The Thing

[Richard Blonoff]

The Thing

It's clobberin' time! No CM Punk isn't about to do battle. This time its the self proclaimed idol to millions, the ever lovin' blue eyed Thing, Ben Grimm.

Born into poverty, Grimm grew up hard on Manhattan's Lower East Side. By the time he was in hid mid teens, Ben had already lost both his parents in an accident, his Aunt Sophie to cancer, and his older brother Dan, who he idolized, in a gang fight. Having fallen into gang life himself, Ben went to live with his tough but fair Aunt and Uncle, who helped him turn his life around. He received a full athletic scholarship to State University where he roomed with Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. This friendship set in motion the events that lead Grimm to become The Thing and the creation of The Fantastic Four.

After college Ben joined the US Military with the intention of becoming a pilot. After many successful combat missions, Grimm went into the astronaut training program. It was at the request of his friend and former roommate, Reed Richards, that Ben flew his experimental starship into space. Due to the cosmic radiation Ben was transformed into the scaly-hide strongman known as The Thing.

After coming to terms with his grotesque appearance, Grimm has been the backbone of the Fantastic Four. Though tempted many times he has shown unwavering support to his friends. Add to that his street smarts, his superhuman strength, stamina, and durability, and The Thing proves he is one of the most powerful forces in the Marvel Universe.

Powers

• Superhuman Strength-Due to the cosmic radiation that caused his transformation, The Thing has near unrivaled strength. That strength has only increased over the years due to further mutation, Grimm's adaptability, and experiments by Reed Richards.
• Superhuman Durability-Along with his strength, The Thing is capable of sustaining great force impacts with little to no injury due to his scaly rock hide. He is capable of withstanding gunfire, even from armor piercing rounds.
• Enhanced lung capacity and superhuman stamina-Due to the transformation, The Thing's muscles generate fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity. It also allows him to hold his breath for a much longer period of time than that of the average human
• Resistance to extreme temperature and sensory levels-Because of his transformation The Thing is able to withstand temperature much higher and lower than a normal human. Along with this, with the exception of his sense of touch, he is able to withstand much higher levels of sensory stimulation.
• Near Immortality-When in his Thing form Grimm does not age. He only ages in his human form, which typically only lasts about a week every year. At one point Reed Richards traveled two thousand years into the future and Grimm was still alive.

Abilities

• Military Aircraft Training-After college Grimm joined the US Military where he received extensive training as a pilot. He is skilled in many forms of conventional and exotic aircraft and also has astronaut training.
• Hand to hand combat-Due to his time in both the military and his time in gangs, Grimm became very skilled in hand to hand combat. His fighting style incorporates techniques from boxing, wrestling, judo, jujutsu, and street-fighting.
• Above-average reflexes, agility, and dexterity-Despite his massive size, Grimm was able to maintain the skills he developed when he became a star football player in his youth.

Assets

• FF Suit-Like the other members of the Fantastic Four, The Thing wears a suit made of unstable molecules that further enhance his powers.
• Powered Battle Armor Suit-On the rare occasion that Grimm is in his human form, Dr. Richards has developed a battle suit that resembles The Thing's rocky exterior and stimulates his mutated bodies enhanced strength and durability.