10 Insane Alternate Versions Of The Thing You Won't Believe Exist
8. Jack Kirby
They say that God created man in His own image, and it's an established part of the Fantastic Four canon that God looks a hell of a lot like Jack Kirby. So, it really stands to reason that the Thing, one of Kirby's most iconic creations, should resemble him in some way. But WHAT IF the Thing didn't just resemble him... WHAT IF the Thing WAS him?
That was the big question asked by Marvel's What If..? #11, What If The Original Marvel Bullpen Had Become The Fantastic Four? Written and drawn by Kirby himself, this comic presented us with an alternate reality in which the Skrulls gifted the real-life staff of Marvel "the ultimate fantasy" - a chance to live life as the very heroes they created!
Editor Stan Lee became Mister Fantastic, secretary Flo Steinberg became the Invisible Woman, vice-president Sol Brodsky became the Human Torch, and of course Kirby kept the best for himself: he became the Thing.
Aside from a penchant for chewing cigars and a talent for drawing, there honestly wasn't a huge difference between Kirby's Thing and Ben Grimm's Thing. This makes a lot of sense, as Kirby often spoke about growing up in a tough New York City neighbourhood, where you needed to know how to fight to survive.
It's clear that there has always been a lot of Jack Kirby's personality in the Thing, even when the Thing wasn't literally Jack Kirby.