Hey, what’s up everyone? If you’ve been grinding ranked in Marvel Rivals this year, you already know the pain of facing a good Human Torch. Even in 2026, Johnny Storm hasn’t lost his spark — he’s still a key part of that annoying three-DPS flying lineup with Storm and Iron Man. The devs gave him a few small tweaks over the last year (mainly a slight damage falloff nerf at long range), but his mobility and combo potential still make him a lobby stomper in the wrong hands. But don’t worry — I’ve put plenty of hours into shutting him down, and I’m here to break down the absolute best Human Torch counters you can pick right now.

The Crawling Menace: Spider-Man

Let’s start with the most obvious — and still one of the hardest to master. Spidey’s kit is practically built to hunt flyers. In 2026, his Web-Cluster cooldown sits at a juicy 2 seconds (it got another tiny buff a few months ago), which means you can disrupt Human Torch’s movement loop almost constantly. I love tagging Johnny with a cluster into a quick Get Over Here! — one clean combo and he’s deleted, even through some passive healing. The key is patiency: don’t blow your cooldowns while he’s zipping away; wait for him to commit to an attack run. Spider-Tracer amplification ensures your next hit deals massive burst, so even if you only land a couple of melee hits afterward, it’s usually enough. Yes, Spidey’s skill floor is high, but in a world where Human Torch dominates low- to mid-elo, learning this matchup is 100% worth it.

The Sniper From Above: Hawkeye

If you’re more comfortable on the ground, Hawkeye is your guy. His Hypersonic Arrow is genuinely one of the most oppressive tools against any flyer — one arrow and Johnny gets knocked right out of the sky, losing his aerial perk and making him a sitting duck for your team. Even in 2026’s faster meta, a fully charged Piercing Arrow to the head still one-shots a squishy Human Torch, no questions asked. What I’ve been doing is playing slightly off-angle, baiting the Torch into thinking he’s safe above a teamfight, then hitting him with the Hypersonic. The afterimages from Hawkeye’s ultimate add a whole other layer of confusion — Johnny often can’t tell which shot is real, and he eats a charged arrow trying to disengage. He’s a consistent, low-execution counter that works at every rank.

Turn the Temp: Iron Man

Fight fire with fire — literally. Iron Man’s Unibeam is still a 140 DPS monster (190 in Overdrive), and in 2026 it’s still the go-to tool for melting flying brothers. Whenever I see a Human Torch relying on his speed, I just stay in the air mirroring his movement and hold down the Unibeam. He can’t out-trade the raw damage, especially if you’ve got an Armor Overdrive pack waiting. The buff to Iron Man’s Repulsor Blasts last season also means you can poke him out before the real fight even starts. And let’s be real — one well-placed Invincible Pulse Cannon can override even the chunkiest support ults, so you’re not just countering Johnny, you’re providing teamwipe pressure. In the current three-flyer meta, having a good Iron Man on your side sometimes just out-values the enemy Torch entirely.

The Pursuer: Iron Fist

I’ll admit I slept on Iron Fist as a counter until about mid-2025, but with the health buffs he received back then (still intact today), he’s a menace that no Human Torch wants to deal with. 50 extra base HP, plus more from meditation and Dragon’s Defense, means he can eat a couple of fireballs while sprinting straight at Johnny. His wall-run and jump mechanics let him stick to the Torch like glue — no amount of dashes will save you when an Iron Fist has his eyes on you. I often save my Dragon’s Defense ultimate specifically for the Torch; it turns into a near-instant deletion, even if he’s getting pocket-healed. The knockback disruption makes it impossible for Johnny to line up his plasma shots, so he either panics and dies or runs away from the fight. Either way, mission accomplished.

The Ranged Punisher: Frank Castle

If you just want simple, reliable damage, Punisher remains a top-tier counter even now. His rifle damage is hitscan and hurts at any distance — I constantly harass Human Torch players just by peppering them from the backline. But the real magic is the Culling Turret. In 2026’s map rotations, there are tons of high-ground spots where you can set up a shielded turret and completely lock down the sky for a solid 10 seconds. Johnny can’t burst through the shield fast enough, and if he tries to dive you, a quick smoke grenade + grapple hook out gets you safely to your next position. And I can’t stress this enough: Punisher’s ultimate is still one of the scariest things to hear when you’re stuck in the air as a squishy. Pop it, aim up, and watch the killfeed pop off. The potential for a 3K or 4K is real, even against Vanguards, so don’t hesitate to use it just to delete a problematic Human Torch.

The Death Goddess: Hela

Hela is my personal comfort pick into any flying comp. Her primary fires fast and hits like a truck — usually a two-tap to the body, or one crispy headshot, is enough to drop a Human Torch. Her Astral Flock ability not only gives you an escape when things get too hot, but it also lets you reposition aggressively to get a better angle on Johnny mid-fight. I’ve survived so many overextensions by simply turning into a bird and floating above a building while my team cleans up. Her ultimate is still insanely strong in 2026; it puts massive area pressure and can wipe flyers who can’t break line-of-sight fast enough. Plus, don’t overlook the Thor/Loki revives or bonus health she can provide — controlling the sky indirectly helps your entire team’s sustain.

The Turret King: Namor

Last but definitely not least, Namor. I’ve seen a huge spike in his pick rate recently, and it’s no surprise — his Monstro turrets are an auto-aiming nightmare for any flyer. Even if the Human Torch is spamming his mobility, those little squids track relentlessly and force him to retreat or die. I like to set up two turrets on high ground near a choke, then poke with my trident; the combined damage melts through Johnny faster than he can react. His Blessing of the Deep gives you a moment of invulnerability to dodge a meteoric dive or escape being focused. And if you’re lucky enough to have a Luna Snow on your team, the Namor team-up makes those turrets even deadlier. Honestly, in the current meta, Namor is probably the lowest-effort, highest-reward Human Torch counter out there.

Putting It All Together

So there you have it — my tried-and-true Human Torch slayers for 2026. The flying meta might sit down its damage numbers a little, but as long as Johnny can rain fire from above, you’ll need one of these heroes in your pocket. My advice? Pick two to learn deeply based on your playstyle. Duelist mains should definitely have Hawkeye or Hela ready if you like aim-based characters, while flank lovers will find Iron Fist or Spider-Man more rewarding. Support and tank players — communicate with your DPS to ensure at least one counter is on the field. And never forget: the Human Torch is squishy and relies on his movement. Clip his wings, and he’s just embers. Good luck out there, and I’ll see you on the leaderboard.