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Who Was the First Marvel Superhero?

The Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner both debuted in Marvel Comics #1 in 1939 — years before Spider-Man, Iron Man or the Avengers. Here is the full story of Marvel's very first heroes.
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Quick Answer

The first Marvel superhero was the Human Torch — an android named Jim Hammond created by scientist Phineas Horton, who first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 in October 1939, published by Timely Comics (the predecessor to Marvel). The same issue also introduced Namor the Sub-Mariner, meaning both are technically Marvel's first superheroes. The Human Torch is considered first because his story led the issue.

The First Marvel Superheroes: Key Facts

1939 Marvel Comics #1 Published October 1939 by Timely Comics. Introduced the Human Torch (Jim Hammond), Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Angel in the same issue.
Burgos Human Torch Creator Carl Burgos created the original Human Torch — a fictional android, not the Johnny Storm version who would later appear with the Fantastic Four.
Everett Namor Creator Bill Everett created Namor the Sub-Mariner. Namor was actually written before the Human Torch but published in the same issue.
1941 Captain America Captain America debuted in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941) — two years after the Human Torch and Namor, making him not the first but perhaps the most iconic Golden Age Marvel hero.

Marvel Comics #1: What Was in It?

Marvel Comics #1 was published in October 1939 by Timely Comics, the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics. Publisher Martin Goodman had watched the success of DC Comics — particularly Superman (1938) and Batman (1939) — and decided to enter the superhero market. The result was a single issue containing seven stories, three of which featured superhero characters.

The issue opened with "The Human Torch" by Carl Burgos — making the Human Torch the lead character of Marvel's very first comic. The same issue contained Namor the Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett, whose story had technically been written first but was published second in the issue's page order. A character called the Angel (Thomas Holloway) also appeared, though he is less remembered today.

The cover price was 10 cents. The issue sold approximately 80,000 copies on its first printing — strong enough that Goodman ordered a second printing of 800,000 copies, indicating an immediate commercial success.

The Human Torch vs Namor: Who Was Really First?

Character Created By Written / Drawn Published Page Order in Issue
Human Torch (Jim Hammond) Carl Burgos 1939 Marvel Comics #1, Oct 1939 First story
Namor the Sub-Mariner Bill Everett 1939 (slightly earlier) Marvel Comics #1, Oct 1939 Second story
The Angel (Thomas Holloway) Paul Gustavson 1939 Marvel Comics #1, Oct 1939 Third story
Captain America Joe Simon and Jack Kirby 1940 Captain America Comics #1, Mar 1941 Not in Marvel Comics #1
The Original Human Torch vs Johnny Storm

There are two very different characters called the Human Torch in Marvel history. The original Human Torch — Jim Hammond — is an android created by scientist Phineas Horton in 1939. He has no relation to Johnny Storm, the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four, who debuted in 1961. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four, they deliberately reused the "Human Torch" name for Johnny Storm as a nod to Timely Comics history. Jim Hammond (the original android Torch) has appeared in modern Marvel continuity as a distinct character from Johnny Storm — both currently exist in the Marvel universe simultaneously.

From Timely Comics to Marvel: The Company's Name History

01
Timely Comics (1939–1950) Founded by Martin Goodman in 1939. Published Marvel Comics #1 and established the company's superhero catalogue during the Golden Age, including the Human Torch, Namor and Captain America. Stan Lee joined as a 17-year-old office assistant in 1939 and became editor in 1941.
02
Atlas Comics (1951–1961) As superhero popularity declined in the early 1950s, Goodman rebranded the company as Atlas Comics and shifted to westerns, horror, romance and science fiction. Superhero titles were largely abandoned during this period.
03
Marvel Comics (1961–present) The modern Marvel era began in June 1961 with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four #1. The company formalised the Marvel Comics name, and Lee and Kirby proceeded to create Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men and the Avengers in rapid succession over the following three years.

The Golden Age vs the Modern Marvel Era

It is important to distinguish between the Golden Age Marvel characters (1939–1950) and the modern Marvel universe that began in 1961. The Human Torch and Namor are historically the first Marvel characters, but they belong to a different era of publishing with different creative teams, different storytelling conventions and a different relationship to the characters' modern versions.

The modern Marvel universe — the one that underpins the MCU, the current comics and the character identities most people recognise today — began with the Fantastic Four in 1961. In that sense, the first character of the Marvel universe most fans know is Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), with Spider-Man (1962), Thor (1962), Iron Man (1963) and Captain America's return (1964) following immediately after.

Marvel's First Superheroes — Year of First Publication
Human Torch (Hammond) 1939
Namor Sub-Mariner 1939
Captain America 1941
Fantastic Four 1961
Spider-Man / Thor / Hulk 1962
Iron Man / Avengers / X-Men 1963

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Captain America the first Marvel superhero? No. Captain America debuted in March 1941 — nearly two years after the Human Torch and Namor appeared in Marvel Comics #1 in October 1939. Captain America is one of the most famous Golden Age Marvel characters, but he was not the first. He is, however, the only Golden Age Marvel character to have been continuously prominent in the modern Marvel universe, having been revived in Avengers #4 (1964) after being discovered frozen since World War II.
What was the first Marvel comic book? The first Marvel comic book was Marvel Comics #1, published in October 1939 by Timely Comics. It introduced the Human Torch, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Angel. The comic sold so well on its first printing that a second printing of 800,000 copies was ordered — an extraordinary number for the period and a clear signal that the superhero format had found a massive audience.
Is Namor the oldest Marvel character? Namor (the Sub-Mariner) is one of the oldest published Marvel characters, co-debuting with the Human Torch in Marvel Comics #1 in 1939. Within the Marvel universe's fictional continuity, Namor is also one of the oldest living characters — as the king of Atlantis and a mutant hybrid, he has an extended lifespan and has been active since at least the 1940s in the comics timeline. He appeared in the MCU in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).
Who created the first Marvel superhero? The original Human Torch was created by Carl Burgos — a writer and artist working for Timely Comics. Burgos wrote and drew the Human Torch story that led Marvel Comics #1, making him the creator of Marvel's first published superhero. Namor, the co-debuting character from the same issue, was created by Bill Everett.

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The Darkside Merchandise stocks officially licensed merchandise. Marvel characters are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment LLC / Disney. Golden Age publishing history referenced from Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939).