Featuring: The Human Torch
Release: June 2, 1954
Cover: August 1954
10 cents
Dick Ayers
6 pages
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What you need is confidence in yourself and your abilities, Captain! From now on, I’m going to be right behind you to help you thru the rough spots until you gain that confidence!
After his triumphant return in September 1953, we come to June 1954, when it was decided Human Torch stories still weren’t selling enough. We’d read his return in Young Men. About 6 months later, they tried bringing back Human Torch’s old series.
They started with Human Torch #36, as the last one from 1949 had been #35. Never mind that they had already given the numbering to Love Tales.
Human Torch #38 is the final issue again.
There are three Human Torch stories and a Namor story. In the first Torch story, a mad scientist is tricked by Reds into sucking all the air out of the world in order to make his crippled daughter queen of the new world. In the second, the Torch and Toro rescue a general and his daughter from Korea.
Let’s read the final story from the final Human Torch comic.
All the Human Torch stories in his self-titled comic’s return have been by Dick Ayers, who we know well from our Marvel Age reading, particularly for his work on Sgt. Fury.
Ayers’ signature appears. The GCD credits Hank Chapman with the script and Ernie Bache with inks.
All the stories in this issue are narrated by Toro, and presented as though he is telling us of a past Human Torch adventure.
The title of the story is “Flame On!”, which is plainly the Human Torch’s catchphrase now. Johnny Storm will steal that catchphrase, along with the name and visage of the Human Torch.
This is something of a stock story I’ve seen before in various forms.
The Human Torch uses his powers to make himself invisible, a new trick. But takes advantage of that to help an Air Force Captain gain the confidence he needs to impress his Colonel and marry the Colonel’s daughter.
So to onlookers it appears Captain Jory is beating up the Reds, unaware that the Human Torch is helping him.
But in his final fisticuffs, Human Torch is not present, and Captain Jory still wins the fight, because all he really needed was the confidence from believing that the Torch had his back.
This is basically the story of Dumbo.
Not knowing who he is, Lotty thanks the Torch with a kiss.
“Golly! Did my kiss do that to him?”
Toro advertises their adventure in this month’s Captain America, which is actually the last published Human Torch story, hitting the stands one week after this. After the war, Human Torch and Toro go to Korea to free remaining POWs. Of course, that is the final issue of Captain America, at least for about 15 years.
And that’s the last we see of the Human Torch until a new person with his name, looks, powers, and catchphrase shows up in Fantastic Four #1.
And that’s the last we see of the original Human Torch, Jim Hamond/Hammond until…
Rating: ★★½, 41/100
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes vol. 2.
Characters:
- Toro
- Human Torch
- Captain Fred “Freddie” Jory
- Colonel Frost
- Lotty Frost
Story notes:
- Air force jet crashing toward city. Pilot had blacked out.
- Torch rescues pilot, but finds him lovesick because Colonel Frost won’t let him marry his daughter Lotty unless he proves himself worthy.
- Colonel Frost prisoner of Commies.
- Torch is so fast that he’s invisible, so the Colonel doesn’t see him helping Captain Jory.
- Commies after experimental model of super-jet.
- Red agent has Lotty prisoner.
- Powered by the Human Torch, Jory’s jet catches up to the super-jet.
- But then the Captain thinks Human Torch is with him when he isn’t. He wins the fight by himself.
- Colonel agrees Jory can be his son-in-law.
| Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Young Men #24 | PRELUDE | |
| Fantastic Four #56 | Reading order | Fantastic Four Annual 4 |
