"Flame On!" Johnny Storm: The Human Torch Appreciation 2022

[Crimz]

With how things have been going with Johnny these past few years, I think he deserves a little love and appreciation

So let's get to appreciating our lovable hothead, Johnny Storm!

[Frontier]

Yay Johnny .

[Iron Maiden]

One of my favorite moments, from Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four #501

[CaptCleghorn]

Johnny Storm needs to grow up in some ways. He's a fairly smart guy, although he's the least intelligent of the original FF. His ability to work on engines and probably some devices would combine with some education in mechanical engineering (both in actual college and some work with Reed and Ben) give him a reason and a use for the team. However, he can still have many man-child qualities. He'd be the uncle who gets kid stuff better than any other adult on the team. As many of the fans here know, it's possible to maintain an adult life along with interests that are often considered youthful.

As for Johnny's romantic escapades, it's time to throw the youthful connections to Franklin and Valeria. While Johnny may not be good at maintaining relationships, the mistakes like he's made in Slott's run should be stuff he's grown out of. Johnny needs to maintain a level beyond the kids here if only to differentiate him from Franklin. And even if he's not connected with anyone long term, that's OK. Writers each coming up with their own partners for Johnny is fine for me.

[Iron Maiden]

Johnny Storm needs to grow up in some ways. He's a fairly smart guy, although he's the least intelligent of the original FF. His ability to work on engines and probably some devices would combine with some education in mechanical engineering (both in actual college and some work with Reed and Ben) give him a reason and a use for the team. However, he can still have many man-child qualities. He'd be the uncle who gets kid stuff better than any other adult on the team. As many of the fans here know, it's possible to maintain an adult life along with interests that are often considered youthful.

As for Johnny's romantic escapades, it's time to throw the youthful connections to Franklin and Valeria. While Johnny may not be good at maintaining relationships, the mistakes like he's made in Slott's run should be stuff he's grown out of. Johnny needs to maintain a level beyond the kids here if only to differentiate him from Franklin. And even if he's not connected with anyone long term, that's OK. Writers each coming up with their own partners for Johnny is fine for me.

The trouble is Johnny goes through the cycles of "growing up" and then the next writer dumbs him down. Slott is guilty of this in the current Fantastic Four run, where the low point was Sue actually hitting Johnny as if she were Joan Crawford and he was her kid. She did raise him but still that was so uncalled for IMO.

On another note, Johnny and Ben are the only ones of the FF that have had some success with their own solo titles which I will dig into later. Here's a great cover by Howard Porter from the Torch's solo series in 2003-2004

[Crimz]

The cycle of regressing Johnny has become tired and even moreso now that the kids have grown up. Slott's handling has been the worst not only because of this but because he seemed to double down on Johnny being immature. He's having him lead an army right now, but if this is meant to show him growing up then it fells unearned when only a few issues earlier he was being selfish when the kids were in danger of being taken away.

I think part of the problem is that "maturing" is the only story he has. What other stories does he get? I can't think of any and that's a problem. A writer needs to give him another arc outside of relationship drama and needing to grow up.

[CaptCleghorn]

The cycle of regressing Johnny has become tired and even moreso now that the kids have grown up. Slott's handling has been the worst not only because of this but because he seemed to double down on Johnny being immature. He's having him lead an army right now, but if this is meant to show him growing up then it fells unearned when only a few issues earlier he was being selfish when the kids were in danger of being taken away.

I think part of the problem is that "maturing" is the only story he has. What other stories does he get? I can't think of any and that's a problem. A writer needs to give him another arc outside of relationship drama and needing to grow up.

Johnny matures and Reed develops social skills. Lather, rinse repeat. The Porter cover Iron Maiden posted was from a series that had Johnny working with the NYFD to help them and for him to learn more about his abilities regarding how fire reacts. That's a great outside interest and one which adds to his power set and his character's personality. The repeats for Johnny and Reed are FF problems, but the lack of outside interests is far too common a problem in superhero comics today. Everything's a worldwide situation. FF is going from Reckoning War to an AXE crossover. This kind of stuff is especially damaging to a book like FF where their personal non-superheroing lives are a big part of their appeal.

[Iron Maiden]

That's why I liked that Human Torch series....he had an actual civilian job. Then in Waid's Fantastic Four Sue and Reed decided to give him some responsibility and have him be in charge of the business side of the Fantastic Four. But not before he is shown in a dumbed down, immature phase.

Decades before all this Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were already making some changes as Johnny starts to become more mature by issue #49. The Watcher chooses Johnny to go on a journey to find a weapon to thwart the plans of Galactus by sending him to the Galactus's Homeworld



Then in the very next issue, we see Johnny going off to college. But he is still feeling a bit overwhelmed by his experiencing intergalactic travel and the overwhelming complexity of Galacuts's Homeworld. All of this happens in a short span of time.



We see that with Stan and Jack there is some forward progress with the character in the 4th year publication history. Unfortunately few runs since have really kept up this pace. He also has his first serious romance with Crystal but eventually this would end and she ends up marrying Quicksilver. But prior to that she had to return to the Hidden Land because her health began to suffer from the air pollution in NYC. IMO Johnny never really gets over losing her. So he does have a turbulent early chapter in his life which one would thing would lead to a more mature Johnny. For a while, this is true but later runs would regress the character.

[Crimz]

Johnny's status quo of having to grow up will likely never go away for good. However, giving him different character arc at least provides something else. Writers may choose not to use it, but it would be option that's there. Right now, the growing up story is all that he has and his relationship drama is always tied into that too.

Having him focus on his engineering or when Sue made him in charge of finances is just the growing up plot with a different coat of paint. The goal is the same (to have Johnny mature). I think he needs a story that's not about that and gives him something different.

[Kurolegacy]

With Slott leaving, I wonder if he’ll fix Johnny’s issue of being trapped in his flame on state or if he’ll just leave it for the next writer.

[Digifiend]

That should be fixed in his penultimate issue.

[Iron Maiden]

I expect Johnny will be cured in this week's issue also. Maybe Doom decides to reverse whatever he did to keep him in a flaming state. Since Reed hasn't had any luck with a solution I suspect it's something sorcerous and he'll just reverse it.

[Iron Maiden]

Johnny's status quo of having to grow up will likely never go away for good. However, giving him different character arc at least provides something else. Writers may choose not to use it, but it would be option that's there. Right now, the growing up story is all that he has and his relationship drama is always tied into that too.

Having him focus on his engineering or when Sue made him in charge of finances is just the growing up plot with a different coat of paint. The goal is the same (to have Johnny mature). I think he needs a story that's not about that and gives him something different.

I think it can be done and that is because Franklin and Val have been allowed to grow up faster these days. They can be the ones writers can focus on for the "growing up" stories. Johnny was written in a very mature way in Claremont's Fantastic Four. Hickman's also, especially when we all thought he gave his life saving everyone when the Annililation Wave threatened to breach Reed's barrier. So it's not that unreachable a goal. It's up to the writer.

[CaptCleghorn]

I think it can be done and that is because Franklin and Val have been allowed to grow up faster these days. They can be the ones writers can focus on for the "growing up" stories. Johnny was written in a very mature way in Claremont's Fantastic Four. Hickman's also, especially when we all thought he gave his life saving everyone when the Annililation Wave threatened to breach Reed's barrier. So it's not that unreachable a goal. It's up to the writer.

It's also not like Johnny can't be a man-child in many ways. He's the guy who's going to bring a Star Wars coffee cup to a business meeting. He can also date the model of the week, but really needs to be careful if he falls into a regular relationship. And the kids are perfectly placed to handle the teenage angst portion.

The FF has advanced far beyond the group Lee and Kirby created. The cast has increased and roles, as in any family, will change. Johnny's a kid at heart and frankly, I can't imagine a superhero comic book writer not getting that personality trait. But the writers also need to handle their own adult responsibilities and should be able to convey that without turning Johnny into an establishment stick in the mud.

[kcekada]

My favorite era for Johnny was the Bronze Age when he was wearing his red costume -- a variation on the costume worn by the original Human Torch. I was sad when Medusa left and Johnny went back to the standard blue uniform.