TheHulkis widely regarded as one of the strongest characters in Marvel lore, and for good reason, since the gamma-fueled powerhouse doesn’t lose many fights. With that being said, theFantastic Four’sThingis no slouch, and he’s even put the Hulk in his place with his own astounding abilities on occasion.
The Hulk is dangerous, but the Thing can be tougher with certain upgrades at his disposal.
Ever sinceBen Grimm first transformed into the terrifying Thingon the Fantastic Four’s premier voyage, he’s showcased his super-strength in numerous ways, and numerous power-ups over the years have elevated him beyond any levels most heroes can attain. TheHulk is dangerous, but the Thing can be tougher with certain upgrades at his disposal.These 8 upgrades to the Thing’s abilities prove that he’s more than capable of overpowering the Hulk.
8The Thing Unleashed His Full Power Thanks to Cosmic Rays
Fantastic Four#310 by Steve Englehart and Keith Pollard
As any seasoned Fantastic Four fan would know, the team of intrepid heroes first unlocked their powers during a space flight gone wrong. Specifically,cosmic rays interfered with the Fantastic Four’s shipand granted them superpowers, with Ben Grimm getting the short end of the stick with his rocky transformation.
However,the Thing has made the most of his abilities, and the cosmic rays once granted him an even greater upgrade than his initial shift. Ben super-charged himself with an even larger dose of cosmic radiation, enhancing his powers and giving him a beefed-up version of his standard strength that would send the Hulk running. Cosmic rays were a downside to the Thing at the start, but when he embraces them, he can do incredible things.
7The Thing’s Cosmic Upgrade Gives a New Meaning to “Clobberin' Time”
Fantastic Four: Antithesis#3 by Mark Waid and Neal Adams
As impressive as the Thing can already be thanks to his durable form and astounding strength, he can reach even greater heights with the help of a cosmic power-up. The previous cosmic upgrade involved an increase in his initial source of radiation, whereas this one took a different route, asBen Grimm was imbued with the Power Cosmic by Galan in order to help take down Antithesis.
Fantastic Four’s Thing Comes in as Many Different Colors as the Hulk
Hulk is famous for his different colors, but Fantastic Four’s Thing has also turned green, blue, black and more - often with new powers.
What made this upgrade a true improvement for the Thing was its effect on his abilities. Typically, the Thing attacks in a physical manner that utilizes his raw strength. With the Power Cosmic fueling him, though, he realized that he could manipulate his foes from afar so that they attacked themselves. The Thing could therefore take down foes without lifting a finger.
6The Thing Unlocked His Ultimate Form At the Cost of His Humanity
Siege#1 by Kieron Gillen and Filipe Andrade
The Thing is often left at a major disadvantage against the formidable Hulk, but his most powerful form put them on equal footing in an unexpected way, and all it took was Ben Grimm sacrificing his humanity. This transformation took place on Battleworld, a planet from a warped version of reality whereDoctor Doom reigned supreme. In this world, an impenetrable Shield was all that separated humanity from villains such as zombies.
This Shield, of course, was none other than the Thing himself. He’d been given this strenuous role by Doom as a form of punishment, yet it also made him more durable than ever before.If swarms of Marvel’s most dangerous foes couldn’t break through the Shield, then the Hulk wouldn’t stand a chance against this upgraded Thing.
5The Thing Used Wonder Man’s Powers to Clobber The Hulk
Ultimate Fantastic Four#23 by Mark Millar and Greg Land
While the Thing’s many upgrades are definitely cool, they don’t always get to be used on the Hulk firsthand. With that being said, in this example,Ben actually got to test his upgrade against the Hulkin one-on-one combat, and he managed to come out on top for once in a truly shocking turn of events. In the Ultimate Universe, the Thing had access to the powers of Wonder Man, which he then utilized in battle with the Hulk.
Not only did the Thing keep Hulk on his toes in their match, but he even used his powers to knock his opponent down in a single shot.That’s right: the Thing has one-shotted the Hulk, proving that they’re more evenly-matched than meets the eye.
4The Brute Was The Thing’s Own Hulk-Like Gamma Transformation
Spider-Girl#57 by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz
One transformation that the Thing underwent turned him into the Fantastic Four’s version of the Hulk, though this form only existed within an alternate universe that re-imagined the usually heroic Reed Richards as a cruel dictator.Ben Grimm was afflicted with gamma radiation in this alternate timeline, just like Bruce Banner was when he first unlocked his Hulk form, thus giving him a similar green makeover as the Brute.
The Brute’s redesign wasn’t merely an alteration to theThing’s color scheme, as he also gained a level of strength that likened him to the Hulk more than his counterpart in Marvel’s primary continuity. Unfortunately, the Brute’s presence was limited to this other world, so Earth-616’s Hulk never got to properly prove himself against the mighty Brute.
3The Thing Upgraded Himself With the Infinity Stones
Avengers Forever#3 by Jason Aaron and Aaron Kuder
TheInfinity Stonesremain some of the most powerful artifacts within the Marvel Universe, so it stands to reason that any hero could ascend to insurmountable levels of strength if they’re able to acquire them in some way. Thanos infamously did so in the past, but in one story,the Thing integrated the stones into his own design in order to become the Infinity Thing.
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As theInfinity Thing, Ben’s design was given a colorful overhaul, and with this form he stood tall as a protector of Infinity. This super-charged variant of Ben Grimm was so overpowered that he beat numerous War Machines without breaking a sweat, solidifying his power increase. The Hulk is undoubtedly a beast, but the Infinity Thing could pose a threat to him.
2The Fantastic Four’s Wonderful One Gave The Thing an Upgrade
Secret Warps: Iron Hammer Annual#1 by Al Ewing and Carlos Gómez
On his own, it can be concluded that the Thing wouldn’t normally be able to take down the Hulk in an all-out battle. That is to say, Ben Grimm’s Thing would likely lose, but another hero with the Thing’s powers had the power required to turn the tide.The Fantastic Four’s powers were once combined into one epic hero known as the Wonderful One, who leveled up the Thing with help from his teammates.
The Wonderful Onewas an amalgamation of two separate Fantastic Four fusions. Mister Invisible merged Reed Richards and Sue Storm, while Hotrocks was a hybrid of the Human Torch and the Thing. With each of their abilities at his disposal, the Wonderful One embodied the full potential of the Fantastic Four - and, specifically, the Thing.
1The Thing’s Gadgets Alone Proved He’s Tougher Than The Hulk
The Thing#4 by Walter Mosley and Tom Reilly
The final upgrade for the Thing can be attributed to various artifacts that enabled him to boost his abilities. The first of these was a vial of light that increased his strength exponentially. Ben was already a powerhouse, but with the vial in tow, he was able to defeat the Champion, an Elder of the Universe, in one hit with minimal effort on his part.
In the aftermath of that victory, the Thing was given the Champion’s belt, which granted him a newfound teleportation power. While these upgrades aren’t quite as flashy as other entries on this list, they show that simple gadgets can make all the difference when the Thing faces foes who seem out of his league. Thus, the Fantastic Four’sThinghas plenty of ways to beat theHulknext time they fight.
