Ben Grimm is the hideously misshapen monster known as the Thing. Once a World War II veteran and ace test pilot, his life was changed forever on that fateful day when he was goaded by "Suzie" to fly Reed's ship. Sue even gave him his frighteningly appropriate name; "Ben's turned into some kind of a -- Thing!"
Early on Ben was a lumpy Thing, unlike the rocky Thing we now know and love. Also, early on he was depicted as something of a monster with an incredible temper. He never truly got over being the Thing, although he did calm down -- a lot. Reed once theorized that Ben could change between his human form and the Thing at will. However, Ben subconciously believed that Alicia Masters loved him only because he was the Thing, and therefore his subconcious blocked his ability to become human again.

Superpowers :
Can press 85 tons
Can withstand great heat, cold, and pressures
Can hold his breath for upwards of 10 minutes