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Thing, The
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Creation & Design

The Thing was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, debuting in 1961 as a member of the Fantastic Four. His design was inspired by the idea of a character who was both monstrous and heroic.

Early Years

Initially portrayed as a gruff but lovable character, The Thing's early stories focused on his struggles with his monstrous appearance and his desire to be accepted by society.

Character Development

Over the years, The Thing has evolved from a simple monster character to a complex hero, dealing with themes of acceptance, friendship, and the struggle between his human side and his monstrous form.

Cultural Reception

The Thing has been well-received by fans and critics alike, often praised for his depth and relatability as a character who embodies the struggle of being different.

Character Details

Real Name:
Benjamin Jacob Grimm
First Appearance:
Fantastic Four #1
Aliases:
Ben Grimm, The Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing
Species:
Mutated Human
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
Fantastic Four, Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Abilities:
Superhuman strength, Durability, Stamina, Expert pilot
Weight:
450lbs
Height:
6' 0"
Eye Color:
blue
Hair Color:
orange

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Fantastic Four #1
Marvel ⋅ 1961
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Fantastic Four #1
 
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Key Facts

1st team appearance and origin of the Fantastic Four: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, The Thing

1st appearance of Mole Man

1st appearance of Giganto, a Deviant Mutate from Monster Isle

1st appearance of Tricephalous

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Landmark issue that launched the Marvel Age of comics

💰 In April 2022, a 9.2 sold for $1.5 million

💰 In September 2024, a 9.6 sold for $2,040,000

Fantastic Four #12
Marvel ⋅ 1963
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Fantastic Four #12
 
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Key Facts

First battle of the Hulk and the Fantastic Four

First crossover of a character with a title (the Hulk) into another title (Fantastic Four)

Fantastic Four #22
Marvel ⋅ 1964
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Fantastic Four #22
 
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Key Facts

2nd appearance of Mole Man

Invisible Woman gains new superpowers

The Thing first exclaims, 'It's Clobberin' Time'

Fantastic Four #25
Marvel ⋅ 1964
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Fantastic Four #25
 
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$1.2k

Key Facts

2nd appearance of Captain America in the Silver Age

First solo battle of the Hulk versus the Thing, briefly fought in Fantastic Four #12

Cover appearance of the Hulk versus the Thing

Strange Tales #124
Marvel ⋅ 1964
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Strange Tales #124
 
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Key Facts

Stories featuring The Thing and Human Torch begin

First mention of Cyttorak and Raggadorr, invoked by Doctor Strange

Strange Tales #125
Marvel ⋅ 1964
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Strange Tales #125
 
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Key Facts

Classic battle of the Human Torch and the Thing vs the Sub-Mariner

Strange Tales #130
Marvel ⋅ 1965
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Strange Tales #130
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Kaecilius

3rd appearance of Dormammu

Parody of the Beatles by the Human Torch and The Thing

Fantastic Four #55
Marvel ⋅ 1966
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Fantastic Four #55
 
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Key Facts

Iconic cover featuring the Thing and Silver Surfer

First issue where Silver Surfer is illustrated with boxer briefs, a continued practice until the 1987 Silver Surfer series relaunch

Sub-Mariner #8
Marvel ⋅ 1968
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Sub-Mariner #8
 
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Key Facts

Iconic cover art by John Buscema

Classic battle Sub-Mariner vs The Thing

4th appearance of Vision

Fantastic Four #107
Marvel ⋅ 1971
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Fantastic Four #107
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Janus the Nega-Man

2nd appearance of Annihilus

The Thing gains the ability to transform back to human form

Fantastic Four #112
Marvel ⋅ 1971
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Fantastic Four #112
 
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Key Facts

Classic battle of the Hulk vs the Thing

Iconic cover art by John Buscema

Marvel Feature #11
Marvel ⋅ 1973
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Marvel Feature #11
 
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Key Facts

First solo story featuring the Thing

Marvel Two-In-One #1
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Marvel Two-In-One #1
 
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Key Facts

Series that teams up The Thing with different Marvel characters

Team-up of the Thing and Man-Thing

Giant-Size Super-Stars #1
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Giant-Size Super-Stars #1
 
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Key Facts

Battle of the Hulk vs Thing

Additional content includes pin-ups and one page biographies of Fantastic Four villains

Retitled Giant-Size Fantastic Four with issue #2, published quarterly

Fantastic Four #166
Marvel ⋅ 1976
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Fantastic Four #166
 
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Key Facts

Classic battle of the Hulk vs the Thing

Fantastic Four #167
Marvel ⋅ 1976
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Fantastic Four #167
 
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Key Facts

Classic battle of the Fantastic Four vs the Hulk

Fantastic Four #238
Marvel ⋅ 1982
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Fantastic Four #238
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Aunt Petunia, the Aunt of Ben Grimm whom he references often but her identity is not revealed until the next issue

Origin of Frankie Raye

The Thing #1
Marvel ⋅ 1983
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The Thing #1
 
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Key Facts

First The Thing solo headlining series

Origin of Ben Grimm, The Thing in his younger years on Yancy Street

Fantastic Four #265
Marvel ⋅ 1984
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Fantastic Four #265
 
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Key Facts

She-Hulk joins the Fantastic Four

The Thing quits the Fantastic Four

The Skrull, Lyja replaces Alicia Masters in this issue which is later revealed in Fantastic Four #357

The Thing #24
Marvel ⋅ 1985
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The Thing #24
 
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Key Facts

Death of Miracle Man

Classic battle the Thing vs Rhino

Fantastic Four #326
Marvel ⋅ 1989
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Fantastic Four #326
 
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Key Facts

The Thing returns to human form which last until Fantastic Four #350

Hulk vs. The Thing #1
Marvel ⋅ 1999
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Hulk vs. The Thing #1
 
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Key Facts

Reprint of four classic stories featuring Hulk versus the Thing:

Fantastic Four #25, #26, #112 and Marvel Feature #11

Fantastic Four #601
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2012
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Fantastic Four #601
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Ron Garney

Cover art inspired by Incredible Hulk #377 (1991)

🥈 Runner-Up: New High [Previous High]

9.8 sold for $400 [$165 in 2022] +142%

Fantastic Four #3
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2013
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Fantastic Four #3
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Gabriele Dell'Otto

Fantastic Four #1
Non-Key
Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2018
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Fantastic Four #1
 
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Variant cover art by Artgerm

Fantastic Four #1
Non-Key
Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2018
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Fantastic Four #1
 
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Variant cover art by Humberto Ramos

1st cover appearance of Griever

Fantastic Four #5
Marvel ⋅ 2018
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Fantastic Four #5
 
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Key Facts

Marriage of Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters

Anniversay of the Fantastic Four's 650th issue

Fantastic Four #5
Non-Key
1:500 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2018
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Fantastic Four #5
 
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Variant cover art by Jack Kirby

Remastered edition

Fantastic Four #13
2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019
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Fantastic Four #13
 
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Variant second printing cover art by Sean Izaakse

The Thing versus the Immortal Hulk

Copies ordered by retailers: 1,494

Marvel Comics #1000
GameStop ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2019
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Marvel Comics #1000
 
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Variant cover art by Chris Sotomayor

GameStop exclusive

Empyre #3
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2020
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Empyre #3
 
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Variant cover art by Ed McGuinness

King In Black #1
Non-Key
Secret Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2020
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King In Black #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Ryan Stegman

‘Secret’ unannounced variant featuring The Thing in the center whereas the standard cover features the Hulk

The Thing #1
Non-Key
1:25 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2021
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The Thing #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Superlog

Fantastic Four #38
Non-Key
1:25 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2021
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Fantastic Four #38
 
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Variant cover art by Alex Horley

Fantastic Four #1
Non-Key
1:400 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2022
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Fantastic Four #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Frank Miller

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