The trip that turned four normal people in the Marvel Comics into the Fantastic Four was a gift and a curse for Ben Grimm. He survived a flight that should have killed him, but was transformed into a giant person made of rock adopting the name The Thing. For years, Ben hated his best friend, Reed Richards, for what had happened to him.
Reed continued to search for a cure but came up empty. There were times when he wasn’t The Thing and when he was his old self for 24 hours. However, as much as he hated Reed, he hated himself more because he felt like a monster and was treated like one.
Fantastic Four No. 30 creative team
- Writer: Ryan North
- Artist: Cory Smith
- Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
As time went on, and with the love of the Fantastic Four, his wife (Alicia Masters), and his two adopted kids (a Kree named Jo-Venn and Skrull named N'Kalla), Ben started to embrace his appearance. Like clockwork, Dr. Doom takes that away from him in One World Under Doom No. 2 when Victor eliminates Ben’s powers, saying he cured his foe. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a cure. It removed a part of Ben Grimm he cherished. Now human, he felt like he was no longer the protector he once was.
For days, Ben sulked. as the news called him nothing, and he could barely get out of bed. Alicia managed to cheer her husband up with a date and a promise for some alone time later, but disaster struck when someone tried to rob them. Ben reacts, forgetting that he isn’t superhuman anymore, and gets shot in the hand. Sadly, this sent him into a depression. It was so bad that he went to Alicia’s father and former Fantastic Four villain, Philip Masters a.k.a. Puppet Master, for help.
The important message of Fantastic Four No. 30
This issue will be a contender for comic book of the year because writer Ryan North continues to have moments throughout Fantastic Four that bring readers to their knees. Last year's issue No. 25 was a prime example of it, making it the 2024 Bam Smack Pow Single Issue of the Year. Now, not even halfway into 2025, he gave readers an emotional comic book that explores themes of depression and self-worth. These are two things that fictional and real people go through. It also follows another lesson from Fantastic Four No. 27.
During Fantastic Four No. 27, N'Kalla was having self-esteem issues thanks to a teacher who talked about shapeshifters being evil. With the help of her father, N'Kalla learned a valuable lesson about not changing how she looked to make people comfortable or happy. She was beautiful by herself. N'Kalla reminded her father of this in issue No. 30, but Ben wasn’t in a place to hear or accept it.
The remainder of One World Under Doom will hit Marvel’s First Family harder than anyone. They know something is up with Victor von Doom, but they can’t figure it out. Things will get worse when they learn that Valeria (Sue and Reed’s daughter) visited Doom without their knowledge or permission. Meanwhile, Ben Grimm will continue his spiral downward because he feels useless and unworthy of love. Thankfully, this writer believes Ryan North will have a happy ending for the F4, and The Thing will remind himself that he is, in fact, worthy of love.