Alias

Human Torch III

Nova II
Nick Name
|
Civilian ID
Frankie Raye
Occupation

Adventurer

Herald of Galactus
Legal Status
Deceased
Nation or Planet of Origin
New York, New York
Group Affiliation

Fantastic Four

Heralds of Galactus
Base of Operations
Mobile throughout the universe.
Height
5' 6"
Weight
140 lbs.
Eye Color
Blue - Now White
Hair Color
Red - Now Flame
Skin Tone
Caucasian - Now White
Known Powers
Normal human mutated by unknown chemicals granting the ability to generate and control flame; later transformed by the astrogod Galactus enabling god-like strength, speed, agility, endurance, invulnerability to all known diseases and environments and a heightened level of cosmic awareness enabling the perception of all forms of energy.

Mutation to control flame was augmented by the power cosmic enabling an ability to harness the power of a miniature sun to generate light, heat, gravity and other energies to extreme levels.  Capable of traveling at light-speed through interstellar space.
Accessories
|
Common Enemies
Elders of the Universe
Regularly Appearing

Fantastic Four Vol. 1

Silver Surfer Vol. 3
First Appearance

Frankie Raye

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #164 (Nov. 1975)

Human Torch III

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #238 (Jan. 1982)

Nova II

Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #244 (July, 1982)
Creator

Frankie Raye

Roy Thomas & George Pérez

Human Torch III

John Byrne

Nova II

John Byrne
Origin
Frankie Raye's father died when she was still a baby, and her mother shortly afterwards married Dr. Phineas T. Horton, the inventor of the original Human Torch.  Horton's equipment was confiscated by the federal government after his inventions were deemed to hazardous, and he now worked as an electronics repairman under the alias Thomas Raye.

Tragedy struck shortly after Horton's marriage when his wife passed away leaving him to raise Frankie on his own.  Horton still toiled as a repairman occasionally suffering from depression, but he became enraged when he learned of Johnny Storm's use of the name Human Torch.  Resolved to construct another flaming android, Horton and the teen-aged Raye went to the now deserted chemical warehouse that the government used to store his chemicals and equipment.  While Ray helped her stepfather collect his chemicals, a rotting floorboard gave way beneath her, agitating the chemicals she was carrying causing them to explode and engulfing her in flame - although instead of dying the flames caused an instantaneous reaction mutating her body into a Human Torch.

Guilt ridden over his stepdaughter's new condition, Horton hypnotized her to forget the incident in the chemical warehouse as well as her previous life with him - although he continued to support her financially from afar.  By coincidence Raye eventually came into contact with Johnny Storm (Human Torch) and the two were romantically involved.

Eventually Horton's mental conditioning began to fail and Raye's powers resurfaced - to which the Fantastic Four made her a team member to help train her in the use of her abilities.

When the astro-god Galactus returned to consume Earth, Raye volunteered her services to save the planet, much as Norrin Radd (Silver Surfer) had done to save his home world Zenn-La.  Granting Raye access to the Power Cosmic she was transformed into his flaming herald Nova.