Since the second half of Season 1 of Marvel Rivals officially began, players of the hit first-person shooter finally had the chance to play as the other half of Marvel’s first family. Both the Human Torch and the Thing are now available to play in Marvel Rivals, joining Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman to complete the Fantastic Four. Alongside the additions of Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, both new characters have received their own unique skins. But, of course, Marvel Rivals takes the chance to not only create its own unique designs for Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters, but also to pay tribute to classic designs from the comics themselves.
As expected, both the Human Torch and the Thing received comic book-based costumes alongside their debut. All members of the Fantastic Four share a comic book-based skin. The costume references the first cohesive supersuit all four heroes wore in Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #3 (1961). However, each member of the Fantastic Four also has an individual comic-based skin that is unique to the character.
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Negative Zone Gladiator Comes from Later in Fantastic Four History
Johnny Storm is no exception, as the hot-headed superhero has a blazing skin of his own. The “Negative Zone Gladiator” skin shows the Human Torch’s hair cropped, and covered in some form of metallic root covering the large majority of his body and half of his face. Unlike the Thing’s comic book-based skin, the Negative Zone Gladiator costume references a Human Torch design from later in the bibliography of the Fantastic Four.
All costumes in Marvel Rivals are accompanied by a quote, either attributed to the costume wearer or a character with significant importance to the costume, and information on where the costume first appeared. While both the quote and first appearance are mentioned even for Marvel Rivals’ original designs, this information is very important for comic book-based skins. This is how non-comic readers know that the Negative Zone Gladiator skin first appeared in Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #600. Marvel Rivals attributes the costume’s first appearance to Fantastic Four (1998) #600, which could confuse non-comic readers hoping to see this first appearance as issue #600 was released in 2011.
Johnny Storm Fought Hard for this Skin
The Fantastic Four have dealt with the Negative Zone plenty of times before, with Reed first discovering a gateway to the antimatter universe in Fantastic Four Annual Vol. 1 #6 (1963). But almost fifty years after Reed’s discovery, the superfamily once again face enemies in the mysterious parallel universe, this time against the Cult of the Negative Zone.
Unfortunately, Johnny receives the short end of the stick for a large portion of this arc. The Cult of the Negative Zone unleashes an army of Annihilus Insectoid Soldiers onto the Human Torch, a powerless Thing, and the rest of their allies. In an act of sacrifice, Johnny uses his nova flame in an attempt to destroy the army. Unable to cut through the army, Johnny Storm is captured and killed. He is then resurrected three times by worm healers, but each attempt sees him burning the worms before his body is fully recovered, leaving him to die again.
But, all hope is not lost. When the mighty Human Torch finally manages to be reborn, he is sent to prison where he meets the Light Brigade. Together, they escape and attack Annihilus. After taking his Cosmic Control Rod, Johnny opens a portal to Earth and sends his allies and the missing Baxter Building back to Earth.
Human Torch’s resurrected body looks twisted and gnarled from his resurrection and fight against Annihilus. This new design is the same one that inspired the Negative Zone Gladiator costume in Marvel Rivals.
Third-Person Shooter
Action
Multiplayer
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
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NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
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NetEase Games