Thing

The Thing (Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, and a founding member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Fantastic Four #1 (cover-dated Nov. 1961). The Thing is known for his trademark rocky appearance, superhuman strength, sense of humor, and battle cry "It's clobberin' time!" His speech patterns are loosely based on Jimmy Durante. 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. The Thing has notably appeared in other media, including live-action films. Ebon Moss-Bachrach will portray the character in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), Avengers: Doomsday (2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). In addition to appearing in the Fantastic Four, the Thing has starred in Marvel Two-in-One, Strange Tales (with his fellow Fantastic Four member the Human Torch), and two incarnations of his own eponymous series, as well as numerous miniseries and one-shots. Most recently, The Thing launched a new limited series in 2023 called Clobberin' Time which features the Thing teaming up with various heroes.