He was Marvel first true super-hero. Introduced in Marvel Comics #1 (1939) by Carl Burgos, the Android that would become known as Jim Hammond was created by Professor Phineas T. Horton, one of the pioneers in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics. The culmination of Horton’s research was an android who mimicked virtually all of the functions of a human being, including independent thought, but was composed entirely of synthetic materials. When he introduced this android to the public, it burst into flame causing the press to declare it a public menace. This would cause Horton to bury the android by order of the President, but the android managed to escape. Initially thought to be a menace, he was dubbed the Human Torch by the media and became a hero, fighting villains including Namor. He would later adopt a sidekick named Toro and the pair would join the Invaders alongside Cap, Bucky and Namor to fight the Axis. After the war, he would join the All-Winners Squad until he was deactivated when he used his powers to stop a bomb from exploding.

As part of one of his schemes, Immortus created a temporal copy of the Torch that would later be stolen by Ultron and used to create the Vision. The Mad Think would revive the real version of the Torch to use against the F4, but he would turn against the Mad Thinker and helped the F4. He was buried in an unmarked grave and would be discovered and inadvertently revived by the West Coast Avengers, which he later invited to join. He would later leave the team and became the head of Security for Oracle Inc., which would later purchase Heroes for Hire and he would join that team. He would later join the New Invaders before dying while protecting the UN Building.

The Mad Thinker would later revive him again and forced to serve AIM. He would be saved by his former sidekick and would later join the Secret Avengers under Hawkeye’s leadership but came under the control of Descendants. Captain Britian saved him. He would leave this team and join the All-New Invaders. He later encountered the Squadron Supreme before he helped the Avengers against Namor’s latest attempt to take revenge against the surface. He would later fall under the control of the Controller who was working with Korvac for the later to become a god. He was freed by Iron Man and would join Iron Man “team” of Space Friends.