Ahead of theFantastic Four’s MCU debut, Marvel has named one member of the team its sexiest hero. It’s a choice that highlights what makes this member of the team unique, raising questions as to whether the characterization will be used in the movie.
Marvel is changing one hero’s personality forFirst Steps, making them more complex.
In a preview ofFantastic Four Fanfare,the FF’s Human Torch is named"the Sexiest Man in the Universe"byUniverse Magazine. The alien publication declares Johnny Storm"our sexiest being of the cycle,“inviting the family to a photo shoot. Reed Richards' Mister Fantastic and Sue Storm’s Invisible Woman immediately refuse, leaving the Thing to accompany Johnny Storm to what’s almost certainly a trap.
Johnny Storm has always been the strangest fit for a team of scientist-adventurers, due to his reckless attitude and huge ego. Now, Marvel is emphasizing that fact as his faith in his good looks drags the family into space. The anthology issue comes from Dan Slott, Marcos Martin, Muntsa Vicente, Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz, Brett Breeding, Rachelle Rosenberg, Chip Zdarsky, Mike Allred, Laura Allfred and Joe Caramagna, and also includes a story about the young Thing (previewed below.)
The Human Torch Is the Superhero Playboy of the Marvel Universe
Johnny Storm’s MCU Debut Is Coming, But With Some Big Changes
The Fantastic Four have always been a family first and a superhero team second. Unlike the Avengers and X-Men, they don’t vet their members for whose powers are useful or who fits in the team - instead, the core four stick together because they’re family, occasionally asking other heroes to take their place in emergency situations. Because of this, the team brings together some majorly different personalities, withthe fame-hungry Johnny Storm being worlds apart from the self-serious Mister Fantastic.
Throughout his history in comics, Johnny Storm has been presented as a self-regarding celebrity whose sex life is the stuff of tabloid headlines. TheHuman Torch has dated multiple supervillains, and has even endangered the team multiple times through his liaisons, from allowing a one-night-stand to open the portal to the Negative Zone, tosleeping with Doctor Doom’s fiancé and humiliating him on the world stage.
The MCU Is Changing the Human Torch’s Character… But How Much?
The Movie’s Johnny Storm Is a ‘Big Brain’, Not a Playboy
Chris Evans' depiction of the Human Torchwas loyal to the comic character, however it seems like Joseph Quinn will take a different route. Interestingly, the recent movie-canonFantastic Four: First Stepscomic changes Johnny’s personality significantly.The Thing refers to him as a ‘big brain’ and he admits he’s struggling emotionally with gaining superpowers.In the comics, Johnny is generally portrayed as loving his powers and craving fame, with his only scientific pursuit being tinkering with sports cars. (TheFirst Stepscomic comes from Matt Fraction and Mark Buckingham.)
It will be interesting to see howFirst Stepschanges the Human Torch from his playboy persona, but any fans who miss this version of Johnny Storm will find a lot to love inFantastic Four Fanfare #3, as the Thing and Human Torch head off to accept Johnny’s"sexiest being"award.
