Fantastic Four Annual 4

Featuring: Fantastic Four
Release: August 2, 1966
Cover: November, 1966
25 cents
Conceived and created by: Stan Lee (scenarist) & Jack Kirby (illustrator)
Inked and lettered by: Joe Sinnott (Delineator) & Sam Rosen (Calligrapher)
Recited and ignited by: Irving Forbush (part-time non-entity)
19 pages

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Human Torch #38, Story D	PRELUDE
Fantastic Four #56	Reading order	X-Men #25
Fantastic Four Annual 3	Fantastic Four Annual	Fantastic Four Annual 5

The Original Human Torch! Reborn– only to die again!

We began our Marvel reading with Fantastic Four #1, released in August 1961. But Marvel had 22 years of history predating that comic. What is the relationship between those older comics and the modern 1960s ones? We’ve seen some impacts.

Namor was introduced in Marvel Comics #1 in 1939, and returned in Fantastic Four #4 from 1962. There are differences between the old and new Namor comics. His people were always called Sub-Mariners and looked somewhat fish-like. Now they are called Atlanteans and appear to be very human-looking save the blue skin. Dorma was Namor’s cousin when introduced in 1939, and now she is his love interest; perhaps she is both.

Captain America was introduced in Captain America Comics #1, December 1940 and returned in Avengers #4, 1964. In his return, it was revealed he had been frozen in ice at the same time his partner Bucky was killed, near the end of World War II. Yet, we saw Captain America and Bucky have many adventures after the war, and into the 1950s. Some of Captain America’s older villains have been referenced, including Fang and the Red Skull. Red Skull was revealed to have died around the time Berlin fell in World War II, but then was revealed to have survived and been with the organization called Them. Which is hard to reconcile with how often Cap and Bucky fought the Skull in the later 1940s and 1950s.

Guests at the wedding of Reed and Sue included Patsy Walker and Millie the Model, both introduced in 1945, yet looking not much older in 1965.

Venus the goddess was introduced in 1948, and interacts with some of the same gods we’ve seen in the Thor comics. And characters like Zeus, Odin, or Hercules were always popping up in the odd old story.

Hurricane is the son of Thor, but Thor hasn’t mentioned a son.

Similarly, Merlin, who we met as a Thor villain, has been in several old stories, most notably as a mentor to Black Knight. Black Knight’s namesake is a Giant-Man foe, but it’s not clear there’s any connection between the characters save the name.

There are assorted characters with generic names who are not original, but don’t seem especially connected to the old characters. Angel of the X-Men is not the first Angel. The mythical Cyclops has appeared here and there. Marvel Girl has a similar name to Marvel Boy, of which there have been a few.

See also Electro, the Destroyer, Black Widow

There is a classical character called Ka-Zar and a modern one. They are not the same person, but have much in common, including the name and visage.

There were at least two Gorilla Men before the 1962 version.

And there are countless other classic Marvel heroes we have not seen. Masked Raider, Phantom Bullet, Mister E, Laughing Mask, the Ferret, Flexo, Blue Blaze, Captain Strong, Blazing Skull, Blonde Phantom, Patriot, Citizen V, Miss Fury… and hundreds more.

One notable character introduced in Marvel Comics #1, right at the beginning, was the Human Torch. He looks like and has similar powers to Johnny Storm. But they are not the same person. The original was a robot.

We’ve just done a skimming of the history of that Human Torch, last seen in 1954. Why did we spend the last two weeks diving into this character? Well…

We open with a scene of the Fantastic Four reading their fanmail, not the first such scene. A letter asks about the other Human Torch. Ben had never heard of him, but Reed knew him, and had even seen him in action in the war. Another reminder that Reed fought in World War II.

Lockjaw brings Johnny and Wyatt to the Baxter Building. They have been in the Himalayas on the way to the Great Refuge. I am confident the Great Refuge was in the Andes when we first saw it. So I was confused why they were in the Himalayas. But apparently that’s where they think the Great Refuge is, and Sue seems to agree. We’ll reflect more on this later.

I appreciate that Johnny is stuck in this long-distance relationship with a woman either in South America or Asia, but he doesn’t need to be such a crybaby about it.

We check in on the Thinker, as he likes to be called; the Mad Thinker, as others call him. His specialty is androids, and he has found the first android, the Human Torch. I am not sure if the Human Torch has ever been called an android before. He’s been referred to as a robot, an artificial man, a synthetic man. These probably all mean similar things.

We get a recap of the origin of the Human Torch. It’s terse, so I don’t see any details that contradict what we know. It lines up well enough with the stories we read in both Marvel Comics #1 and Marvel Mystery Comics #92. It includes the story of Horton’s burial of the Human Torch in concrete, which was absent from the telling in Young Men #24.

For my purposes, what is stated in this comic is the canon. Details from pre-1961 comics may or may not be canon.

It is worth noting this comic makes no mention of Toro at any point.

We’re going to have some naming confusion, as two characters in this comic are named the Human Torch. One is named Johnny Storm. One briefly went by the name Jim Hamond, but mostly he was known as the Human Torch. I think I’ll just be calling him Human Torch, or Torch for short. If context doesn’t make it clear who I mean, I’ll refer to them as Human Torch I and Human Torch II respectively.

In the desert, Johnny Storm meets his namesake. Johnny is surprised that the other Torch knows his name. Which is weird, as everybody knows his name. He’s a celebrity.

The Human Torch I claims he will destroy II for taking his place. Fighting over the right to a name will become a common trope in comics. Power Man vs. Power Man. Tick vs. Tick.

And the fiery battle rages.

We soon learn they are not really fighting over a name. The problem is that Human Torch I is compelled to destroy II because of someone named Quasimodo, whom he greatly fears.

Jack Kirby will generally show a fascination with artificial intelligence throughout his career. The Thinker has created the most powerful computer, but it’s so powerful, that it has thoughts and desires of its own. It’s created a face for itself, and wants a body. The Thinker wants to remind it that it’s just a computer.

But, I can reason… I can compute… I can feel… Why must I be imprisoned within this metal shell? I want to move… to be free…!

Even though Johnny is the second Human Torch, he’s the more famous of the two. And people tend to know him as the Human Torch. They know the first Human Torch as the “Original Human Torch”. The Original Human Torch refers to himself in this manner in this issue, and Sue later calls him the same. So this is the origin of his new name. It’s a bit sad he has to modify his name because of some Johnny-come-lately.

The colorist does work to distinguish the two Torches. Kirby does something different with the original’s hair. But the original does have a face now, which he didn’t usually in the old comics.

The Original Human Torch is the hero of this story in the end. He attacked his successor out of fear that the Thinker would use Quasimodo to destroy him. But he finally decides he’d rather die than be used to harm others.

Men may call him an android… but he proved to be as human as any..!

It makes sense that the Human Torch had to die. Otherwise Marvel would have two characters running around with the same name, and that would be really confusing.

Quasimodo is left alone in the lab. The final narration suggests that he dies. Maybe.

Master… come back! Don’t leave me alone like this! I’ve served you well..! You taught me to think, Master… to understand! But, I am able to feel, as well! My circuits are fading… My thoughts are growing hazy…! Master! Master! I want to be human… just once… before… I die… I could succeed where the android failed! I could destroy the Fantastic Four!

I share Kirby’s fascination with artificial minds that cross a threshold into sentience. In general, the subject of points of transition has always fascinated me.

The Annuals have so far mostly done a good job being special issues. The first one established the modern forms of Namor and Atlantis. The second gave us the origin of Dr. Doom. The third gave us a wedding. And I think this remains a special story saved for these once-a-year events, where Human Torch meets his predecessor.

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We have reached August 1966. Let’s take a quick peek at the newsstand to see what the other publishers are up to this month.

• Herbie #21, ACG
• Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #130, Archie
• Falling in Love #86, DC
• Superboy #133, DC
• Marine War Heroes #16, Charlton
• Frontier Marshall Wyatt Earp #66, Charlton
• Superheroes #1, Dell
• Doc Savage #1, Gold Key
• Walt Disney’s The Phantom Blot #7, Gold Key
• The Friendly Ghost Casper #99, Harvey
• Popeye #82, King Features
• Tippy Teen #9, Tower

Rating: ★★★½, 68/100
Significance: ★★★★☆

I read this story in Fantastic Four Epic Collection vol. 4: The Mystery of the Black Panther.

This issue also reprints Fantastic Four #25-26, both of which you will find highly placed amongst the Best We’ve Read. This issue will also take its place amongst that fabled list, albeit a little bit lower. And because all things have a price, the recent issue of the Fantastic Four with Prester John will have to come off the list.

Characters:

• Thing
• Mr. Fantastic
• Invisible Girl
• Human Torch/Johnny Storm
• Wyatt Wingfoot
• Lockjaw
• (Mad) Thinker
• (Original) Human Torch
• Quasimodo

Story notes:

• Thing not happy with fan mail; too much for Johnny, no booby traps from the Yancy Street Gang…
• A letter asks about the original Human Torch. Thing hadn’t heard of him, but Reed had, from more than 20 years ago.
• Reed heard rumors the Human Torch wasn’t human.
• Lockjaw drinks milk which he converts to raw power.
• Thinker has Human Torch. His specialty is androids, so he spent years searching for Human Torch, the first android.
• Human Torch remembers nothing after breaking free from concrete prison.
• Thinker tries to control him through trickery, taking credit for his control of flame.
• Reed studies Lockjaw’s powers, but Johnny has another idea.
• Johnny heads to desert to practice concentrating full force of nova flame.
• Human Torch I has face again.
• Human Torch I creates tornado by heat inversion.
• The heat of their bodies is turning desert to lava
• Johnny tries to hide in underground cave.
• Torch I reveals he’s working for the Thinker, which makes Johnny suspect he’s an android.
• Torch I doesn’t wish to hurt Johnny, but he fears Quasimodo, the most dangerous computing machine ever created.
• Quasimodo reports on battle.
• Quasimodo has a human face on the screen, but wants a body; the Thinker refuses.
• Thinker has destruction cell to destroy the Human Torch.
• Quasi-Motivational Destruct Organ: Quasimodo
• Thinker uses discipline beam on Quasimodo.
• Anti-burn lotion allows Thing to hold Human Torch I.
• Lockjaw can home in on thought waves of individuals, then use them as a dimensional track for instantaneous travel.
• Lockjaw transports them all to Thinker’s lab.
• Human Torch I would rather return to nothingness than be party to the Thinker murdering the FF.
• Quasimodo uses destruct eye to activate destruct beam, coating of nitrogen cells dissolved, and the Human Torch I body blazes out of control.
• Thinker escapes in aqua chamber.
• Johnny wonders if Thinker can revive the Torch again.
• Lockjaw teleports and Johnny and Wyatt follow.
• Quasimodo seems to die.

Previous	#611	Next
Human Torch #38, Story D	PRELUDE
Fantastic Four #56	Reading order	X-Men #25
Fantastic Four Annual 3	Fantastic Four Annual	Fantastic Four Annual 5