10 Things Marvel Wants You To Forget About The Thing

1. He Left His Fiancée At The Altar

Thing Debbie Green
Marvel Comics

While this speaks more to Marvel and DC's bizarre anti-marriage policy in the new millennium than it does to Ben himself, this moment bears mentioning as a reminder of just how bizarre a policy it was.

When Ben Grimm met Debbie Green in Fantastic Four #554, it looked as though it was love at first sight. Their relationship soon blossomed and, before you know it, Ben popped the question, booking a wedding for the next year and becoming the talk of the town in the process.

By the time it got to the main event, however, Ben decided to up and leave, conscious of the fact that superhero marriages tend to end in tragedy and suffixing it all by recycling the Toby Maguire monologue from Spider-Man in the process.

Much like One More Day and DC's later insistence that Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer couldn't marry, Ben's last minute decision to call the whole thing off was emblematic of one of the weirdest editorial mandates of our time, and a moment to forget for Marvel to this day.

Know of any awkward Thing moments? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.