Marvel Entertainment has extinguished their flaming comic book character The 'Human Torch', one of the founding members of The "Fantastic Four" comic book series.
The life of 'Johnny Storm' is taken during a cosmic battle, as written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Steve Epting in the February 2011 issue of "Fantastic Four" # 588.
Available January 25, 2011, the issue features Storm making his last stand fighting 1 billion creatures of the 'annihilation storm'.
According to new Marvel owners the Walt Disney Company, the character is a 'bad influence' on young kids who may want to emulate and possibly 'immolate' themselves as the burning superhero.
Marvel has also been concerned with lagging sales for what has been touted as "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine", particularly in the Orient, where 'Four' is considered a bad luck number.
Like the rest of the "Fantastic Four", the 'Torch' gained his powers on a spacecraft bombarded by cosmic rays, subsequently able to engulf his entire body in flames, with the ability to fly, absorb fire harmlessly into his own body and control any nearby fire by sheer force of will.
"588 is the final issue of the 'Fantastic Four'," said Tom Brevoort, senior VP for publishing at Marvel.
"Beyond that, we're not ready to say exactly what we're doing.
"There won't be an issue 589."
The 'Human Torch' (aka 'Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm') debuted in Marvel's "Fantastic Four #1, November 1961, reintroduced by writer Stan Lee and illustrator Jack Kirby as a 'Silver Age' version of the 'Golden Age', 1940's comic book character created by Carl Burgos.
Burgos (aka Max Finkelstein) created the original Human Torch for "Marvel Comics" #1 (Oct. 1939), published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics, featuring a painted cover by pulp magazine illustrator Frank R. Paul. 
That Human Torch, aka 'Jim Hammond', was an android created by scientist 'Phineas Horton', possessing the ability to surround himself with fire and control flames. 
In his earliest appearances, he was portrayed as a science fiction monstrosity, but quickly became a hero, becoming one of the first superheroes to headline a solo title throughout the 1940's.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek The 'Human Torch'...
