My all-time favourite Superhero...

I don't think that the ever-lovin', blue eyed Thing gets enough appreciation these days. Alas, only old-school "golden age" comic book fans seem to accept him as not only a formidable superhero, but a great character, too. It's worth noting that he was the first ever "bad ass" superhero; before Bashful Benjamin came along and started clobbering things, with his sassy wise-cracks and complex personality disorders, all we really had was tooty fruity, straight-edge "stars and stripes" heroes, and frankly, they're not as fun to read about.

"My character is as empty and flat as my underpants!" - Superman

But the one thing I really admire about Ben Grimm, and the one thing I'll always try to live up to, is that he never gave up. It didn't matter who he was up against, be it Dr Doom harnessing the Silver Surfer's all-mighty cosmic powers, Galactus the devourer of worlds, The Champion of the Universe, or even The Beyonder himself, The Thing will always be the first to raise his fists, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against him. Oh, and he actually beat most of the above- except for The Champion, who was after all, an Elder of the Universe and simply could not be beaten. But of all the mighty opponents the Champion ever faced- the Incredible Hulk, She-Hulk, Colossus, Thor, Wonder Man, Namor... only the Thing lasted more than two rounds. The Thing actually astonished the Champion with his resilience and courage, leading the Champion to say the Thing was the opponent he had sought through the ages, the one who would require all of his might and skill. His jaw broken and severely beaten after collapsing at the end of the third round, the Thing crawled across the ring to demand the fight continue when the Champion claimed victory. When forced to choose between killing his defeated opponent or yielding, the Champion yielded. When the Thing said he was "just too stupid and ugly to give up," the Champion replied he could never defeat the Thing. He might break his bones and his body, but he could not break his spirit. Any planet which could produce a champion such as the Thing, he said, was a truly worthy world...

I'll always love you, Thing. Even if most people have forgotten how great you really are.