The Yancy Street Gang is a fictional street gang appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is occasionally featured in the Fantastic Four comic book. The gang is often seen as an antagonist for the Thing, showering him with insults, and occasionally heads of lettuce. In their early appearances, they were an "off-screen" presence, with only their hands and arms visible on-panel. Origins of the concept Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the early days of the Fantastic Four comic, "Yancy Street" is a reference to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where Kirby grew up. This was the Thing's old's neighborhood as well, and the character was targeted by the Yancy Street Gang for being a "sellout", and abandoning his working-class, hoodlum roots. Kirby considered the Thing to be his "alter ego", and the character's troubled relationship with his old neighborhood has been seen as a metaphor for Kirby's own Jewish identity. A 2002 story brought the Thing back to his old neighborhood, to return a Star of David that he stole from a pawn shop as initiation into the gang; this story was the first to reveal that the character is Jewish. Publication history The Yancy Street Gang was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Fantastic Four #15 (June 1963), though mostly off-panel; as in most of their appearances, only their arms are visible as they throw objects at the Thing and yell insults. The Dead End Kids-type gang was first mentioned, although not seen, in Fantastic Four #6. Yancy Street is named in reference to the real Delancey Street, which extends from the Bowery in Manhattan's Lower East Side eastward to the Williamsburg Bridge. However, Yancy Street is seen in Fantastic Four #15 (June 1963) to intersect with 10th Avenue, which is on the west side of Manhattan. Fictional group history The Yancy Street Gang is depicted as frequenting downtown Manhattan, and serves as a recurring antagonist of the Thing, tormenting him for typically humorous effect. It was originally depicted as composed only of youths, but later depictions have both young members as well as adult members from an earlier generation, who have passed their grudge against the Thing to the younger members. Although described as a gang, the Yancy Street Gang are rarely depicted as engaging in criminal activities (except in their harassment of the Thing,