How strong is the Thing? Fantastic Four character powers & weakness explained

You may think of Marvel Comics’ The Thing as just a big brute character like The Hulk, but there are some key differences that give The Thing a little nuance to his powers. 

Out of all the Fantastic Four members, none are more memorable than The Thing. It says something about the character that he’s both Marvel’s most beloved character and its most tragic. 

Impacted by cosmic rays on a spaceflight, Benjamin Grimm is mutated to be a giant, orange rock monster. He becomes The Thing, a character whose lot in life is so bleak that he’s been at the center of some truly sad Marvel tales. 

In reality, he’s the byproduct of the industry. In an era where superhero comics were a gamble, adding a monster character meant you could tap into that popular market if things went south. These days, the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing is a popular and relatively well-adjusted character, but his appearance and powers still hearken back to an era where he was designed to be the backup plan. 

The Thing’s strengths in Marvel Comics

Rock skin

The primary change Ben Grimm underwent was a thick, orange skin that resembled rocks. The skin is incredibly durable and allows him to go toe-to-toe with the likes of The Hulk and survive impacts that should be devastating. 

It’s not invulnerable, though. The Thing has periodically suffered grievous damage, such as when a berserk Wolverine slashed at his face. The damage never healed on its own, forcing The Thing to cover his damaged face with a helmet. It was eventually healed by Hyperstorm using his Supreme Power.

Over the years, The Thing’s body has undergone ongoing transformations. This includes shifting between his human and rock form, but also an instance where he mutated further, developing a less-human, more spiky appearance. 

Enhanced strength & stamina 

The Thing has advanced strength and stamina, putting him on par with The Incredible Hulk. The two have fought on multiple occasions, with the Thing even scoring a few wins (though usually there is some asterisk as to why Hulk wasn’t at full strength, such as being mind-controlled by Puppet Master).

He’s one of Marvel’s strongest heroes (though, in much the same way Reed Richards is one of the smartest, this can change depending on the story), but it’s not just raw strength that sets him apart. His stamina is also increased, allowing him to go longer without rest and hold his breath for long stretches of time.

The Thing is an accomplished brawler with military and astronaut training. In a pinch, he’s proven to be an incredibly resourceful fight who can go the distance where few others can.

Immortality

The Thing, in his rock form, is functionally immortal. There’s nothing about this form that ages, though his mind still progresses as normal. 

Fortunately, Ben won’t actually live forever. A serum developed by the Future Foundation allows him to revert to his human form once a year. As revealed in Fantastic Four #605, this week is the only time his body ages. 

With the serum, Ben eventually dies in the year 6012. Had he never been given the serum, it’s possible he would have lived forever.  

The Thing’s weaknesses in Marvel Comics

Just being The Thing

Sure, Ben Grimm got a lot of gifts when he became The Thing. But his powers also have a lot of drawbacks. 

Just his existence is a nightmare. His rocky form has proven to be terrifying to many, and his sheer size means he has difficulty interacting with everyday objects. He’s just too large for most things. 

But that’s not to say anything of the mental toll. Though he’s more at peace now, Ben has long been depicted as depressed and distraught over his transformation, long struggling with the reality of being trapped in his mutated, rocky form for the rest of his life. 

Cosmic power synergy

After Secret Wars, Reed and Sue left to rebuild the universe. Ben and Johnny returned to Earth, unaware of what happened with their family members. 

Over time, Johnny noticed his flame was getting weaker, and Ben noticed he wasn’t as strong as he used to be. They learned the Fantastic Four’s powers were cosmically tethered, and being separated by a universe was draining their powers. 

Fortunately, Reed and Sue made their way back in time. Since then, the Four’s powers have been buffed back to full strength, but it makes a separation that much more difficult. 

That’s all we have for now on The Thing’s powers but stick to Dexerto for our continuing Fantastic Four and Marvel Comics coverage.