The Origin Of The Thing's Trench Coat Costume In Marvel Rivals
February 23, 2025
The Thing wearing a trench coat just sounds weird, if you only vaguely know about the character. The Thing invokes a mental image that doesn't exactly involve a whole lot of clothes. He's like the Hulk, in that regard. It's hard to knock Benjamin Grimm for the outfit choice, though. The trench coat look does go hard.
Now, when exactly has The Thing worn this outfit before? Plenty of times actually, and it has been part of his wardrobe since his appearance in the very first Fantastic Four comic. Yeah, the trench coat outfit traces as far back as 1961.
The Trench Coat Origins — A Little Grimm, Not So Evil
So here's the thing, The Thing in a trench coat isn't exactly some evil version of the character. Unfortunately, it breaks the theme that Marvel Rivals had going for the rest of the Fantastic Four crew. To be fair, I suppose The Thing was of dubious moral alignment when he was first introduced in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four #1. One of Ben Grimm's very first scenes involves him scaring a store owner with just his appearance alone.
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The Thing definitely put a couple of lives at risk in his introduction as a character, as well. So, he may not have been outright evil, but Ben didn't exactly start off as some goody two-shoes. Still, I'm not sure if this Trench Coat costume really makes sense next to the likes of The Maker. I guess, The Thing already naturally comes off as mildly creepy? Sorry, Ben.
Why A Trench Coat Specifically?
There's actually a practical reason for The Thing wearing such a bulky outfit. The trench coat, glasses, and hat make Ben stand out a lot less. The outfit essentially serves as a disguise, hiding the majority of his inhuman appearance. Considering that The Thing operates in the heart of New York City, it definitely is useful for him to have a way of not bringing too much attention to himself.
