The Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing Appreciation

[Crimz]

I hope Ben gets the popularity he had in past again.

[Mantis Girl 94]

I hope Ben gets the popularity he had in past again.

I am with you!!

When i first started reading all the 12cent comics (and I do mean all of them LOL), You could feel the love for Ben oozing out of every FF Letter page... I wonder when the exact moment was that he lost the mantle of the "Most beloved Marvel Hero"?? I think that would fall to Spider-Man who slowly but surely overtook him...
I not even sure Spidey has ever lost that mantle since he gained it.. Maybe Wolverine has challenged him at the peak of Wolverine-Mania but I am not so sure.... All I know is after Ben lost the #1 spot and the 70's came along I believe he slipped further and further.....It will be a hard road to climb back to the top; but if anyone can do it he can!

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

To me Waid’s “Fantastic Four” succeeds at fleshing out the main cast far better than any run before and after it. Waid really excels at developing Benjamin Grimm. The Thing is more accepting of his fate, and provides guidance for everyone else. And is the wisest person on the team.

He is literally and figuratively: The rock of the Fantastic Four.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

If Fox wants to get really fancy they can use Ben Grimm since Fox also owns the Fantastic Four. The Thing is a big monstrous intimidating looking thing (pun intended). To top it all off, Wolverine and The Thing don't really like each other. In fact, Wolverine cut Grimm's face up really bad in the comics. So bad that Grimm had to wear a mask for a while. This could be used as a reason for Grimm's hatred of Wolverine. They apparently fought in the 'Old Man Logan' universe at some point as well. At the end of the story, Logan fought Bruce Banner and then Banner turned into the Hulk. Logan could fight Ben Grimm and then The Thing.http://moviepilot.com/posts/3407431

[Midnight_v]

[/B]http://moviepilot.com/posts/3407431

I remember that metal mask and the horrible scars that wolverine left him.
I like Ben, he's a great character, but I hate that they won't give him a power upgrade, or at least lift his curse.
When I look at Reed, and really his Illuminati friends, hell STRANGE! Its so blatantly obvious that Reed doesnt' give a damn about fixing Ben. I mean I know they're not going to power him up because by definition in marvel: The hulk is strongest. So If they just let Ben power up and down, he could might be able to carry his own solo or something. I would in fact let someone OTHER than Reed fix it, and then Ben go on anew after "all these years" those stories right themselves. Plot twist? Ben hasn't aged since becoming the thing, alternatively whatever they do to fix him keeps him from aging from then on in human form. Its not a power up but its immortality, and that will give Ben more credence and new struggles in universe. (since the rules are off in this ANAD world). I just hate the deal they give ben.

[PaxHouse]

I like Ben, he's a great character, but I hate that they won't give him a power upgrade, or at least lift his curse.

When I look at Reed, and really his Illuminati friends, hell STRANGE! Its so blatantly obvious that Reed doesnt' give a damn about fixing Ben. I mean I know they're not going to power him up because by definition in marvel: The hulk is strongest. So If they just let Ben power up and down, he could might be able to carry his own solo or something. I would in fact let someone OTHER than Reed fix it, and then Ben go on anew after "all these years" those stories right themselves. Plot twist? Ben hasn't aged since becoming the thing, alternatively whatever they do to fix him keeps him from aging from then on in human form. Its not a power up but its immortality, and that will give Ben more credence and new struggles in universe. (since the rules are off in this ANAD world). I just hate the deal they give ben.

Apparently, you've been missing the Hickman's run on the F4 & FF series, where the Future Foundation (that Reed's established within said series) had created a cure for the Thing where it will change him back into his human form (for about a week), but will only about once a year.

[Midnight_v]

Apparently, you've been missing the Hickman's run on the F4 & FF series, where the Future Foundation (that Reed's established within said series) had created a cure for the Thing where it will change him back into his human form (for about a week), but will only about once a year.

No. I remember that, but if we're being honest, that doesn't effect the character enough to really make any changes to his life. Its a small boon admittedly, but grimm has a lot going him personality/story wise that gets outshined by his perpetual monster state. I get that one some level thats built in angst and some people love that but... The whole 1 week a year thing is fairly lackluster. I know a strong trend with characters has been "Leave him the way he's always been" I know I feel that strong tug as well, and yet... with Ben Grimm, I think it'd be a positive change to explore for a while. Something that thus far we've only seen in what if and the ultimate universe(briefly). I remember reading that the thing being stuck like that was to remove him as a love interest for sue, as thats not what the books about, but now... I'm mean that ships so far gone. I think he can do with better than 1 week a year.

[CaptCleghorn]

To me, one of Ben's greatest talents is his ability to get along with others. His successful MTIO run as well as the time with the West Coast Avengers have shown him as a social person. I found his loneliness at the end of Hickman's FF run in the future to be sorrowful. I'd imagine Ben to be the one character (of the FF) would could most easily adapt to a different setting, or at the least, to find compatriots.

[DiceRoll]

By Ron Wilson and Frank Giacoia.

Slightly off-topic, but can I just say that this inspired my absolute favorite episode of Dial M for Monkey. I love how they did the speech word-for-word.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Ben's victory over the Hulk; FF #320...

[codystarbuck]

I loved Marvel Two-in-One, even more than Marvel Team-Up. Ben just made the perfect character for superhero tag-teams. This is my all-time favorite storyline from the book, Project Pegasus:



The genesis of the story lies in the movie The Andromeda Strain. Mark Gruenwald was a fan and loved the Project: Wildfire underground lab, from the film. He and Ralph Macchio came up with their own, in Project Pegasus, an energy research facility, where energy-powered villains were brought for incarceration and study, as well as other voluntary subjects, including Wundarr. It features great art from John Byrne (first 3 issues) and George Perez (the rest) and has Ben teamed up with Quasar and Giant Man (Bill Foster, formerly Black Goliath) and opposed by Deathlok, Thundra and the Grapplers (female wrestlers, turned supervillains, including the future Songbird), Solar and Klaw, and the Nth Man. It also has Wundarr's transformation into the Christ-like Aquarian.

The whole series was great.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

I loved Marvel Two-in-One, even more than Marvel Team-Up. Ben just made the perfect character for superhero tag-teams. This is my all-time favorite storyline from the book, Project Pegasus:



The genesis of the story lies in the movie The Andromeda Strain. Mark Gruenwald was a fan and loved the Project: Wildfire underground lab, from the film. He and Ralph Macchio came up with their own, in Project Pegasus, an energy research facility, where energy-powered villains were brought for incarceration and study, as well as other voluntary subjects, including Wundarr. It features great art from John Byrne (first 3 issues) and George Perez (the rest) and has Ben teamed up with Quasar and Giant Man (Bill Foster, formerly Black Goliath) and opposed by Deathlok, Thundra and the Grapplers (female wrestlers, turned supervillains, including the future Songbird), Solar and Klaw, and the Nth Man. It also has Wundarr's transformation into the Christ-like Aquarian.

The whole series was great.

I am really slacking in my ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE reading. I've stopped right at the start of this storyline.
And I'm still pissed that the ESSENTIAL line came to a screeching halt.

[codystarbuck]

I am really slacking in my ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE reading. I've stopped right at the start of this storyline.
And I'm still pissed that the ESSENTIAL line came to a screeching halt.

This storyline distills everything great about Ben Grimm. You see his caring side, as he looks in on Wundarr, his "blue collar" personality, in his interactions with everyone and in things like his poker games; you get some decent threats that challenge his strength and power, and you have a good mystery.

One of the things I liked about Ben Grimm is that he was allowed to come to terms with his transformation. He still had periods where he felt like he was cut off from humanity; but, they rarely lasted long. He was like someone who has gone through an accident and lost the use of a limb; but, learns to adjust and move on, both retaining the person they were and growing from the experience. Like Christopher Reeve. He took the cards he had been dealt and found a new purpose for his life, as an advocate for funding research into dealing with paralysis and other catastrophic injuries and illness. Ben was like that. He was turned into a monstrous form; but, once he got past the bitterness, he found that people could accept him for who he always was. Once he looked at life in a more positive manner, he found that people responded to him in the same way. He became a hero and an idol of millions, so much so, he actually was subconsciously defeating efforts to turn him back into human form. That's part of why I felt he was the perfect vehicle for team-ups. He was, down deep, a regular guy, whether he was a hotshot pilot and or a rocky-skinned superhero. He could relate to people of any walk of life.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

I agree Bashful Benjy has a talent for getting along with others.

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Ben and Wundarr were to me like a father and son couple