The Saga of the Original Human Torch #3 (June 1990)

As you all know, I'm a big ol' Marvel head. I've also been feeling in a bit of a Golden Age mood lately. As such, I thought it would be fun to look at a comic starting one of the Marvel Universe's first superheroes: Jim Hammond, the Golden Age Human Torch. 

Mr. Hammond has graced this blog in the past. We have looked at past issues of his first mini-series here (a retelling of his origins and first battle against the criminal element), and here (a retelling of his first battle with Namor the Sub-Mariner, his meeting Toro, and his time with the Invaders). We also saw how he helped form the Invaders here. As such, I thought I'd look at issue number three, which tells of the Torch's continuing adventures after World War II. Let's look at Saga of the Original Human Torch #3!

The cover is a Rich Buckler piece. It's pretty cool, showing the murderous tyrant Adolf Hitler retching in fear from the Human Torch. The angle makes Jim look like a towering monster, ready to deliver vengeance on him for all the horrors he helped cause. 

"Out of the Ashes"
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Rich Buckler
Inker: Alfredo Alcala
Letterer: Timothy Harkins
Colorist: Nel Yomtov
Editors: Mike Rockwitz, Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins on April 30, 1945. The Nazi regime is collapsing. Jim Hammond and Thomas Raymond, aka the Original Human Torch and Toro, are flying over the skies of Berlin. The Russian Army is making their way through the German capital, hoping to get their hands on the mad tyrant Adolf Hitler. Jim and Thomas are hoping to capture him so he can stand trial for the horrors he caused.

Iin his bunker, Hitler and his wife Eva Braun prepare some cyanide for their suicide pact. As Jim and Tom fight their way into his bunker, Hitler as his gun to his head. Torch and Toro burst in. They tell the madman that they will take him to American command where he will stand trial for his crimes. Hitler says he will not be captured alive, not by anyone. He reaches to press a button, but Torch blasts him with flames. 

“🎵 BUUUURN, BABY, BURN! 🎵”

As Hitler burns, he tells one of his attendants to tell the world that he killed himself, denying the Torch the ability to say he took out one of history's greatest monsters. Jim doesn't care, figuring that maybe it's for the best. After all, maybe if the world believes he took what Jim calls "the coward's way out", maybe the world can put this war behind it and make something better. With that done, Jim and Tom had out, letting the Russians finish their mission here. 

Heading back to England, they learn that Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were presumed missing after a battle with Baron Heinrich Zemo in Southern England. And Namor is out in the Pacific taking care of kamikaze pilots. It looks like with the end of the war, the Invaders are at their end, too. But the new President, Harry S. Truman, has other ideas in mind. After all, there is still the Pacific Theater. The world still needs Captain America and Bucky.

"Wait, who are these guys?!"

Meet the new Captain America and Bucky, aka William Naslund/The Spirit of '76, and Fred Davis. The Invaders would continue on. With the war finally ending, the group would become the All-Winners Squad in 1946, adding Miss America (Madeline Joyce), and Whizzer (Robert Frank) to their ranks. After a battle with a supervillain called Isbisa, Jim and Tom head to Boston for a much-needed vacation. Get some R'n'R, and also a nap. Or a recharge, in Jim's case. Because he's an android.

While there, Jim decides to visit his old creator, Professor Phineas T. Horton. But there's a surprise waiting for the two Torches.

*Terminator theme intensifies*

Yup, he's an android, too.

Well, not really. This isn't one of those "he was an android all along" things, someone made off with the real Horton and put a robot Horton in his place. And who was that?

"I will destroy humanity in the name of my lemon cosplay!"

Meet Adam II. Much like Ultron decades after him, he is an android who has dreams of destroying humanity. Jim and Tom are able to dispatch the android's equally artificial goons, but Adam II is able to trap them in a water tower with the real Horton. They end up rescued by Jeffrey Mace, the Patriot.

"Is this some weird kink you guys have?"

Horton tells the three costumed heroes that Adam II plans to get rid of a young up-and-coming politician and replace him with an android. That politician? One John Fitzgerald Kennedy. During the battle, Naslund is killed, and Mace becomes the newest Captain America. The All-Winners Squad then next battled the supervillain known as Future Man and the master criminal known as Madame Death. Travelling the world, the members of the Squad defeat the two villains. This adventure would be the Squad's swan song. The group breaks up, with Whizzer and Miss America marrying and retiring from heroics. Namor, the two Torches, and the Jeff Mace Captain America (alongside presumably the Fred Davis Bucky) do continue crime-fighting, but mostly as solo acts.

In 1947, Jim and Toro battled a pair of imposter Torches as part of a plan by his old nemesis the Asbestos Lady. Jim reveals that later on, she would get sick from exposure to asbestos. The two would continue to fight other villains and criminals, like the Masked Monster, and in 1948, they battled the Hyena. 

The 1950s were only a couple short years away, and at that time, Jim got himself an apartment in New York City. He also got himself a secretary. Wait, why did he need a secretary? Was he now an executive or something? 😕

"I'm getting tired of getting those weird notes from Richard, Jim."

Meet Mary Mitchell. She gives a letter to Toro. His foster mother is ill, and his foster father wants him to come see her. Toro wants to, but there's a crime wave going. Jim assures him that there's never a shortage of crooks. Also, I can imagine Jim wants Tom to spend some time with his family while he can. Toro flies off, and Jim remarks it will be strange to fight crime solo, as he's spent the last few years either with a partner, or as part of a team. Luckily, Mary has a solution to that problem.

"I just threw this together with a dress I got from a thrift shop."

Jim nixes it, as Mary has no superpowers. She is a trained hand-to-hand combatant, thanks to her time in the WAACs during the war. Also, there's a superheroine now running around with the Jeff Mace Captain America called Golden Girl. Fun fact, that Golden Girl, Betsy Ross, would be eventually revealed to be a relative of General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, one of the Incredible Hulk's regular rogues.

Jim hears some police sirens and brings Mary with him to investigate. She reveals she took the secretary job because she wanted to fight crime with Jim. The Sun Girl shows herself to be rather capable as Jim's new partner. During the months Toro is helping his ill mother, Jim and Mary continue fighting crime as the Human Torch and Sun Girl. Eventually, Jim got an urgent message from his creator, Phineas T. Horton. The two have had their differences over the years, but Jim hoped it was nothing serious. After all, Horton was still his "dad", in a sense. Jim sees an ambulance and some police cars in front of Horton's home. Evidently, the worst has happened: Phineas T. Horton has passed away.

It was on this night the Academy of Science (presumably Thomas meant the American Academy of Arts and Sciences) came to give him an award, finally recognizing his achievements. It was something Horton always wanted. Horton had a bad heart and was bedridden for the past few months. He lapsed into a coma, and then passed away. Jim says his goodbyes to his creator and flies off. But once he leaves, there's a surprise.

"I really don't care about my android son."

Yeah, Horton lives.

The government faked his death to prevent the creation of more androids (presumably after the Adam II disaster). Horton's not happy with it, but at least he can start again. It would be revealed later on that Horton took on the name "Thomas Raye", married, and raised a foster daughter named Frankie, who would go on to become Nova. Fun fact, Frankie Raye was co-created by Roy Thomas, the writer of this miniseries. It's now 1949, and despite the tragedy of seemingly losing his father, there is one bright spot: Toro is back!

His parents are doing much better, and he's itching to fight some crime. As shown earlier, Jimmy's been working with Sun Girl, but he's got no qualms with leading a trio. The more the merrier when it comes to crime-busting. Worked for the Legion of Super-Heroes after all. He's going to need the help. There's a new crime boss in town, and he's a dangerous man. Aren't they all, really?

The two head back to Jim's apartment, where Mary has a message from the 'Crime Boss'. Basically, he's daring the Torch to meet him in a warehouse in New York City. Torch and Toro are on the way. Mary offers to come along as well, but Torch feels he and Toro have it handled. So much for wanting to try fighting crime as a trio, eh Jimmy?

The two bust into the warehouse and easily take care of the Crime Boss's goons. However, the Boss has a nasty surprise for our fiery heroes.

"ECTO COOLER ATTACK!"

The substance makes the two into essentially living statues, unable to move or use their powers. The Boss orders his men to load the Torch on a plane, while leaving Toro behind. Why didn't they just shoot Toro? Man isn't bulletproof, and it's not like he could fight back right now. Maybe the Boss thought he'd be a neat decoration. 

The Boss's men take Torch on a little flight to the deserts out West, and they dig a grave for the Torch. A very deep, dark grave. They throw the Torch in and fill in the hole. Jim tries to fight his way out, but the sand and rock is too heavy, and presumably he's still under the effects of Solution X-R. Jim goes into a sort of hibernation (think a form of "stasis lock" if you're a Beast Wars fan), and the story ends with him lying under the rocks and sand, inert and helpless. However, the Crime Boss and his men didn't just bury him anywhere in the desert. They buried him in Yucca Flat...where in the future, it would be a site of nuclear tests...

I did enjoy reading this issue. I don't have a lot to say about it story-wise, mainly because this is essentially, a comic-length recap tale. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2014 trade paperback Sub-Mariner and the Original Human Torch. Thanks for reading this blog entry!