The HUMAN TORCH is Going To Save Marvel’s Universe

The Fantastic Four‘s Human Torch may be the universe’s last, best hope. The Marvel Universe is now faced with one of the greatest threats ever. An alien horde is invading the Negative Zone, using it as a bridgehead to launch a full-scale assault on Earth.

The invaders originate from the Cancerverse, a twisted and corrupted universe where death itself was defeated. Worse still, the Cancerverse armies are led by the Sentry, one of the most powerful entities in the entire Marvel Universe. Blastaar and Annihilus have already been driven back, forced to head to the mainstream Marvel Universe in search of reinforcements. But Annihilation – Scourge: Fantastic Four #1 finally offers hope.

The survivors of the Negative Zone have chosen the Human Torch as their champion. It’s a role he’s very much familiar with; Johnny Storm was trapped there for two years, and he was placed in Annihilus’ gladiatorial games. Annihilus let him die, and then resurrected him only to die time and time again.

In the end, against all the odds, the Human Torch managed to escape and steal the Cosmic Control Rode that allowed Annihilus to rule. Though Johnny Storm doesn’t realize it, he’s become a legend to the inhabitants of the Negative Zone – and the one man who can rally their forces in order to resist the Sentry and the Cancerverse.

It’s easy to underestimate Johnny Storm, in large part because of his carefree and jocular character. But Annihilation – Scourge: Fantastic Four #1 carefully reinterprets that as a coping mechanism, reminding readers of everything that the Human Torch has endured. He’s gone through horrors that would break lesser men, and his humor is nothing more than a front, a way of avoiding facing the reality of it all. This latest event is forcing Johnny Storm to abandon that coping strategy, to accept what he’s gone through and move beyond it. His experiences in the Negative Zone have been transformed into a refining fire, bringing out the gold at the heart of the Human Torch’s character.

Annihilation: Scourge is a fascinating mirror of the original Annihilation event, and the Human Torch’s role is an echo of Nova’s in the original comics. That saw Nova step up on a cosmic stage, ultimately becoming a seasoned military veteran; it positioned him for a decade’s worth of stories. Ironically, in that event Nova was campaigning against the Annihilation Wave – the very forces Johnny Storm is now taking charge of.

Alerted to a potential tear in the dimension, the Fantastic Four go to investigate – but what they discover is so much worse than they prepared for! Will the Fantastic Four be able to hold back the Scourge or will the Negative Zone finally succeed in tearing this family apart? Overrun, the Fantastic Four are about to learn: No one ever truly comes home from war.

Annihilation – Scourge: Fantastic Four #1 is on sale in comic book stores now.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4936 Articles Published)

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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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