human torch – Page 13 – Coke & Comics

POSTLUDE: Marvels #0

Release: June 14, 1994
Cover: August, 1994
$2.95
Credits: Alex Ross and Steve Darnall
12 pages

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Marvel Comics #1	PRELUDE
Fantastic Four #1	Reading order	Fantastic Four #2

…on that day of my freedom in 1939, this world had its first confrontation with the fantastic. The golden age of miracles would begin, and in the years to come, the world would know the presence of the unnatural and extraordinary as part of reality.

To remind my readers, the goal here is to start with Fantastic Four #1, and read the Marvel Universe in order from that point forward. It may get confusing because this is my third post and I’m not yet at Fantastic Four #2. I first wanted to jump back in time with the first in an irregular series of “Prelude” posts to talk about the introduction of the original Human Torch in Marvel Comics #1. That inspired me to now jump far forward for the first of an even less regular series of “Postlude” posts, that pull in comics from the future.

Marvels is a 4-issue limited series published by Marvel in 1994. After the conclusion of the series, this was released, a behind-the-scenes “Issue Zero” which includes some concept artwork, commentary from the creators, and a story from the original pitch for Marvels, originally serialized in Marvel Age #130-133. It’s that story we consider here.

PRELUDE: Marvel Comics #1

The Human Torch
Release: August 31, 1939
Cover: October, 1939
Price: $0.10
Credits: Carl Burgos
16 pages

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	POSTLUDE	Marvels #0
Fantastic Four #1	Reading order	Fantastic Four #2

My main goal is to read the Marvel Universe as a series of comics which began with Fantastic Four #1. But the company had 22 years of comics prior to that, some of which have bearing on the stories. I’ll occasionally peek at those. As we just met the new Human Torch, reading the origin of the original Human Torch seems relevant.

It’s a great cover. Well-remembered for being the first cover of the company that would eventually take on the comic’s name. I like how the melting steel and bullet just radiate heat.

This is a good science fiction tale. Plenty of good plot elements and character here. Professor Horton is a genius; he’s created a near-perfect synthetic man– but the man bursts uncontrollably into flame when exposed to oxygen; hence, the Human Torch. Horton is convinced to seal the Torch away until the condition can be cured. Time passes, and the Torch escapes. A mobster tries to control him for an extortion racket. But the plan backfires and the mobster dies in battle with the Torch. Through exposure to nitrogen, the Torch at last gains control of his flame and straightens things out with the police. He is ready to return to Professor Horton until we learn Horton also just wants to exploit him for profit. The Human Torch goes off to carve out his own destiny.

Fantastic Four #1

The Fantastic Four!/The Fantastic Four Meet the Mole Man!/The Mole Man’s Secret!
Release: August 8, 1961
Cover: November, 1961
Price: $0.10
Credits: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inks: George Klein (uncredited)
25 pages

	#1	Next
	PRELUDE	Marvel Comics #1
	Reading order	Fantastic Four #2
	Fantastic Four	Fantastic Four #2

And so was born “The Fantastic Four!!” And from that moment on, the world would never again be the same!!

I read this in Fantastic Four Omnibus Volume 1. The Table of Contents credits the issue to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, whose signatures appear in the issue. It claims the inker is unknown. Online sources cite George Klein as the inker.

Fantastic Four #1. Page 9. Panels 1-3. — What is their mission?

It’s clear to me why modern reboots and films of the FF has always been hard. There is a lot not explained here. Reed built that spaceship. Was it his? The government’s? Why did he steal it? Beating the Commies to space is an outdated motivation for many reasons in 2019. We’ve been to space. Commies no longer a threat. And what was the goal of the mission? They don’t say. Just to get to space? Yuri Gagaran did that in April, 1961. So was there more to their mission? Was Stan just not up on the news? The comic was out-of-date before it was published.