VISIONQUEST May Have Teased Jim Hammond’s MCU Debut, and the Original Human Torch Could Be a Big Deal
Marvel may have just slipped one of its oldest superheroes into the MCU, and it looks like he’s bringing the heat.
Some mysterious artwork has appeared at the VisionQuest display at D23, and longtime Marvel fans quickly spotted what could be a major clue hiding in plain sight.
The image appears to tease Jim Hammond, the original Human Torch, an android superhero whose Marvel history stretches all the way back to 1939. If that’s really Hammond in the artwork, his arrival could fit perfectly into the strange technological corner of the MCU that VisionQuest is preparing to explore.
It could also mean Marvel has been setting up this character for much longer than anyone realized. The artwork, shared by DisneyDrewDude from the D23 show floor, depicts the silhouette of a man walking through a room engulfed in flames.
The figure isn’t exactly human either. His body appears to contain mechanical components, and the design of his frame bears some resemblance to versions of Jim Hammond’s costume from the comics.
Those clues point toward one very specific character. Hammond is the original Human Torch, not to be confused with Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four.
Created by writer and artist Carl Burgos, the android hero made his debut in Marvel Comics #1, published by Timely Comics decades before the Marvel Universe became what we know today.
Built by Professor Phineas T. Horton, Hammond was a synthetic human capable of covering his entire body in flames, flying, and using his powers in combat. He eventually fought alongside Captain America and Namor as a member of the Invaders during World War II, taking the fight directly to the Nazis.
And this is where things get especially interesting for the MCU. Professor Horton has technically already been referenced on screen.
Captain America: The First Avenger included Horton’s Synthetic Man at the Stark Expo attended by Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. The figure could be seen inside a glass vacuum chamber wearing red, giving Marvel fans an Easter egg connected to Hammond years before the MCU started digging deeply into androids, artificial intelligence, and synthetic life.
So if this D23 artwork really is Jim Hammond, Marvel would be circling back to a seed planted way back in Phase One.
The upcoming Disney+ series is expected to pull together androids, A.I., Stark technology, and other pieces of Marvel’s synthetic history as Vision attempts to reclaim his humanity and identity. Hammond belongs right in the middle of that conversation, particularly because his comic book history has a direct connection to Vision.
In Marvel Comics, Ultron used schematics from the original Human Torch while creating Vision. The MCU obviously has its own version of Vision’s creation, with Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, JARVIS, Ultron, the Mind Stone, and Helen Cho all playing parts in bringing him to life, but Hammond could give the series another way to explore what Vision actually is and where he fits into the larger history of synthetic beings.
There are already plenty of familiar characters expected to help tell that story. James D’Arcy is returning as Edwin Jarvis, while James Spader will once again play Ultron. Tommy Maximoff, Vision and Wanda’s son, is also expected to return with a new face.
Bringing an android connected to the 1940s into that mix opens up some pretty cool possibilities. Hammond could simply be another chapter in the history Vision is forced to confront, but Marvel could have much bigger plans for him.
Given his connection to Vision and Ultron in the comics, the original Human Torch could potentially become an important player in the story, perhaps even an antagonist depending on how Marvel chooses to reinvent him for the MCU.
Recent insider reports have suggest that the series could matter well beyond Vision’s personal story. WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest have reportedly been positioned as important viewing for understanding some of the mechanics involved in Avengers: Secret Wars.
That would make this supposed Jim Hammond tease even more intriguing. Vision has existed in different forms across a huge chunk of MCU history, first as JARVIS and eventually as an Avenger before returning as White Vision.
Putting him face-to-face with a character rooted in the earliest days of Marvel is exactly the kind of weird comic book history this show should be playing with.
There’s still no official confirmation that the fiery figure being shown at D23 is Jim Hammond, so for now this remains a very convincing piece of Marvel speculation.
But the character’s history, his connection to Vision, the existing Captain America: The First Avenger Easter egg, and the android-heavy direction of the series make the theory surprisingly easy to buy.
And come on, introducing Marvel’s original Human Torch in a show filled with androids, Ultron, Vision, and decades of MCU technology would be pretty damn cool.
More information about VisionQuest is expected as D23 continues, so we may not have to wait long to find out exactly who is walking through those flames.
VisionQuest premieres on Disney+ October 14.