The thing is a Marvel Comics hero who boasts physical strength and durability, acting as the Fantastic practice‘s ‘muscle’. However, the Marvel Universe has no shortage of characters who are physically strong, not to mention strong in ways that go beyond physical strength. In other words, Ben Grimm never really measured himself. That is, until he unlocked his maximum power level, which finally turned the thing into Marvel’s strongest hero.
in Fantastic practice #310 by Steve Englehart and Keith Pollard The Thing is captured by a villain named Fasaud, who has seemingly found a way to kill Grimm once and for all. When the Thing investigates Fasaud’s schemes to launch a satellite space station that would allow him to attack any location on Earth in mere seconds, the Thing is captured and chained under the rocket booster. When the rocket blasts off, the thing will be vaporized. However, he manages to escape, board the rocket, and destroy the space station, saving himself while thwarting Fassoud’s evil plans in the process.
However, after the space station is destroyed, the rocket loses power, and the thing crashes into Earth. However, before he falls through the atmosphere, the rocket passes through a cloud of cosmic radiation, just like the original Fantastic Four experienced when they got their powers. This added radiation further mutated the thing, as his body shed more pelted stones through his rocky skin, his physical form grew slightly larger, and he became even stronger than he already was. In other words, the second trip through cosmic rays made the thing more powerful than it had ever been.
The Thing confirms its maximum power level by easily defeating the Hulk
Fantastic practice #320 by Steve Englehart and Keith Pollard
After learning of the Thing’s new upgrade, Doctor Doom immediately plans to take him down, which leads him directly to the Hulk. At this time in Marvel Comics, the main personality of the Hulk is Joe Fixit, who acts as an enforcer in Las Vegas. Although admittedly the weakest version of the Hulk, Fixit still boasts incredible strength that would otherwise be more than enough to take the thing down. This is what Doctor Doom gives him to challenge the thing, hoping that the Hulk will live up to his reputation for Doom’s benefit. Unfortunately for Doom, he was wrong.
Joe Fixit is a version of The Hulk with a decidedly compromised moral compass, meaning he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the thing in a fight. Doom saw that as just another reason why the Hulk was the perfect person to use in his scheme to take down the thing and finally defeat the Fantastic Four. However, when Fixit challenged the thing, Grimm flexed his new upgrade, brutally putting Gray Hulk in his place.
While Fixit got a few good leaks in, the thing pummeled the Hulk into the ground while suffering beyond any damage from any of Gray Hulk’s attacks. The thing even rips Joe Fixit’s head off before the fight is interrupted by another Hulk (who turns out to be just a robot). While he did not kill him, the Thing soundly hit the Hulk, something he had never been able to do before, which cemented this as the Thing’s final form.
This thing has many other ‘final forms’ in Marvel Comics history
Fear yourself & secret wars Features some of the most powerful forms of the thing
The version of the thing introduced in Fantastic practice #310 is, indeed, one of the strongest forms of the character, proven true by his sound victory over the Hulk as well as the level of concern expressed by Doctor Doom himself in light of the upgrade of the thing. However, this is far from the only time the thing has taken a ‘final form’, as he has done so in a number of stories that have all succeeded in taking the classic Fantastic Four member to the next level.
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One such example of the thing reaching new levels of power was in fear itself, when Ben Grimm found one of the enchanted hammers thrown down to earth by the serpent, and received a dark, god-level upgrade. The thing wielded the hammer of Angrir, breaker of souls. Readers witness the horrors of the destruction of the thing in Fear yourself: ffAs he rampages through New York City, with no one strong enough to stop him.
The thing was given another upgrade in 2015s secret warsAlthough this one was more of a curse. when God Emperor Doom created Battleworld From the remains of ruined universes, he turned the thing into a giant wall surrounding his citadel, although the thing remained dark. Eventually, the thing was able to reconstitute his body, becoming a kaiju-sized version of his former self that was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Galactus.
In his base form, the Thing may not be the strongest Marvel Comics character there is (even though he’s still a major force to be reckoned with), but Marvel has proven time and time again that he has the potential for true greatness. With the right upgrade and circumstances, the Fantastic practice Member can tangle with the strongest heroes/villains in existence, including and especially the Hulk, proving true when The thingThe maximum power level made him Marvel’s strongest hero.