What's the context of Johnny Storm dying and then coming back to life? That scared my little heart when I saw you mentioning that, I didn't know about that
Anon, you're in for a treat -- maybe, I mean, I think you are, anyway -- because this storyline in the comics is so good. It's genuinely one of my favorite Johnny stories of all time. Maybe that sounds like a weird thing to say about an arc where Johnny dies (repeatedly), but it's really just genuinely a great story.
(Also I think in a medium like superhero comics, where resurrection is commonplace for major characters, stories about those characters dying have a lot to offer in terms of characterization and who those characters are in those critical last stand moments, you know what I'm saying?)
So, a little bit of background. In Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four, there was an arc named "3," beginning in Fantastic Four #583 and culminating in Fantastic Four #588, which advertised from the start that one of the Fantastic Four would die. This was a big deal -- the issue with the actual death in it was sold in a special plastic bag with a big 3 illustrated on it. Fantastic Four was retitled after #588 to FF (2011) #1, and didn't return until issue #600.
So, what happened? Long story short. While the Fantastic Four are, for Reasons, split up, Johnny and Ben are left to defend the Baxter Building and the Future Foundation, a brain trust Reed founded of the smartest kids in the world. The Future Foundation had previously found a way to make Ben a regular human for one week a year, so that's also been going on. So no rocks, no super strength.
The threat they're facing is called the Annihilation Wave, and I'm going to keep things simple here, but it's a gigantic horde of extradimensional aliens from a place known as the Negative Zone. The Negative Zone has a pretty long history; it's been a constant in the Fantastic Four comics since the sixties. Crucially, a portal to it exists within Reed's lab in the Baxter Building. When the Annihilation Wave threatens the planet, Ben and Johnny are the ones that have to hold it back, but it's quickly uncovered that the only way to stop the invasion is for someone to close the gate from the other side.
Someone has to stay behind. And the person who stays behind is almost guaranteed to die.
Initially, Ben volunteers. He says he's had the best week of his life because of Johnny, who took the reins on Ben's transformation, making sure Ben could do everything he wanted to do while un-rocky, reuniting him with Alicia -- he offers to take the hit. Johnny agrees -- and then, because Ben is still depowered, manages to overpower him last second and take his place.
"You stupid, dumb... open this back up! Open it!" (Fantastic Four #587)
And then, in a sick twist of fate, Ben's week is up, and he reverts back to his rocky Thing form.
"A billion to one... you think I'm afraid of that?" (FF #587)
The gate closes, and Johnny is left on the other side, alone and facing the oncoming horde. The other three cannot get to him. There's nothing to be done.
So, linearly here, that's Johnny Storm's Last Stand. It's where we leave off with Johnny for a while, presumed dead in the Negative Zone. The other three, along with Franklin and Valeria, are devastated. Fantastic Four #588 is one of my favorite issues, a largely silent look at the devastation of Johnny's death on those who love him. Amazing Spider-Man #657 is another standout issue, tackling Peter's side of the story after he learns about Johnny's death.
(Amazing Spider-Man #657. A torch song, by the way, is "a popular sentimental song of unrequited love," and look I know we're just playing with the word torch but thanks a lot, Dan Slott.) This one is a really good read if you like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four -- a look at each of the surviving three's memories of a day with Peter and Johnny.
At the end of the issue, Reed reveals that Johnny had left an addendum in his will for Peter.
Agh. I've read this a million times and it still gets me. It's the "he left him his family" and the "they--we all love you." It's so good. Regardless of whether you ship Spideytorch romantically or not, it speaks to the level of trust Johnny has in Peter, that he chooses him to take his spot on the team and be there for his family.
So I mentioned that Fantastic Four officially "ends" here at #588, with the aftermath of Johnny's death and his funeral. The book relaunched as FF (just the letters) #1, featuring Sue, Ben, Reed, and Peter as the team. Well worth reading, there's some great stuff in it. Jonathan Hickman, who wrote everything save for ASM #657, is a very plot-focused writer, and if you like big, cosmic plots, it's a very good one.
"Is it true, Benjamin? That when Johnny Storm died -- valiantly facing an endless army... is it true that you -- surrounded by crying children -- weeping at the inevitable death of your close comrade and friend... is it true? Is it true that you just... watched?" Anyway here's Victor going for the fucking throat. (FF #2)
But we're ignoring the flaming elephant in the room -- what actually happened to Johnny Storm after the gate closed behind him?
We don't get an answer to that until Fantastic Four #600, which returns the book to its legacy numbering.
(There is no Fantastic Four #589-599, in other words. Those issues are represented by FF #1-11. If you're new to comic book numbering, this might be confusing. Unfortunately, it's a feature of the comic book numbering system, not a bug.)
Whatever Happened to Johnny Storm? in Fantastic Four #600 is one of my favorite Johnny stories of all time. Trapped in the Negative Zone and repeatedly brutally killed in Annihilus' arena, Johnny, trapped in a cycle of death and resurrection, has to figure out a way to save himself and his world from Annihilus' horde. I will say if you're particularly sensitive to body horror (or insects), the resurrection method may be a little graphic for you, just as a warning. But if those things aren't an issue, or you can stomach it, it's worth reading. It's such a good look at who Johnny is completely on his own, with no options or backup, and his determination to protect his family.
"I stayed behind to prevent that. I died to stop it." It's also so good for angst and hurt/comfort potential. I've gotten so much mileage fic-wise out of this one story. Like, it's so good, and it also has so much Spideytorch content in it. Peter is actually the first person Johnny sees again on the other side of the gate after he frees himself.
Genuinely such a good Johnny story. I can't recommend it enough. (But again, if you're sensitive to bugs, mind the worms.)
