Human Torch
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- This article is on the Silver/Modern Age Human Torch, Johnny Storm. For the Golden Age version, see Human Torch (Golden Age).
The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe associated with the Fantastic Four. The Human Torch first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
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Biography
As a result of the cosmic ray exposure during the space flight he took with his sister, Susan, along with Reed Richards and Ben Grimm, Johnny gained a spectacular set of powers: he can envelop himself in flame at will (often exclaiming his catch-phrase, "Flame on!"), which allows him to fly, shoot flame offensively, and absorb heat energy. Naturally the Torch is invulnerable to his own flame.
As the youngest member, he has proved the most impetuous and was given to many of the concerns of teenagers. This includes a teasing (but nonetheless affectionate) relationship with Ben Grimm (The Thing). This hit a low point when Johnny fell in love with Ben's old flame Alicia Masters and married her, only to learn that she was a Skrull impostor named Lyja. The Human Torch is also friends with Spider-Man, who tried to join the Fantastic Four early in his career. The recent "Spider-Man/Human Torch" mini-series by Dan Slott and Ty Templeton explored Johnny and Peter's friendship over the last forty years (though to the characters, it's been ten).
The character also had a (friendly) rivalry with Iceman of the X-Men. Both began as the 'babies' of their respective teams, both have temperature-based powers. However, the characters have been shown maturing through the years, to the point that when they last met, during the Onslaught crossover, they had become friends.
Romance
The Torch has been involved in various romantic relationships throughout the years including but not limited to the Inhuman Crystal, member-in-training and future Galactus herald Frankie Raye, the Skrull agent Lyja disguised as Alicia Masters, and the Atlantean Namorita. Crystal dissolved her relationship with him due to the adverse effects of pollution within population centers of homosapiens. Frankie Raye ended her relationship with him when she accepted Galactus' offer to become his newest herald. Lyja while in the disguise of the Thing's former girlfriend Alicia Masters carried on a longterm relationship including marriage with the Torch until it was revealed that her true nature was as a Skrull double agent. Although the two attempted reconciliation as it was learned that their "child" was actually an implanted weapon to be used against the Four, they ultimately parted on less than favorable terms. Torch's relationship with Namorita lasted briefly until her ex-boyfriend Nova returned to her life. Other relationships with civilians have also occurred through his early twenties.
Powers and abilities
The Torch's primary power is to envelop himself in, and manipulate fire. The Human Torch can direct this flame as a blast of superheated plasma, or manipulate it for various shapes, temperatures, or effects. He can absorb flame into his body, or extinguish ambient flame at will. The Torch has the ability to fly at nearly the speed of sound, and has sufficient ambient heat to vaporize projectiles that approach him. The Torch has been observed to vaporize rocks, bottles, bullets, and even steel girders in fractions of a second; yet this ambient heat does not extend beyond his body, or ignite objects in proximity to him. The uppermost level of The Human Torch's power is his "Nova Flame," which is usually released omni-directionally and reaches temperatures of 1,000,000 degrees. Any level lower than this cannot burn him. The Human Torch can also direct beams of "Nova Heat" as an offensive weapon for very brief periods of time before his heat energy gives out.
The Torch is limited by the quantity of oxygen in his environment, and has been extinguished by sufficient quantities of water, flame retardant foam, and vacuum environments. He can re-ignite instantly once oxygen is returned, with no ill effects.
His protection from fire doesn't seem to apply to hellfire, although it is unknown whether this is because the hellfire is mystical in nature, or if it's simply that much hotter than his own form can protect.
Ultimate Human Torch
In the Ultimate Universe, Johnny Storm is the youngest child of Franklin Storm, but is not as intelligent as his sister and father. He went to high school at P.S 440. He spent time at the Baxter Building but his rebellious nature meant that he failed to learn anything from his time spent there.
He was present at Reed Richards at the test of the N-Zone Teleportation Device in the Nevada Desert. After a malfunction in the device he woke up in France in a hospital bed. He found himself uncontrollably bursting into flames until he learned he could control his burst by saying "Flame On" to burst into flames and "Flame Off" to return to a normal state. When Mole Man's creature attacked Johnny found out he could fly while on fire. It was explained by Reed that Johnny's spontanious combustion made him lighter than air.
In issues 68 and 69 of Ultimate Spider-man, Johnny meets Spider-man when his sister says he has to finish high school. Johnny picks a school in Queens which happens to be Midtown High. he quickly meets and becomes friends with Peter Parker, Mary Jane and Liz Allen. At a bonfire he catches fire and scares off Liz Allen. He arranges to meet Liz Allen but she does not show up. Encouraged by Mary Jane Spider-man does though and together they save people from a burning building when Johnny absorbs the flames. Spider-man shows Johnny that they will not always be appreciated by the public.
Appearances in other media
The Torch is played by Chris Evans in the Fantastic Four movie. He is a playable character, also voiced by Evans, in the video game based on the movie.
In Neil Gaiman's 1602, his power is associated with the classical element of fire.
Torch was a regular in the Fantastic Four animated series in the 1990s and in 1967. He never appeared in the 1978 series, and was replaced with a robot called H.E.R.B.I.E. - an urban myth goes that this was because the producers were afraid that children would set themselves on fire. In fact, the rights to the Human Torch had been separately licensed, although never actually used, and this prevented the use of the Torch in the series.