This Man... This Monster!

"This Man... This Monster!" is a superhero story in the Marvel Comics series Fantastic Four. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby, it was published in Fantastic Four #51 in 1966. The story is about Benjamin Grimm, known as the Thing, a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four whose body is made of stone. "This Man... This Monster!" considers what makes someone a monster, and it revisits previous ideas introduced in Fantastic Four, including Ben's desire to restore his human form, the redemption of villains through sacrifice, and the nature of exploration and introspection.

"This Man... This Monster!" begins with Ben being captured by a scientist who resents the Fantastic Four member Reed Richards. The scientist steals Ben's powers and becomes the Thing, while Ben reverts to his human form. Reed and Susan Storm believe the scientist to be the real Thing, and Reed asks the imposter to hold his lifeline during a voyage to an alternate dimension. The imposter is surprised by Reed's selflessness in conducting a dangerous experiment without seeking glory, and he goes into the dimension after him when the lifeline snaps, sacrificing himself to save Reed. The story also features a brief intermission showing the Fantastic Four member Johnny Storm attending college.

"This Man... This Monster!" is among the most highly praised Fantastic Four stories and is included in the widely celebrated run that Lee and Kirby published between 1965 and 1967. Kirby's artwork in particular is praised, including a psychedelic art collage of Reed exploring the Negative Zone. The unnamed scientist was referenced in later stories where he was given the name Ricardo Jones. The story introduced the recurring character Wyatt Wingfoot and the alternate dimension that came to be known as the Negative Zone.