Russkie Smashers HUMAN TORCH COMICS "Rekindling the Flame of Confidence!"

Besides Catching (and Sometimes French-Frying) Russkie Spies...

...the Human Torch and his teen partner Toro occasionally have to render aid to the American military in other. somewhat more unique, ways!

The Human Torch displays a power/ability in this story by writer Hank Chapman, penciler Dick Ayers, and inker Ernie Bache that he never used before...the ability to move at super-speed, thus appearing invisible to the naked eye!
Maybe because this tale from Atlas' Human Torch #38 (1954) was the final appearance of the character in the 1950s, editor Stan Lee let the introduction of a totally-new ability go without trying to keep the character within established continuity!

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Russkie-Smashers HUMAN TORCH COMICS "Atomic Ray Gun Toy Terror!"

The Human Torch's return to his own title in 1953...

...after several appearances in other books featured this tale about the perils of toy ray guns!

(I kid you not!)

Though this story from Atlas' Human Torch #36 (1953) was illustrated by Dick Ayers, Carl Burgos (the character's creator/original writer-artist) redrew both the Torch and Toro's flaming forms!
Trivia: Though a number of the 1950s Torch and Toro tales were reprinted (with minor modifications) in the 1970s (after the Comics Code loosened up), this story was too violent to reprint until the 2000s!

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Russkie-Smashers YOUNG MEN COMICS "Return of...the Human Torch"

When Atlas revived Timely's "Big 3" golden age heroes in 1953...

...look who got the spotlight!

(Heck, colorist Stan Goldberg couldn't even get Captain America and Bucky's costumes correct on the cover illustrated by Carl Burgos!)

Though no Russkies are seen in this tale from Atlas' Young Men Comics #24 (1953), they did supply the criminals with Solution X-R and brainwashed Toro into fighting for fellow Communists in Korea!
(And they do appear later on, though the strip emphasizes homegrown American criminals!)

Written by Hank Chapman and illustrated by Russ Heath (with the Human Torch in the splash panel rendered by his creator, Carl Burgos), this story actually handles the explanation of where the flaming felon fighters were for the previous four years very well! 

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Reading Room: DOC SAVAGE "Black Sun Lives" Conclusion

When Last We Left Our Heroes...

In 1936, Doc Savage and his aides were visited by Lucinda Lightner who asked their help in stopping dangerous experiments by her husband, Dr Raymond Lightner.
In 1976, The Thing and Human Torch were visited by Janice Lightner, who requested their help in stopping her brother, Thomas Lightner, from recreating the expriments of their late father (Raymond Lightner)!
Both groups agree.
As each team approaches their targets (The same lab in both time periods), both father and son activate their experimental devices in their respective time periods and...

It ain't often you see Ben Grimm acting like a fanboy, but since Doc was one of his childhood idols, it makes perfect sense that a guy who can lift a Mack truck with one hand and hangs out with demi-gods like Thor or Hercules can be reduced to drooling hero worship by a non-superpowered (though incredibly-intelligent and physically-perfect) normal human.
(Hey, The Batman acts the same way with The Shadow, and the Caped Crusader parties with Superman!)
Note: there's lots of currently-available Doc Savage material (pulps, comics, movies, and even radio shows), all well-worth picking up (most of them are in my personal collection), but we're be showing only the stuff not included in those volumes!

Reading Room: DOC SAVAGE "Black Sun Lives" Part 1

A never-reprinted Doc Savage adventure...

...from Marvel 2-in-1 #21, (1976).

Due to licensing restrictions, this story wasn't included in Essential Marvel 2-in-1 Volume 1, despite the fact that BlackSun (later Nth Man and Mysterium) introduced in this tale has since become an ongoing character in the Marvel Universe.

...when the smoke clears, we'll see what happens
Tomorrow!
Same Blog Time!
Same Blog Feed!

Note: there's lots of currently-available Doc Savage material (pulps, comics, movies, and even radio shows), all well-worth picking up (most of them are in my personal collection), but we're be showing only the stuff not included in those volumes!

Video Fridays: THE HUMAN TORCH

Continuing our weekly feature "Video Fridays"...

With the death of Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch II, let's take a look at several of his various media incarnations...
He first appeared in the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon...

I included this because it's the only vid with the seldom-used opening narration!
BTW: the voice of Galactus is Ted Cassidy (Lurch from the The Addams Family tv series.) and The Silver Surfer is Vic Perrin (the Control Voice/narrator of the original Outer Limits.)


He also "apperared" on several lp albums including Golden Records "Amazing Spider-Man #1", "Fantastic Four #1" (Note: the most bizarre thing about these records is all the sound effects in the story were actually spoken with an echo effect.
So, when the cosmic rays hit the spacecraft, you hear an actor saying "RAK-TAK-TAK!"),

 and the Power Records book and record series including "The Way it Began".
BTW, the voice of the Human Torch / Mole Man / narrator is Peter Fernandez, the voice of the 1960s Speed Racer!

His next "appearance" was audio-only when Bill Murray (SNL, GhostBusters, Groundhog Day, etc.) portrayed him on a 1975 13-episode radio series modeled after the dramatic shows of the 1930s-50s!
Click here for the Fantastic Four: "Menace of the Mole Man" radio show mp3

or if you want "visuals" with your radio show...

Johnny did not appear in the 1978 FF animated series, replaced by Herbie the Robot (The Jar Jar Binks of FF history)..

Jack Kirby's original model sheet for H.E.R.B.I.E.

BTW, Johnny was replaced because The Human Torch was optioned for a live-action tv pilot which never got beyond Development Hell, not because the network thought kids would immolate themselves imitating him!

And finally, the trailer for the low-budget 1994 Roger Corman movie version starring Jay Underwood as Johnny! (The music is from Battle Beyond the Stars!)

BONUS: the ONE scene of Johnny in action as the Human Torch!

Interestingly, his animated form seems based on the Fleisher Brothers Superman from "The Mad Scientist" (the very first cartoon)!

 Classic Silver Age Torch T-Shirt

BTW, I'll be wearing this to the memorial ceremony...