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The Fantastic Four are about to embark on what is proposed to be their most terrifying and mind-warping expedition yet when Marvel’s brand-new publishing line, the Midnight universe, launches three ongoing series this fall: Midnight X-Men, Midnight Fantastic Four, and Midnight Spider-Man. Like DC’s Absolute universe and other Elseworlds endeavors, part of what is inherently compelling about these Midnight runs is how they’ll reinterpret iconic Marvel characters’ mythologies, especially with the Midnight universe marinating its books in the horror genre.
It’s unknown where Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and Thing will boldly go in Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker’s Midnight Fantastic Four series, though there’s a tremendous amount of horror potential in the blackness of outer space. According to Percy, Midnight Fantastic Four is described as “cosmic, Lovecraftian terror” involving “mad science and cults and hidden realities.” That’s why, apart from how surrealist and psychedelic the main and variant covers for issue #1 look thus far, it’s a bit alarming that Ben Grimm’s Thing appears so unaffectedly ordinary.
Midnight Fantastic Four’s Thing Is Surprisingly… Normal?
The main, cloaked cover for Midnight Fantastic Four #1, illustrated by Walker, leaves quite a lot to the imagination, depicting each member of the Fantastic Four in their regular human forms, including Ben Grimm. In fact, the only intriguing character appearance alteration seen here is that Johnny Storm walks on two prosthetic legs.
As for Ben, his most distinctive traits are that he’s bald and wears futuristic visor glasses that are featured in two different covers (Walker’s main cover and Clayton Crain’s variant three-part connecting cover), suggesting they’ll be a signature element of his design in Midnight Fantastic Four. Only one variant cover thus far, Leinil Francis Yu’s, features the whole Fantastic Four in their powered-up glory, but none of their looks are nearly as remarkable as the designs shared for Midnight X-Men or Midnight Spider-Man.
The solicitation for Midnight Fantastic Four #1 reads as follows:
FIRST STEPS INTO DARKNESS! An obsessive scientist delves into the secrets of the universe perhaps best left unknown to humankind, leaving himself and three others warped in strange and horrifying ways. What horrible secrets lie in the new dimensions they have discovered? And can humanity survive the discovery?
From the twisted minds of Benjamin Percy (WOLVERINE, PUNISHER) and Kev Walker (INFERNAL HULK, DOCTOR STRANGE) comes a tale of existential dread and secrets best kept...
Thing Could Be A Nightmare In Marvel’s Horror Universe
In particular, Thing is the same rock golem that he’s always traditionally been, only with eyes that seem to glow purple and tease something more ominous. To be fair, two of the four revealed variant covers for Midnight Fantastic Four #1 are dedicated to Mister Fantastic and give him a couple of gruesome looks, so it’s highly likely that Thing will have a new ability or transformation, too.
Right now, all we have to go on is the Leinil Francis Yu cover, as well as the fact that Ben can supposedly go from his human form to his rock form at will. If so, Thing may have complete control over his abilities in this universe.
He even wears the Fantastic Four’s new costume, which bears a new, stylish “4” logo, though he doesn’t appear to be wearing it when he’s transformed. Either way, Thing could easily be the most arresting and enigmatic character in the group, depending on how he’s tackled.
For instance, maybe we’ll get to experience a dimension where there are more golem-like entities like Thing, hence why he looks the way he does. It’s also possible that while he looks strikingly similar to his Earth-616 Fantastic Four counterpart, he may have wildly inventive powers. More answers (and more questions) will come when new variant covers are revealed, subsequent issue solicitations are unveiled, and Midnight Fantastic Four #1 launches later this year.
Midnight Fantastic Four #1 is scheduled to be released on October 7, 2026.
