Following his sister, Sue Storm, Johnny joined Reed Richards' crew in a fateful flight into space in which the crew was riddled with cosmic radiation. Crash-landing back on Earth, Johnny burst into flames - but was not consumed by the flames. Calling himself the "Human Torch" in tribute to the World War II-era hero of the same name, the youthfully Johnny Storm found new adventures as part of the Fantastic Four, proving to be an invaluable, if somewhat volatile member of the team.