Professor Horton has created a synthetic man he calls the Human Torch. The android ignites when in contact with air. Unable to control that, and following the advice of a Scientist Guild, Horton locks the robot inside a steel tube, buried in cement until he can figure a way to control the ignitions.
Weeks later, a minor leak in the sealed tube allowed air inside. The android turned into flames and escaped after a colossal explosion. Firefighters tried in vain to stop him. Finally, he secluded inside a swimming pool, in the residence of Tony Sardo, a criminal.
Believing he could use the Human Torch for profit, Sardo tricked him into destroying the warehouse of a business owner he blackmailed for protection. Furious, the Human Torch killed Sardo’s gang, and looked to end Sardo as well, but he got killed by his own hands.
During the altercation, the android learned to control his flames using nitrogen and saved Horton’s life. The authorities accepted the professor as the Human Torch custodian. But when the android learned Horton wanted to make money with him, too, he flew away.
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