After 85 Years, Marvel Gives Its First Ever Superhero the Greatest Redesign He’s Ever Had (& It’s Permanent)

Marvel’s very first hero is getting a radical new design as he makes a major return to save the world alongside iconic Avengers heroes. Marvel’s Ultimate Universe is putting a new spin on icons including Captain America, Hulk and Iron Man, and now it’s time for a hero who started out way back in 1939’s Marvel Comics #1.

The hero in question is Jim Hammond’s Human Torch, an android whose skin combusts on contact with oxygen, and who later gave his name to the Fantastic Four’s Johnny Storm. Now, the Human Torch is officially joining the Ultimates in The Ultimates #7, with InHyuk Lee’s variant cover depicting the hero in a way that focuses on his mechanical nature.

When the Human Torch debuted in the ’30s, the idea of an android that looked exactly like a human was a thrilling sci-fi concept. However, InHyuk Lee’s art brings Hammond’s artificial nature to the fore, using the joins in his metallic appearance to emphasize the spreading flames of his powers. It’s the coolest the hero has ever looked, right as he takes on a new role bigger than any he’s had in decades.

Captain America Has Recruited the Original Human Torch

The Ultimates Are Bringing a WWII Hero to Their Main Roster

Marvel’s Ultimate Universe is an alternate reality created by the villainous Maker, who used time travel to prevent the ‘Age of Heroes’ that fans have seen in Marvel’s mainstream continuity. To prevent the dawn of the Heroic Age, the Maker killed heroes like the Fantastic Four, prevented the origins of some like Spider-Man, and corrupted others like the Hulk. Thankfully, he wasn’t totally successful, and a teenage Tony Stark is now leading a major rebellion, recruiting heroes from around the world to stand against the Maker. The Ultimates network is a vast project, with different heroes working on different ways to fight the Maker – something that’s necessary given he essentially controls the world via his shadowy council of villains.

In Free Comic Book Day 2024: Ultimate Universe/Spider-Man #1‘s ‘Forgotten Marvels,’ the Ultimates broke into the Maker’s vault, where he stored trophies from defeated heroes, including Wolverine’s bones and the torn cape of the Sentry. There, Captain America used a molotov cocktail to reignite the Human Torch, bringing back an ally who fought by his side in WWII.

Fans didn’t see anything beyond the Human Torch coming back to life, but The Ultimates #6 will seemingly see his return, as the entire team unites for the first time against the Hulk. The cover art for issue 7 suggests the comic will then focus on the Human Torch, with each issue so far getting more in-detail about a new recruit.

Human Torch Began the Marvel Universe as Fans Know It

In a Timeline Where the Heroic Age Was Subverted, Jim Still Has Work to Do

Human Torch was created by Carl Burgos and debuted in Marvel Comics #1 alongside Namor the Sub-Mariner, Thomas Halloway’s Angel, and Jim Gardley’s Masked Raider. In Marvel lore, the Human Torch is considered Marvel’s first hero, kicking off the era in which superhumans rapidly became commonplace. He was a major member of the WWII-era Invaders team and has returned sporadically ever since, working alongside teams including the Secret Avengers and Heroes For Hire.

However, despite these appearances, he’s never quite returned to an influential role in the Marvel Universe. It’s therefore interesting to see him back in action in a timeline where a lot of heavy hitters – including Black Bolt, Captain Marvel, and the X-Men – are off the table. The Ultimate Universe imprint’s mission statement has long been to tell stories that can’t be told in Marvel’s mainstream titles, and the Human Torch becoming a truly influential hero in the Avengers-alike Ultimates fits the bill. This is also a world where the Maker killed off the Fantastic Four, meaning that Jim may be destined to take Johnny Storm’s place as a founder of that particular team.

Human Torch Needs This Ultimate Reinvention

Jim Hammond’s Android Elements Are a More Intriguing Design for 2024

It’s cool for any Marvel fan to see such an influential figure given new life and a prime place in the Ultimate Universe, but InHyuk Lee’s art is cause for further celebration. By today’s standards, a flaming man isn’t exactly a thrilling visual, and is one fans can see every month over in Fantastic Four. Focusing more on Hammond’s android appearance helps to emphasize what makes the character unique, with his introduction in a new continuity offering a prime opportunity to get creative with his design.

So far, The Ultimates has done a lot to rewrite the lives and lore of Avengers heroes, but going further back to the crime-fighter that started it all is a great way to show how ambitious the Ultimate Universe can be.

The Ultimates #7 is coming from Marvel Comics December 4.