With his superpowers restored, Johnny Storm finally emerged from his endless remorse and despair.
Back to being the Human Torch, he did not go looking for trouble with Kraft again. Instead, he contacted the media himself and publicly apologized to everyone he had bullied.
This was not, of course, because Johnny Storm had learned his lesson. Rather, after some subtle prodding from S.H.I.E.L.D., he chose to step forward and put on a show.
Of course, it was not entirely an act. Johnny did feel some regret, but what he regretted was that his actions had dragged his sister and teammates into trouble and nearly gotten them killed.
Johnny also felt sorry for the ordinary people he had hurt. Otherwise, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents could never have persuaded someone as concerned with saving face as he was to admit his mistakes in public.
But Johnny did not think there was anything wrong with using his superpowers to show off, and he still believed Kraft's refusal to put his character in the game meant Kraft looked down on him.
Yet his fear of Kraft outweighed his resentment and defiance. Against someone who could strip away his powers, his identity as the Human Torch meant nothing at all.
Following Johnny's public apology, S.H.I.E.L.D. began steering public opinion to cool things down. By presenting Johnny as someone willing to acknowledge and correct his mistakes, they gradually restored the Fantastic Four's reputation.
Perhaps to salvage their reputation, or perhaps to avoid attracting Kraft's attention, Reed Richards decided not to reveal for the time being that the Fantastic Four had regained their superpowers. Johnny had no objections.
And so, thanks to Johnny's voluntary, sincere apology and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s behind-the-scenes manipulation of public opinion, the controversy surrounding the Fantastic Four slowly died down.
But its impact did not fade. More