Real Name:
Benjamin Jacob Grimm
Location:
New York City
First Appearance:
Fantastic Four #1 (1961)
Created By:
Jack Kirby and
Stan Lee
Powers:
The Thing is one of the hardiest characters of the Marvel universe and has gone toe to toe with some of the heaviest hitters out there, including the
Hulk. His monstrous appearance matches his power, but he is one of the most human members of the team.
The Thing is nearly impervious to damage, his thick rock-like hide keeping him safe from harm. He can sustain enormous amounts of punishment from many different kinds of attacks including physical, energy, heat, and cold forms of damage.
Not only can The Thing take punishment, he can dish it out as well. His strength is off the charts and is able to lift weights in excess of 80 tons. Ben knows how to use his strength as well, being an accomplished fighter, wrestler, and brawler. He is the solid core of the Fantastic Four and uses his powers to get them out of tight and difficult situations.
Team Affiliations:
Fantastic Four
Currently Seen In:
The Thing can be seen in Fantastic Four, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and is often a guest in many other Marvel Comics.
Interesting Fact:
Ben Grimm, like his creator Jack Kirby, is Jewish.
Origin:
Benjamin “Jacob” Grimm grew up in poverty in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. He had a terribly rough life, a drunk jobless father and brother who was a gang member in the Yancy Street Gang. His parents sustained themselves with help from Ben’s brother Dan who got his money by nefarious means.
Ben’s life took a dramatic turn when his brother was killed by a rival gang. Ben joined the Yancy Street Gang and eventually became it’s leader, but tragedy struck again when his parents were killed and Ben was forced to move in with his Uncle Jake and Aunt Alyce Grimm. His Uncle was a doctor and offered Ben a much more stable life, which Ben refused at first, but slowly Ben came around to the love and care that his family offered. He went to High School and became a football star, getting a scholarship to local Empire University.
After graduating, Ben did just that, he joined the military and became a pilot. He went on to be one of the best test pilots they had and even went on to train as an astronaut. Meanwhile, Reed was working on his starship plans and when he came into funding problems, Reed asked Ben to fulfill his promise years ago in college and help him pilot the ship. Ben was reluctant at first as he thought the shielding might be insufficient to protect them from radiation. Reed talked Ben into it however and they recruited Reed’s girlfriend
Sue and her kid brother Johnny to accompany them.
Everything was fine until the ship was dosed in Cosmic Rays, which penetrated the ship and irradiated the crew. Upon landing, Ben and rest of the crew discovered that the Cosmic Rays had somehow changed their very genetic structure. While the other retained their human shape, Ben changed into an orange monstrous creature. Sue announced upon seeing Ben change, “He’s turned into a--some sort of a thing!” The four decided to use their new abilities for mankind and formed the
Fantastic Four, a team dedicated to scientific discover and serving the world.
At first Ben’s form was more of a lumpy orange mush-like texture. But it quickly became more and more like the rocky texture we have come to know The Thing for. These mutations continued to change and grow throughout the years, making Ben’s appearance more monstrous at times. There have even been times where Ben has been able to change back into human form, but inevitably Ben changes back into his Thing persona.
The Thing, despite his appearance, has had many relationships in his time with the
Fantastic Four. Probably most notably would be Alicia Masters, a blind sculptor who was able to see past his rocky appearance and into the heart of the man beneath. It was Ben’s love for Alecia that led to Ben creating a mental block in keeping him from changing back into his human form, subconsciously fearing that Alecia wouldn’t love his normal human self. Despite breaking apart, Alecia and Ben are still friends and Alecia is a big part of the Fantastic Four’s life.
Ben has served the Fantastic Four in many different ways, his strength and power has come in handy many times and he even led the team for a time when Sue and Reed needed time away from the hazards and responsibility of the life with the Fantastic Four. He proved himself to be a competent leader but easily gave it up when Sue and Reed, returned.
Ben himself has departed from the team on different occasions. Once, when Ben learned that Reed had known about his mental block keeping him from changing back to human form, Ben left the team and traveled America, joining a motorcycle stunt team and the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation, until a renewed mutation forced him underground. While there, he faced the Fantastic Four’s old foe Mole Man and reunited with the other members of the Fantastic Four to defeat him. After that, The Thing rejoined the team.
Lately, The Thing left America during the Civil War event that polarized heroes to two opposing sides. He went to France and found some adventures with a superteam there named Les Heroes de Paris until he came back to America and joined Sue and Johnny on the side of the resistance. At the end of the Civil War, with the resistance lost and Captain America dead, Reed, and Sue, decided to leave the team and again work on their marriage, leaving Storm and Black Panther in their stead.
