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Thing (comics)

Updated: 11/21/2025, 12:27:41 PM Wikipedia source

The Thing (Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. The Thing was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 (cover-dated Nov. 1961). Known for his trademark rocky appearance, he has superhuman strength, a sense of humor, and the battle cry and catchphrase "It's clobberin' time!". The Thing's personality and background is heavily modeled by Kirby's own background. A key feature throughout his character arc has him struggling to accept his newfound powers, which often culminates in his returning to his human form before going back to his mutated form. Eventually the Thing came to accept his mutated form and even found love with and married blind sculptor, Alicia Masters, and they adopted two alien children. The Thing notably appeared in other media, including live-action films, with Michael Bailey Smith and Carl Ciarfalio playing the character in his human and mutated forms respectively in the unreleased film The Fantastic Four, Michael Chiklis in the 2005 Fantastic Four film and its 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Jamie Bell in the 2015 reboot, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), who will reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

Infobox

Publisher
Marvel Comics
First appearance
Fantastic Four (November. 1961)
Created by
Stan Lee (writer)Jack Kirby (artist)
Full name
Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm
Species
Human mutate
Team affiliations
Fantastic FourAvengersGuardians of the GalaxyFuture Foundation
Notable aliases
Blackbeard the PirateAngrir: Breaker of SoulsDr. Josiah VerpoorteenEl Morrito
Abilities
Superhuman strength, stamina, and durability Immortality Skilled hand-to-hand combatant

Tables

· Collected editions
Thing Classic Vol. 1
Thing Classic Vol. 1
Title
Thing Classic Vol. 1
Material collected
Thing (vol. 1) #1–10
Published date
March 2011
ISBN
mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }978-0785153085
Thing Classic Vol. 2
Thing Classic Vol. 2
Title
Thing Classic Vol. 2
Material collected
Thing (vol. 1) #11–22, Fantastic Four #274
Published date
August 2012
ISBN
978-0785159797
Thing Omnibus
Thing Omnibus
Title
Thing Omnibus
Material collected
Thing (vol. 1) #1–36; Fantastic Four #274, 277, 296; Secret Wars II #7; West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) #10; Questprobe #3; Marvel Tales #198; The Incredible Hulk and the Thing: The Big Change and material from Marvel Fanfare #15, Marvel Super-Heroes #5
Published date
November 2022
ISBN
978-1302945787
Hulk & Thing: Hard Knocks
Hulk & Thing: Hard Knocks
Title
Hulk & Thing: Hard Knocks
Material collected
Hulk & Thing: Hard Knocks #1–4, Giant-Size Super Stars #1
Published date
February 2005
ISBN
978-0785115762
Fantastic Four: Clobberin' Time
Fantastic Four: Clobberin' Time
Title
Fantastic Four: Clobberin' Time
Material collected
Tales of The Thing #1–3, Marvel Age Fantastic Four Tales #1, Spider-Man Team-Up Special #1
Published date
June 2005
ISBN
978-0785117384
The Thing: Freakshow
The Thing: Freakshow
Title
The Thing: Freakshow
Material collected
Thing: Freakshow #1–4, Thing & She-Hulk: The Long Night #1
Published date
July 2005
ISBN
978-0785119111
Stan Lee Meets
Stan Lee Meets
Title
Stan Lee Meets
Material collected
Stan Lee Meets the Thing #1 and Stan Lee Meets the Amazing Spider-Man #1, Stan Lee Meets Doctor Strange #1, Stan Lee Meets Doctor Doom #1, Stan Lee Meets Silver Surfer #1; Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #87, Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #79, 87, Marvel Premiere #3, Silver Surfer (vol. 1) #14.
Published date
March 2007
ISBN
978-0785122722
Thing: Idol of Millions
Thing: Idol of Millions
Title
Thing: Idol of Millions
Material collected
Thing (vol. 2) #1–8
Published date
September 2006
ISBN
978-0785118138
Thing: The Next Big Thing
Thing: The Next Big Thing
Title
Thing: The Next Big Thing
Material collected
Thing (vol. 3) #1–6
Published date
September 2022
ISBN
978-1302927998
Clobberin' Time
Clobberin' Time
Title
Clobberin' Time
Material collected
Clobberin' Time #1–5
Published date
October 2023
ISBN
978-1302934668
Title
Material collected
Published date
ISBN
Thing Classic Vol. 1
Thing (vol. 1) –10
March 2011
mw- body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }978-0785153085
Thing Classic Vol. 2
Thing (vol. 1) –22, Fantastic Four
August 2012
978-0785159797
Thing Omnibus
Thing (vol. 1) –36; Fantastic Four , 277, 296; Secret Wars II ; West Coast Avengers (vol. 2) ; Questprobe ; Marvel Tales ; The Incredible Hulk and the Thing: The Big Change and material from Marvel Fanfare , Marvel Super-Heroes
November 2022
978-1302945787
Hulk & Thing: Hard Knocks
Hulk & Thing: Hard Knocks –4, Giant-Size Super Stars
February 2005
978-0785115762
Fantastic Four: Clobberin' Time
Tales of The Thing –3, Marvel Age Fantastic Four Tales , Spider-Man Team-Up Special
June 2005
978-0785117384
The Thing: Freakshow
Thing: Freakshow –4, Thing & She-Hulk: The Long Night
July 2005
978-0785119111
Stan Lee Meets
Stan Lee Meets the Thing and Stan Lee Meets the Amazing Spider-Man , Stan Lee Meets Doctor Strange , Stan Lee Meets Doctor Doom , Stan Lee Meets Silver Surfer ; Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) , Fantastic Four (vol. 1) , 87, Marvel Premiere , Silver Surfer (vol. 1) .
March 2007
978-0785122722
Thing: Idol of Millions
Thing (vol. 2) –8
September 2006
978-0785118138
Thing: The Next Big Thing
Thing (vol. 3) –6
September 2022
978-1302927998
Clobberin' Time
Clobberin' Time –5
October 2023
978-1302934668

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