Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: fantastic four, thing

How Long Until The Thing Has A Beard In The Comic Books As Well?

So how long will it be until The Thing has a beard in the Marvel comics as well as in the film? And was this all Jonathan Hickman's idea?

Today sees the publication of the Fantastic Four #30, in which the FF go to the dawn of time on a search for the kind of Cosmic Rays that can restore Ben Grimm to being The Thing again, as well as keeping all their own superpowers in the process. We also get a solo The Thing #2 comic where he goes up against the Daredevil and Spider-Man supervillain, Bullseye.

But in both those comic books, we get a very clean-shaven version of The Thing. As far as rock-strewn faces go. To be fair, the Thing has never shown the ability to grow a beard in the present day. But the new trailer for the new Fantastic Four film shows The Thing with some definitely facial protrusions.

Has this happened in the comics? Well it did a bit in the very first issues of the Fantastic Four back in the early sixties from Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, on a time travel jaunt that saw Ben Grimm become the pirate figure Blackbeard in the Marvel timeline.

Though that was with a fake beard, it is an appearance that has been revived over the decades.

But for the rock beard from the new movie, you have to go to Fantastic Four #605 by Jonathan Hickman and Ron Harney, 600 issues after the first appearance of the Blackbeard Thing, from 2012 and set three thousand years hence in the year 5012, the last days of the now-ancient Ben Grimm. I say last days, he still had a hundred days left on him.

Do you reckon Jonathan Hickman and Ron Garney will get thanked in the movie for the Thing beard? And how long will it be until the Marvel Comics line decides to reflect the image of The Thing in the new movie and give him a beard in the comics as well? It does have a tendency to happen…

UPDATE: It has been pointed out to me that Marvel recently reprinted Marvel Fanfare #15 by Barry Windsor-Smith from 1984, which has this scene….

FANTASTIC FOUR #33
(W) Ryan North (A) Smith, Cory (CA) Joshua Cassara
FANTASTIC ZERO! It all comes down to this! Thirty-three issues of fantastic adventure culminate in a final stirring adventure, back to the beginning…of EVERYTHING. When the solution to what Doom did to Ben can only be found in the past, the Fantastic Four must voyage back four hundred and thirty-six quadrillion seconds into the Big Bang! Of course, the tremendous energies there make it unsurvivable – unless H.E.R.B.I.E. is in control of the precise timing required. Action, adventure and big ideas collide in this special finale issue – which leads into our even more special new #1 issue, coming next month! Rated TIn Shops: Jun 25, 2025 SRP: $3.99

THE THING #2 (OF 5)
(W) Tony Fleecs (A) Justin Mason (CA) Nick Bradshaw
TARGETED BY BULLSEYE! Ben Grimm must protect his former tormentor from all of the hit men in New York. But even with his strength, will the Thing be enough to fend off the world's deadliest assassin? RATED T+In Shops: Jun 25, 2025 SRP: $3.99

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