Storm, Jonathon

Jonathan "Johnny" Storm a.k.a. the Human Torch is an American superpowered adventurer. He was a high school student before he was exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation when his older sister Sue Storm's boyfriend, scientist Dr. Reed Richards, took them and pilot Ben Grimm into space in the stolen rocket Marvel-1. The radiation mutated the group, transforming Johnny's entire body into a fiery, plasma-like state. Together they became the Fantastic Four, a team of adventurers who explored space, time and alternate dimensions and saved the world along the way from science-based threats.

## Jonathon Lowel Spencer Storm

### Aliases

Human Torch II (code name), Flamebrain (Spider-Man), Flamin' Numbskull, Hothead, Hotshot, Torch, Torchie, Matchstick, Matchhead, Firebug

### Relatives

Franklin Storm I (father), Mary Storm (mother), Sue Storm (sister), Marygay Jewel Dinkins (paternal aunt), Bones (cousin)

### Affiliation

Storm family, Richards family, Fantastic 4

### Occupation

Student (Glenville High graduate; former student at Empire State University and Metro College), Adventurer, firefighter, mechanic, race car driver, circus performer, musician

## Biographical information

### Place of birth

Glenville, Road Island, New York City, New York, United States of America

## History

### Early Years

Johnny Storm and his older sister, Sue, lived uneventfully on Long Island until their mother, Mary Storm, died in an automobile accident. Their father, Franklin Storm, a doctor, failed to save her. Despondent, Franklin descended into booze and gambling, eventually winding up in a penitentiary for murder. The children went to live with their aunt Marygay. Growing up in suburban Glenville, Johnny Storm was drawn to automobiles, despite his mother's death in a car accident, and became quite a mechanic at a young age.

At the age of 15, Johnny's life took a strange turn when Harry Brandeis, a professor of religious studies (and father of Sue's friend Cammie, Johnny boyhood crush), was slain while examining the Amulet of Zarathos. Shortly after his death, Johnny sneaked into the Brandeis house to snoop around the crime scene and came into contact with the amulet, and it bonded to him as the demon Zarathos sought to make Johnny his Spirit of Vengeance. This made Johnny the target of St. Germaine who sought to claim the amulet for his master Dracula who was trapped in his Transylvanian castle with a stake in his heart. At Henry's funeral, St. Germaine and his minions went after Johnny, but he was saved thanks to Sue and Henry's brother-in-law Max Parrish, who sought to solve the mystery surrounding his brother-in-law's death. As they sought to learn the secrets behind the Amulet, they were pursued by St. Germaine and his minions still, while also being secretly pushed toward the truth by the spirit of Zarathos. Since the Amulet would teleport into Johnny's possession whenever it was taken away from him, the quartet used this to their advantage to keep it away from St. Germaine. However, Sue and Cammy were cornered while trying to escape from their foe. At that point, Zarathos appeared before Johnny and told him of his intentions to make him the new Spirit of Vengeance. In order to save Sue and Cammy's lives, Johnny agreed to become the vessel for Zarathos, but before he could be possessed by the demon, Max grabbed the amulet becoming the Ghost Rider instead. As Ghost Rider, Max destroyed St. Germaine, and struggled for control over Zarathos until Johnny ripped the Amulet from his make-shift motorcycle, restoring Max to normal. They then tossed the Amulet in a junk yard where they hoped it would not be found. After this adventure, Sue decided to go to Hollywood and pursue a career in acting.

### High School

Johnny spent his high school years attending Glenville High, during his junior year Johnny was briefly tormented by David George Munson. Johnny also attempted to use his prowess with mechanics to build a hot rod to try and gain popularity. However his attempts to pick up girls was thwarted by the athletic Mike Snow, the schools star wrestler. Johnny was frequently in trouble with school administration who feared that he didn't take his education seriously.

### Birth of the Fantastic 4

When Johnny was 18 he followed his sister to Central City, California. By this time, Sue was the fiancée of scientist Reed Richards who had been developing a rocket that operated on a hyper-drive technology. However just as the Reed neared completion of the rocket, the government pulled the plug. Reed determined to fly the rocket before the government could shut him down. Reed's pilot Ben Grimm warned that the ship wasn't properly shielded against radiation but Reed pressed along anyway. Not wishing Reed to go alone, Sue insisted on coming along, and Johnny also insisted on doing so. While the rocket launch was a complete success, while passing through the Van Allan Belts their ship was bombarded with cosmic rays causing the rocket to crash land back on Earth. Each member of the crew was mutated by the cosmic rays and endowed with fantastic powers. Reed gained the ability to stretch his now mailable body, Sue gained the ability to turn invisible, and Ben turned into a monstrous thing. Johnny meanwhile gained the ability to burst into flame. Johnny decided to name himself the Human Torch, after the similarly powered hero from World War II.

Reed convinced the group to use their powers for the good of mankind and they became the Fantastic Four.

The quartet were quickly picked up by the government and were then contained in a government quarantine facility for those exposed by cosmic rays under the command of Reed's colleague General Walter Montgomery. Johnny was placed in a room that kept subzero temperatures to control his flame powers. There Reed was contacted telepathically by Professor Franz Stahl, another cosmic ray mutate who saw their transformations something that evolved them beyond humanity. Stahl caused another mutate, Raymond Perry to go on a rampage in the facility. While the fledgling Fantastic Four stopped Perry's rampage, Stahl escaped from his cell. Having demonstrated the effectiveness of their new powers, Reed managed to convince General Montgomery into releasing the Fantastic Four and allowing them to operate freely. When a series of nuclear facilities began to vanish, Montgomery convinced his superiors to give the Fantastic Four a change to prove themselves.