The Spaniard struck a marvellous hat-trick at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard and Ryan Babel (2) also firing to give Liverpool an emphatic 6-1 win in front of co-owner George Gillett.
 
It is now six consecutive victories for the Reds, who sit just three points behind league leaders Chelsea after their defeat at Wigan.
 
Rafa Benitez welcomed back his big guns for the visit of Phil Brown's strugglers to ensure no repeat of last season's shock 2-2 draw at Anfield.
 
It took the Reds just 30 seconds to cut open the visiting rearguard when Gerrard sliced through for Torres. Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill got there first but the writing was already on the wall.
 
Next, two Hull defenders missed Albert Riera's low cross only to be pardoned by a poor touch from Torres. No one can say they weren't warned.
 
There were barely 12 minutes on the clock when Riera again stabbed a ball into the City box. This time Torres's control was sublime, turning Ibrahima Sonko with his right foot before slotting past Myhill with his left.
 
So, the team with five consecutive wins were leading against the side with just two victories all year. Surely Hull would crumble?
 
Maybe. Within three minutes the scores were level after first Martin Skrtel, then Dirk Kuyt failed to clear an out-swinging cross. The latter's header fell straight to the unmarked Geovanni, who doesn't miss from eight yards.
 
Liverpool responded with a spate of well-worked attacks, wary that the longer Hull held out, the harder clinching three points would become. Their urgency paid off on 28 minutes when Torres grabbed his seventh of the campaign.
 
It was Yossi Benayoun who found the Spaniard on the edge of the six-yard box but this was all about one man's class. First Kamel Ghilas, then Myhill were navigated with intricate footwork. Torres still had work to do to beat two defenders stationed on the goalline. No problem; Liverpool's lead was restored.
 
The Spain international's hat-trick was complete three minutes after the break, and again Benayoun was the provider with a well-timed throughball which flummoxed Hull's offside trap. Torres unbalanced Sonko just as he had for the first, then finished through the legs of McShane and past the helpless Myhill.
 
The No.9 came within a whisker of netting a fourth on 58 minutes with a header from Martin Skrtel's cross which rippled the roof of the net.
 
Instead it was Gerrard who made it 4-1 on 61 minutes with a goal to rival anything Torres could muster. It was Emiliano Insua who found the skipper on the left touchline after a cleared corner. Gerrard shaped to cross but instead curled an audacious effort into the top corner.
 
The points secure, Benitez took the opportunity to give Torres a well-earned break, introducing Babel with 22 minutes remaining. Gerrard and Benayoun were soon given the same treatment.

Babel should have added his name to the scoresheet on 78 minutes with a glancing header from substitute Andriy Voronin's centre which strayed wide.

Roles were reversed seconds later when Babel nodded down for the Ukrainian, who volleyed into the Kop from 15 yards.

Riera was next to threaten with a fierce left-footer which flew narrowly wide, while Glen Johnson also came close late on.

But the last word was to be Babel's thanks to two late efforts, only one of which was meant.

The first arrived on 88 minutes after Dirk Kuyt burst down the right and whipped in a superb cross to give his countyman an easy finish. The second came with a freak deflection on a Riera shot to send the ball looping over Myhill.