Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDaboia
(Post 77675279)
Aside from Age of Ultron, I'm interested in the Ant-Man movie. And maybe cosmic characters like Nova and all
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I'm not going to talk about Ant Man because I'll just get upset. :pout: You all know how I feel about Edgar Wright's slap in the face to fans of Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. I would love to see Nova appear soon though, as well as Adam Warlock and Captain Marvel - both Mar-Vell and Carol Danvers. :nod:
I've recently been getting interested in Marvel Comics' very first superhero - Jim Hammond, the
original Human Torch from the Golden Age. No, not Johnny Storm's Human Torch from Fantastic Four. Jim Hammond's Human Torch existed over two decades before the Fantastic Four even existed. He first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 back in 1939, the same year Batman came out, the year after Superman came out, and one year before Captain America came out. That makes Jim Hammond Marvel's very first superhero. He was for Marvel what Superman was for DC. It's unfortunate that he kind of got forgotten. And unlike Johnny Storm, Jim Hammond's Human Torch is a total badass. :punch:
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...Earth-616).jpg
Jim Hammond wasn't actually a human; he was a synthetic humanoid created by a genius scientist named Dr. Phineas Hornton. Dr. Horton was experimenting with cybernetics and bio-engineering and created technology decades ahead of his time. Hammond wasn't a robot or an android, he was an artificial man. He had actual bones, organs, muscles, blood, skin, and everything, but it was all artificial - bones made of ceramic and carbon fiber materials, blood made from artificial hemoglobin, muscles made from electroactive polymers, etc. This made him stronger and more durable than ordinary humans, but for some reason the molecules on his body burst into flames when he came into contact with the outside air. He was also sentient and intelligent, with real human feelings and emotions as well. And yes, he also had human body functions, if you know what I mean. :lol: He eventually was able to control his flame powers and became Marvel Comics' very first superhero, or "The First Marvel." He was a teammate of Captain America in WWII in the superhero team, the Invaders, along with Namor, the Sub Mariner, and Bucky Barnes, The Winter Solider. He's still around in the Marvel Comics universe to this day. He had gone through a long hibernation just like Cap did, only it was easier for Jim because he's an artificial human. :lol:
I really wish they could bring Hammond's Human Torch into the Marvel movie universe. Since he came out in 1939 and has no connection to The Fantastic Four, 20th Century Fox can't claim the film rights to him, and Marvel should be able to use him in The Avengers. If Marvel can use Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, who actually first appeared in X-Men comics, they should be able to use Jim Hammond's Human Torch as long as no mention is made of Johnny Storm or The Fantastic Four. It would be a great way to stick it to Fox for screwing up the FF movies. :lol: They could have Hawkeye and Black Widow sent out to retrieve Hammond's hibernation cylinder from Hydra agents who stole it, and then Hammond gets woken up and blasts his way out of there....... well, it would all end with him joining SHIELD and teaming back up with Captain America in the Avengers. Jim Hammond actually did appear briefly in the first Captain America movie with Chris Evans. Pay attention to the scene at Howard Stark's science expo in 1942 and you'll see the glass cylinder with Jim Hammond in it, and a sign above it that says, "Dr. Phineas Hornton Presents, The Synthetic Man."
http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/...an-torch-1.jpg
Johnny Storm and the rest of the FF were part of the "radiation-made" heroes of the 1960's, along with Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. This was mostly due to the "atomic scare" of that time period, where the public was constantly afraid of nuclear war and the possible effects of radiation. Jim Hammond's Human Torch was part of the scientifically created heroes of the 1940's along with Captain America. Back in the 1940's there were lots of experiments going on to create new and revolutionary weapons to help with the war effort during WWII and to defeat the Nazis. Both Steve Rogers and Jim Hammond were attempts to create a "perfect human," only Steve was a genetically enhanced human whereas Jim was an artificially created human.
What I like about Jim Hammond's Torch is that while he was part of a team when he was with The Invaders, he wasn't always dependent on being part of a team, or having three other people backing him up all the time the way Johnny Storm did. Jim Hammond started off as a solo superhero in adventures all his own. He was far more powerful than Johnny Storm's Human Torch because he was a synthetic human and was much stronger, faster, and tougher than a normal human. And as I said, Jim Hammond's Human Torch was Marvel Comics' very first superhero ever. Captain America came out a full year later, so he really wasn't the first one. That's why Hammond is sometimes called "The First Marvel." He was for Marvel Comics what Superman was for DC Comics. Jim Hammond was a teammate of Captain America on The Invaders when they were fighting against Hitler, but he was also a successful superhero on his own, which is why I like him more than Johnny Storm. He even had his own teenage sidekick. Just as Batman had Robin, The Flash had Kid Flash, and Captain America had Bucky Barnes, Hammond's Human Torch had a teenage torch sidekick named Toro. It's a shame that Superman became so iconic while Jim Hammond kind of got forgotten. Hammond's story was kind of like that of a Frankenstein's monster, who was created by Dr. Phineas Hornton and seen as a freak and a monster by the general public - but through his own courage and humanity(even though he's not human) eventually becomes a hero and inspired every other hero that follows him, including Captain America himself.
Hammond's Torch did come back later on. It was thought that Hammond's body was taken by Ultron and used to create The Vision, but that actually wasn't true. The Vision was made from a duplicate synthetic body that was created in an attempt to replicate the same experiment that created Jim Hammond. But much like Steve Rogers, Jim was one of a kind. Hammond turned out to be in a state of suspended animation just like his old buddy Captain America had been, and ended up being awoken by the West Coast Avengers back in the 1980's. It was actually Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, who awoke Hammond, and he's been around ever since. He's recently been given SHIELD agent status, which is why he has a new costume that's basically a red version of the one Captain America has, and he's joined the New Invaders. I think adding Jim Hammond's original Human Torch would be a great way to stick it to 20th Century Fox. They wanna try and hold on to the film rights to the Fantastic Four? They wanna hire actors who are totally miscast in the characters they're playing? Fine. Marvel Studios can use their first Human Torch in The Avengers and see which Torch works best. If they can share Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who actually did originate in the X-Men Comics, then they can certainly use Jim Hammond and share the name Human Torch, since Hammond came out decades before the Fantastic Four existed and has no connection to them whatsoever. Marvel could work Jim Hammond's Human Torch into the MCU in a way that would make Fox's Johnny Storm Human Torch pale by comparison. Anything to help make those Fantastic Four movies underperform so Marvel can get the film rights back.
http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2..._1_8_cover.jpg http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/...d8d3974696.jpg