Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics #5
"Fighting Side-by-Side!" showcases the dynamic duo of the Human Torch and Toro in a high-stakes showdown against the Hag’s gang, who exploit a blackout to manipulate the stock exchange. Written and illustrated by Carl Burgos, the story blends early superhero action with a surprising twist involving a flame transfusion, all rendered with the bold, energetic style that defined Marvel’s Golden Age. The cover by Alex Schomburg captures the intensity of the moment, a striking visual that honors the era’s classic aesthetic.
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The Hag's gang uses a blackout to enter the stock exchange to fake a second market crash so that she can buy up stock cheap. They use clothes treated with chemicals to deal with the Torch and gas that makes Torch's and Toro's flames go out. Toro breaks his arm in the fall so Torch takes him to the hospital and the doctor tells him that Toro needs a 'flame transfusion'. After Toro's flame has been strengthened, the doctor tells Torch that Toro's flame will never be as strong as his. Torch and Toro corner the Hag, and when she tries to escape them with detonating gas, the explosion kills her.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).