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The Thing (Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, a founding member of the superhero team The Fantastic Four. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. 1961). His trademark battle cry, "It's clobberin' time!" is one of comics' most recognizable catchphrases.

Character Biography

Renowned test pilot Ben Grimm, accompanied by long-time friend and scientist Reed Richards, Richards' future wife Susan Storm, and her brother Johnny Storm took an experimental ride into the upper atmosphere of Earth where they were unluckily pelted by a cosmic ray storm. Upon crashing down to Earth each of the four learned that they had developed fantastic superpowers. Grimm had been transformed initially into a lumpy orange thing, and later into the more familiar massive orange humanoid pile of slightly jagged earthy rock. Richards proposed the quartet band together to use their new abilities for the betterment of humanity, and Grimm, in a moment of understandable self-pity, adopted the superheroic sobriquet The Thing. Ben Grimms exploits as a US Marine Aviator were chronicled to a limited extent in the Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders issue entitled Operation:Ben Grimm

Trapped in his monstrous form, Grimm was an unhappy yet reliable member of the team. He trusted in his friend Reed Richards to one day develop a cure for his condition. However, when he encountered blind sculptress Alicia Masters, Grimm developed a subconscious resistance to being transformed back to his human form. Fearing that Masters preferred him to remain in the monstrous form of the Thing, Grimm's body rejected various attempts by Richards to restore his human form lest he lose the love of Masters. His subconscious fear kept him in his rocky form and Grimm remained a stalwart member of the Fantastic Four for years.

He left the team when he opted to remain on an alien planet where he could control his transformation to and from his rocky superpowered form. Upon returning to Earth he learned that Masters had become romantically involved with his partner Johnny Storm while he was absent. Grimm wallowed in self-pity for a time but eventually returned to his surrogate family. It should be noted that the relationship between Johnny and Alicia was an outrage amongst fans. It was later retconned, that the Alicia that Johnny fell in love with was actually Lyja, a member of the Skrull. The real Alicia, who was in a frozen state was soon rescued by the Fantastic Four and reunited with the Thing.

Ben became the leader of the Fantastic Four for a time when the Richards took a sabbatical.

After being further mutated into a more monstrous rocky form and briefly being changed back to his human form, Grimm has once more returned to his traditional orange rocky form. He remains a steadfast member of the Fantastic Four and one of the most easily recognizable characters of the Marvel Universe.

In 2005, Ben learned he was entitled to a large sum of money, his share of the Fantastic Four fortune (which Reed Richards had never touched over the years to pay off various costs and debts of the group, unlike the shares of the other teammates, who were family members). The following year, the Thing, under writer Dan Slott, began starring in his first solo title in more than 20 years.

Some personality traits of the cantankerously lovable, occasionally cigar-smoking, Jewish native of the Lower East Side are popularly recognized as having been inspired by those of co-creator Kirby, who in interviews said he'd intended Grimm to be an alter ego of himself. However, as was usual for comic-book characters of that era, no religion was publicly mentioned. Grimm was revealed to be Jewish, like Kirby, in the 2002 issue "Remembrance of Things Past".

Powers & Abilities

The Thing possesses vast superhuman strength, endurance, and durability. The cosmic ray bombardment caused his musculature, bone structure, internal organ composition, soft-tissue structure and skin to greatly increase in toughness and density as a rock like substance.

The Thing can exert himself at high levels for about a day before being significantly weakened by the effort. The Thing's lungs are of greater volume and efficiency than a normal man, enabling him to hold his breath underwater for several times longer than a normal human. The Thing's five senses can withstand greater amounts of sensory stimuli than he could when he was a normal human being, with no reduced sensitivity save in his sense of touch. The Thing's body is able to withstand temperature extremes for some time before feeling the effects. He can withstand the effects of armor-piercing shells against his skin with no injury. He is still susceptible to colds, disease, and emotional stress.

Unlike the Hulk, the Thing has suffered no loss in intelligence nor change in personality in his transformation to his monstrous form, possibly because he does not suffer from Banner's multiple personality disorder (which predates Banner becoming the Hulk).

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Athletes - Thing

Character Biography

Powers & Abilities

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