Flame On! Johnny Storm: The Human Torch Appreciation 2019

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Strange Tales #126 Nov 1964
The Human Torch and the Thing face the Thinker and the Puppet Master in "Pawns of the Deadly Duo!"
The Puppet Master and Mad Thinker have teamed up to get revenge on the Fantastic Four.
Using the Mad Thinker's plans and the Puppet Master's dolls, they plot to use the Thing to attack the others.
However, when the Thing initially attacks the Human Torch, one of his random transformations
back into his human form severs the link between the Thing and the Puppet Master's doll.

Returning to the Baxter Building, Johnny and Ben seek Reed's help in finding out

what happened to cause the Thing to lash out at Johnny. Realizing it's the Puppet Master's doing,
Reed builds a device that feeds back the Puppet Master's power, so when he uses his puppet
to try and control the Thing again, it backfires, causing an explosion that knocks him out

and foils his and the Mad Thinker's plot.

Script by Stan Lee, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Paul Reinman

[Crimz]

I've brought up many times how Marvel hasn't done right by Sue and that she needs wants and goals outside of her family. I think Johnny has a similar problem.
His stories are either about whatever relationship he's in at the time or him having to grow up. It's repetitive and has done nothing for the character. I think, like Sue, he is also needs development and a focus on what the character wants outside of the usual relationship drama.

The way I see the Fantastic Four is that they represent several aspects:

Science
Adventure
Super-heroics
Celebrity
Family

I think each of the FF should embody one of these aspects, with family being embodied by all of them. Here's how I think it should go:

Reed - Science
Sue - Adventure
Ben - Super-heroics
Johnny - Celebrity

There is crossover like Ben can also be under adventure, but these are what I think should be main be for each. Ben is THE hero of the team, Reed is THE scientist.

Now for Johnny celebrity makes the most sense as he's the one who revels in it and when you think of the celebrity aspect of the team he's the one you think of. I believe Marvel should use this to develop Johnny, his story should be about the celebrity and glamour of the FF.
Johnny should be the one in charge of the team's public relations, advertising, booking interviews ect. Basically, he should be their media manager. I believe that is a role that suits the character and gives him responsibility so that he doesn't completely fall back into the immature default.
I think it can also work with his thing of changing famous careers often, from pop star to actor. It could be fun seeing him try to extend his 15 minutes of fame and also being in charge in making sure the FF stay in the headlines.

I think the most important thing about this is not making the mistake that this makes him shallow. To many fall into the pitfall of thinking celebrity = zero depth, when a lot of depth and development can be mined from the concept. You just need to really highlight the hard work that goes into maintaining the teams popularity and his own.


Sorry for the long post. It's just something I've thought about for a while now.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Galactus, Silver Surfer and NOVA

[Digifiend]

Big pinch of salt there.

In fact, when I saw the thread had been bumped, I expected to see a link to this:
https://www.newsarama.com/48328-dork...stic-four.html

[Hypestyle]

During Johnny's high school time, who were his classmates? Have they been seen at all since those Strange Tales issues?