The Human Torch #3
Human Torch #3 is a rich early chapter in Timely Comics' wartime storytelling, notable for presenting all three of the publisher's signature characters — the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Toro (Thomas Raymond), and the Sub-Mariner (Namor) — in interlocking stories that push the fire-and-water duo firmly into anti-Axis action just before America's own entry into World War II. The Bill Everett Sub-Mariner story is a pivotal turning point: Namor acts on a secret message the Torch burned into a gold brick in the previous issue, committing Atlantis's resources to fighting Nazi naval operations and cementing his transition from antagonist of New York City to reluctant Allied hero. The issue also features a disarming meta-humor piece in which the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner argue in-character over which of their respective creators — Carl Burgos or Bill Everett — is the better artist, a playful self-awareness rare in 1940 comics. Taken together, the stories show Timely's editorial team actively building a coherent, shared wartime universe months before Captain America Comics even hit newsstands.
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The issue was released on December 10, 1940 with a cover date of January 1941, published by Timely Publications at 330 West 42nd Street, New York, and sold for ten cents. Joe Simon served as editor-in-chief — the same period in which he and Jack Kirby were simultaneously developing Captain America Comics — while Carl Burgos wrote and drew the Human Torch stories and Bill Everett handled the Sub-Mariner backup, with art production facilitated through Funnies, Incorporated. The cover was painted by Alex Schomburg, who would become the defining visual voice of Timely's wartime covers. The title itself was only the third issue of the quarterly Human Torch series, which had been launched as issue #2 after Timely inherited the numbering from the cancelled Red Raven Comics.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Released December 10, 1940; cover-dated January 1941 — the third issue of the quarterly Timely/Human Torch solo series, which inherited its numbering from the defunct Red Raven Comics.
- Written and drawn by Carl Burgos (Human Torch stories) and Bill Everett (Sub-Mariner story), with a cover by Alex Schomburg and editing by Joe Simon.
- The main Human Torch story involves a Nazi spy ring manipulating Toro by convincing him his parents are still alive, using caricatured Axis leaders — 'Herr Medals' (Göring), 'Chancellor Hiccup' (Hitler), and 'Benny Musclein' (Mussolini) — as villains.
- The Sub-Mariner backup is a narrative turning point: Namor finds the message the Torch burned into a smuggled gold brick and travels to New York to join the fight, with Betty Dean and Atlantean characters Emperor Tha-Korr and Dorma also appearing, marking Namor's pro-Allied stance becoming fully active.
- A humorous text/illustrated feature has the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner meeting only to argue over which of their creators — Carl Burgos or Bill Everett — is the superior artist, a rare breaking of the fourth wall in Golden Age comics.
- The issue's stories are part of the same Torch-Namor cooperative narrative thread that reading guides identify as a key chapter in the Torch/Sub-Mariner shared-universe reading order.
- Reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Human Torch Vol. 1 (November 2005), Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Human Torch by Carl Burgos Omnibus (2019), and Timely's Greatest: The Golden Age Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett — The Pre-War Years Omnibus (2019).
- Characters listed in our catalog as Captain America, Bucky, Steve Rogers, The Angel (Thomas Halloway), The Vision (Aarkus), and Adolf Hitler do not have verified appearances inside this specific issue per the Grand Comics Database and Marvel Database — their catalog indexing likely reflects the broader Human Torch series rather than this issue alone.
Cast · 18 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Toro leaves with the spy ring aboard a ship (which is smuggling gold) still thinking they are helping his parents. While in a foreign country, he is further duped into helping at a munitions plant. The Torch, following after them, does what he can to help undo the damage (along the way getting rid of the gold and sending a message to Namor on one of the bars). When Toro starts to suspect something is wrong, he he put into a rocket and fired at America as the start of an invasion. The Torch follows and slows it down allowing Toro to escape. Together, they defeat the rest of the rocket attack.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).