can engulf his entire body in flames, can fly, can absorb fire harmlessly into his own body, and can control any nearby fire by sheer force of will. "Flame on!" which the Torch customarily shouts when activating his full-body flame effect, has become his catchphrase.
The youngest of the group, he is brash and impetuous in comparison to his reticent and compassionate sister, Susan Storm, his sensible brother-in-law, Reed Richards, and the grumbling Ben Grimm.
In the early 1960s, he starred in a series of solo adventures, published in Strange Tales. Human Torch is also a friend and frequent ally of the superhero Spider-Man, who is approximately the same age as the Torch.
Jay Underwood played him in the unreleased 1994 film The Fantastic Four, Chris Evans portrayed him in the 2005 film Fantastic Four, and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Michael B. Jordan portrayed him in the 2015 film Fantastic Four.
Biography
Early lifeGrowing up in Glenville, New York, a fictional Long Island suburban town, Johnny Storm lost his mother due to a car accident from which his father, surgeon Franklin Storm, escaped unharmed. Franklin Storm spiraled into alcoholism and financial ruin, and was imprisoned after killing a loan shark in self-defense. Johnny Storm was then raised by his older sister, Sue Storm.
At age 16, Johnny Storm joined his sister and her fiance, Reed Richards, in a space flight in which cosmic radiation transformed those three and spacecraft pilot Ben Grimm into superpowered beings who would become the celebrated superhero team the Fantastic Four. Storm, now with the ability to become a flaming human with the power of flight and the ability to project flame, dubs himself the Human Torch, in tribute to the World War II-era hero of that name. In The Fantastic Four #4, it is the hotheaded Storm who, briefly walking out on the others, discovers an amnesiac hobo whom he helps regain his memory as the antihero Namor the Sub-Mariner, one of the three most popular heroes of Marvel Comics' 1940s forerunner, Timely Comics. That character has gone on to appear in starring roles into the 2010s.
Though a member of a world-famous super-team, Storm still lived primarily in Glenville and attended Glenville High School, as depicted in his concurrent solo series in the anthology comic book Strange Tales, starting with issue #101. That series depicts him as maintaining a secret identity, although retroactive continuity later revealed that his fellow townsfolk were well aware of his being a member of the Fantastic Four and simply humored him. This series introduced what would become recurring the Fantastic Four foes the Wizard (born Bentley Wittman) and Paste-Pot Pete, later known as the Trapster; As well, Storm had his first team-up with his superhero-opposite number, the teenaged Iceman, in Strange Tales #120, and met another teenaged superhero, Spider-Man, in The Amazing Spider-Man #1. Despite their early misunderstandings, the Torch and Spider-Man eventually became good friends and friendly competitors, with Spider-Man revealing to Storm his secret identity.
In Storm's home life, Mike Snow, a member of the Glenville High wrestling squad, bullied Storm until an accidental flare-up of the Torch's powers scarred Snow's face. Despite their animosity, Snow maintained Storm had actually saved his life that night by flying him to the hospital. While Mike tried to move on with his life, Storm did the same, dating fellow student Dorrie Evans, beginning in Strange Tales #113, although she eventually grew tired of his constant disappearances and broke off their relationship in Fantastic Four #45.
College
After graduating high school, Storm enrolled at New York City's Metro College in Fantastic Four #35 (February 1965). There he befriended his roommate Wyatt Wingfoot. Shortly after this, he and the Fantastic Four first encountered Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Wingfoot joined Storm and the Fantastic Four on a trip to Wakanda, Africa, where they first encountered the Black Panther and helped him defeat Klaw. He also met the original Human Torch. Around this time, Storm met the young Inhuman Crystal. It was love at first sight, and Storm, along with the rest of the Fantastic Four, helped her overthrow the mad Inhuman prince Maximus. Their love was passionate but short-lived, as Crystal returned to the city of Attilan and eventually married Quicksilver, the son of Magneto, eventually bearing his child. Storm was crushed, but tried to move on. Hoping to catch up on old times with Dorrie Evans, he found that she had married and had two kids since they had broken up. Despite dropping out of Metro University, Storm remained friends with Wingfoot, who often participated in the Fantastic Four's adventures and who was later romantically linked to the She-Hulk. When Sue and her husband Reed were separated, Storm joined the Thing, Medusa and Thundra in a staged battle against the rehabilitated Namor in an effort to bring the couple back together. Their ploy worked.
Storm eventually began a romance with what he thought was Alicia Masters but was eventually revealed to be a Skrull, Lyja, posing as Masters. In the interim, they married. Storm later discovers "Alicia's" true identity, and that Lyja is pregnant with his child. He then witnessed her apparent death of Lyja, and rescued the real Alicia from the Skrulls.
Storm briefly joined his nephew Franklin's Fantastic Force team, where he battled his otherdimensional counterpart, Vangaard (formerly Gaard), convincing him to abandon his mission of eliminating redundant realities by showing him the hero he could become. Lyja posed as student Laura Green and dated Storm to stay close to him; Storm recognized her when they kissed, though he did not share this until later.
With the rest of the Fantastic Four engaged in the otherdimensional Negative Zone, Storm is forced to recruit a temporary Fantastic Four team consisting of Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Storm's on-and-off girlfriend Namorita, and the She-Hulk.
Outside career and anti-registration movement
Seeking an acting career, Storm was cast as the Old West hero the Rawhide Kid, but producers reconsidered and gave the role to Lon Zelig (actually the Super-Skrull). After working mostly in a few television shows, Storm also spent some time as a firefighter at the behest of his former classmate, Mike Snow, but when Snow moved away after his wife turned out to be a psychopathic arsonist and seemingly died, Storm left the job (though he later returned to the profession during a period when the Fantastic Four was short on cash). Sick of her brother's directionless life and near disastrous pranks, Sue forced him to take a job as the Chief Financial Officer for the Fantastic Four, Inc. Storm was shown to use his power to further harass Ben and slack off, although it soon turned serious. Infighting and betrayal resulted in the patented unstable molecules threatening most of the world, a threat ended with Storm's leadership of the franchise.
After a major battle with Doctor Doom, Reed attempted to claim Latveria for the Fantastic Four, an act that turned the United States government and his own team against them. This led to Ben Grimm's death and the subsequent break-up of the rest of the team. Storm took to fixing cars for a living and hallucinating heavily that Ben was still alive. Grimm's death did not last long. Storm and his family traveled to Heaven, where they met God himself, who looked like Jack Kirby.
Over the Internet, Storm meets a young woman, Cole, whom he learns is the daughter of one of the Fantastic Four's oldest enemies, the Wizard; after a confrontation with that supervillain, who escaped with Cole, Storm remains hopeful of meeting her again.
An alien named Zius came to Earth, the location of Susan Storm, the one being in the universe who could nullify his Galactus-proof planet-cloaking invisibility shield. Zius threatened to destroy the planet if Sue did not sacrifice herself, but Reed used his power gun to switch her powers with Johnny's and tricked Zius into leaving the planet. As he left orbit, Galactus destroyed Zius's spaceship and claimed Storm as his new Herald, the Invisible Man. The cosmic power he was imbued with let him understand whatever he analyzed, leading him to a new appreciation and love for his family. Not wanting to lead Galactus to populated worlds, the Fantastic Four and Quasar managed to make Galactus human for a time. Storm's power cosmic faded, though a remnant of it caused the Fantastic Four's powers to be temporarily transferred to four random New York City residents.
During the 2006–2007 "Civil War" storyline, in which the superpowered community were split over the Superhuman Registration Act, which required them to register with and become agents of the US government, Storm and his sister became allied with the underground rebels, the Secret Avengers. Shortly afterward, during the "Secret Invasion" company-crossover, the shape-shifting extraterrestrial Skrulls intensified their clandestine infiltration of Earth. Storm was briefly reunited with his former Skrull girlfriend, Lyja. Though part of the invading force, she finds she still has some feelings for him, and does not carry out her mission of sabotage. She returns to her people, unsure of herself and of any future relationship.
Death and return
In the conclusion of the 2011 "Three" storyline, in Fantastic Four #587 (March 2011), the Human Torch appears to die fighting a horde of aliens from the otherdimensional Negative Zone. The series ended with the following issue, #588, and relaunched in March 2011 as simply FF. Spider-Man took the Torch's place on the team, as requested in the Torch's will.
It is later revealed that the Human Torch was revived by a species of insect-like creatures that were implanted in his body by Annihilus in an attempt to force Storm to help open the Negative Zone portal. However, although Storm refused, Annihilus gained a means of access when an alternate dimension Reed Richards opened the portal for him, forcing Storm to escape and lead a resistance against Annihilus with the aid of his fellow prisoners. Upon the Negative Zone portal opening, the Human Torch meets Spider-Man on the other side wearing the costume of the Future Foundation, promptly asking the webslinger what he is wearing. Reed determines that Johnny has been on the other side of the portal for two years from his perspective. Johnny aids his friends by summoning the Annihilation Wave — now under his command — to confront the Kree armada currently threatening Earth.
Due to an infection that he lacked immunity to during his time in the Negative Zone, Johnny has lost his powers, forcing him to stay in a halfway house following the dissolution of the FF as, without his powers, he is 'just another blonde-haired, blue-eyed celebrity', as noted by his agent.
Best films
Played by the actors
Filmography of Human Torch (5 films)
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Fantastic Four (2015)
, 1h39Directed by Josh Trank, Simon Kinberg
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Tim Blake Nelson
Rating43%
Friends Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have worked together on a prototype teleporter since childhood, eventually attracting the attention of Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join them and aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and the somewhat reckless technician Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), into completing a "Quantum Gate" designed by Storm's wayward protégé, Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell), who begrudgingly agrees to help due to his unrequited feelings for Sue.
Superhero Movie (2008)
, 1h15Directed by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Comedy, Action
Themes Superhero films
Actors Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Lloyd Bridges, Christopher McDonald, Ed Helms, Brent Spiner
Rating47%
Rick Riker (Drake Bell) is an unpopular, outcast student at Empire High School who lives with his Uncle Albert (Leslie Nielsen) and Aunt Lucille (Marion Ross) and has one friend and confidant, Trey (Kevin Hart). His crush is the breathtaking Jill Johnson (Sara Paxton), but she is dating bully Lance Landers (Ryan Hansen). One day, Rick and his class go on a school field trip at an animal research lab that is run by terminally ill businessman Lou Landers (Christopher McDonald), who is Lance's uncle. During the trip, Rick accidentally saturates himself in animal-attraction liquid, which causes a group of animals to hump him. This also leads a chemically enhanced radioactive dragonfly to fly onto Rick's neck and bite him.
, 1h32Directed by Tim Story
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Films set in Africa, Monde imaginaire, Films about religion, Films set in the future, Superhero films, Political films, Dystopian films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Disaster films
Actors Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington
Rating56%
As Reed Richards and Sue Storm prepare for their wedding, a silver object enters Earth's atmosphere, creating 1 mile wide craters across the Earth. General Hager asks Reed to track and identify its movements. He initially refuses, to appease Sue, who feels he is again neglecting her for his work. However, he secretly builds a radar tracker to locate the object, as the Army requests.
Fantastic Four (2005)
, 1h45Directed by Tim Story
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics, Children's films
Actors Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington
Rating57%
Physicist Dr. Reed Richards is convinced evolution was triggered millions of years ago on Earth by clouds of cosmic energy in space, and has calculated that one of these clouds is soon going to pass near Earth. Together with his friend, astronaut Ben Grimm, Reed convinces Dr. Victor Von Doom, his former classmate at MIT and now CEO of Von Doom Industries, to allow him access to his privately owned space station to test the effects of a biological sample of exposure to the cloud. Doom agrees in exchange for control over the experiment and a majority of the profits from whatever benefits it brings. Reed brings aboard his ex-girlfriend and Von Doom's chief genetics researcher Susan Storm and her ex-astronaut brother Johnny.
The Fantastic Four (1994)
, 1h30Directed by Oley Sassone
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure
Themes Superhero films, Super-héros inspiré de comics
Actors Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staab, Michael Bailey Smith, Joseph Culp, George Gaynes
Rating38%
Reed Richards (Alex Hyde-White) and Victor Von Doom (Joseph Culp) are college friends who use the opportunity of a passing comet to try an experiment; however, the experiment goes wrong, leaving Victor horribly scarred. Sue (Mercedes McNab) and Johnny Storm (Phillip Van Dyke) are two children living with their mother (Annie Gagen), who has a boarding house where Reed lives. Ben Grimm is a family friend and a college buddy of Reed's.