The Thing (Also known as Ben Grimm) is a college friend of Reed Richards and a member of the Fantastic Four.
Character History[]
Ben Grimm was born on Yancy Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side, where he grew up in poverty. His father, an alcoholic, was unable to hold a job. Much of the family's income came from Grimm's older brother, Daniel, who obtained funds illegally as leader of the Yancy Street Gang. Grimm, who idolized his brother, became embittered against the world when Daniel was killed in a battle between rival gangs. Grimm was only eight years old at the time. Within ten years, he had succeeded his brother as leader of the Yancy Street Gang. After his parents died, Grimm was taken in by his Uncle Jake, who had risen from poverty to become a successful physician. At first, Grimm resisted his new guardians' kindness toward him. But eventually, he came to return their love. He left his life with the Yancy Street Gang behind, entered high school, and became a football star there. While he was a senior at Stuyvesant High School, Ben received a football scholarship to State University in Hegeman, New York. On the football field, Ben received the nickname "Grimm Reaper.
Grimm's freshman year roommate was the brilliant science student Reed Richards, who became his closest friend. During their first meeting, Richards confided in Grimm his intention someday to build a starship for interstellar travel. Grimm jokingly promised that he would pilot the starship for Richards if he ever built it. Upon graduating, Grimm went into the U.S. Air Force and became a highly skilled fighter pilot, as well as a test pilot and an astronaut. In the meantime, Richards went ahead with his project to build a starship, using both his own fortune and funding from the Federal government. On the day that Grimm left the military, Richards came to him to remind him of his promise to pilot the starship.
After the government denies him permission to fly the spaceship himself, Richards plots a clandestine flight piloted by Grimm and accompanied by his future wife Susan Storm, who had helped provide funding for the rocket, and her younger brother Johnny Storm, who helped the group gain access to the launch system. Although reluctant to fly the rocket, Ben is persuaded to do so by Sue, for whom he has a soft spot. During this unauthorized ride into the upper atmosphere of Earth and the Van Allen Belts, they are pelted by a cosmic ray storm and exposed to radiation against which the ship's shields are no protection. Upon crashing down to Earth, each of the four had to learn that they have developed fantastic superhuman abilities. Grimm's skin is transformed into a thick, lumpy orange hide, which gradually evolves into his now-familiar craggy covering of large rocky plates. Trapped in his monstrous form, Grimm is an unhappy yet reliable member of the team. He trusts in his friend Reed Richards to one day develop a cure for his condition. However, when he encounters blind sculptress Alicia Masters, Grimm develops an unconscious resistance to being transformed back to his human form. Subconsciously fearing that Masters prefers him to remain in the monstrous form of the Thing, Grimm's body rejects various attempts by Richards to restore his human form, lest he loses Masters' love.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance: Story[]
The Thing was still a member of the Fantastic Four and came to the aid of Nick Fury when the Masters of Evil attacked the UNN Alpha Helicarrier, and later became part of the Ultimate Alliance. The Fantastic Four helped defeat Dr. Doom and stop the Masters of Evil. He rejoined the Four when the Alliance was disbanded.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2: Story[]
The Thing was one of the heroes who went with Fury to Latveria, and when the Civil War erupt because of the news of SRA, Thing disappeared, wanting to stay Neutral and leaves a message for Reed saying he's going underground to lay low for a while. He was also present alongside Storm in helping their fellow heroes cleaning up New York after the invasion caused by Lucia von Bardas' Masters of Evil, shortly before the US government announce the plan for SRA. When a second round of the war happen at Yancy Street, the Thing appeared angry for the battle coming to him, defeating a nanite controlled Lady Deathstrike and a freed Multiple Man. He decided to join the fight in the Civil War, and later fought the Fold when they took over the world.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: Story[]
In the reboot timeline, The Thing and his teammate were chasing Doom across dimensions until they are stranded at Negative Zone. However, doom escaped, leading to Fantastic Four's absent from the war between their fellow heroes, The Ultimate Alliance and Thanos's army, the Black Order and Outriders.
Until the demises of both Thanos and his son, Thane, where Doom invade Wakanda to steal the Soul Stone, leading the reformed alliance being sent by him to the Negative Zone cause them to reunite with Fantastic Four and successfully escape from the dimension with the portal Reed invented. Apparently, the portal Reed created is meant to send him and his fellow heroes to Latveria, in order to move quickly before Doom misuses the Soul Stone that would endanger the universe, such as absorb his people's soul, reviving the Celestial he found, and becoming the godlike form known as "God Emperor Doom". As soon as the alliance defeated stone empowered Doom, Reed learns what he found at from Doom's Lab that Doom's method was meant to be the only savior to prevent an incoming new threat who came into being from a clash between Thane and Thanos. However, Doom is too dangerous and cannot do alone to prevent it, offering him to join the alliance of heroes and villains, as the new battle about to begin.
Gameplay[]
Trivia[]
- He and his team are one of the many characters to appear in every game as a playable character alongside Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Blade, Luke Cage, Storm, Daredevil, Ms. Marvel, Deadpool, Venom, Magneto, and Black Panther.
Gallery[]
