- "Flame on."
- ―Johnny Storm
Johnathon 'Johnny' Storm, also known as the Human Torch, is the son of Dr. Franklin Storm and the younger brother of his adopted sister, Sue Storm. Following a visit to Planet Zero along with Reed Richards, Victor von Doom, and Ben Grimm, Johnny gained the ability to engulf his entire body in fire and fly. He would then go on to become a member of the Fantastic Four, a team of adventurers and superheroes.
Biography
Fantastic Four
Johnathon 'Johnny' Storm is the biological son of Franklin Storm and the younger brother of his adopted sister, Susan Storm. Growing up in his sister's shadow, Johnny developed a reckless-daredevil personality, and eventually turned to street racing. After injuring himself in a car accident, Franklin attempted to teach Johnny responsibility by withholding his car until he helped Sue along with Reed Richards and Victor von Doom at the Baxter Building complete their project; a Quantum Gate designed to teleport people to an alternate dimension.
The experiment was successful, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen, planned to send a group from NASA to venture into a parallel dimension known as Planet Zero. Disappointed at being denied the chance to join the expedition, Johnny along with Victor, Reed, and Ben Grimm used the Quantum Gate to embark on an unsanctioned voyage to Planet Zero, which they all learned was a world filled with otherworldly substances. Johnny stayed back to be the anchor, with Victor attempting to touch the green lava-like substance, causing the ground the others were standing on to erupt. Johnny, Reed, and Ben returned to their shuttle just as Sue brought them back to Earth and Victor was seemingly killed after he fell into the collapsing landscape. The Quantum Gate exploded, altering Johnny, Sue, Reed, and Ben on a genetic level and granting them superhuman abilities beyond their control, with Johnny gaining the ability to engulf his entire body in fire and fly. Johnny along with the others were placed in government custody in order to be studied and have their abilities tested.
One year later, Johnny alongside Sue were outfitted with specialized suits designed to help them master their abilities. Johnny came to enjoy his powers, seeing them as having finally given him purpose while Sue wanted to find a cure. Before Johnny could be sent on an assignment similar to Ben's, Victor returned from Planet Zero and killed almost everyone in the base, including Franklin Storm before returning to Planet Zero, with Johnny, Sue, Reed, and Ben in pursuit. Johnny helped the others fight Victor and defeat him before closing the portal for good. Returning to Earth, the group was rewarded by the US military for saving the world by being given a new base of operations known as "Central City" in order to study their abilities without government interference. They decided to use their powers to help people, naming themselves the Fantastic Four.
Personality
- "Johnny Storm; extremely bright and good-natured, but unfocused with unbridled energy. His acts of defiance compensate for feelings of insecurity. And at times, his rebelliousness is a distraction."
- ―Franklin Storm
Johnny Storm is known to be a thrill-seeker and troublemaker, which put him at odds with both his sister and late father. He can be very irresponsible at times and does not think about the consequences of his actions, as he constantly rebelled against his father by street racing and injuring himself in the process. Johnny also possesses a bad habit of saying harmful statements without thinking, such as when he described Ben Grimm as 'The Thing that Nobody Wanted' of the Fantastic Four when the group was thinking of a team name. Despite his rebelliousness, Johnny is an extremely bright and good-natured individual.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Pyrogenesis: Johnny can generate, create, and project fire from his entire body, creating and discharging concussive, explosive force as a result; this allows the fire he projects to hit with force similar to missiles. He can also make continuous bursts of fire and heat in streams, in the same ways as a flamethrower; his heat and fire can be as intense as the most powerful of explosions. He can even encompass himself entirely in fire and use its force to fly at great speeds.
- Pyrokinesis: Along with creating fire, Johnny has the ability to mentally control the ambient heat energy within his immediate environment, even when he is not aflame. He can reduce objects' temperatures or extinguish open flames; fire and heat have no affect on him and he cannot be damaged it. He can also sustain any fire or heat around him or from his body, keeping it from being extinguished and changing its shape and form.
- Flight: Johnny can create almost explosive force, similar to a rocket engine, which he can emit from any part of his body and use it to seamlessly propel himself through the air at missile-like speed.
Abilities
- Expert Mechanic: An expert mechanic, Johnny was capable of building his own car from scratch and by his father's claim, he is able to build anything. He was capable of fixing his car to make it faster, but was unable to take control of its engine. He was also able to help Reed Richards, Victor von Doom, and Sue Storm at Baxter Building by helping them build the Quantum Gate.
- Skilled Driver: Johnny is a very skilled driver, using quick turns to almost winning a drag race with a group of other kids before injuring himself.
Relationships
Allies
- Fantastic Four
- Sue Storm/Invisible Woman - Older Sister and Teammate
- Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic - Friend and Teammate
- Ben Grimm/The Thing - Friend and Teammate
- Franklin Storm † - Father
Enemies
Trivia
- Before Reed came back to Area 57, Johnny was almost to go on assignment like Ben had been doing.
External links
Human Torch on the Marvel Wiki
Human Torch on Wikipedia