Early FF Trivia Question on Ben...

[Kirk G]

We know that Ben Grimm transformed into The Thing after their poorly shielded space ship crashed in FF #1.

But the question is WHEN (what issue) did Stan Lee introduce the concept of Ben being able to occassionally change back into human form, however quickly it occurred?

Does anyone have a list of when this gimmic was used through the first 102 FF that Stan and Jack wrote?

I'd love to see if this was a planned plot device or just a last minute addition.

Any help, fans?:D

[Norrin Radd]

We know that Ben Grimm transformed into The Thing after their poorly shielded space ship crashed in FF #1.

But the question is WHEN (what issue) did Stan Lee introduce the concept of Ben being able to occassionally change back into human form, however quickly it occurred?

Does anyone have a list of when this gimmic was used through the first 102 FF that Stan and Jack wrote?

I'd love to see if this was a planned plot device or just a last minute addition.

Any help, fans?:D

I only know that it happened as early as issue 2, when he changed back to human for only a page or two. Originally, they surmised it was because the cosmic rays were growing weaker, but I'm sure that explanation changed various times.

[Kirk G]

I only know that it happened as early as issue 2, when he changed back to human for only a page or two. Originally, they surmised it was because the cosmic rays were growing weaker, but I'm sure that explanation changed various times.

So, in issue two, that would have been during the first Skrull adventure?

I would have guessed that it happened in issue 8, with the first puppet Master and Alicia!

Can anyone confirm this?;)

[Reptisaurus!]

So, in issue two, that would have been during the first Skrull adventure?

I would have guessed that it happened in issue 8, with the first puppet Master and Alicia!

Can anyone confirm this?;)

You know, if you don't wanna shell out fifteen bucks for the Essential Fantastic Four, I'm about 95% certain you can find issue summaries on-line, somewhere.

[Ventura]

Norrin Radd is 100% correct, the earliest occurence was in FF #2.

Ben changing back to his human form happened several times in the early days. A brief survey of FF Essentials volume #1:
#2: the FF went in outer space and encountered a "radiation belt."
#4: seemed to happen totally spontaneously-- no outside cause was given--while Ben was sparring with the Torch.
#8: Ben fell into some of Reed's chemicals (Reed was trying to concoct a cure for Ben). Yes, the first Alicia issue, and Ben thinks:"The clinker is- -she likes me better as the Thing."
#9: Ben is struck by lightning while fighting Namor, and the Thing reverts to human form
#11 (second story): Reed made a serum for Ben and it changed him, temporarily...
#16: another Reed serum, again with temporary effects. Alicia says she doesn't want anything to change him, and Ben tells Reed he doesn't want to change to human, because "I love Alicia, and she loves me best--as the Thing!"
#17: yet another Reed serum, which enables Ben to temporarily change his body so he can penetrate Doom's defenses...so the FF can rescue Alicia.
#19: back in the time of Rama-Tut, the given explanation is: "...under the heat of a sun far hotter than that of twentieth century New York, the body chemistry of the imprisoned Thing undergoes a subtle change until..." you guessed it, he becomes human in form again! Once Ben is indoors, away from the sun, he reverts back to the Thing.

Well, that's it for the FF Essentials volume #1. Also interesting how often Alicia appears since her debut in #8; out of a possible 14 issues (#8-#20 and Annual 1), she appears in 11 issues.

[Kirk G]

Very Good, Ventura.
Now, I suspect I have some of the other essentials and ALL the Marvel Masterworks...
but I wanted to see how quickly we could count up all the appearances, no matter how contrived, of Ben's transfigurations.

[Kirk G]

Anyone else have any help to add?

[Kirk G]

Ben changing back to his human form happened several times in the early days. A brief survey of FF Essentials volume #1:
#2: the FF went in outer space and encountered a "radiation belt."
#4: seemed to happen totally spontaneously-- no outside cause was given--while Ben was sparring with the Torch.
#8: Ben fell into some of Reed's chemicals (Reed was trying to concoct a cure for Ben). Yes, the first Alicia issue, and Ben thinks:"The clinker is- -she likes me better as the Thing."
#9: Ben is struck by lightning while fighting Namor, and the Thing reverts to human form
#11 (second story): Reed made a serum for Ben and it changed him, temporarily...
#16: another Reed serum, again with temporary effects. Alicia says she doesn't want anything to change him, and Ben tells Reed he doesn't want to change to human, because "I love Alicia, and she loves me best--as the Thing!"
#17: yet another Reed serum, which enables Ben to temporarily change his body so he can penetrate Doom's defenses...so the FF can rescue Alicia.
#19: back in the time of Rama-Tut, the given explanation is: "...under the heat of a sun far hotter than that of twentieth century New York, the body chemistry of the imprisoned Thing undergoes a subtle change until..." you guessed it, he becomes human in form again! Once Ben is indoors, away from the sun, he reverts back to the Thing.

Well, that's it for the FF Essentials volume #1. Also interesting how often Alicia appears since her debut in #8; out of a possible 14 issues (#8-#20 and Annual 1), she appears in 11 issues.

OK, after staying up LATE to watch the 100th episode of Smallville on repeat syndication last night JOHNATHAN KENT DEAD! I got busy and did my own work.
I flipped through virtually every page of the Marvel Masterworks Fantastic Four volumes through about #93, and countied up the transformations. I include two other near misses, when the topic come up, but Ben doesn't transform. I think you may notice a pattern.....

#25 Reed is trying to get Ben to drink a potion to transform, but Ben swats it away.
#30 Diablo lures Ben away from the FF promising to transform him.
#32 Ben is sitting on a machine to transform him, but he's got amnesia when it happens (Hint, hint, nods to Byrne's storyline years later...)
#38-39-40 Ben (and the FF loose powers in Atomic blast) become human til '40
#51 Changling lures Ben away, steals his powers/appearance for an issue
#68-71 While attempting to change Ben, Mad Thinker tinkers with his id/ego (shades of FF#41-43) Readers mislead into thinking it was Wizard behind it all.
#78-79 Reed succeeds in changing Ben human permanently, but Ben chooses Thing to save self from Wizard's android.
Last story until Stan and Jack leave FF..and revisionists give Bad Ben power to change at will!

Transformations during the first 33 issues are the backbone of Ben's relationship with the FF, and after that, turning Ben against the FF are the focus of the transformations (until the caper in #78-79, the alleged LAST Thing transformation story: "Forever")