Fantastic Four #5: Flame On 6

Fantastic Four #5, page 14, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

This rousing battle-cry comes as the three time-lost members of the team mount an attack on a treasure-laden pirate ship, hoping that it will contain Blackbeard's treasure.

I like the posing of this panel. The camera angle is unusual, and Johnny flying from right to left, shooting across the panel, gives the feel that the panel just happened to capture Johnny's moment of attack rather than being specifically posed to do so.

There's another nice touch in that two of the panel borders are absent. One is implied with the top of the speech balloon, but the left-hand one is completely missing. An early experiment by Kirby to break with the rigid panel structure he had adhered to in these early issues? Maybe.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #5: Flame On 5

Fantastic Four #5, page 13, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inks: Joe Sinnott

Uncredited Letters: Art Simek

Today's Flame On is set in piratical times, as the three male members of the team have stepped through Doctor Doom's time platform to claim Blackbeard's treasure (which, let's face it, is a pretty inauspicious start for one of the Marvel universe's heaviest hitters). Having been forcibly recruited to the crew of a pirate ship, the team cut loose to fight for their freedom. Here, Johnny activates his flame powers to melt a pirate's sword, much to his surprise.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #4: Flame On 4

Fantastic Four #4, page 23, panel 1

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Sol Brodsky

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

Wow, they're really milking this new catchphrase! Four times in its very first issue!

Here, Johnny yells it as he prepares to create a tornado of unimaginable power that lifts both Namor and Giganto into the ocean, but doesn't affect anything else lying around (automobiles, rubble, nuclear fallout, etc.)

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super-Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #4: Flame On 3

Fantastic Four #4, page 12, panel 4

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Sol Brodsky

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

So, this is the first time that Johnny has full ignition following his traditional battle cry. I'm pretty sure that he has come to regret this specific instance, as mere seconds later he dropped the amnesiac Namor into the ocean, restoring his memory and setting him on a vendetta against humanity.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super-Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #4: Flame On 2

Fantastic Four #2, page 10, panel 5

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Sol Brodsky

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

The second ever FLAME ON! is our focus today, and the first notable thing about this panel is how similar it is in posing to the first ever one. Johnny is facing the camera, holding up his right hand, and igniting his index finger. The second notable thing is that, once again, his catchphrase is not accompanied by a full body ignition. Based on these first two usages, it would appear that FLAME ON! was initially a method for Johnny to control his flame at a minute level, rather than as a battle cry.

Oh, and the shaggy vagrant about to get a fiery shave? Why, it's Namor, the Sub-Mariner.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super-Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #4: Flame On 1

Fantastic Four #4, page 5, panel 2

Writer: Stan Lee

Artist: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: Sol Brodsky

Uncredited Letterer: Art Simek

So, here it is. The first ever FLAME ON! So noticeable and iconic that we missed it when we covered this issue on the show!

FLAME ON! is Johnny's traditional battle-cry, a rousing shout that communicates his drive and passion and instils fear into his foes. Here, however, he uses to announce his intention to weld. Well, if you start low, you can only go up...

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #4 in our third episode: Super-Villain Cavalcade

Fantastic Four #2: Flame On .1

Fantastic Four #2, page 14, panel 5

Uncredited Writer: Stan Lee

Uncredited Penciler: Jack Kirby

Uncredited Inker: George Klein

Uncredited Colours: Stan Goldberg

Uncredited Letterer: John Duffy

This is kind of a cheat, but it is worth pointing out the first time that the words 'flame' and 'on' are used consecutively in The Fantastic Four. Here, the Skrull impersonating Johnny Storm has managed to negate Johnny's flame by flying head-on into him whilst both were flaming. What's nice to see is that despite being in mortal danger, Johnny was actually thinking, 'hmm, those words sound good when said together. I must try them out at some point."

Anyway, even though these are the first time that these classic words are used, the fact that a damn dirty Skrull says them means that they only get a .1 tally. It'll be a little while more before we see Johnny use them as his traditional battle cry.

Check out our coverage of Fantastic Four #2 in our second episode: Secret Invasion Tie-In