"According to everything we think we know...Ultron used some of the same molds that Prof. Horton used...and he created the Vision. When we learned that some of the Vision's components seemed to match with those of the Torch, we assumed that he was the Torch, in the same body but with different programming..."

Hank Pym, the Avenger currently known as Yellowjacket, paced in his laboratory. The person he was speaking to was hidden by shadow, but it was obvious from the man's body language that he was listening intently.

"But later on, we discovered that the Torch was really buried in a shallow grave -- trapped there by the Mad Thinker during one of his many lurid schemes. We reactivated him and I...I thought that I'd made a mistake earlier. I thought that Immortus had mislead us for some reason, merely wanted us to believe that the Vision was in the Torch's body...perhaps he has mislead us after all, in some way I can't fathom even now. But I foolishly thought that this all meant that the Vision was merely built from the same molds as the Torch, that they were almost synthetic brothers*...but now..."

(*All of the above is shown in more detail in Avengers West Coast # 50. Flaming Barry.)

The figure in the shadows stepped forward, the light seeming to catch on his high cheek bones, his almost arrogant features. He wore only a snug pair of green swimming trunks but he bore such a regal demeanor that he commanded immediate respect. Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner, clenched his fist. "What are you getting at, Yellowjacket? The Avenging Son has little patience for games and riddles!"

Hank stopped in his tracks and ran a hand through his blonde hair. It was thinning and turned slightly silver these days, much to his chagrin. He could only hope that Jan was right and it made him look more 'distinguished.' "When I ran those tests on the Torch*, I noticed that there were some discrepancies. Some of his inner components are of a more recent vintage than they should be -- not terribly off, mind off, but still not what they should be...Now the Vision was dismantled and rebuilt -- I can't compare their insides any longer. But I wonder...there seemed to be other differences, as well. The Torch has no memory of having been altered since his resurrection or at any other time in his recent memory but it's still possible that I could be wrong again but..."

(*See our classic first issue -- still available at an mv1 site near you! The Human Barry)

Namor sighed. "You are pushing yourself too hard, Yellowjacket. Out with your findings and be done with it!"

Yellowjacket looked into his fellow Avenger's eyes and held his gaze. "I'm not sure that the Torch is who we think he is...but I think I might know a way to resolve all of this once and for all."

Jim Hammond reached up to stroke his beard and caught him with a smile. He'd forgotten he'd removed the pseudo-beard several weeks ago. He was standing on the front porch of Ann Raymond's home, wearing only the red-and-yellow costume that had been his trademark since the late Thirties. It wasn't as flashy as the costumes worn by the heroes of today, but Jim felt it suited him.

"Coffee?" Ann's voice sounded somewhat husky and Jim knew without a doubt that she'd only been up for a few minutes. He could hear the soft rustle of her robe as she moved beside him but he chose not to look at her. She was Tom's widow and...it wouldn't be proper. Not with the way that Jim had been feeling about Ann lately...

"No thanks. I don't really need it to perk me up in the morning and the taste isn't anything I find particularly enticing."

Ann shrugged and sipped from her cup. "Suit yourself. I can't get through the day without a cup before breakfast, one immediately after, and one before I head to work."

Jim felt Leena, his cat, brush against his leg and he bent down to scoop up the orange tabby. Leena responded with a loud purr and a distinct grin on its feline face. "I think Leena approves of her new home," he said in jest.

Ann glanced at him, licking her lips. "So -- is it her new home?"

Jim felt a bit of warmth on his cheeks -- another of his all-too human foibles, the ability to blush. "Well -- "

A ringing interrupted him and Jim felt immensely grateful. He felt like a jerk a second later, seeing the fear in Ann's brown eyes. He held up a finger. "I'll answer it."

He stepped inside, setting Leena down. He'd expected Ann to argue, not wanting anyone to hear a man answering her phone...but she merely waited on the porch, obviously grateful. Jim picked up the phone. "Hello?"

A pause on the other end of the line brought a small smile to Jim's lips. He hoped that they paused awhile longer -- the Avengers had given him state-of-the-art tracing equipment. Even now, it was whirring to life, trying to find the source of the call. "Jim? It's you, isn't it?"

The voice brought a chill to the Torch's synthetic veins. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Ann had moved closer. "Who is this?"

"Oh, please...You recognize my voice. I know you do. Funny, isn't it? Me calling Ann and finding you there with her -- even after I told her not to call you. Is that what you're doing these days, Torch? Trying to take my place?"

Jim felt his voice rise in anger, "You are not Tom! He's dead...and whoever you really are, you're making a terrible mistake!"

"Am I? I don't think so. You left me for dead. You *wanted* me dead."

"What? I was buried alive when the Thinker led Tom to his death. I wasn't involved..." A few second more, he said to himself, studying the computer readout mounted next to the phone.

"Buried ALIVE. A funny way to put it when you're talking about an android...But you never came looking for me -- did you, Jim? You just accepted my death and moved on."

Jim's eyes shot up as he saw the words appear on the viewscreen -- CALL TRACED. 3114 MAGGI WAY. He threw down the phone and moved towards the door, almost bumping into Ann. He clutched her shoulders. "I'll be back -- don't worry, I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

Before Ann could respond, the Torch had flung himself into the air, his body bursting into flame.

Ann let out a long, tired sigh. "Be careful, Jim. Please...."

LIMBO

Immortus sat back in his throne and watched the unfolding scene with no small amount of satisfaction. He had just returned from his successful stint in the Ultraverse* and he was apparently just in time to see another of his strategems moving forward as well. It was enough to make a Lord of Time very pleased with himself.

(*See Black Knight # 4-6 for the full story. The Chosen Writer of Avalon.)

"Why do you play so with the Human Torch, m'lord? He seems such a small thing..." Immortus glanced over at the cringing form of a Space Phantom, one of his numerous slaves and servants.

"He has a role to play, like all of my other interests...Sometimes a small pebble can cause very large ripples if tossed into the time stream properly..."

The Space Phantom didn't respond -- he knew that he had been lucky to have received even that much information from his Lord and Benefactor. Instead, the Phantom moved away, back into the shadows.

Immortus, having already put the Space Phantom out of his mind, looked back at the small globe before him. "The Human Torch...the very name is such an odd one. Perhaps the IN-human Torch would have been more appropriate? But in so many ways, the Torch is far more human than some of his compatriots in the Avengers..."

The Lord of Time leaned back and reached over to pick up a goblet of wine from the table nearby. He sipped it slowly, savoring it, enjoying the moment. So many strands, so many threads, were weaving together now. The Black Knight, the Human Torch, the Vision...all pieces of a cosmic puzzle that he was assembling -- and he alone could see how it all fit together...

The Torch tried to calm his mind, but it was difficult. The voice had been so much like Toro's...older and darker, somehow, but still recognizable. But...something else about it had seemed familiar, too...

The Human Torch circled the building that the call had come from. A pharmaceuticals company -- Effigy Enterprises. An odd name, but perhaps fitting in light of the current situation.

He flew past the windows, startling businesspeople in their offices. "Damn it...I don't know where in the building the call came from."

The Torch flew back up to the roof and settled down. The flame still clung to his form, hiding his features. "Where are you...And why are you doing this?!"

A sound from behind caused him to whirl about. A figure was climbing over the side of the rooftop. It was a blast from the past -- a lithe, female form wearing an asbestos suit. A gun attached to a backpack was pointed at him. Though the costume had been altered slightly, it was still eerily familiar.

"Someone must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I mean, reviving the Asbestos Lady identity? Are all the good names REALLY taken?" The Torch flew into the air, while the woman kept her gun trained on him.

"I'd advise you to keep your fireballs in check, Torch. I've studied every known film of you in action. I've even talked to my predecessor -- she died of cancer a few years back. Did you know that? Or do you make it a habit of not keeping up with deceased friends and enemies?"

The Torch snarled, flying towards her with a fury that was terrifying. "I've had enough of this! First, Apparition strikes against me, claiming to be an old foe! Then someone pretends to be Toro and now I've got some schoolgirl who hasn't learned about the dangers of asbestos yet! I've had enough!"

Three fireballs flew at the Asbestos Lady, but they landed harmlessly against her padded costume. She fired her asbestos gun, barely missing the Torch. "I'm no schoolgirl, Torch. I was a member of Killers, Inc. for years before Mr. Raymond set me up with this costume and weaponry. I've killed much better fighters than you..."

The Torch sprayed the rooftop, surrounding her in a circle of flame. "Mr. Raymond? Is that what our pseudo Toro is calling himself? Disgusting...Doesn't he have any respect for the dead?"

The Asbestos Lady leapt over the flames, moving so nimbly that the Torch had to admit he was impressed. She knelt and spun her weapon, almost as if she knew exactly where the Torch was going to fly before he did. "My boss trained me for this eventuality, Torch. I meant it when I said I'd studied your moves." She fired her asbestos gun, striking the Torch.

The gummy substance attached to his body, drowning out his flame. He flame from the sky, landing hard on the roof. He could feel the stuff creeping up his body, hardening. Obviously, she'd made some improvements on the original...

"Sorry about this, Torch. It's just business." He looked up in time to see her boot come down hard on his head.

Jim Hammond opened his eyes to confront a nightmare. He was floating in a tank, submerged in some bizarre liquid that snuffed his flames but still allowed him to breathe*. He could see out of the clear tank, noting the computers and monitors. He was in some sort of lab.

(*The Torch and Toro were both imprisoned in similiar tanks by Adolph Hitler during their days with the Invaders. Read-It-Before-Barry.)

He was about to test the container's strength when he saw the Asbestos Lady enter the room. She had removed her mask and Jim saw that she was a young African-American, with attractive features marred only by a cold glint in her eyes. She was ignoring him, instead setting her asbestos gun on the table and tinkering with it.

Apparition floated in next, the wraith glancing once at the Torch before moving next to the Asbestos Lady. Jim felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He'd stumbled onto something much larger than he'd first realized. These people had a serious vendetta against him...

"Is he awake?" The voice came from behind Jim and he spun in the liquid to see a figure in the shadows. The voice from the phone...

Apparition laughed, a cold dark sound. "Yes, he is. And confused from the looks of him."

The figure in the shadows nodded. "Good. I want him to know what it's like to be confused...and alone. Like I was for so long..."

Jim tried to speak and was surprised to hear that his words came through fine. "Who are you?"

"Well...I'm not Toro, I'll grant you that. The voice is easily mimicked. I have many such abilities -- as do you, though your imagination is terribly limited. With slight improvements, you could be state-of-the-art. In my current identity as Effigy, I've enhanced my own android body considerably."

Halfway through his spiel, the stranger's voice altered. No longer filtered to sound like Toro, he took on an even more sinister quality...because Jim still recognized the voice...it was his own.

The figure stepped forward from the shadows, wearing Jim Hammond's face, though his hair was dyed dark like Tom's. He wore a black version of the Torch's own costume, with red trim instead of yellow. His voice dripped with sarcasm as he said "Hello, Father."

NEXT ISSUE : All (well, almost all) is revealed! Effigy's origin is exposed at last (and just wait 'til you see how it ties back to the Invaders!), the first full-group appearance of the modern-day All-Villains Squad and more! 'Nuff Said!

THE FLAMING LETTERCOLUMN

First, some comments from me -- this current storyline will focus on Identity -- who's who and what's what. So far, it's kind of been the running theme in the series and it will continue to be so, at least until issue 12 -- who's Mr. Raymond? Is it Toro? Who's the Torch? Is he the real Human Torch? Who's Apparition -- is he really dead? And so on... Some of the answers you might not like but I promise that it'll be interesting, no matter what. Now -- on to the letters!

TJ BURNS WROTE :

Once again, the new adventures of the Original Human Torch are as excellent as ever. I am glad that Jim is taking on more of his old personality from the Invaders. He's mellowed considerably though. I know I would have melted significant portions of Night Thrasher's armor personally. I'm glad that the encounter with the New Warriors didn't end in violence. I also really liked Speedball's admiration of the Torch. Anyway, keep up the great work! As for future guest-stars, I'd like to see more of the Golden Age androids, like a rebooted Flexo the Rubber Man (whose mysterious death was something you wrote and the Torch witnessed.) and maybe Dynamic Man. Once again, keep up the great work and I can't wait to see how the mystery of Toro works out!

Neil Gow responded :

My blow-by-blow review of OHT continues......

Enjoyable and multi-layered, although this issue seemed to be more of a 'settling' issue - advancing the Toro plot slowly, filling out the character of Ann and introducing the 'elder statesman' angle.

It was the latter that didn't quite sit with me. Here's my spin on the idea - you may have other ideas, or I may be jumping ahead of what you are going to do ( and not for the first time...)

There is really NO reason why any young hero should take a blind bit of notice what Hammond says. For me, that's the top and bottom of it. Hammond spent an undisclosed time inert and locked away - and missed a BIG part of the social revolution. He was programmed in an era where 'youngsters' respected and listened to their elders. Now he's in a time when questioning and individualism is the status quo.

I think he'd also get a big shock from the commercial side of things - I'm sure there are other teams that have 'sold their image' before - for a pseudo-vigilante team it would be one of the few ways to get an income. It would also perpetuate the role-model thing.

There are also issues around morals and ethics that could be looked into. Rage may have stolen a quinjet, but how much collateral damage to New York has Thor caused? Where does the difference lie? For Hammond to walk the streets calling in young heroes for each misdemeanour he is going to have to tackle the 'crimes' of some of the elder heroes too.

The other question is whether Hammond has the *status* to change the behaviour of young heroes? Cap - of course, could do it. Mr Fantastic ... possibly, ditto Iron Man and Thor, Hank Pym and Dr Strange maybe.

Hammond was active during WW2 and sporadically after his deactivation until his short AWC appearance. He's a blast from the past, a relic of a bygone age. It's interesting maybe to contrast the hero-culture then, to the hero-culture now?

So where are you going, because as you can probably tell, this is the plot in the book that I'm enjoying the most. It seems obvious that there will be a OHT / FW story at some point in time - they have to be the anethema of his attitude. Maybe having him come to terms with the 'dirty 80s' as well?

Good, thought provoking stuff Mr B. Still could be longer....( crack that whip!)

Glad to see that the series is striking a chord with you, Mr. Gow! Your points are well-noted and I'm going to be addressing some of your points in the very near future. Jim will have to realize that he might be going about this all wrong...

R.B. Sizemore wrote :

Egads, Barry. I barely have time to finish one of these before you get the next one out. (I'm not complaining, just stating facts)

I'm dying to find out if this -is- really Toro, and if it is, why he's seemingly turned against Jim and Ann. The Torch/New Warriors discussion was fun to read, and it was good to see that it never came to blows, despite the fact that it's practically a law when superheroes get together and the generation gap that seems to've caused a bit of friction between them.

Nothing from Killers, Inc., this issue (unless "Mr. Raymond" is somehow related to them...), I was sorry to note. Apparition really interested me last issue, and I had hoped to see more of him (even if it was just him scheming in the background...).

Till next issue (which at this rate, should be 10 minutes from now, I guess).

Thanks, Robin! Killers, Inc. will continue to be a thorn in the Torch's flaming side, don't worry. As a matter of fact, Apparition appears in this very issue. Who says I don't aim to please? :-)

Keep in touch everyone!

Barry Reese