FLAME PEOPLE
Classification: Terrestrial (Subterranea; 1950s era)
Location/Base of Operations: Somewhere out in space; temporarily in a forest, somewhere in the United States; originally from "Earth's molten core"
Known Members: At least thirty (none identified)
Affiliations: Tom Jordan
Enemies: None
First Appearance: Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3 (June, 1956)
Powers/Abilities: The Flame People's bodies were seemingly comprised of living fire-like elements (see comments), and they could ignite any combustible materials with which they came into contact.
Possibly telepathic, they seemed to have a nearly hive-mind mentality (see comments); they could also merge their individual bodies into a large fireball, which allowed them to take flight into space.
They were apparently vulnerable to water, which would presumably extinguish their flames in large enough quantities.
Traits: Despite their somewhat demonic appearance (globular eyes, pointed ears), they seemed to have no malevolent intentions.
Type: Semi-humanoid
Average height: 5'6" (by approximation)
Eyes: Two (on head; black)
Fingers: Five (including opposable thumb)
Toes: Unrevealed
Skin color: Red
History:
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3
(fb) - BTS) - The origins of the Flame People are unrevealed, but they
had long dwelt in Earth's molten core. They eventually wearied of the
darkness below and desired to be in the sunlight of the surface, so they
climbed out of a hole somewhere in the middle of an American forest; due
to the fiery nature of their bodies, they avoided making contact with
any of the trees.
On three separate occasions, the fiery glow of the Flame People attracted the attention of forest ranger Tom Jordan, who thought them to be the beginnings of a forest-fire, so he alerted firefighters; but each time the firefighters arrived, the frighted Flame People fled back to their subterranean home before they were seen, and the firefighters found no trace of a blaze.
After the firefighters had departed for the third time, the Flame People once again returned to the surface.
(Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3) - Having been reprimanded by his supervisor for calling in false alarms, Jordan was determined not to let it happen again; but when he once again spotted a fiery glow in the distance, he decided to investigate it for himself. Jordan walked to the location, where he saw the Flame People coming out of the hole. The Flame People surrounded Jordan, hoping that he would help them find some way that they could safely remain on the surface of the world. But as they moved closer, one of the Flame People brushed against a tree and accidentally set it afire--Jordan explained that if they remained on the surface, they would cause more such damage. Nonetheless, the Flame People angrily insisted that he must help them stay.
But the Flame People were startled as water droplets fell on them when it began to rain. The brief shower soon passed (presumably putting out the flames of that burning tree), and although the Flame People had not been extinguished by the spattering drops, they were terribly enfeebled, and their fury had turned to fear, for they realized that the surface of the world was not safe, and they would perish if they stayed.
Suddenly, the Flame People joined together to form an enormous fireball, which then launched itself into space, as they left Earth to hunt for a new home.
Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Bill Benulis.
In this 4-page story--Flames of Fury!--the fiery beings were never officially identified, but two captions referred to them as "The Flame People," so I went with that.
Maybe their bodies were composed of "living flame," but I guess it's also possible that they actually had solid bodies which were surrounded by fire (similar to the Human Torch/Johnny Storm)
Since they were able to communicate with Tom Jordan, perhaps they were telepathic; and when they left Earth as a fireball, the caption implied that they reached that decision simultaneously, which could mean they possessed a group mentality.
Very little was revealed about the Flame People, but since they seemed to have pointed ears, perhaps they had some connection to the Flame Witch or First Line member Firefall; or perhaps they had some connection with the Sacred Flame of Life.
Profile by Ron Fredricks.
CLARIFICATIONS:
The Flame People have no known connection to:
Tom Jordan has no known connection to:
He was an American forest ranger with twenty years of service. He was stationed in a high tower, where he kept watch for forest-fires.
On three earlier occasions, he spotted flames in the distance and called in an alarm; but when firefighters reached the location, they found not a spark in sight, and Jordan's supervisor threatened to terminate his employment if he turned in another false alarm.
Jordan returned to his lonely tower, and he later saw more flames in the distance; determined not to call in another false alarm, he left the tower to get a closer look for himself.
But after he got to the location of the supposed fire, Jordan saw weird flame creatures emerging from a hole in the ground. When the Flame People saw him, Jordan ran away, but he tripped and fell; the fiery creatures surrounded him, and Jordan learned that the three "fires" he had seen earlier were actually the Flame People coming out of the hole, but they fled back down when they saw the firefighters arrive. Although they meant no harm, one of the flame people brushed against a tree and set it afire; Jordan explained to them that they would cause more such damage if they remained on the surface of the world, but the Flame People angrily insisted that he help them find some way to remain.
Suddenly, it began to rain (which apparently put out that burning tree), and although the brief shower didn't extinguish the Flame People, its spattering raindrops terribly enfeebled them. Realizing that the surface was not safe for them, the fiery creatures formed themselves into an enormous fireball and left Earth, and Tom Jordan blacked out.
When he revived some time later, Jordan wearily trudged back to his watch-tower, and he believed the entire experience with the Flame People had only been a dream.
But after he reached the tower and turned on the radio, Jordan heard an unsettling news bulletin: two hours earlier, a mysterious comet was first sighted moving away from Earth--realizing that his "dream" was real, Jordan figured that mankind had narrowly missed a fiery disaster.
--Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3
images: (without ads)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p2, pan5 (Flame People standing over hole to surface)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p2, pan7 (Flame People)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p3, pan3 (Flame People)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p4, pan2 (Flame People react in fear as rain droplets fall on them)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p4, pan4 (Flame People form themselves into a fireball and leave Earth)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p1, pan1 (Tom Jordan)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p3, pan2 (Tom Jordan surrounded by Flame People)
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3, p4, pan7 (Tom Jordan)
Appearances:
Strange Tales of the Unusual#4/3 (June, 1956) - unidentified writer, Bill Benulis (pencils/inks), Stan Lee (editor)
First Posted: 10/21/2025
Last updated: 10/21/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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