History ComicBook / HumanTorch

* For the member of the ComicBook/FantasticFour, Johnny Storm, see [[Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour here]]. For his solo feature appearances that spun out of his appearances in the Fantastic Four, see [[ComicBook/StrangeTales here]].

This is a disambiguous page the comic book character the '''Human Torch'''. If you see a link to this page, please relink it to one of these:

* For the member of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm, see [[Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour here]]. For his solo feature appearances that spun out of his appearances in the Fantastic Four, see [[ComicBook/StrangeTales here]].

* For the original android Human Torch, Jim Hammond, see [[Characters/HumanTorch1939 here]].
* For the anthology comic book that featured and was named after the original character, see [[ComicBook/HumanTorch1939 here]].
* For the member of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm, see [[Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour here]].

* For the original android Human Torch, Jim Hammond, see [[Characters/InvadersFoundingMembers here]].

* For the original android Human Torch, Jim Hammond, see [[Characters/MarvelComicsHeroes here]].

This is a disambiguous page the comic book character the '''Human Torch''':

* For the member of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm, see [[here Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour]].

[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsHeroes]]

[[redirect:Characters/MarvelComicsHumanTorch]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/human_torch_2.jpg]]
%% [[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

-> ''[[{{Catchphrase}} "FLAME ON!"]]''

Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch, is a Creator/MarvelComics character created by Creator/JackKirby and Creator/StanLee, first appearing in ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #1 (dated Nov. 1961).

An impulsive (and soon, literal) hothead, Johnny is the younger brother of Sue Storm, the ComicBook/InvisibleWoman. A classic case of [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] science fiction, Johnny was part of an outer space expedition that --alongside Sue, her boyfriend [[ComicBook/MisterFantastic Dr. Reed Richards]], and his associate [[ComicBook/TheThing Ben Grimm]] -- granted him special powers via cosmic radiation. In his case, Johnny gained [[PlayingWithFire fire-based abilities]], including [[FlyingFirepower flight]]. With them, Johnny became a founding member of the Fantastic Four, using their powers for the betterment of humanity.

In the following years, Johnny would join up with varying factions of the MarvelUniverse outside the F4, including the ComicBook/{{Avengers}} and ComicBook/{{Inhumans}}. He's also become synonymous for his friendship with ComicBook/SpiderMan, as well as his antagonistic (but still loving) rapport with Ben, now known as The Thing.

As a member of Marvel's founding family, Johnny has appeared quite frequently in other media. He's perhaps most remembered for his role in the 2005 ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2005}}'' film (and its 2007 sequel, ''Rise of the Silver Surfer''), as portrayed by (a pre-''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'') Creator/ChrisEvans. Johnny also features in the 2015 ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}'' reboot, portrayed there by (a pre-[[Film/BlackPanther2018 Killmonger]]) Creator/MichaelBJordan. Apparently, playing the Human Torch in a subpar feature film prepares you for roles in better superhero movies. Who knew!

Not to be confused with the original [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Human Torch, [[ComicBook/HumanTorch1939 Jim Hammond]].

----
!! The Human Torch appears in:

[[folder: Notable Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' (various runs):
** vol. 1 (1961 -- 1996, 2002 -- 2012, 2015)
** vol. 2 (1996 -- 1997)
** vol. 3 (1998 -- 2003)
** vol. 4 (2013 -- 2014)
** vol. 5 (2014 -- 2015)
** vol. 6 (2018)
* ''Human Torch'' (various runs):
** vol. 1 (1974 -- 1975)
** vol. 2 (2003 -- 2004)
* ''ComicBook/{{FF}}'' vol. 1 (2011 -- 2012)
* ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|2015}}'' vol. 2 (2015 -- 2016)
* ''[[ComicBook/CharlesSoulesInhumans Uncanny Inhumans]]'' (2015 -- 2016)
* ''ComicBook/UncannyAvengers'' vol. 3 (2015 -- 2017)
* ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'' vol. 2 (2017 -- present)
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film]]
* ''Film/TheFantasticFour'' (1994), portrayed by Jay Underwood
* ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2005}}'' (2005), portrayed by Creator/ChrisEvans
** ''Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer'' (2007)
* ''Film/SuperheroMovie'' (2008), portrayed by Simon Rex
* ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}'' (2015), portrayed by Creator/MichaelBJordan
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Fantastic Four|1967}}'' (1967), voiced by Jack Flounders
* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' (1994 -- 1996), voiced by Creator/BrianAustinGreen[[note]]Season 1[[/note]] , Creator/QuintonFlynn [[note]]Season 2[[/note]]
* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourWorldsGreatestHeroes'' (2006 -- 2010), voiced by Christopher Jacot
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperheroSquadShow'' (2009 -- 2011), voiced by Creator/TravisWillingham
* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' (2010 -- 2013), voiced by Creator/DavidKaufman
* ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSmash'' (2013 -- 2015), voiced by Creator/JamesArnoldTaylor
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/SpiderMan'' (2000), voiced by Creator/DaranNorris
* ''VideoGame/MarvelNemesisRiseOfTheImperfects'' (2005), voiced by Creator/KirbyMorrow
* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' (2006), voiced by Creator/JoshKeaton
** ''Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2'' (2009)
** ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance3TheBlackOrder'' (added in 2020), voiced by Matthew Yang King
* ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' (2010) as DLC skin
* ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' (2012)
* ''VideoGame/LEGOMarvelSuperHeroes'' (2013), voiced by Creator/RogerCraigSmith
* ''VideoGame/MarvelPuzzleQuest'' (added in 2013)
* ''VideoGame/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'' (2014)
* ''VideoGame/MarvelHeroes'' (added in 2016), voiced by Matthew Yang King
* ''VideoGame/MarvelFutureFight'' (added in 2019)
[[/folder]]

----
!! The Human Torch provides examples of:

* ActionHero: Perhaps one of the most energetic of this trope, whatever he goes up against he goes straight to attack-mode without any thought or caution. Ben lampshades that Johnny was the one who strung the Fantastic Four.
* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: To Susan.
* AnyoneCanDie: Was killed off in the "Three" storyline, but got better. [[spoiler:As it turned out, almost immediately after, too. He just spent the equivalent of several years fighting and dying at the hands of Annihilus, who had the means to bring him back.]]
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Johnny Storm
* BoisterousBruiser: Quick to brag about his abilities during battle, yet more downplayed compared to Hercules or Thor.
* BrotherSisterTeam: He and older sister Sue are half of the Fantastic Four.
* TheCasanova: If it isn't him fighting in battle or talking smack, it's him flirting with almost any attractive female within his vicinity.
* {{Catchphrase}}: "Flame on!" In Mexico and Latin America, his catchphrase is translated as ''¡LLAMAS A MI!'' (Roughly translated from Spanish as "(I invoke the) Flames to me!") and it has become a MemeticMutation there.
* CelebritySuperhero: Johnny, along with the rest of the Fantastic Four, are considered celebrities. They don't have secret identities and Johnny often capitalizes on his fame.
* TheCharmer: A frequent charmer of the ladies, judging by the amount of girlfriends he had, he's quite successful. Although sustaining a relationship with of a love interest with him is another thing.
* ChivalrousPervert: Willing to flirt with almost anyone under the sun (including one's not his one), but is respectful when he's rejected and knows more how to back off even in his youth.
* CoolUncle: He loves Reed and Sue's children, who in turn love him in return. Ironically, they think he's cool because of [[WreathedInFlames of his powers which are anything but]].
* CustomUniform: Wore a red-and-gold variation of the team costume in the mid-70s.
* TheDandy: Sometimes dialed up into CampStraight, such as in ''World's Greatest Heroes''.
* DeadpanSnarker: Generally with Ben, has shades of this with Spider-Man or when he feels the need to crack wise about the situation.
* DeathIsCheap: Got killed by Annihilus's army, came back less than a year later (in real-time, that is).
* DependingOnTheWriter: Johnny Storm has alternated between self-obsessed prima donna and self-obsessed whiny asshat. Some FF writers, most notably Tom [=DeFalco=], have tried to upgrade Johnny to at least being savvy about his powers and status. Later ones felt the need to make him dumb and dumber both.
* DimensionLord: [[spoiler:Of the Negative Zone.]]
* TheDitz: On his worse days. Admittedly, when a regular twenty-something's standing in a room with Reed Richards, they're going to look a little dumb.
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: With Lyja, who lied about her identity multiple times in order to trick him into a relationship with her, as well as with Ravonna, Zodiac, and multiple others who kiss him against his will.
* DumbBlonde: A male example depending on the writer.
* ElementalBaggage: For Johnny's power source in creating flame. Occasionally justified by him feeling tired or very hungry after using extremely hot flames.
** And then there's the part about his body and his powers both needing oxygen to function. There have been times when he's been trapped in airtight spaces, causing him to pass out when his flame powers used up all the oxygen.
* FlyingFirepower: The Human Torch's plasma has a high hydrogen content, and is surrounded by an exuded cloud of mono-atmoic hydrogen atoms. The hot cloud provides sufficient positive buoyancy for him to float. With mental stimulation of his flame, he can provide enough lift to carry around 180 pounds. By forming a jet from his feet, directed behind him, he can achieve a normal flight speed of 140 miles per hour.
* {{Foil}}: To his brother-in-law, Reed. Johnny is a reckless LeeroyJenkins hero who has little care about laws and want to do what is right, while Reed is law-abiding hero with a sense of duty who plans things ahead for his teammates. Both Reed and Johnny also took different sides during the ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' events.
* FriendlyRivalry: With ComicBook/SpiderMan. Though at first, it was just that Johnny couldn't stand the guy. They become less competitive with each other as they get older, but there's still an element of ragging on each other/trying to outdo each other there, only now mixed with actual respect - to the extent that Johnny left instructions for Peter to replace him on the team in the event of his death.
* FunPersonified: In a good mood, he's cheerful, easygoing and quick to celebrate with his friends.
* FutureBadass: A future version of Johnny had the ability to burn ''white-hot'' and shut off his younger self's flame.
* GlassCannon: Johnny is extremely powerful, as he can light up supernovas, decimate large areas like mountain ranges, and absorb the energy of atom bombs. However, ''all'' of his powers are directly related to fire and nothing else, which means Johnny has no SuperStrength or SuperToughness inherent to his own body, and thus is vulnerable to those who do possess augmented physical abilities.
* GrassIsGreener: He admits to some jealousy of Peter Parker. Johnny is aware that he has it much better in terms of public standing, admirers, and financial security (all things Spider-Man often lacks), but Peter always had Aunt May to go home to. Watching Peter and May hug in ''Spider-Man[=/=]Human Torch'' #1 makes Johnny think how he'd give up anything to be hugged by a parent.
* HiddenDepths: Not quite the superficial himbo slacker he seems, this one. As immature and impulsive as he can be, Sue learns he invests a lot of self control in keeping his powers in check when she ends up with them.
* HeroicSacrifice: Then he [[ComicBookDeath got better]].
* HotBlooded: Like his powers, he's a very temperamental person and it doesn't take much for him to go berserk on things with his powers.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Frequently petulant, childish, selfish and bone-dead stupid, but his heart is in the right place.
* KidAppealCharacter: When the series started, he was the teenager in a cast of adults. Early on in the series, he was extremely popular and was the BreakoutCharacter with his own {{spinoff}} within a year after the series started. His popularity was one of the reasons why Marvel created other teen superheroes like Franchise/SpiderMan and the ComicBook/XMen.
* LargeHam: Usually his default mode in battle, but also with Ben or Spider-Man.
* LeeroyJenkins: He's matured a bit, though.
-->'''Mark Waid:''' ComicBook/TheAvengers' battle cry is "Avengers, Assemble!" The Fantastic Four's battle cry is "Johnny, wait!"
* LegacyCharacter: The Human Torch is loosely based on the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Human Torch.
* MrFanservice: Of course the Human Torch is hot! Johnny has been portrayed as the Marvel universe's most eligible bachelor.
* PersonalityPowers: Johnny is hot-headed and impulsive, which goes along with his power of fire.
* PlayingWithFire: He can generate shapes composed of fire from any point on his body (He usually employs his hands to "sculpt" the flames, occasionally as a lasso to ensnare enemies) .He can form fire into long streams, spheres, or even more complex shapes like letters in skywriting. These flames-objects will only remain their shapes as long as he concentrates upon them. The objects will only burn about 3 minutes before expiring unless the Torch continues to infuse them with energy
* [[PapaWolf Uncle Wolf]]: Just to round it off; although he doesn't take that much seriously, messing with his nephew and niece is a good way to increase your chances of being reduced to charcoal in the near future.
* SiblingTeam: He and Sue are half of the Fantastic Four.
* SmarterThanYouLook: Johnny's love for cars goes beyond the superficial aspect of things, and he's actually a [[https://imgur.com/QUyXJZz competent]] [[https://imgur.com/S2HtXuM mechanic]] who was able to overhaul a car's transmission [[https://imgur.com/HStLUiw as a teenager]]. He has also [[https://ibb.co/88Bycmr helped Reed]] build countless of vehicles, including the [[https://imgur.com/0yT6FUD Fantasti-car]].
** Johnny even says himself that if he wasn't The Human Torch, [[https://ibb.co/WyMdkMY he'd be working at a garage.]]
* StatusQuoIsGod:
** [[spoiler: Johnny dying a year before the FF's 50th anniversary.]] Yeaaaah, that'll stick.
*** [[spoiler: All part of the plan - Johnny ends up in the Negative Zone leading a FiveManBand to overthrow Annihilus and gains control over the Annihilation Wave. TookALevelInBadass indeed.]]
** There have been dozens of "Johnny-learns-to-act-more-mature" stories over the decades. Then the next writer comes along and it starts all over again.
* TokenFlyer: Johnny is the only member of the team who can fly under his own power. His sister has NotQuiteFlight but can't reach the heights and speeds Johnny can.
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** With Ben. They spend most of their time either sniping and snarking at each other, planning increasingly elaborate practical jokes on each other, or lambasting each other with creatively brutal threats about what they'll do to the other (which are hardly ever followed through) after said practical jokes. They are, of course, practically inseparable.
** And [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]]. Spidey and the Torch's team-ups usually consist of them trying to one-up each other, with the expected volley of insults and snark. But at the end of the day, Spider-Man is probably Johnny's closest superhero friend outside of the FF.
* WreathedInFlames: He has the physical ability to transform his entire body, or portions of his body into a fiery, plasma-like state of will.
----

!! Human Torch appears in:

* CatchPhrase: "Flame On!"

* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' (1994 -- 1996), voiced by Brian Austin Green[[note]]Season 1[[/note]] , Creator/QuintonFlynn [[note]]Season 2[[/note]]

* SmarterThanYouLook: Johnny's love for cars goes beyond the superficial aspect of things, and he's actually a pretty competent mechanic who was able to overhaul a car's transmission by the time he was fifteen. He also helped Reed build countless of vehicles, including the Fantasti-car.

Not to be confused with the original [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] Human Torch, [[ComicBook/HumanTorch1939 Jim Hammond]], of whom Johnny is (technically) a {{legacy character}}.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Has mentioned relationships with aliens, sometimes more than one at a time. Unless all aliens follow the same genders as on earth, it's more than likely Johnny has been intimate with beings of all genders.