effects of the cosmic radiation for all of them except Reed Richards, who succumbs to the effects a decade later. Ben Grimm's counterpart is shown to be unaffected by the cosmic radiation and is currently assisting Richards by gathering data held by the High Evolutionary. What If? In What If Doctor Doom Had Become the Thing? #1 (February 2005), Doom befriends Reed Richards during their college days, and Ben is left out. Dropping out of college, Ben joins the Army. Doom and Reed go ahead with their experimental rocket. When the cosmic rays turn Doom into a Thing-like creature, he attacks Reed, sending him into a gamma bomb test site, where Ben is stationed. Ben saves Reed from the bomb's radiation, but is transformed into a Hulk-like creature. Calling himself "Grimm", he fights and defeats Doom. After Reed calms him down, Ben joins him in forming the Fantastic Four. In What If? #11, the original Marvel bullpen becomes the Fantastic Four (Jack Kirby becomes the Thing, Stan Lee becomes Mr. Fantastic, etc.) when cosmic rays from a booby-trapped package sent by the "S" people (Skrulls) bombard the Bullpen in their office. This Thing has the ability to resume normal form when he sets out to work on drawing Marvel Comics, but this was used only once in the story. In What If? vol. 2 #11 (March 1990), the origins of the Fantastic Four are retold in four stories, each showing how the heroes' lives would have changed if all four had each gained the same powers as the individual members of the original Fantastic Four. Invisibility: The Fantastic Four gain Invisible Woman-style powers and battle Doctor Doom as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Ben can project invisible force fields. Stretching: Finding the Mr. Fantastic-style power absurd, Ben never uses it and ends up marrying Sue Storm. Monsters: The Fantastic Four all turn into monsters and go to live on Monster Island. Ben looks like his Earth-616 self. Torches: The flame-powered Fantastic Four disband after being unable to save a child from a fire. Ben joins the Avengers, calling himself the Human Torch. Marvel Zombies/Ultimate Fantastic Four In this miniseries, the Thing, along with the other three members of the Fantastic Four, is a cannibalistic zombie because of an alien virus infection that has spread to all heroes.Reed Richards has gone insane after deliberately infecting Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. They turn