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Toro (Thomas Raymond) is a fictional character, a Timely Comics (later Marvel Comics) comic book superhero from the 1940s and 1950s. Created by Carl Burgos, the character appeared as the partner of the original Human Torch.
Publication history
The character first appeared in Timely Comics's Human Torch Comics #2 (premiering fall 1940 with no cover date and as issue #2, having taken over the numbering from the single-issue Red Raven).
Toro appeared in numerous comics titles in the 1940s, both during World War II and the post-war era. He starred with Bucky in Young Allies Comics, and made appearances in various issues of Kid Comics, Amazing Comics, Complete Comics, Mystic Comics, All-Winners Comics, and Sub-Mariner Comics.
Toro and the Torch later appeared in Atlas Comics's Young Men #24 (December 1953).
Toro also made several appearances in Marvel Comics titles, mostly in flashback stories, beginning in Marvel Super-Heroes #13-14 (March, May 1968).
Fictional character biography
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. Adopted by the circus, his complete immunity to flame was used to draw additional crowds to the circus sideshow[1].
Eventually the circus was visited by the Human Torch, and as he drew closer to Toro the younger man's flame powers fully erupted for the first time. From this point onward, Toro was a protégé and partner of the Torch and a co-founder of the Invaders.
Toro was the only member of the Invaders to survive the war and the period following mentally and physically intact. He married Ann Raymond and assumed a pedestrian life, until he was killed in battle with the Mad Thinker years later[2], destroying the Thinker's laboratory in the process. Toro's body was never recovered.
Avengers/Invaders
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 and Mighty Avengers and the Thunderbolts[3].
Powers and abilities
Toro has superhuman abilities which are similar to those of the Human Torch (the ability to fly and burst into flames, as well as flame resistance). These are thought to be caused by his parents' exposure to radiation prior to his conception, making Toro a genetic mutant.
One additional power exhibited by Toro was that of rapid healing, which he demonstrated only once when he fully healed from heart surgery within minutes[4]. On many other occasions, Toro has been injured (less grievously) and shown no enhanced healing ability.[citation needed]
Other versions
Counter-Earth
A second Marvel character, Benito Serrano, is also called Toro. 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).[citation needed]
References
External links
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