10 Lies You Always Believed About The Fantastic Four

In 1967, Hanna-Barbera Productions released the first animated series of the Fantastic Four. Ten years after the series concluded, NBC created their own show based on the Marvel characters, which is better-known as The New Fantastic Four.

But viewers were confused by the cartoon since the Human Torch had been replaced by a comic relief robot called H.E.R.B.I.E. Naturally, fans assumed the studio removed Johnny Storm because they were worried younger viewers could start fires, attempting to replicate the exploits of the flame-creating superhero. Although this rumour has persisted for decades and has appeared on dozens of "random fact" websites, it is completely untrue.

During the 1970s, Marvel licensed the Human Torch to Universal, hoping to have a live-action film or tv series that centred around the character. During this time, Johnny wasn't allowed to appear in other mediums, including the 1978 cartoon.

So, there you go. The real reason Johnny was absent from the show was due to a legal issue.

This inconvenience seemed to work out in the long run since H.E.R.B.I.E became such so popular, he made the jump into comics one year later and has become a valuable member to the Fantastic Four ever since.