When the Human Torch sees the problems with your science, maybe call it a day.

That's not really fair to Johnny: he's not dumb, and even he admits to have picked up a lot from Reed. But he gives off such a vibe of general thoughtlessness, possibly in more ways than one. From 2004, Human Torch #11, "Fire on the Water" Written by Karl Kesel, pencils by Howard Porter, inks by Norm Rapmund.

The recap page gives it away a bit: Johnny flies out to an offshore platform that's caught fire, and finds his recent ex-, Namorita. The platform was a joint surface-Atlantean project in teleportation, with the intent of proving Atlantis was just as advanced as Wakanda or the United States. Johnny suggests Reed could probably help solve their problem in a few minutes, but is dismayed to realize they were trying to teleport through the Negative Zone! Playing with an anti-matter universe sounds risky, even to him; and his fears are justified when a negative version of Namorita emerges from the portal!

Johnny is able to keep the negative and positive Namorita's from touching and causing a massive explosion, the negative is sent back, and Johnny and Namorita are closer than ever. For about three pages. Then comes the sad realization that they both want different things: she understandably doesn't want to go back to being "the Fantastic Four's fifth wheel" and her line about the Little Mermaid is pretty solid. While they still care about each other, a relationship right then wasn't going to work out.

I honestly think I had forgotten Johnny dated Namorita; possibly because I was thinking of a Nova issue when she had to play girlfriend there, too. Kesel did a bit of Fantastic Four, but I always thought he deserved a longer run of that, especially if he can do this solid of work with my least favorite of the Four.