Thing vs. Torch!

 

Fantastic Four readers are not only familiar with the team's myriad adventures and battles over the years, but no doubt also with those clashes between the Thing and the Human Torch that erupted on the spur of the moment when a harmless prank got out of hand. You would think that FF history would be replete with examples where the two came to blows in such instances, as cemented in our memories as they've become--but given that such, uh, disagreements between the two resulted in a considerable amount of repair, replacement, and renovation bills in the Baxter Building, those scuffles appear to be few and far between.

Still, the PPC couldn't resist putting together a scrapbook of those classic scenes where fun 'n games between these two at times escalated to the point of having to be broken up by their two partners.  A collection of scenes we could only call...

As early as mid-1962 we saw the beginnings of this side of Johnny and Ben's relationship when a little ribbing led to the makings of a brawl--that is, until Reed and Sue put the brakes on it before it went too far.

But then came the first FF annual, which showed the in-house hazards of a little downtime for these two characters:

"It was an accident!" Nice try, Mr. Grimm.

For the remainder of writer Stan Lee's run on the book, there didn't seem to be opportunities for either Ben or Johnny (usually the latter) to get under the other's skin sufficiently for hostilities to break out. The only instance of note that might have led to a brawl was shortly after Reed and Sue's marriage, when life in the Baxter Building had become a little too domestic for Ben's taste, and jolting awake a dozing Torch was too good a distraction to pass up.

And there were other times when disaster was averted, either through someone else's efforts or from both of these men having the good sense to stand down.

Also, the team reforming could do wonders for letting an instigator off the hook:

In 1972, however, writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema, in a one-shot on the book close to the end of Lee's run, let the two cut loose in style, even to the point of endangering those on the street. And a good thing that cooler heads prevailed--"Sorry about the falling rubble, folks--just a little family disagreement!" probably wouldn't have cut it with New Yorkers.

Much later, in 1981, John Byrne contributes his own effort--after all, as a writer/artist who made an effort to take the FF "back to basics," a dust-up between the Thing and the Torch would have fit like a glove.

During the time when Reed and Sue were taking a hiatus from the FF, and the Thing was empowered with picking his own team members, Ben and Johnny would have words concerning Ben's decision to ask Crystal, Johnny's old girlfriend, to rejoin the group--while Johnny, naturally, wondered if the choice had anything to do with Alicia Masters, now Johnny's wife. (Gee, is Johnny going to be in for a shock in that regard.) Ben keeps mum on the subject, which is probably not the way to cool off the Human Torch.

By the time the mystery surrounding Alicia is on the cusp of being revealed, Sue and Reed have returned to the FF, and the original leadership reverts back to Reed. And as further testament to the French phrase "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"*, another Thing/Torch fight breaks out as we see that for Ben, Alicia is still a sore subject.

*"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

If I'm not mistaken, the scene caps those celebrated brawls which comprised the first volume of Fantastic Four (including one which took place just before the launch of Volume Two). However, if you recall a roughhouse between these two that you didn't see in this roundup, bring it to light and your no-prize will be on its way. (In tribute to today's post, it will likely take the form of a genuine replica of Ben's damaged statue... which you may want to think twice about displaying where a certain someone could spot it.)