Tragic Retro Read - Fantastic Four #285

Quick note about this post - most of the time my blogging will be fun and silly, sometimes even nonsensical or absurd. My memories and feelings about school and growing up being what they are, when I came across this comic again I knew I had to post about it.

I remember getting this issue of Fantastic Four, I was about 13 or so. At the time I thought it was a bit too "after school special".

With the recent news stories about bullying and suicides, this Human Torch story seemed to touch a nerve I don't recall before.

Meet Tommy Hanson, #1 fan of Johnny Storm. His locker is decorated with pictures and clippings of his favorite hero. Tommy loves all things Human Torch and would do anything for an article or photo he might have missed.

Unfortunately others in school see this as a weakness and use that interest and enthusiasm against Tommy.

His lunch money for a month and doing your school work is a small price to pay, right?

It seems even the teachers are against Tommy.

Granted he was reading the magazine when he should have been paying attention.

Taking the magazine, throwing it away in front of the whole class and having that snot behind him laughing is almost too much. I can feel Tommy's tears in my own eyes. 

It's only after class does Ms. Welsh seem to soften and sympathize with Tommy. Even relating a story about her own childhood crushes.

She'd like to talk to Tommy's parents but they aren't home a lot. His dad has an ad agency to run, and his mom has her community action groups.

Tommy isn't able to get his magazine back but that doesn't stop this little bastard from reminding him of their deal.  

After tripping him and calling him dumb.

Once home things don't improve much. There is a message from Tommy's mom asking him to record a program for her, against the Human Torch interview he had circled.

You can almost feel the loneliness and sadness Tommy must be experiencing. No one at home to talk to about school, or anything it seems.

Even if his parents where there, I get the feeling they wouldn't listen anyways.

Tommy does appear to have at least one friend, of sorts. Joss Kincaid has a model airplane that just doesn't get the boost that he would like, so he mix and match his own fuel. That lapse in judgment only gets worse when he decides to leave Tommy alone to clean up.

Sometimes the wrong words at the wrong time, mixed with feelings you can't control and don't understand collide with disastrous results. 

The story now shifts to the reconstruction of the Baxter Building, world famous headquarters of the Fantastic Four. Doctor Janet Darling has come seeking the Human Torch. She has a patient who is dying and is a big fan of Johnny Storm.

Her patient is Tommy Hanson, he is in a great deal of pain after suffering severe burns to his body. He speaks for the first time in a month. What he says is devastating for Johnny.

"I only did it to be like you" 

The usually high flying, care-free Human Torch can't even bring himself to use his powers to fly away. 

Back at his fiance Alicia Masters' place Johnny talks to Sue and Alicia about the young boy, who wanting to be like the Human Torch, set himself on fire. 

Johnny is feeling tremendous guilt over Tommy's death. He can't help but feel responsible and does not what this to happen again to someone else. From now on, the Human Torch is dead.

The Beyonder, a meddling cosmic being with unknown, seemingly limitless powers arrives. He has already whisked heroes and villains away before for his own personal Secret War.

Now he takes Johnny to the past, showing him the life of young Tommy Hanson.

Johnny sees that Tommy is a quiet boy without many friends. What friends he does have he's found in magazines. Living vicariously through the heroes he reads and cares about.

The Beyonder points out to Johnny that these books and exploits are the only real joy Tommy had in his life.  His death is not Johnny's fault. It was through Johnny that Tommy lived, not died.

Johnny may still feel guilty for what happened to Tommy, but he can't let that stop him from being the hero others need him to be - that Johnny needs to be.

"Show me a hero, and I'll show you a tragedy" - F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

Again, after re-reading this comic I saw it differently than I did as a 13yr old kid. Now I can see myself a bit in Tommy. Bullied at school for having other interests and being different. Feeling lonely and lost, escaping into comics, wishing for powers or an ability. I didn't seriously think about killing myself and I don't think that's what Tommy had in mind either. He just wanted to be like someone else, someone he looked up to.

Fantastic Four #285

Writer/Artist: John Byrne