Toro (comics)

Toro makes his first appearance (right) appearing alongside his mentor the original Human Torch. From Human Torch Comics #2

Thomas Raymond was born in New York City to parents who were laboratory assistants to Phineas Horton, creator of the original Human Torch. After their employment with Horton had ended, they were killed in a train derailment. Toro himself was found at the site of the accident by a traveling circus completely unscathed despite the blaze from the wreckage raging around him. He was found to have a natural immunity to fire. Adopted by the circus, his complete immunity to flame was used to draw additional crowds to the circus sideshow.[3]

Eventually the circus is visited by the Human Torch, and as he draws closer to Toro the younger man's flame powers fully erupt for the first time. The Human Torch teaches Toro how to control his flame powers, and from this point onward, Toro becomes a protégé and partner of the Torch. He later becomes a co-founder of the Invaders.

Toro is the only member of the Invaders to survive the war mentally and physically intact. He marries Ann Raymond and assumes a pedestrian life, until he's killed in battle with the Mad Thinker years later,[4] destroying the Thinker's laboratory in the process. Toro's body is never recovered.

Toro's wife Ann Raymond appears three more times after his death. First, in Power Pack #56 – 62, she appears and a "Mr. Raymond" also appears, who can flame on, but is apparently trying to hide his identity from the world; this is never fully explained as the series ended (this story also heavily implied Frankie Raye was Mr. Raymond's daughter). Next, Ann Raymond appears sporadically in Avengers West Coast #48 – #65, befriending the original Human Torch after his body is dug up and reactivated. Later, in Namor #8 – #12, Ann Raymond, who is now romantically involved with the Torch, accompanies him when he saves Spitfire's life through a blood transfusion—returning her to her youth in the process. Since the West Coast Avengers and Namor storylines, Ann Raymond (and for that matter "Mr. Raymond") are not seen again, until Torch #1, in which Toro is shown staring into her window from a rooftop as she snuggles on the couch with a man the Golden Age Vision refers to as her new husband. The Vision tells Toro that he needs to move on with his life.[5]

Toro appears in the Avengers/Invaders maxi-series alongside his fellow Invaders when an incident takes them from the battlefields of WW2 to the present Marvel Universe, where they encounter both the New Avengers and Mighty Avengers and the Thunderbolts.[6] An examination of him by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents reveals that Toro is a mutant. In Avengers/Invaders #12, Toro is revived from the dead by the Cosmic Cube thanks to a wish made by James "Bucky" Barnes, and met as he rises from his grave by the Golden Age Vision. Bucky is careful to manage the wish so Toro's revival does not upset the time stream, Toro only coming to life after the Invaders have returned to the past. Toro is the same age he was when he died.[7]

Thomas "Toro" Raymond is the protagonist of the 2009 miniseries The Torch. Set during Dark Reign, the series opens shortly after Tom has been brought back to life by Bucky's wish. He is deeply unhappy because he is legally dead, his wife has remarried, no one seems to remember him, and the world has progressed rapidly without him. The Golden Age Vision tries to encourage him to seek a heroic path, but agrees to transport him to the Mad Thinker. Toro announces that he plans to kill the Mad Thinker for murdering him, but loses his powers before he can act on this. The Mad Thinker quickly takes him prisoner and vivisects him to learn more about his powers. He discovers that Toro is indeed a mutant, but that there are artificial cells in Toro's nervous system of exactly the same kind that make up the Human Torch.[5] Further investigation reveals that Toro's mother, Nora Raymond, once worked for Phineas Horton, the scientist who created the Golden Age Human Torch. Still wounded, Tom is dragged to his feet to witness the Human Torch's resurrection. His friend is under the complete control of the Mad Thinker, and does not recognize him. Tom's attempt to get through to him seems only to make their captors angry, but the contact serves to reignite Tom's power.[8]

When the Torch is being forced to destroy a small European village, Toro attempts to escape. While he was still unable to completely activate his powers, he does manage to break the device they had been using to control the Torch. The Torch returns to kill and maim everyone who tried to control him, and Tom's powers are completely activated in the resulting fire.[9] Tom loses sight of the Torch in the melee, and flies to New York City in the hopes of finding him. There he contacts the Fantastic Four. Reed Richards confirms that the Mad Thinker was telling the truth about his powers.[10]

Following the Infinity story, when Terrigen Mists were scattered around the world, Toro was subjected to Terrigenesis and engulfed in a coccoon. Being unknowingly an Inhuman descendant, it was now theorized that Toro's powers found their origin in his recessive Inhuman genes.[11]

After America is conquered by Hydra during the Secret Empire storyline, Toro and Jim Hammond seek help and sanctuary in Namor's realm. However, Namor had been promised Atlantis would be left alone if they cooperated and thus imprisons Toro and Hammond in order to turn them over to Hydra.[12]

A new Toro appears as a member of the Young Allies. This Toro is Benito Serrano (the same identity as the Toro from Counter-Earth), but is from the "normal" Earth-616 Marvel Universe.[13]

During the Secret Empire storyline, Toro appears as a member of the Underground when Hydra took over the United States.[14]

Before an Earth-616 counterpart appeared in the second Young Allies series, the Toro of Counter-Earth is called Benito Serrano. He is a member of the Young Allies of Counter-Earth, who can transform into a super-strong Minotaur-like humanoid (toro means "bull" in Italian and in Spanish).[17]

• The original Toro appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "World War Witch" voiced by Tara Strong. He is seen as a member of the Invaders.

• The Benito Serrano version of Toro appears in Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell, with Benito Serrano voiced by Michael Robles and the vocal effects of his monstrous form are provided by Edward Bosco. Benito Serrano suffered recurring nightmares about being chased through a labyrinth by a Minotaur, which the extra-dimensional being Nightmare exploited in order to turn Benito into an anchor to help him entire the mortal world, which also resulted in Benito, as well as four other children, being turned into monsters based on their personal fears. Thanks to the intervention of Doctor Strange and Bruce Banner, Benito broke out of his nightmares and aided the other children to do the same, but his astral form was compromised in the process, leaving him trapped in the form of the Minotaur. He has since joined the Howling Commandos, hoping to use his newfound strength to protect people while waiting for Dr. Strange to restore him to normal.