Featuring: Human Torch
Release: December 20, 1939
Cover: February 1940
10 cents
By: Carl Burgos
12 pages
| Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Marvel Mystery Comics #2 | PRELUDE | Human Torch #2 |
| Fantastic Four #56 | Reading order | Fantastic Four Annual 4 |
“What’s your name?”
“–Er–Hamond–Jim Hamond”
We’ve now read the first two Human Torch stories. At this point, he’s going around stopping bad guys and stuff like a typical superhero. The third issue does confirm that Professor Horton is dead.
We’ll jump ahead to the close of the 1930s for the fourth story, as it adds something significant to his mythos, give or take an M.
The Human Torch is described as “the master of all flame”, which will be a common slogan for the character.
Johnson, Human Torch’s friend from the second issue, recommended the Torch come up with a civilian name and keep his identity secret. So the Torch calls himself Jim Hamond.
The Torch has some imitators, these green flames.
The Torch yells.
“If he was a real flame that yell should extinguish it!” The science of that statement confused me at first, but I think the point is that the Torch is the master of all flame, so real flame would have obeyed whatever command he yelled.
The Human Torch shows his face when flaming. In the prior three issues, his face is blank in flame form. However, the cover of the first issue did show a flaming face. That cover had been by Frank Paul, whereas Burgos has drawn all the interiors. This issue seems to be Burgos lining up his illustration with Paul’s. Though it will only last one issue. Next issue, the face will be gone.
We’ve seen before that the Torch can make bullets melt faster than they can hit him. We now see his ability to completely redirect them. I think the science there is that bullets are hot and he controls hot things.
The villain of this issue is Dr. Manyac. He’s a manyac, manyac…
It’s worth noting Burgos is working usually with a 3×3 grid of panels here, as will be common the ’60s comics. The ’30s/’40s comics tend to be more all over the place with page layouts, and the first couple Torch stories often squeezed 4 rows of panels onto each page.
Torch struggles immediately with the whole secret identity thing, as Inspector Reiss suspects him of the murder of Jim Hamond. He sees no way around that but to reveal to the Inspector that he is Jim Hamond.
The Human Torch still can’t fly. He can leap. But he leaps so well, that it looks a lot like flying. By issue 7 or so, his leaps will include aerial stunts, writing letters in the sky, and fighting with airplanes… things which make it seem more like flying than leaping. And soon enough he’ll just be able to fly.
If there were a clear issue where the Torch learned to fly, we’d read it. But it’s a gradual process of better and better leaps.
We’ve previously read one story from this issue, the introduction of Electro. In addition to the standard cast, this issue also introduces Ferret, Mystery Detective.
The Torch gaining a civilian name seemed like a significant issue to spotlight in an overview of his history. We’ll jump ahead 9 months to the premiere of Human Torch’s self-titled series.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 50/100
I read this story in Timely’s Greatest: The Golden Age Human Torch by Carl Burgos Omnibus.
Characters:
- Human Torch/Jim Hamond.
- Inspector Reiss
- Johnson
- Dr. Manyac
- Mazie
Minor characters:
- Clancy (police officer)
Story notes:
- Headlines tell us New York hit by green flame, leading to rioting and martial law. Some blame the Human Torch.
- Torch described as “scientific marvel” and “master of all flame”.
- Human Torch is driving back to Texas. Johnson had warned him about a green flame in New York.
- Johnson had warned Human Torch not to reveal his identity, so he comes up with the alias Jim Hamond.
- Torch accidentally hits a police car, and is in trouble for having an unregistered car.
- Inspector Reiss orders “Hamond” arrested for an unregistered car. The police are attacked by a green flame and run.
- Human Torch now has face.
- The green flame is cold.
- Human Torch kills the green flame dude. Others describe the dead man as a “brother”.
- Human Torch able to redirect bullets.
- Inspector Reiss suspects the Torch of killing Jim Hamond.
- Human Torch visits Johnson.
- Mazie an “undercover woman”. She refers to Dr. Manyac.
- Dr. Manyac invented the cold green flame, cold enough to crack concrete.
- Manyac holds New York for ransom. He will first kill the people in the slums and then move onto “snooty Park Ave”.
- Manyac’s men wear asbestos garbs and dip into the green bath.
- Green flames destroy two buildings in the slums.
- Mazie had been undercover with Manyac and is now a prisoner.
- Torch defeats the green flames and Manyac.
- Torch reveals to Reiss that he is Jim Hamond, so Reiss no longer suspects him of murder.
| Previous | Next | |
|---|---|---|
| Marvel Mystery Comics #2 | PRELUDE | Human Torch #2 |
| Fantastic Four #56 | Reading order | Fantastic Four Annual 4 |
Oddly enough, this wouldn’t be the last time Dr. Manyac would appear. 70 years later, he would return in an anniversary special, where the Human Torch, Namor, Betty Dean, Angel, Ferret, and Electro would have to team up to defeat him. All of these heroes appeared in this issue (though not including Ka Zar and Masked Rider).
Good note. I haven’t read that. My post-2007 Marvel knowledge can be lacking.