Johnny Storm is a founding member of the Fantastic Four, Marvel's First Family. This is pretty much always the case, even in the radically different Ultimate Universe. This alternate world initially started as a series of modern updates and retellings of classic Marvel heroes' stories, but after the controversial Ultimates 3 and Ultimatum, it spiraled into a much different world.

This new direction saw the dissolution of the Ultimate Fantastic Four, the death of Spider-Man and the next mutation for the X-Men. Johnny Storm was at the center of all the Ultimate Universe's major changes, joining the new X-Men after losing several of his friends. Here's how the Human Torch blazed his way into the renewed mutant struggle.

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Ultimatum

Ultimate X-Men FF

The beginning of the end of the Human Torch's normal life began with Ultimatum. In this series, Johnny and his father Franklin have an argument over the direction of Johnny's life. Just as this fight ensued, the Ultimatum Wave, a result of Magneto's manipulation of Earth's gravity, hit New York City. The devastation ravaged the area, including the Baxter Building, with Franklin Storm dying in the fracas.

After the fallout of the event, the Fantastic Four officially disbanded, with Johnny leaving for Europe. When he returned, he started living with Peter and May Parker, and even used their last name as his own following his guilt over his father's death. To keep from standing out as a former celebrity superhero, he also dyed his hair black. He, Susan and the Thing would later confront their former friend and teammate Reed Richards, who had become the villain later known as the Maker. Sadly, this wouldn't be the final heartbreak for Johnny, with his best friend Spider-Man dying in combat against Norman Osborn and the Ultimate Sinister Six.

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The Death of Spider-Man and Ultimate Comics X-Men

Human Torch Ultimate X-Men

Things would continue to get a lot more harrowing for the Human Torch. After Ultimatum, the truth about mutants had been revealed to the public. In the Ultimate Universe, the mutant X-gene wasn't the next step in human evolution, but the result of human experimentation to replicate the lost Super-Soldier Serum. This revelation did nothing to curtail anti-mutant sentiment, instead only fueling it further.

After Peter's death, Johnny felt that it wasn't right to stay with Aunt May anymore and instead took up residence with Kitty Pryde and Bobby Drake. Along with a few others, they resided in the Morlock tunnels for safety, with mutants being hunted more than ever by William Stryker, the Sentinels, and the U.S. government. Despite not being a mutant, the Human Torch valiantly fought alongside his friends, with his acceptance into their ranks emulating the deceased Xavier's then impossible dream of human/mutant co-existence. Johnny stayed behind in the tunnels to protect some of the young mutant children, only to be chased down and shot at by a SWAT team. Once the dust had settled from the growing societal chaos, the surviving mutants were faced with two options: submit to an experimental cure that would remove their powers, or be forced onto a plot of reservation land.

After recovering, Johnny helped his sister and Iron Man in a battle against the Maker, with the latter's defeat truly bringing the Ultimate Fantastic Four to an end. He would last be seen fighting alongside his resurrected friend Spider-Man in the revitalized Ultimate Universe. With the universe's restoration, it's unknown what its current status quo is or if Johnny still aids the remnants of the X-Men in their quest for peace and survival.

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