Thomas Raymond

Thomas Raymond, known as Toro, was a circus performer whose latent mutant pyrokinetic abilities were awakened by prolonged exposure to asbestos and the android Human Torch (Jim Hammond). Recognizing a kindred spirit, the Torch took Toro under his wing as his young partner and sidekick.

Few characters can claim roots as deep in Marvel's soil as Thomas Raymond, who first blazed onto the page in 1940's The Human Torch #2, brought to life by the legendary Joe Simon in the very crucible of the Golden Age. With 180 catalogued appearances spanning an extraordinary 85 years — from the era of wartime newsprint to the present day — Thomas Raymond is a figure of remarkable endurance, most at home in the landmark pages of Marvel Mystery Comics, Captain America Comics, and The Human Torch. The company he keeps tells you everything about his pedigree: his adventures unfold alongside titans like Captain America, Namor, Jim Hammond, Steve Rogers, and Bucky, the very heroes who defined Marvel's earliest heroic mythology. Seventeen of his appearances carry key-issue status, making him not just a piece of comics history but a genuinely collectible thread running through the Golden Age and far beyond — a name serious Marvel enthusiasts would do well to know.