Runner Up: Fantastic Four #13 (Legacy #658) – Dan Slott, Sean Izaakse, Marcio Menyz and Joe Caramagna

Before Steve Rogers was saying that he “could do this all day,” Ben Grimm was living that life. 

The Thing has always been one of the toughest characters in all of Marvel, going toe-to-toe with just about anyone, be they person or celestial being way above his pay grade. Ben Grimm has never said die in his life and even when he’s on his back, he always stands right back up, dusts himself off and throws even more punches. Ben Grimm is about that life and that action.

This issue of Fantastic Four is just another amazing showcase of that spirit that Ben is so well known for. With less than an hour before he reverts back to his human form for a week, Ben tangos with the Hulk who’s shown up just in time to ruin his honeymoon with his new wife, Alicia Masters-Grimm. The first page starts with a CRACK as the Hulk decks Ben right in the face and Ben acknowledges that the Hulk has ALWAYS been stronger than him. He also acknowledges that if he doesn’t beat Hulk now, well, he won’t have to worry about the age old question of who’ll win in a fight.

Ben tries to convince Hulk to stop fighting for a moment to save the other vacationers, including Alicia as they’re trapped under the rubble. This distracts the real perpetrator of this fight, Puppet Master who’s controlling a clay doll of The Hulk, allowing Ben to get a few good licks in. He tries to plead to Banner if he’s still in there, but given Hulk’s current state, he reveals that he’s kinda into it and willingly goes along with the puppeting. Meanwhile, Alicia takes charge of the other trapped people and starts pulling rocks away to make an exit. 

Izaakse’s art really shines in the second third of the book as The Thing trades punches with The Hulk. Everything feels so heavy as these two titans hit each other with all they’ve got. The Thing’s got speed and smaller size on his side and asks what did he ever do to piss the Puppet Master off. Hulk, as the Devil he is now, chimes in that Ben married Alicia without her father’s blessing. Hulk’s got the size and raw power in the fight as his strikes cause small shockwaves and break pieces off of Ben throughout the fight.

Ben laughs and says that she really must have wanted to marry him as Hulk also reveals that she used one of Puppet Master’s dolls to manipulate him into saying yes. Hulk taunts him back by calling him puny, saying that he’s punching above his weight as he continues to knock pieces off of him, exposing fleshy bits underneath the rock. Ben stands his ground for a while, saying that he’s always been punching up, whether in the UCWF, Marvel’s superpowered wrestling league, or in the Marines. Everything he’s learned was on Yancy Street and he headbutts Hulk before getting leveled with one last uppercut.

With just a few minutes left, Ben’s got nothing left in the tank. He tells himself that Alicia’s counting on him, but he can’t do it…until she shows up and gives him the pep talk that only a wife can give, allowing him the Second Wind that he needs. “No one has more heart than My Ben,” she says. Hulk rushes Ben with rage in his eyes and Ben simply cocks back, his wedding band glinting in the light and he gives The Hulk one hell of crushing left, cracking his rocky shell right open as his human timer clicks down to its last second. Hulk is laid the hell out, Puppet Master’s clay doll of Hulk is destroyed and Ben slowly transforms back into a human and slumps over from his injuries.

He wakes up a week later, back in his Thing form and laments that he missed his honeymoon as he and Alicia were gonna “make a family” if you catch his drift. She cheers him up by saying they have the rest of their lives and as a plus side, he finally beat The Hulk, ending the book on a happy note before the horrifying last few pages as The Hulk gets Puppet Master back.

I really enjoyed this book for showcasing a great character that hasn’t really been having an amazing time in recent years aside from his wedding. For the most part, this Fantastic Four book has been centered on him and Alicia and the great strides their relationship has taken. However, at the same time, he was shown to be vulnerable as the Hulk cracked through his outer shell. There’s just a small part of me that’s afraid of what the future holds for him and that this isn’t just a sign of things to come. 

But for now, The Thing can finally say he beat The Hulk and that’s badass. High recommend.