I still remember the day I first soared into the skies of Marvel Rivals as Human Torch back in Season 1.5. It felt like unlocking god mode. Fast forward to 2026, and I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry every time I see an Iron Man, Storm, and Human Torch lineup staring me down from the enemy team. Spoiler: I usually cry. These three aren’t just aerial pests—they’ve woven themselves into the fabric of the meta like a stubborn oil stain that no amount of laundry detergent can remove.

Let’s rewind a little. When Human Torch was first added, his kit seemed flashy but manageable. Blazing Blast let him scatter fireballs on the ground, and then he could either create a burning zone by connecting them or dive-bomb in for a detonation that could one-shot a support mid-ultimate. That discovery—stacking fireballs to delete a Luna Snow during her ult—was the moment I knew we were all in deep trouble. If Johnny Storm could casually erase a healer’s ultimate with a well-timed combo, what hope did us grounded mortals have?

But wait, it gets worse. NetEase, in their infinite wisdom, gave Storm and Human Torch a team-up ability that feels like a prank on the rest of us. When Human Torch uses his ultimate, he can spawn flaming tornadoes. Storm can then hijack one of those tornadoes with her own Omega Hurricane, turning it into a swirling vortex of doom that scatters your team like bowling pins. I’ve been on the receiving end of that combo more times than I can count, and each time, I watch my health bar evaporate while the enemy duo flies off into the sunset cackling. Together, Iron Man’s precision beams, Storm’s lightning aura, and Human Torch’s pyromaniac antics form a trinity of aerial terror that turns any match into a bullet-hell shooter.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: Vanguard players. We poor, bulky souls have been suffering in silence—actually, not silence, we’ve been screaming into the void on Reddit. For the longest time, Peni Parker was the only tank with any meaningful ranged poke. So when the enemy team locked in three fliers, I’d pick Peni and pray to the machine spirits that my mines could somehow reach the stratosphere. Most of the time, my team would just get farmed while I shuffled around the objective like a sad, oversized target dummy. The community’s collective cry for more long-range Vanguards became a rallying call that echoed through every patch note thread.

Thankfully, 2026 brought some hope. Leaks from late 2025 finally materialized, and The Hood dropped into the roster wielding dual pistols and a gruff attitude. He’s everything we wished for: a Vanguard who can actually tag those high-flying nuisances without having to jump through hoops. His pistol shots don’t hit as hard as a Duelist’s, but the consistent pressure is enough to make Iron Man think twice before parking himself in the open sky. I’ve personally been having a blast zipping around the map, peppering the fliers and watching them panic-retreat for the first time since launch. Even so, the flying meta hasn’t vanished completely—good Human Torch players still bob and weave like caffeine-addicted mosquitoes.

So, where does that leave us in 2026? The meta is healthier now that we have a few more anti-air options, but the trauma remains. Every time I queue into a ranked match and see my team hover (pun intended) over Storm and Human Torch, I get flashbacks to that dark era where every fight felt like reenacting the D-Day landing, except the bunkers were on clouds and shooting lightning. The lesson? Adapt or get turned into a crisp. At least now, with The Hood in my pocket and a battered sense of humor, I can finally say I’m ready to take back the skies—one thermite round at a time.