FIREPROOF NATIVES

Classification: Terrestrial humans (African)

Location/Base of Operations: Unidentified jungle, somewhere in Africa

Known Members: At least eight (none identified)

Affiliations: Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)

Enemies: Human Torch (Johnny Storm)

First Appearance: Fantastic Four I#9 (December, 1962)

Powers/Abilities: The members of this tribe formerly possessed a "magic potion" which temporarily rendered them immune to flame. While under the influence of the mixture, they could not be harmed by--nor even feel pain from--fire, and could even swallow flames down their throat. They also possessed spears which had been dipped in the flameproof potion.

Traits: These primitive tribesmen were briefly allied with the Sub-Mariner.







History:
(Fantastic Four I#9 (fb) - BTS) - At some point in the past, under unrevealed circumstances, the members of an unidentified African tribe developed a potion that made them immune to flames (see comments).

   Somehow learning of these tribesmen, the Sub-Mariner formed an alliance with them, as part of his plot against his (at-the-time) foes, the Fantastic Four.

(Fantastic Four I#9) - Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards) of the Fantastic Four had invested the group's money in the stock market, only to lose it all when the stocks plummeted; as a result, the team went into bankruptcy and were forced to sell off their numerous vehicles and equipment. But then they received a letter from "S.M. Studios" (see comments) in Hollywood, which offered them a million dollars to star in a movie. The FF headed to California to check out the offer, and to their surprise, they learned that the Sub-Mariner owned the studio; Namor explained that he bought the studio using various treasures he had discovered in sunken pirate ships, and out of boredom, he decided to make a movie about the quartet. Being in desperate need of cash, the FF accepted the offer.

   While the Sub-Mariner feigned the production of the movie for the Fantastic Four (during which he sent Mr. Fantastic to a Mediterranean isle to battle Cyclops), he sent the Human Torch to Africa, to film scenes against a local tribe. However, Namor had arranged for the natives to attack the Torch when he arrived.

   When the natives threatened the Torch, he flamed on, expecting it to frighten them, but they were unfazed and tried to attack him. The Torch began to fly away, but his flame faded too soon and he fell to the ground. The natives followed him and brought him back to their village, where they imprisoned him in a bamboo cage. As the Torch watched, they prepared their potion and ingested it, then showed off their immunity to flame while the Torch watched.

   Having regained his strength shortly afterward, the Torch burned through the cage and flew away. The natives claimed that they would seize him again and slay him, but the Torch continued flying to a nearby smoldering volcano, which he set off with a well-aimed fireball.

   Although the natives didn't fear fire, they couldn't stand up to the sea of molten lava unleashed by the volcanic eruption. The tribesmen evacuated their village, and the lava destroyed all of their potion.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers.

John Kaminski dubbed this group the "Asbesti tribe."

I'm assuming the one dressed in leopard skin and wearing the feathered headdress was the tribal chief.

It was never explained exactly why these tribesmen just happened to have a potion to make themselves fireproof--since they didn't seem to be afraid when the Torch first burst into flames, it could imply that they had previously encountered other fiery beings, so perhaps at some point in the past, the tribe encountered the Flame Witch, and they originally developed the potion as a defense against her.

And the rather awkwardly-named "S.M Studios"[kinda makes you wonder exactly what sort of movies they produced] would later be renamed as "Imperial Studios" (see Retrievers of Atlantis).--Ron Fredricks

New images and text expansion by Ron Fredricks.

Profile by Prime Eternal





CLARIFICATIONS:
The Fireproof Natives should not be confused with:

"magic potion"

A mixture of unspecified chemicals created by a primitive African tribe, it endowed them with immunity to flames. By apparently just breathing the potion's fumes, their bodies were temporarily rendered invulnerable to exterior and interior burns by fire for an unspecified duration of time. The potion also seemed to work on inanimate material, for the tribe's spears had also apparently been dipped in it.

The tribesmen used the potion to capture and imprison the Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and demonstrated to him their immunity to fire.

But shortly afterward, the Torch escaped and used his power to activate a nearby dormant volcano; unable to withstand the flow of molten lava, the tribesmen fled their village, and their potion was destroyed.

(Comment: Although they referred to it as "magic," there was no conclusive proof that the potion was created by occult/supernatural means--it could just be the result of a chemical mixture that temporarily mutated the tribesmen with flame immunity.)

--Fantastic Four I#9

images: (without ads)
Fantastic Four I#9, p14, pan1 (main image - fireproof natives surrounding Human Torch)
Fantastic Four I#9, p16, pan4 (tribal chief)
Fantastic Four I#9, p15, pan5 (tribesmen walking through flames)
Fantastic Four I#9, p15, pan6 (tribesman swallowing fire; tribal chief [background])
Fantastic Four I#9, p15, pan4 (tribesmen mixing potion)
Fantastic Four I#9, p17, pan3 (molten lava destroys natives' village and potion)

Appearances:
Fantastic Four I#9 (December, 1962) - Stan Lee (writer/editor), Jack Kirby (pencils), Dick Ayers (inks), Art Simek (letters)

First Posted: 09/11/2005
Last updated: 05/16/2024

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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