Fantastic Four: 10 Times The Thing Redefined The Word “Fantastic”

Ben Grimm, The Thing, puts the "Fantastic" in the Fantastic Four with his amazing exploits.

The Thing Fantastic Four Marvel
Marvel

Benjamin Jacob Grimm; “The Idol of Millions!”; his Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew; and the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing. Ben Grimm has been called many things since that fateful rocket ride turned him into the Thing and he has seen and done things that a tough street kid from Yancy Street could have never thought of in his wildest dreams.

With his teammates in the Fantastic Four, Ben has traveled through the multiverse and the Microverse, has saved countless lives, and has made many villains fear the words “It’s clobberin' time!” With groups like the Avengers on both coasts and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Ben has battled garden variety street villains, would-be world conquerors, and cosmic threats.

There is hardly a hero in the Marvel Universe who doesn't count him as a friend or has lost money to him over a poker table. Ben is not only the muscle of the FF but its heart and he uses both of those to accomplish amazing things on a regular basis. The word "Fantastic" may not be big enough to define Ben Grimm.

10. Defeating The Hulk

The Thing Fantastic Four Marvel
Marvel Comics

Ben would be the first to tell you that in the question of who is strongest - the Thing or the Hulk - it’s the Hulk. Hands down.

Any time that Ben had ever defeated the Hulk in their many battles, it was because the Hulk let him win or there were extenuating circumstances. So, when an enraged Hulk showed up on the island Ben and Alicia were planning to honeymoon at, threatening to kill him and there were civilians everywhere, Ben was understandably concerned. Especially since there were only a few minutes until the serum that turns him fully human for one week a year kicked in.

While they fought and verbally sparred, Ben noticed something wrong. This didn’t sound like any version of the Hulk he knew or even Bruce Banner. And when Ben mentioned Alicia and the Hulk referred to her as “my Alicia”, Ben knew that it was the villainous Puppet Master, Alicia’s step-father, controlling the Hulk with his radioactive clay.

Ben also knew he had to end this quickly. With only seconds to spare, Ben delivered a blow that shattered the rock covering off of his entire arm and knocked the Hulk out. He awoke a week later in the team’s new Yancy Street headquarters in a vibranium cast, having been in a coma the whole week of his human transformation.

Contributor
Contributor

John Wilson has been a comic book and pop culture fan his entire life. He has written for a number of websites on the subject over the years and is especially pleased to be at WhatCulture. John has written two comic books for Last Ember Press Studio and has recently self-published a children's book called "Blue." When not spending far too much time on the internet, John spends time with his lovely wife, Kim, their goofy dog, Tesla, and two very spoiled cats.