Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch of the world-famous Fantastic Four, has been lighting up the skies of the Marvel Universe since his debut in 1961. As the youngest member of Marvel’s first family, Johnny is the resident teen spirit and hothead of the group, and is just as likely to bicker with his teammates as he is to fight against the likes of Doctor Doom or Galactus.

Given that The Fantastic Four have been around for decades, it would be easy to assume all their secrets have been uncovered. But just like in real life, fictional people have a habit of surprising you. As the resident “kid,” Johnny is often thought of as a one-note, unchanging figure, but the FF’s Matchstick still has a few surprises left for readers.

10

Johnny Storm Is a Fantastic Singer

Since the Infamous Song from the ’90s Cartoon, the Human Torch Has Had a Fiery Set of Pipes

All entertainment is business. Even the art of superhero media isn’t immune to mandates, corporate synergy, or product placement. Famously, Dazzler of the X-Men was created as part of a cross-promotional, multimedia deal between Marvel Comics and Casablanca Records. In the case of the Fantastic Four, this cross-promotional ideology manifested in the ’90s animated series. Specifically, in season one, episode eleven, titled “Mole Man,” which aired in December 1994, audiences got a glimpse of what can happen when superhero media is heavily influenced by outside forces.

During the first season of the often-confusing ’90s animated series, Johnny Storm was voiced by Brian Austin Green, who at the time was trying to launch a singing career. According to legend, Green had a deal with Marvel that included an opportunity to sing on the show, which resulted in the infamous song “Flame On!” The track has become legendary in fan communities for many reasons, not least of which being the absurd visuals that look like they were made for a completely different song. This odd moment also lives on in the comics. Johnny has since been shown to have a tremendous singing voice, which was a plot point during Dan Slott’s Fantastic Four run, and even has “Flame On!” as his ringtone.

9

The Human Torch Used to Have His Own Solo Adventures

Johnny Storm Used to Be the Co-Star of an Anthology Book

Compared to the modern day, the comic book landscape of the 1960s was a very different world. At a time when superhero media was limited, these characters truly lived and died by the strength of their books. Something that’s not often talked about today is the importance of anthology books, which were comics that featured brand-new tales in every issue, constantly trying something new. Nearly every major Marvel hero first appeared in an anthology title, such as Tales of Suspense, Tales to Astonish, Journey Into Mystery, or Amazing Fantasy, before being spun off into their own series. While The Fantastic Four first appeared in their own self-titled comic, it wasn’t long before the Human Torch starred in his own solo outings.

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Strange Tales is an anthology book best known for hosting the earliest adventures of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange, but from issues #101 to #134, it also featured the exploits of Johnny Storm, the young hotshot superhero. As a fan, you’d be forgiven for thinking Johnny got a solo comic when he went off to college, but these stories were published early in The Fantastic Four’s run, before Johnny left for university at the end of Fantastic Four #50. While largely forgotten, the Torch’s time as the star of Strange Tales saw him face off against villains like the Wizard and Paste Pot Pete, and even team up with Spider-Man, before the series shifted to the thrilling spy tales of Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

8

Johnny Storm is Very Serious About Fire Safety

As a Man of Flames, Johnny Knows the Dangers of Fire

It’s often said that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. Having power and knowing how to use it responsibly are two very different things, a lesson taught throughout much of superhero media. While it’s common to see heroes grapple with their responsibility to the world, it’s somewhat rare to see a hero so passionate about the responsibility ordinary people have to each other. In Johnny Storm’s case, he gained his powers and abilities while still in high school, so he understands the allure of power and how easy it would be to act selfishly. What most readers don’t consider is how aware Johnny is of just how dangerous his powers are.

One of the earliest examples of Johnny’s sense of responsibility appears in an early Amazing Spider-Man issue, where the Human Torch gives a fire safety lesson at Peter Parker’s high school. In the 1970s, with a new Fantastic Four cartoon in production, concerns were raised about the impressionable nature of children watching a superhero who literally catches on fire—leading to Johnny’s exclusion from the show. This issue was later addressed in a Fantastic Four issue by John Byrne, where a fan of Johnny’s was hospitalized after setting himself on fire. There was even a time when the entire team needed real jobs, and Johnny became a firefighter. He has the potential to incinerate all life on Earth, so it’s only right that he treats that power with the responsibility it demands.

7

The Human Torch Was Attacked During Civil War

As a Public Superhero, Johnny Storm Was More Vulnerable to the Angry People of New York

Civil War, a seven-part story published in 2007, completely changed the Marvel Universe as we know it. The basic plot of the event centers on a group of supervillains fighting a young and inexperienced team of heroes near a school, causing an explosion that wipes out the entire town of Stamford, Connecticut. The aftermath plays out as a watered-down allegory of U.S. security policies following 9/11, as the government begins requiring superheroes to register their identities. Any hero who refuses is declared a criminal, subject to arrest and incarceration.

The Fantastic Four are rare in the superhero landscape in that their entire team’s identities are public, since Mister Fantastic knew from the start that their powers would make anonymity impossible. True to his warnings, Johnny Storm is unable to escape an angry mob looking to take out their frustration over the Stamford tragedy on the nearest superpowered person. Because of his injuries, Johnny is hospitalized during the opening act of Civil War, eventually recovering and joining Captain America’s resistance. Being attacked by a regular person, especially one of the people you’re trying to save, is an emotional wound that doesn’t heal as easily as the physical ones. That trauma left a noticeable mark on Johnny, adding a cynical edge to his character that lingered for a time.

6

The Human Torch Was Once a Herald of Galactus

Johnny Storm Once Pledged Himself to the Devourer of Worlds

The Fantastic Four have been responsible for introducing some of the most iconic and popular elements of the Marvel Universe since the team’s debut in 1961. The launch of the Fantastic Four title is what eventually gave birth to Marvel Comics as we know it, and within its pages, audiences were introduced to the Kree, the Skrulls, the Inhumans, the Negative Zone, Doctor Doom, and the Black Panther, all of whom have become pillars of the Marvel mythos. But one of the most iconic characters ever introduced through The Fantastic Four is Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.

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Galactus is an entity born at the dawn of the universe, requiring the energy of planets to survive. As such, he needs a herald to find suitable worlds for him to consume—a role famously filled by the Silver Surfer. Nearly every superpowered individual in the Marvel Universe has served as Galactus’ herald at one point or another, especially those connected to The Fantastic Four. During a time when he had switched powers with his sister, Johnny was handpicked by Galactus to act as his herald. Imbued with the Power Cosmic, Johnny claimed to be leading his master to sustenance, but was secretly working with The Fantastic Four to halt Galactus’ path and strip him of his power, if only temporarily.

5

Johnny Storm Doesn’t Need to Bathe

Because of His Powers, the Human Torch Burns off Any Infection or Bacteria

Johnny Storm is one of the most powerful people in all of superhero comics. While Susan Storm is typically thought of as the most powerful member of the team, each member of The Fantastic Four is a world-class force in their own right. Since their fateful trip into space, each of the four has essentially been granted mastery over one of the classical elements, and Johnny, of course, can generate, manipulate, and control fire. Beyond traditional flight and heat blasts, a fun side effect of Johnny’s power is the ability to burn all matter before it touches him. Because he can manipulate fire with such precision and suffer no ill effects, he can basically sidestep traditional hygiene and just burn away grime, plaque, and bacteria.

The idea that Johnny has such fine control over his powers that he hasn’t needed to bathe or brush his teeth since the accident is both incredibly disgusting and oddly impressive. Throughout his publication history, he’s been seen toying with the limits of his powers, giving people shaves, haircuts, or holding them with only minor discomfort, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could give himself a “flame bath” to burn away any potential infection. It also feels like such a Johnny Storm thing to do—the perfect act of faux-immaturity that fits his brand.

4

The Human Torch Enjoys Black Tea

Johnny Storm’s Love of Black Tea Adds a Touch of Sophistication to an Immature Character

While easily the silliest and most absurd of the Human Torch’s trivia points, it’s one that might make most people pause and consider. On the whole, Johnny Storm is a rather complicated person who requires some understanding before any real analysis of his superhero persona can take place. Yes, Johnny is the youngest member of The Fantastic Four, but he also grew up without his mother, with a father who valued science, and a sister who had to give up her own dreams to pursue that same path. Even in his later years, after becoming a mechanic, Johnny was still the “other” in comparison to the scientific backgrounds of Reed, Ben, and Sue. Every member of The Fantastic Four has their own “otherness” to navigate, with Johnny’s being his lack of scientific interest.

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Because The Fantastic Four is a team and a comic that leads with science, it has the unfortunate effect of making Johnny, who isn’t a scientist, seem immature or even dumb by comparison. But Johnny Storm is far from dumb, he’s just remarkably uninterested, and in fact, he possesses a hidden emotional maturity, best seen in small details, like enjoying black tea with three sugars. It’s not necessarily world-shattering news, but it’s a little surprising to hear. It’s kind of like finding out the Hulk enjoys ballet; it makes a certain kind of sense, but it’s nothing anyone would reasonably predict.

3

The Human Torch Has Died Once Before

In a Supreme Act of Selflessness, Johnny Storm Sacrificed Himself So His Family Could Live

The life of a superhero is a never-ending battle for justice. Because of a status quo that will always eventually reset, no lasting action can be taken in a superhero comic. The main villain will never be permanently defeated since they’re too popular to go away, and the day can never truly be saved because the story still needs to make it to print next month. Even supporting characters aren’t guaranteed to stick around, as the next writer can simply decide they’re not worth keeping and get rid of them in a snap. In a lot of ways, it seems like the most any superhero can truly ask for is a good death. With no permanent closure, the best they can hope for is the knowledge, or even just the hope, that their sacrifice meant something.

Nearly every major superhero has died, or been thought dead, at some point in their publication history. Johnny Storm’s turn to die came in March 2011, at the conclusion of the storyline aptly titled Three. The Fantastic Four were fighting on many fronts, with both Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Woman called away. Back at the Baxter Building, only Johnny and a depowered Ben remained to stop a cult from opening the door to the Negative Zone, only to find the door opening from the other side. With no other options, Johnny ventured into the Zone and closed the door behind him, giving his friends and family a chance at life. Though he would later be found alive, his death left a hole in Marvel’s First Family that couldn’t easily be filled.

2

The Human Torch and Spider-Man are Best Friends

Peter Parker and Johnny Storm Have a Lot In Common

All stories live and die on the strength of their characters. While it’s easy to keep certain characters in their own little corners of the world, the true test of a fictional character is how they interact with others. Take Spider-Man and the Human Torch, two iconic heroes and mainstays of the Marvel Universe. First crossing paths in the very first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, where Spidey tried to audition for The Fantastic Four, the wall-crawler and the matchstick man have been friends and allies ever since, and it’s made both of them better people because of it.

What gives Peter and Johnny such flavor as friends is how their relationship has evolved alongside the Marvel Universe. When the main focus was on character gimmicks, Peter and Johnny were always butting heads and trying to outdo each other. But as time went on, they began to bring out different sides of each other. They’ve been roommates, Johnny helped build the Spider-Mobile, and Peter took Johnny’s death as a moment to reconnect with The Fantastic Four. While modern publishing might try to push the idea that Spider-Man and Deadpool are best friends, the real friendship of the Marvel Universe has always been Peter and Johnny.

1

Johnny Storm Was Not the First Human Torch

Jim Hammond Wasn’t Too Happy Someone Else Took His Name

Despite being the most famous hero to bear the name, Johnny Storm is not the first character to call himself the Human Torch. That distinction actually belongs to Jim Hammond, an android built in the 1930s who debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics #1. Jim Hammond was the world’s first synthezoid, an android with synthetic but functioning internal organs, a kind of machine that would later be replicated with Ultron and the Vision. After battling Namor the Sub-Mariner, both heroes would join the Invaders, working alongside Captain America to fight the Nazi menace. In fact, Jim Hammond is credited with killing Adolf Hitler in the Marvel Universe.

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Hammond would later return to the pages of modern Marvel comics, where he expressed frustration over Johnny stealing his name. Given that The Fantastic Four have remained one of Marvel’s most popular properties since their debut, it’s no surprise that Hammond has existed in the shadow of the more famous Torch, but Jim Hammond is making his comeback. In the new Ultimate Universe, where there is no Fantastic Four, Hammond is once again the one and only Human Torch, with his 616-history intact. Ironically, the only real thing these two share, besides their name and powers, is that they’ve both fought Namor, who once mistook Johnny for his predecessor.