Issue(s): Fantastic Four #79
Cover Date: Oct 68
Title: "A Monster Forever?"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Jack Kirby - Penciler
Joe Sinnott - Inker

Review/plot:
After Crystal flirts with/teases Ben Grimm a bit...

...he finally works up the nerve to go see Alicia. He is terrified that Alicia won't love him because she really only loves the Thing. When i first read the John Byrne story where Reed reveals that the Thing Cures don't work because Ben is afraid that Alicia only loves him when he is the Thing, i thought it was based on a careful reading of the subtext in these early issues, but it is in fact very blatant. Alicia is also pretty unsure herself how she feels about a boy not made out of rocks.

Meanwhile, Reed learns that there is strange cosmic energy flashing around in his wife's uterus, but he can't bring himself to tell her. We do get to see how open minded Reed is about mutants, though.

There's a full page splash of Reed and Sue, but instead of them looking loving, they look sad and self-absorbed (also, Reed looks quite a bit like Kirby).

The caption says that the splash page was in answer to a deluge of fan requests; i wonder if this satisfied the demand.

Meanwhile meanwhile, the police are digging through the Mad Thinker's lair, and they accidentally activate one of his androids.

It smashes through the city looking for the Thinker's signal, and instead hones in on the Wizard's power gloves, which Ben has been carrying around for no good reason (i thought maybe Reed would fix up the gloves and Ben could use those for a while in lieu of being the Thing, but no). Unable to stop the android as Ben Grimm, he triggers a "sudden, giant surge of energy" from the power gloves (da fug??!?) to turn himself back into the Thing.

Once again, the Human Torch leaves the super-powerful Crystal behind as he goes to respond to the android emergency, but he arrives after the Thing has defeated it. Ben then wanders off, leaving Alicia behind, to mope.

I feel like the "Ben Grimm is forced to give up his cure and become the Thing again" song is played a little too often.

If you're wondering about "Sergius O'Hoolihan", listed in the Characters Appearing section, it's the Baxter Building's doorman.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2

Chronological Placement Considerations: Ben can not appear as the Thing in between issue #78 and this issue.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel's Greatest Comics #61