Human Torch #2 (1940)
by Carl Burgos
The Human Torch must’ve been the most popular Timely character: not only he takes the spotlight from Red Raven in his own comic book (this is actually the same series of “Red Raven Comics #1, but re-titled), but he also gets Marvel’s first sidekick.
Who is not a girl, despite arguably looking like one on the cover.
That would be the confusingly named Toro.
I’ve been wondering this for decades… why IS he called Toro? It’s not his real name and for the life of me I cannot figure out WTF the name has to do with his powers.
If he was called “Flaming Torch Kid” it would’ve been dumb but at least it would’ve made sense!
Toro is working as a fire-eater at a circus, when the Human Torch drops by…
…and Toro suddenly develops the exact same fire powers.
His father calls him Toro, so MAYBE at the time “Toro” was supposed to be his real name?
And, uhm, that’s it. That’s the whole origin of Toro.
Historical significance: 35.6°F / 
Despite being Marvel’s very first sidekick, he only gets a couple of minor storylines after the Golden Age.
Silver Age-ness: 1,832°F /
There is NO EXPLANATION for how he develops his powers. NONE.
Does it stand the test of time? 32°F /
Talk about being left cold.
Okay it’s not ACTUALLY over.
Starting with the Human Torch beating up the circus strongman
Does everyone at this circus have fire-related powers? I don’t care how much the Human Torch can control his fire, how is this guy still alive!?!?
Toro’s father is SHOCKINGLY okay with a stranger showing up to take away his son, not to mention how he has no reaction with his kid suddenly being able to CATCH FIRE AT WILL.
Then Toro narrates to the Human Torch how he discovered he was immune to fire: he was on the “Marvel Special” train… no, seriously… when it derailed.
I immediately trust this man whose first idea is to market the orphan’s power.
Okay so his name IS Toro at the moment, but… why, exactly? I mean he HAS to remember his real name, right? Why would the circus owner come up with “Toro” for the fire-eating kid???
I’m not a huge fan of the circus, but Toro’s exhibition looks AWESOME.
Apparently nobody told the firefighters that Toro was on fire ON PURPOSE.
How is that THEIR fault???
Turns out the firefighters were alerted by the strongman, who I guess works for the Mafia?
He then robs a scientist who has invented a Rayon Gun(patent expired).
The Human Torch and Toro IMMEDIATELY find him…
…and we discover that the Rayon Gun(patent expired) is able to take away the Torch’s flame.
Dude, I know you’re a strongman and he’s an android (so it might not even kill him), but SHOOT THE GUY!!!
But Toro shows up throwing a fireball, and the Torch throws it back to burn the strongman’s moustache.
He’s harmless without his moustache (???), but his buddies are still around.
Of course they don’t last as long against the heroes. They don’t have moustaches.
And that’s how it ends. For real this time.
Historical significance: 2°C /
Still lukewarm.
Silver Age-ness: 1,000°C /
There’s SOME explanation to how Toro ends up at the circus, sure, but still nothing on the origin.
Does it stand the test of time? 0°C /
Perhaps we SHOULD have ended at the Torch meeting Toro, because what follows isn’t particularly interesting.
How close is this to the modern character? 20°C /
Toro would stay as the Human Torch’s sidekick until 1948, when he was dropped for Sun Girl (we’ll get to her eventually).
He’s brought back in 1969 by, you guessed it, Roy Thomas on Sub-Mariner #14. He thinks he’s the original Human Torch for most of the issue…
…but he eventually remembers that he’s Toro: he’s been brainwashed by the Mad Thinker.
This is where we discovered that, after WWII and the Human Torch’s first “death”, just retired to a civilian life. Until he’s brought back when he learns of the Torch’s second “death” on the pages of Fantastic Four.
I know he’s a veteran and he deserved to have his own life, but… he still had his powers and didn’t try being a hero ONCE for twenty years? Not even trying to meet the Fantastic Four when he learned they had ANOTHER Human Torch???
In the same issue, he dies to save Namor from the Mad Thinker.
He’s confirmed to be a mutant in Invaders #22 in 1977, also by Roy Thomas. That’s when we learn that Toro’s father used to work for the scientist that created the Human Torch, which is going to matter DECADES later.
Toro ALMOST comes back in 1990 on the pages of Power Pack, when a homeless man who is mysteriously immune to fire is HEAVILY suggested to be Toro… and it ties with the fan idea that Frankie Raye (the Human Torch’s ex girlfriend and eventual herald of Galactus) was secretly his daughter.
I mean he goes by the name Raymond (which by this time was established as Toro’s real last name), he even uses fire powers once, Franklin keeps comparing him Johnny Storm…
…but the series ends before this subplot can be resolved.
Toro would stay dead until 2008, when he was resurrected on Avengers/Invaders thanks to some Cosmic Cube shenanigans.
That miniseries didn’t do much with him. But he was one of the main characters in “The Torch” the following year, which I found to be very good.
But remember how I said that Toro’s father working for the Human Torch’s creator was going to matter? Because in this miniseries we discover that BOTH his parents were working for the scientist, and the Mad Thinker discovers that during his mother’s pregnancy Toro was infected by some artificial cells that eventually gave him powers.
Which SOUNDS dumb, and it’s quite convoluted, but trust me: that’s a VERY well written scientific mystery.
And then in 2014 All-New Invaders #8 decided that Toro was actually a human with Inhuman ancestry whose powers were accidentally activated.
It’s the excuse used to give him a VERY different look once he goes through a new mutation. This new look doesn’t last (although he has like two appearances after this miniseries, so who knows).
He stays in Attilan with the Inhumans after that; his last appearance to date is yet another Invaders relaunch in 2020.
The original Human Torch seems to have a much easier time finding new roles for himself, but Toro really struggles.
The fact that “time displaced former sidekick that has to face the modern world” is also covered by the return of Bucky as the Winter Soldier, which is FAR more interesting.
What else was in Human Torch #2 ?
We have a Namor story…
…where he prevents a German submarine from delivering spies to New York.
We also learn that Atlantis has an air force for some reason.
Future stories will also depict Atlantis as having advanced technology, but it was there from the start.
It’s WEIRD to see Namor wear regular clothes, isn’t it?
That submarine goes through A LOT in this story.
We have another story from The Falcon. Who only has 3 Golden Age stories, this being his last.
We also have the only Microman story. I am SHOCKED that Roy Thomas didn’t retcon Hank Pym into basing his shrinking formula on this one!!!
There’s Mandrake Ripoff #72, also known as Mantor.
As it’s now tradition for all minor Timely heroes, he never shows up again.
This is also the last Golden Age story of the Fiery Mask, until he’s brought back during The Twelve.
