Horton presents Human Torch to the press

[Leoparis]

As stories get retold we sometimes wind up with two versions that are too different to be the same event. The first time I faced this was the last Captain America-Red Skull fight of WWII. Right from the first two times it was mentioned (TOS 72 & 79) there were contradictions. At first they were glossed over but as the event was revisited and expanded by various writers (in WI? 4, CA@ 13, Twelve Spearhead, Vengeance 4), we had two distinct events in two different places (Berlin, Kohnstein) with two different outcomes (Cap buried, Red Skull buried).

The origin of Misty Knight was another and I proposed to treat the second version as either a dream or a later, distinct event.

We also had three different versions of how Cap first met Nick Fury after his revival.

And three different versions of how Cap first met Nick Fury in WWII.

And three different ways by which Cap arrived in Normandy on D-Day.

As I read through M/C 1 and its retellings to fit M/C 1000 and M/AGE 1000 I was bothered by the divergences.

Analysis:
In Marvel Comics 1 Horton presents his android to the press. There are two men and they don't have cameras. Horton first receives them in an office, "Gentlemen of the press, I called you to my laboratory" and we see the lab (not a stage). "Good Lord! That figure is a wall of fire!" "Horton, destroy that man, before some madman can grasp its principles and hurl it against our civilization!" An extra [newspaper] is released.

In the retelling in Saga of the original Human Torch by Roy Thomas, the presentation takes place on a stage with a pulpit and a microphone. There are at least seven people, including two women and photographers. "Gentlemen of the press, I called you here" A photographer exclaims, "G-Good Lord! It's moving! It--he's alive!"
An extra [Daily News] is released.

Marvels 0 shows a stage with at least six people, including a woman and a photographer.

In Marvels 1, a wider shot shows the place is an auditorium with at least 27 people, "Welcome gentlemen, I'm glad so many of you could come. "G-Good Lord!" Photographer Phil Sheldon says, "It--moved?"
An extra [Daily Bugle] is released.

In Marvels Project 1, a roomful of journalists and photographers in front of a stage. The Daily Bugle newspaper is shown.

Marvel Comics 1000 depicts Horton's lab when he receives the Scientists Guild to show them the Human Torch. This lab is different from the stage.

Marvel Age 1000 also depicts a stage and a crowd of photographers.

{M/C 1 (1:1 - 1:6)} "Gentlemen of the press, I called you to my laboratory"
MARVELS 1 (3 - 5) ignites, "G-good lord! It-- moved--?"
[SAGAHT 1 (2)-FB "Gentlemen of the press, I called you here"]
SAGAHT 1 (3)-FB "G-good lord! It's moving!
M/C 1 (1:7 - 1:8) "destroy that man" "perhaps the power of the press will help change your mind"
SAGAHT 1 (4:5 - 4:6)-FB "present international crisis" (Bohemia-Moravia on March 15, 1939?)

My argument is that the scene from M/C 1 in Horton's lab with two male journalists is different than the other versions on a stage in an auditorium filled with female journalists and photographers.

The repetition of stock phrases like "Gentlemen of the press" "I called you" "Good Lord" and "The power of the press will help change your mind" could mistakenly lead to believe we're witnessing the same event.

These are stock phrases and we are dealing with a product presentation. It is usual in such product presentation for presenters to use the same stock phrases with variations.

It is unlikely that the report of two journalists would be enough to generate such nation-wide concern that the President would send secret service people to advise Horton of following the Scientists Guild recommendation.

Horton calls for two journalists in his lab, gets a bad result, decide to organise a more professional presentation on stage (not realizing the human bias toward artificial life) and gets the same result, this time with demonstrators on the street (M/PROJECT 1).

Considering the presentation on stage as a distinct event will allow the inclusion of additional reactions from the crowd and from the later versions that were omitted.

Proposed timeline:
(in his lab) {M/C 1 (1:1 - 1:8)} "Gentlemen of the press, I called you to my laboratory" "destroy that man" "perhaps the power of the press will help change your mind"
M/C 1 (2:1) newspaper
(on stage) MARVELS 1 (1 - 2) "Welcome"
SAGAHT 1 (2 - 3:1:1:1)-FB from "Gentlemen of the press, I called you here" to "G-good lord!"
MARVELS 1 (5 - 6:1) they believe it's a mannequin on fire until Sheldon says "It-- moved--?" HT raises his hands
SAGAHT 1 (3:1:1:2 - 4:4)-FB "It's moving!" "He'll be burned alive" "What we see is that you'd endanger the whole city to get your name in the papers! Well you'll get it all right!" "Right! Only not the way you wanted it!"
[MARVELS 1 (6:2 - 6:3) "You want your name in the paper, Horton? You'll get it" "That thing is a danger to the whole city! Destroy it--or we'll force you to!"]
SAGAHT 1 (4:5 - 4:6)-FB "Those poor fools don't realize what real power is, do they, my friend?"
M/PROJECT 1 (13:4)-BTS demonstration in NYC
M/C 1 (2:2 - 2:5) Scientists Guild arrive
M/C 1000 Scientists Guild
M/C 1 (2:6 - 3:3) entombment recommendation
M/PROJECT 1 (14) pressure from secret service to entomb
M/C 1 (3:4 - 3:10) entombment
SAGAHT 1 (6)-FB-BTS

Note: The argument between Horton and Bradley (M/PROJECT 1-FB) just before the presentation to the press was actually first told in INV2 3-FB. INV2 3-FB should replace that line, especially as Human Torch is visible in the former and not in the latter.

Suggested revisions:
HUMAN TORCH/JIM HAMMOND
M/AGE 130/2-FB
VIS2 1-FB
VIS2 2-FB
M/AGE 131/2-FB
SAGAHT 1 (1)-FB
**M/PROJECT 1-FB --> INV2 3-FB replace line
**{M/C 1 (1:1 - 1:6)} --> {M/C 1 (1:1 - 1:8)} expand
**MARVELS 1 (1 - 2) add
**SAGAHT 1 (2 - 3:1:1:1)-FB add
**MARVELS 1 (3 - 5) --> MARVELS 1 (5 - 6:1) revise
**SAGAHT 1 (3)-FB --> SAGAHT 1 (3:1:1:2 - 4:4)-FB add
**M/C 1 (1:7 - 1:8) delete
**MARVELS 1 (6:2 - 6:3) add
SAGAHT 1 (4:5 - 4:6)-FB
**M/C 1 (2 - 2:5) add
**M/C 1000 add
**M/C 1 (2:6 - 3:3) add
**M/PROJECT 1 (14) add (14)
**M/C 1 (2 - 3) --> M/C 1 (3:4 - 3:10) revise
SAGAHT 1 (6)-FB

HORTON, PROF. PHINEAS T.
A@ 21/4-FB-FB
INV 22-FB-FB
**INV2 3-FB move from here
M/AGE 130/2-FB
VIS2 1-FB
VIS2 2-FB
M/AGE 131/2-FB
SAGAHT 1 (1)-FB
M/PROJECT 1-FB
**INV2 3-FB move here
**{M/C 1 (1:1 - 1:6)} --> {M/C 1 (1:1 - 1:8)} expand
**MARVELS 1 (1 - 2) add
**SAGAHT 1 (2 - 3:1:1:1)-FB add
**MARVELS 1 (3 - 5) --> MARVELS 1 (5 - 6:1) revise
**SAGAHT 1 (3)-FB --> SAGAHT 1 (3:1:1:2 - 4:4)-FB add
**M/C 1 (1:7 - 1:8) delete
**MARVELS 1 (6:2 - 6:3) add
SAGAHT 1 (4:5 - 4:6)-FB
**M/C 1 (2 - 2:5) add
**M/C 1000 add
**M/C 1 (2:6 - 3:3) add
**M/PROJECT 1 (14) add (14)
**M/C 1 (2 - 3) --> M/C 1 (3:4 - 3:10) revise
SAGAHT 1 (6)-FB-BTS

[StrayLamb]

It's been a while since i read these, but in my own personal chronology for this period, i have the meeting with the Scientists Guild before the presentation for the press. I hadn't considered the possibility of Horton giving a trial viewing to a pair of select (or possibly local?) journalists before the general presentation, but that makes sense.

Edit: Apparently i'm wrong about the Scientists Guild. Oh well.