Human Torch #4 — Nick Peron

Mar 10

Mar 10 Human Torch #4

Burn (Part 4)

Mike Snow's colleagues in the Fire Department of New York City are having a funeral for their fallen colleague Vinnie Costello who was burned alive under mysterious circumstances. Watching from afar is the Human Torch, who has been guilted into helping Mike explain the mystery. Johnny's observation is interrupted by Private Eye reporter Sheila Donner who has come to snoop into what he has been up to recently. When Johnny tries to deflect her questions, she remarks over how the recent strange fires and the fact that Johnny was present and wonders aloud if the Human Torch is somehow responsible. Johnny warns her against writing such a suggestion in her tabloid as it would put the firemen's jobs on the line. She points out that if Johnny wants to play ball with her she won't have to resort to such tactics, forcing the Torch to play ball if only to avoid being stabbed in the back.

That Friday, Johnny meets with Lieutenant Mattsson and tells him he believes their culprit is pyrokinetic but doesn't know who it is. He suggests hanging out with the detachment for a while in the hopes of drawing the killer out. Outside, the other firefighters and Mike are telling his girlfriend Rose Delaney about how the Torch saved a local drug dealer from a flame that appeared to move all on its own. Mike reminds them all that he got the Torch in to help and that he is not infallible. Things get heated when Rose points out that firemen's bravado is the same as Vinnie Costello and that it didn't save his life. When one of the rookies calls on Rose's lack of qualifications, Mike gets even more defensive. He points out that Rose took the training as a firefighter to follow in the family tradition but a heart condition prevented her from being accepted.

Johnny then breaks up the tension by arriving in his newly made fire fighting uniform made of Unstable Molecules that will allow him to flame on and not destroy his gear. Soon Johnny is put on training sessions. Both Johnny and Mike are set into a training building that has been set ablaze to rescue a practice dummy. Inside, Johnny quickly learns that firefighting is not an easy task. When they find themselves in heavy smoke, Johnny thinks he has found the dummy, however, it is really a live woman in fire controlling uniform calling herself Firefox. The two battle it out, and after Johnny gets Mike to safety, he quickly defeats Firefox in a blazing explosion. Believing that Firefox is the killer of Vinnie Costello, the Torch claims that the reign of terror is over. Although everyone is happy to hear this, Mike believes that it's moments like these where things blow up in the Torch's face....