The Original Golden Age Human Torch (Jim Hammond) Appreciation

[MajorHoy]

From what is recognized as the beginning the Marvel Comics superhero universe, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1939, ...

[MajorHoy]

from: Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Golden Age Marvel (2004)


from: Official Marvel Handbook -- Master Edition (1990 series)

[Digifiend]

Updates to that 2004 Handbook entry:

Occupation: Adventurer; formerly SHIELD Agent, V-Battalion leader, Chief of security for Oracle Inc, police officer.
Known relatives: what it says plus Viv Vision (niece), Vin Vision (nephew, destroyed), Virginia Vision (sister-in-law, destroyed)
Group affiliation: what it says plus SHIELD
History: Another paragraph should be added describing the events of the ANAD Squadron Supreme series, and the Invaders series that's about to start.

[DragonsChi]

YEAH!

Glad someone made this thread! I love Jim Hammond. Without him and Namor there would be no Marvel universe so many of us owe his contribution to the MU a great deal!

[MajorHoy]

. . . I love Jim Hammond. Without him and Namor there would be no Marvel universe so many of us owe his contribution to the MU a great deal!

Well, since Cap and Namor already have their own separate appreciation threads, I thought it was only right that Jim Hammond should get one as well.

Besides, even though Namor was created to appear elsewhere (in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly for another company, which wound up not being distributed as originally planned) prior to Marvel Comics #1, the Human Torch did earn the cover spotlight and the first feature spot in that initial issue. Also, while Sub-Mariner did get his separate own self-titled comic book in March of 1941, the Human Torch had already received his own book staring in September of 1940!

[MajorHoy]

It looks like the Human Torch's last 1940s appearance may have been in Marvel Mystery Comics #92 (June 1949); the last 1940s issue of the Torch's self-titled comic book had a cover-date of March 1949.





After that, the Marvel Mystery Comics became "Marvel Tales" with a cover-date of "August 1949" and continued the numbering with issue #93.

[Digifiend]

That newspaper says Vol 1 No 25... which would mean it's only been running for four weeks (assuming six issues a week). Is that newly launched paper the Daily Bugle?

And yes, that is Torch's last 1940s appearance. He, Cap, and Namor all got cancelled around that time, and next appear in Young Men #24 in 1953.


https://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Young_Men_Vol_1_24

Note the non-standard Comics Code stamp... or rather, star!

[MajorHoy]

. . . He, Cap, and Namor all got cancelled around that time, and next appear in Young Men #24 in 1953.

Note the non-standard Comics Code stamp... or rather, star!

Also note how bad the coloring job was for Cap and Bucky on that cover!

By the way, here are the first three pages from the Torch story in Young Men #24 (December 1953):

[Hypestyle]

so in the midst of all the latest Namor rage-fest, where is Hammond?

[MajorHoy]

so in the midst of all the latest Namor rage-fest, where is Hammond?

Supposedly showing up in the new Invaders series next month (even though Marvel made it sound like Johnny Storm was going to be the title's "Human Torch").

[Digifiend]

Zdarsky confirmed at the time that it's Jim, not Johnny. The Marvel.com article was corrected but other websites are still showing the wrong info even two months later.

[ImperiusWrecked]

Just wanted to share the a panel of Jim from the Invaders 2019 preview by Carlos Magno, he confirmed it was Jim on his twitter when I asked:

jim hammond preview invaders 2019.jpg

I hope to see a lot more of my favorite human torch and I really hope they give him back his flame powers.

[K7P5V]

Just wanted to share the a panel of Jim from the Invaders 2019 preview by Carlos Magno, he confirmed it was Jim on his twitter when I asked:

jim hammond preview invaders 2019.jpg

I hope to see a lot more of my favorite human torch and I really hope they give him back his flame powers.

OMG. Hammond is still going through his power loss? I remember he lost his powers in the Namor ongoing series from the 90's. I know I haven't been keeping up, but that's a rather long stretch.

[Captain Craig]

Glad to see Hammond back in action. Was he not part of the All New Invaders series about 5-6 years ago as well?

[MajorHoy]

Glad to see Hammond back in action. Was he not part of the All New Invaders series about 5-6 years ago as well?

He was in that series (which came out in January of 2014 and lasted fifteen issues).
I believe that was also the series where Toro was "enhanced" and was revealed to actually be an Inhuman (for whatever reason).