The SuperStarr Chronicles: 1939
When I was working on the latest chapter (Chapter 13, I believe), I was hit with this little plot bunny that wouldn't stop bothering me. You see, in Chapter 1, I established that Clara Creed had witnessed Phineas Horton unveil his android that would become known as Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch. Yes, there was a Human Torch before Johnny Storm.
Since I hit a bit of a block on writing Chapter 13 of the main story, I decided to make this little plot bunny into a little side one-shot, exploring a bit of Clara's past. I also drew inspiration from Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross's Marvels for this. The 1994 miniseries, not the 2020s ongoing title. Read that, though. Busiek is writing it, and it's awesome.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners. This is just for a bit of fun.
New York City, 1939
A young man prepped his camera as he took a seat in the auditorium. He was a skinny man, a brunet with green eyes. He wore a gray suit with a white shirt and black tie with white dots on it, and black shiny shoes. On his head was a gray fedora. He also wore glasses.
Philip "Phil" Sheldon was a man with dreams. Mainly of Europe. He had been hearing about the growing conflagration in the continent, and he wanted to be there to capture all of the action with his trusty camera lens. However, right now, he was on another assignment. Some scientist named Phineas Horton had claimed to have made something that was rather...revolutionary. A pair of voices could be heard as two more people took seats next to him.
"Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is about this." One of the voices belonged to a dark-haired woman, wearing a white blouse and beige slacks with white high heels. Phil couldn't believe it.
My God! The young photographer thought. Jenny Blake!
The actress smiled at Sheldon. "Hello there." She eyed his camera. "You press?"
"Uh, uh, yeah! Yeah!" Phil stammered. "Phil Sheldon, Daily Bugle."
"I take it you're here to cover what this is all about." The actress gestured to the stage, which had a podium in front of a curtain.
"Yes." Sheldon nodded. "I'm amazed you have in interest in what Horton is up to."
"Sort of." Jenny said. She gestured to the man sitting next to her, a handsome brunet wearing a brown jacket and blue shirt with brown slacks and brown work boots. "Cliff and I were in the area, and he wanted to see Horton's 'synthetic man'." The man smiled and waved at Sheldon.
"Ah, I see." Phil nodded. That must be Cliff Secord. He noted. The stunt pilot. He made some headlines in California. Mainly for dating Miss Blake, but he's also been speaking out for America getting more involved in the whole thing in Europe...
"Nice to meet you." Cliff said, holding out his hand to Phil for a handshake. It shook the photographer out of his reverie.
"Nice to meet you." Phil shook the offered hand. "I've been hearing about you. You've been saying that America should be getting involved in that whole thing in Europe."
"I admit, I didn't think much about it before, but last year..." Cliff shook his head. "Well, let's just say that..." He looked at Jenny. "Well, let's just say we were convinced America needs to step in in Europe."
Phil nodded. "I'm hoping to go over there myself. Cover the action there."
"I wanna punch Nazis, not take pictures of 'em." Cliff muttered. The three remained silent for a short time. A fourth person joined them, taking the seat to Sheldon's left. This occupant was a tall stunning blonde, wearing a cream-colored blouse, long brown jacket, and matching slacks. She also had on a fedora, and brown high-heeled shoes. A string of pearls was around her neck. Her long light blonde hair fell over her face's left side (the right if one was looking at her). Despite this, Sheldon noticed burn scars on that side of her face, and the black band around her head was a clear sign she wore an eyepatch. Sheldon blinked at her.
"Hello." The woman smiled at the photographer.
"Uh, hello." Phil waved. "I take it you're here to see Horton's 'synthetic man', too?"
"Yup." The blonde nodded. "I have to admit, when I first heard about this, I had to check it out."
"Sure is fascinating, huh?" Cliff said to the blonde.
She nodded. "Indeed. I've heard about some of Horton's theories. I want to see if he actually pulled off making his little 'synthetic man'." She blinked at Horton, and then chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me. I didn't introduce myself. My name is Clara Creed." She shook Phil's hand.
"Phil Sheldon." Phil introduced himself.
"I'm Jenny Blake, and this is Cliff Secord." Jenny introduced herself.
"Miss Blake, I saw you in Poppy back in '36." Clara remembered.
"I was an extra." Jenny blinked.
"You stood out in that movie to me." Clara smirked. "You have a face that grabs attention. I think you could be a lead star one day."
"Heh. I've said the same thing." Cliff chuckled.
"Flatterer." Jenny smirked, playfully smacking her beloved's arm.
"I admit, I am also rather fond of your work too, Mr. Sheldon." Clara said.
"You are?" Sheldon blinked. Clara nodded.
"I saw your photography work in an article about Nelvana and the Angel busting up that smuggling ring at the Canadian border a couple of months ago." Clara said. "I also believe that you provided the pictures for that article about the Rocketeer stopping those armed robberies in Los Angeles last week."
"Why, yes." Sheldon smiled. "I'm quite proud of those. I do wish I had gotten to get some photos of the Rocketeer blowing up that zeppelin last year, though. I mean, I really have grown to like taking pictures of the Marvels."
"The Marvels?" Jenny blinked.
"What I call the mystery men." Sheldon explained. "Guys like the Angel and the Rocketeer."
"Like Nelvana back home." Clara smiled fondly. "I'm Canadian."
"Here he comes." Sheldon pointed out. The four, and the rest of the audience quieted down when Phineas Horton approached the podium. Horton was a tall man, his black hair slicked back and his face having a mustache. He wore a brown suit and black shoes, covered by a white lab coat.
"Thank you all for coming." He said. "Back in 1929, I developed what I called the Horton Cell. These artificial cells are composed of plastic and carbon, and they can duplicate human cells."
This sounds like something out of a dime novel. Sheldon thought. He also found himself mentally drifting away, Horton's words seemingly devolving into muffled nonsense. He daydreamed of Europe, of the growing fires of war threatening to engulf the world...
Thump.
"Huh?" He mumbled. He turned his head and saw Clara smiling at him in amusement. Her arm showed she had nudged him with her elbow.
"Pay attention." She playfully chided the photographer. The curtains opened, revealing a man in a glass tube. The tube was attached to some machinery. The man in the tube wore what looked like a plain gray jumpsuit. Phil took pictures, and his three unlikely new acquaintances blinked.
"He looks...so real..." Jenny noted.
"This has got to be a gag." Cliff snickered.
"I don't know, Mr. Secord." Clara frowned. "The world can be more fantastical than you realize." The blonde found her thoughts drifting towards a certain clawed man back in her homeland. Logan...how I wish I never turned you away...I hope you have found something resembling peace...
"I will allow some oxygen to enter the chamber..." Horton said as he turned the lever on the machinery attached to the tube. A faint hissing could be heard as the machinery pumped air into the tube. Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, but then...the man in the tube seemed to burst into flame.
"Oh, my God!" Jenny gasped as the man burst into flame.
"Whoa!" Cliff yelped in amazement. Man, if only we had this fireball's help against Sinclair last year!
Incredible! Clara thought, her mouth agape.
Horton smiled in triumph as he gestured at the man. "Ladies and gentlemen, behold! The Human Torch!" The crowd mumbled and gasped in horror for a brief moment. But then, quiet reigned for a short time. Some of the crowd laughed, and even found the courage to heckle the scientist.
"Hey, Horton! What's the gag?!"
"Check your calender, Horton! Halloween's not for weeks yet!"
"What'd you do, douse a mannequin in kerosene?!"
"We shoulda brought marshmallows!" One of the people in the crowd joked. Cliff, Jenny, and Clara glanced at each other.
"How is he doing that?" Jenny whispered.
"I think it's a mannequin dipped in kerosene." Cliff shrugged. "It's a glorified magic trick."
"I have a strange feeling about that thing." Clara frowned. Phil brought down his camera slightly.
"Did...did that thing just move?" He asked quietly. True to the photographer's observation, the Human Torch's arms moved and touched the tube's wall. Its head also moved, seemingly looking directly at Phil.
"That thing's alive!" Jenny yelped.
"How?" Clint blinked. Clara frowned as the crowd started to get up and leave, their expressions showing fear and anger.
"I don't blame them." Jenny muttered.
"Wait, please!" Horton begged. "Don't leave! This is a wonder of science!"
"Wonder of science! That thing is a monster!" One of the people yelled.
"You ever read Frankenstein, pal?!" Another snapped.
"You want your name in the paper, Horton? You'll get it, but not in the way you hoped!" A reporter said to him.
"But, ladies and gentlemen..."
"That thing is a danger to the whole city! Destroy it, or we'll force you to!" Another reporter threatened ominously.
A short time later
Jenny and Cliff were at a diner, enjoying some lunch. Clara Creed had decided to join the two.
"I still cannot believe it. A man on fire." Jenny said. "And he didn't seem to be in pain or anything."
"Well, Horton did say he was artificial." Clara recalled. "Maybe he couldn't feel pain. Or the fire couldn't hurt him."
"I admit, I felt bad for the guy." Cliff confessed. "I mean, I know what it's like to feel like you're not appreciated for your skills."
"Cliff, you fly planes." Jenny reminded. "That's way different than building a man who burns in contact with air." She noticed Clara was looking rather thoughtful as she ate her sandwich. "You alright, Miss Creed?"
"Hm?" Clara asked. "Ah. I'm fine, thank you."
"You seemed a bit troubled." Jenny said.
"I wasn't troubled, I was just thinking." Clara recalled. "Do you know the tale of Prometheus?"
"Sounds like a type of car." Cliff snorted. The blonde woman smiled at him.
"Prometheus is a figure of Greek mythology, Mr. Secord." Clara explained. "He stole fire from the gods. It was seen as giving humanity civilization. And then he was punished for it by Zeus by being chained to a rock and for his liver to be eaten by an eagle every day."
Cliff scowled in disgust. "Really? Why an eagle? And why his liver?"
"Eagles were symbolic of Zeus, Mr. Secord." Clara's tone was like a teacher talking to a student. "And the Ancient Greeks believed human emotions were seated in the liver."
"So, you think Horton was like Prometheus? He stole fire from the gods?" Jenny asked in amusement, sipping some of her soup.
"Maybe." Clara admitted. "I wonder if Horton will destroy his little Human Torch."
"Those reporters seemed hell-bent on getting him to do so." Cliff muttered.
"I don't blame them. I mean, what as the point of building such a thing?" Jenny asked. "I mean, I can understand why someone would create those washing machines or toasters. Those are actually useful. But a man that burns in the air? How is that useful?"
"A weapon." Cliff suggested. He then smirked. "Imagine if we could send that fiery man against the Nazis. I tell you, they're going to regret trying to bully Horton into destroying that Human Torch of his."
"Eager to face them, aren't you Mr. Secord?" Clara teased. Cliff nodded.
"They won't stop with Europe." He predicted. "It won't stay over there forever." The two noticed Phil walk in. "Hello, Mr. Sheldon."
"I brought some news. Horton didn't destroy his Human Torch. He agreed to bury it."
"Heh." Cliff smirked. "They'll be begging Horton not only to dig him back up, but also to make more of his Human Torches." Phil blinked at this.
"Cliff thinks the Nazis will plunge the world into war. I can see why." Jenny admitted.
"It didn't take much for the rest of the world to fall in when war broke out in Europe the last time around." Clara said.
Jenny smiled in amusement. "Clara thinks that Horton is Prometheus."
"Oh?" Phil blinked.
"In myth, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. I think in his own way, Horton did something similar. Prometheus gift of fire gave humanity civilization."
"So, what do you think Horton's gift of fire will give humanity?" Phil asked.
"We live in a time that needs heroes, Mr. Sheldon." Clara smiled. "I think Mr. Horton just may have given us that. Fellas like the Freedom's Five back in the Great War, the Angel...even those gunslingers back in the days of the Old West like Two-Gun Kid."
"Didn't he pass away last year?" Cliff recalled.
"Yes, he did." Clara confirmed with a nod. "Mr. Sheldon, I think we witnessed the birth of a new age." She smirked. "And I can't wait to see what it brings."
Thanks for reading!
Some of the dialogue here comes straight from Marvels #1 (January 1994) by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. I thought it would be appropriate as that comic was one of the inspirations for this little one-shot.
And yes, Cliff Secord and Jenny Blake do come from the film version of The Rocketeer. It's one of my favorite movies. And also, the film was set in 1938. So, I thought it could be possible that not only the events of the movie can happen in the SSC-verse, but Cliff and Jenny could also witness the Human Torch's unveiling as well, as it happened in 1939, just one short year later.
The Freedom's Five (Crimson Cavalier, Union Jack, Phantom Eagle, Sir Steel, Silver Squire) first appeared in Invaders #7 (July 1976). They were heroes active during World War I.
The original Angel, Tom Holloway, first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939).
Matthew Hawk, the Two-Gun Kid, first appeared in Two-Gun Kid #62 (August 1962). The Marvels Project #1 (October 2009) established that he was cared for by Tom Holloway before he died in 1938. He would bequeath his guns and mask to Holloway, inspiring him to become the Angel.
