Human Torch: Bio, Origin & History

Real Name: Johnny Storm

First Appearance: Fantastic Four 1 (November, 1961)

Powers: Human Fireball, Can Fly at Top Speeds, Can Project fire

Issues worth reading: Fantastic Four 1,

Affiliation: Fantastic Four, Secret Avengers

Love Interests: Lyja (Estranged Wife)

Enemies: Doctor Doom, Mole Man, Galactus

Did You Know: That Chris Evans played Human Torch first before becoming the red, white and blue patriotic hero Captain America.

A Little History

Johnny and his sister, Sue Storm grew up in a normal household. They had a normal mother and a normal father. Unfortunately, like most happy families in comic books, this normalcy wouldn’t last.

As a result of a terrible car accident, Johnny’s mother died leaving the two to be raised by their father. Their father, a successful surgeon did everything he could to save her, but couldn’t, resulting in him abandoning everything and turn to drinking and gambling. Unable to live with their self-destructive father, the siblings were taken in by their Aunt as a way of re-inserting a degree of normalcy back into their lives.

Fun Fact.

Despite, his mother dying in a car accident, as Johnny grew, so too did his infatuation with cars and speed. Johnny, constantly seeking adventure nearly became an incarnation of Ghost Rider, if it were not for his crush’s Uncle, Max Parrish.

That aside, Johnny, along with his sister Sue, eventually found themselves boarding a homemade spaceship developed by Reed Richards. The purpose of the ship was, of course, to go into space. The launch of the ship went off as smooth as could be expected but once up in space the ship was bombarded with cosmic rays. The bombardment coupled with the pressures of space, sent the ship hurling back to Earth all-the-while mutating their genes.

With the now famous line, “Flame on!” Johnny ignited and became the Human Torch. He took up the name as a tribute to the hero from WW2 of the same name.