Human Torch (Jim Hammond) (Earth-ARV41)

Today, almost everyone in the world knows the Human Torch, Johnny Storm. The most charming of all members of the Fantastic Four, he has successfully caught attention to his fans and admirers due to his actions.

However, as it turns out, Johnny isn't the first person to have assumed the title of Human Torch. A long time ago, during the midst of World War II, someone took it first, and surprisingly, he is still active on duty in SHIELD in the present day.

The first ever Human Torch was the very first organic based humanoid, and was built from total scratch. He was described as a home-grown artificial human; the artificial skeleton, which would be served as the basis for artificial soft tissues woven on top of it, including analogues for all human components (brain, lungs, digestive tract, muscles and so on) was first assembled, and after the soft tissues were placed, this near lifeless humanoid was then stimulated using powerful electric charges and placed in a fluid bath that completes the activation process by rapidly covering this android in artificial skin. And thus, the Human Torch was born.

Ironically, he wasn't called the Human Torch by instant; originally, up until the showcase by Professor Phineas Horton in the Stark Expo 1943 (also known as World Expo 1943), he was called the Synthetic Man. However, at the dawn of the closing ceremony of the Expo, he demonstrated how the Synthetic Man would burst into flame if he introduced a small amount of oxygen into the transparent container in which he was confined. During the demonstration, a small leak from the tube has made enough oxygen to be entered into the tube, and as a result, the Synthetic Man's flames ignited at last, and he eventually escaped from the tube. The legend has it that this android would eventually wreak havoc (although unintentional) whenever he came, and hence, he was dubbed the Human Torch by the media.

The android realized that it actually took him time for controlling his flaming power, and when SSR realized this, he was finally taken with care by them, and he was eventually given a containment suit in order to get used with his power. When he finally found out that Professor Horton was still alive and well, the two would later form a normal father-son like relationship, until Horton's death in 1944 in the hand of his own creation, Adam II (who was reprogrammed by Arnim Zola of HYDRA), which angered the Human Torch and led to his first frontal fight with Adam II. The Human Torch would eventually joined the Invaders, a group of superheroes fighting against HYDRA and Axis powers, eventually taking the name of Jim Hammond in order to blend himself with humans.

During his new journey, and prior to Horton's death, he happened to realize that he actually needed a partner, and sought Horton's advice. Professor Horton told him that he once knew about the couple of scientists Fred and Nora Raymond, who happened to have a son named Toro. Unfortunately, Jim eventually learned that both Fred and Nora died during the train accident years earlier, and curious enough, Jim discovered that based on the record of the accident, Toro was said to be immune to fire, and currently, Toro served as a stunt pilot at Los Angeles. Knowing this, Jim eventually raised Toro on his own, and Toro became a new partner for the Human Torch, and both have destroyed Adam II as well as killed Adolf Hitler during the Battle of Berlin, 1945. In 1946, however, the Human Torch was deactivated by SSR, and he was kept into a metal vault by Howard Stark, never to be used again until 2014.

With HYDRA's growing into power once more after decades of hiding in the shadow, SHIELD feared that HYDRA might as well destroys some of their best agents especially after the re-armament of HYDRA. Considering the fact that HYDRA might hijacked the organization once more, SHIELD, with the aid of Tony Stark, eventually reactivated the Human Torch android and immediately recruited him into SHIELD; he was finally given a new suit in order to accompany one of his fellow and surviving members of the Invaders from WWII, Captain America (Steve Rogers). Indeed, it took Jim Hammond more time to adapt with this new era of technology, as he was a product of old technology and was left untouched for nearly 70 years, but sometimes, this new world is worth fighting for, especially after learning on Toro's sacrifice in the 1980s.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Yep, finished watching Fantastic Four: First Steps last month, and I knew what I had to do with the first Human Torch, Jim Hammond. Actually, I adopted the idea of Fallout Gen-3 Synth for Earth-ARV41 Jim's background, because I thought this is the closest I actually got for the kinda periodically-accurate synthezoid. I mean, guys, this is the 1940s, I don't really think Jim at that time would wear really tight spandex and having high tech armour in mind. This idea was heavily inspired by @NathanGravesArt 's idea on Jim Hammond:

After watching the new Fantastic Four: First Steps movie, I decided to use the elements of the said movie's version of Human Torch suit, both official team suit and the space suit for WWII Jim. Oh, I also used the Fallout's Synth helmet in order to conceal his face here, to mimic how he was originally drawn in the 1939 and 1940s.

His updated SHIELD suit actually took several liberties from his WWII attire; I mostly take inspiration from Ant-Man and the Wasp version of Ant-Man's suit, albeit with several alterations on both helmet and suit (now, that helmet kinda looks like the Mandalorian Stalker helmet).

My overall face claim for Earth-ARV41's Jim Hammond is definitely Matt Damon based on his appearance as Private Ryan from Saving Private Ryan movie, cuz I am too lazy to draw his face LOL.

Poses heavily inspired by this one, from @IshikaHiruma :