30 Days of Marvel: Flame and flight...

[fajrdrako]

The 30 Days of Marvel meme:

Day #26: Your favourite elementalist.

Is "elementalist" a gaming term? I take it to mean a character with power over the air, water, fire or earth. Which covers a lot of ground, and would apply to both Magneto or Doctor Strange, though I suspect the thrust should be a little more specific.

So my answer is: Johnny Storm.



Johnny is The Human Torch in the FanTastic Four, a man with power over flames.

A good part of the reason I love him, is nostalgia. The first Marvel comic I ever read was Fantastic Four #18, and I loved all the characters: genius Reed, kind Sue, gruff Ben and playful Johnny. I was - what, ten? - and knew I was more mature than Johnny at sixteen. That was okay: his teasing of the Thing was funny. And I smiled whenever he said "Flame on!" and burst into ebullient flame.

As I grew up, the FF was my favourite comic for years. Issue #51 'This Man, This Monster' well-nigh broke my heart - one of the finest Lee-Kirby stories ever. For years, I was in love with Reed Richards. But things change, and as more striking and innovative comics appeared in my life, the FF seemed stuck in a mould, using the same stories with never-increasing sophistication. At some point, I lost interest and stopped buying the comic. At some point, I even sold some of the back issues. Ocassionally over the past few decades, I've picked up an FF comic, felt it didn't meet my reading standards, and I then ignore the series for the next few years. I think I already ranted here over the beautifully drawn but disappointingly stupid Fantastic Four story in "Dark Reign".

And Johnny, when he occasionally came to my attention, seemed like that immature sixteen year old trapped in an adult's body. He was particularly annoying in the Fantastic Four movie.



Left:     Jack Kirby draws Johnny Storm as The Human Torch.         Right:     Jack Kirby draws Johnny without his flames.



Just recently, it took the superb writing of the team of Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu to revive my love of the FF, and of Johnny - something they started during Dark Reign, but continued this month and last, with Daken Dark Wolverine issues 3 and 4. This Johnny is three-dimensional and human. Still mouthy, still rash and brash, still with a streak of immaturity - but also caring, with a dash of the vulnerability that comes from caring. I like this fuller picture of Johnny.

The first picture of Johnny Storm in flames, above, is by Giuseppe Camuncoli, from Daken: Dark Wolverine #4, Feb 2011..