Human Torch #1
Burn Part 1
Years ago before Johnny Storm became the Human Torch, he was just a student at Glenville High in Long Island trying to impress girls with his restored Firebird Transam. However the two women he is wooing suddenly lose all interest in Johnny and his car when wrestling champ and Olympic tryout nominee Mike Snow. Soon the social situation is broken up by Principal Glick who gives Johnny grief for for not being in class and orders him to go immediately. Johnny responds by whipping his car around the parking lot and screeching to a perfect halt in an open parking space. This stunt lands him in the principal's office, there Mr. Glick tells Johnny that over the summer he needs to apply himself for the following school year.
The following September, Johnny explains to his class how he rode in a spaceship built by his sister's boyfriend and how they all became the Fantastic Four. Although this is the truth, his class is skeptical when it comes to questions about his assignment. When Mike Snow asks Johnny to prove it by flaming on, Storm tells him that he can't because he tapped out his powers fighting the Skrulls recently.
Later in the day, Mike Snow and the other students are talking about Johnny's far fetched story and the census is that Storm is making it all up. While the girls aw fawning over Mike, Johnny comes up to prove that he is the Human Torch. At first, they believe that Johnny is still perpetuating a hoax when he "flames on" using a match. Because he is "busted" Johnny drops the match and it lights his pants on fire. When Johnny bursts into flames everyone begins to panic and Mike Snow rushes toward him to try and put out the flames. Johnny tells everyone that he has never felt better and surprises everyone by flying off into the sky. Johnny then lands and puts out his flame, revealing his Fantastic Four costume now that his normal clothes have burnt away. Mike Snow tells Johnny to get lost because he is dangerous, Johnny proves contrary by showing how easily he can control his powers. Suddenly, Johnny's popularity skyrockets earning the ire of Mike Snow.
Over the following month, Johnny gets a free pass through the school, being excused from assignments because he was out saving the world. The high school chooses to change the name of their team from the Blizzards to the Blaze. When Johnny tells Mike there are no hard feelings and that he probably has a career in professional wrestling, Mike quips that one person in a stupid costume that goes to their school is enough. This starts a rivalry between the two teenagers. While Johnny and Mike play pranks on each other, Johnny also starts pursing Hannah, the same girl that Mike is interested in. Eventually, Hannah breaks down and agrees to go out with Johnny on a date. That evening Johnny tries to get hot and heavy with Hannah after dropping her off at home, but she puts a stop to it and sends him on his way.
On the way home, Johnny is attacked by Mike Snow who tells him to stay away from Hannah. The two get into a fight and Mike eventually catches Johnny in a headlock. He then begins taunting Johnny by calling him a freak. Johnny suddenly loses his temper and flames on, lighting Mike on fire in the process....
Recurring Characters
Human Torch, Mike Snow
Continuity Notes
Johnny states that both of his parents are dead. This is not entirely true. Johnny's mother Mary died in a car accident. Johnny's father ended up getting addicted to gambling and accidentally killed a man in a scuffle over his debts a loan shark was fatally shot. Convicted of murder, Franklin Storm was sentenced to prison. Sue kept Franklin's incarceration a secret, telling Johnny that his father had died. This was all depicted in Fantastic Four #32.
Johnny's "how I spent my summer vacation" essay basically explains the events that led to the Fantastic Four got their powers in Fantastic Four #1. The newspaper headline that one of Johnny's classmates holds up is a homage to the cover of Fantastic Four #1.
Johnny mentions battling the Skrulls, placing this story as happening just after the events of Fantastic Four #2.
Johnny revealing that he is the Human Torch to his classmates refutes Strange Tales #101-106 where Johnny attempted to maintain a secret identity early on in his career while performing heroics in Glenville. Strange Tales #106 revealed that the locals all knew Johnny's true identity and were merely humoring him. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5 suggests that Johnny kept up the illusion of a secret identity to protect his bruised ego.
Johnny suggests that Mike Snow could join the WWF. That is an acronym for the World Wrestling Federation which was forced to change its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002 after a court ruled them to do so, to avoid it being confused with the World Wide Fund. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
