Fantastic Four: Johnny Storm's Flame On Rap

The Superhero Show #634Fantastic Four: Johnny Storm's Flame On RapThe Superhero Show — Johnny Storm's Flame On RapThis week, The Superhero Show dives into one of the silliest, strangest, and most entertaining episodes yet from the 1994 Fantastic Four animated series: Episode 1.11, “Mole Man.” The hosts go into the episode already excited to talk about its reputation for being wonderfully ridiculous, but there is one moment they have been especially looking forward to: Johnny Storm's infamous “Flame On Rap.”Before getting to the rap, however, the hosts break down the introduction of Mole Man, his hilariously elaborate plan to destroy famous landmarks around the world, and his ultimate goal of bringing the entire surface world down into his underground kingdom. From Mole Man's appearance to his costume to his master plan, the hosts find almost every aspect of the character endlessly entertaining.Then comes the moment they've been waiting for—the Flame On Rap. The hosts dive into the history behind the musical number, including the voice actor's desire to use the song as a way to break into the music industry. They discuss the production, the amount of work that apparently went into creating the song, and whether the finished product actually has what it takes to launch Johnny Storm into the music business.Flame On Rap: Mole Man Wants the World UndergroundThe hosts begin their recap with the introduction of Mole Man and his absolutely ridiculous master plan.Mole Man has decided that the best way to conquer the world is to bring the surface world down to him. His scheme begins with targeting famous landmarks around the globe, including the pyramids and England's Parliament. Eventually, his plan escalates toward his ultimate target: the White House.The hosts have an absolute blast discussing the sheer absurdity of the plan. They break down how Mole Man believes that destroying the world's most recognizable landmarks will eventually allow him to bring the entire surface civilization underground, where he can finally rule the world.It's a plan that is both completely nonsensical and perfectly suited to the tone of a 1990s superhero cartoon.Johnny Storm's Flame On Rap: Meet Mole ManThe hosts spend plenty of time discussing Mole Man himself, and they quickly discover that there is almost nothing about the character they don't find entertaining.From his strange appearance and oversized costume to his dramatic personality and bizarre ambitions, Mole Man feels like the perfect villain for an episode this silly. The hosts discuss how the animated series takes a traditionally serious Fantastic Four villain and pushes his ridiculous qualities to the absolute maximum.They also examine how Mole Man's personality fits into the larger world of the series and why his completely over-the-top presentation makes him such a memorable character.Johnny Storm's Flame On Rap: The World's Landmarks Are Under AttackThe hosts then walk through Mole Man's increasingly ridiculous campaign against the surface world.The destruction of famous landmarks gives the Fantastic Four plenty of opportunities to chase Mole Man around the globe while simultaneously demonstrating just how massive his plan has become. The hosts discuss the escalating stakes while laughing at the idea that Mole Man's master plan essentially boils down to:“If I can't live on the surface, I'll just bring the surface down to me.”It's the kind of wonderfully strange logic that makes the episode so much fun to revisit.Flame On Rap: Johnny Storm Takes the MicThen comes the moment everyone has been waiting for: the Flame On Rap.Some of the hosts had already seen clips of Johnny Storm's musical performance before watching the episode, so they were especially excited to finally experience the full thing in context.The hosts break down the rap itself, discussing the lyrics, delivery, animation, music, and overall production. They are fascinated by the story behind the song, particularly the fact that Johnny Storm's voice actor wanted to use the performance as an opportunity to break into the music industry.That revelation leads to a hilarious discussion about just how seriously the production appears to have taken this seemingly random cartoon rap.Flame On Rap: Was Johnny Storm About to Become a Pop Star?The hosts dig deeper into the amount of effort that went into creating the Flame On Rap and discuss how unusual it is to see something like this included in a Fantastic Four cartoon.They consider whether the song was simply a fun gimmick for the episode or whether there was genuinely an attempt to turn Johnny Storm into a music star. The hosts analyze the production quality and performance while comparing it to the kinds of promotional music and cartoon tie-ins that were common during the 1990s.Even if Johnny never becomes Marvel's next great rapper, the hosts agree that the Flame On Rap is one of the most memorable moments the series has produced so far.Flame On Rap: The Perfectly Silly Fantastic Four EpisodeAs the hosts wrap up their discussion, they reflect on just how much fun they had watching “Mole Man.”After some of the more serious and complicated stories earlier in the season, this episode gives the hosts an opportunity to simply enjoy the cartoon for what it is. Mole Man's ridiculous plan, his bizarre appearance, the destruction of famous landmarks, and Johnny Storm suddenly becoming a rapper combine to create an episode that feels like a celebration of everything wonderfully strange about 1990s animation.The hosts agree that sometimes an episode doesn't need to be particularly deep or sophisticated to be incredibly entertaining.Final Thoughts — Johnny Storm's Flame On RapBy the end of Flame On Rap, The Superhero Show has had exactly the kind of experience they were hoping for: a completely ridiculous Fantastic Four episode that gave them plenty to laugh about and plenty to discuss. Mole Man's bizarre plan to bring the world underground is entertaining enough on its own, but Johnny Storm's Flame On Rap takes the episode to another level.Between the strange villain, the outrageous plot, the unexpected musical number, and the fascinating story behind its production, “Mole Man” proves to be one of the most purely fun episodes of the series so far. And after finally getting to experience the full Flame On Rap, the hosts can confidently say that Johnny Storm may have missed his calling as a 1990s music sensation.Are You a Research Nerd Who's Looking For More?Here are some links for all your research wants and needs!1994 Fantastic Four Animated SeriesRyan North's Fantastic FourJoin the discussions online! 1994 Fantastic Four Animated Series, Ryan North's Fantastic FourCatch Up On Past Episodes!Missed any of our past episodes? Catch up hereRead Along With Us!Want to watch read with us? Of course you do! Here's a link Ryan North's Fantastic Four (Purchase Necessary)