It’s Slobberin’ Time: The Fantastic Four’s Ben Grimm just got a dog
The Thing has a new dog, and he’s already helped the Marvel hero defeat a supervillain.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Fantastic Four #11 (2023)!
If you think about it, more heroes should have dog sidekicks. Dogs are loyal and will never betray you to become a supervillain. In fact, if Jason Todd had been a dog, then I doubt fans would have voted to kill him in that infamous 1987 telephone poll.
Fantastic Four #11 (written by Ryan North and penciled by Iban Coello) introduces a new dog to the Marvel Universe, which is just fine by me, because you could never have enough furry pals. The dog doesn’t have a name, so for the purposes of this article, I’ll be referring to her as Pupverse.
Pupverse wanders onto the Fantastic Four’s Arizona farmstead, where she refuses to leave Ben Grimm’s side. The grumpy hero is initially resistant to the dog’s charms, doing all the “daddy doesn’t want to keep the dog” cliches. “I’m not a dog person,” Ben angrily protests. Thing even puts up a 'no dogs allowed' sign in front of the house. This won’t work because once Pupverse chooses her best friend, there is no turning back. Oh, and because dogs can’t read.
Resisting the charms of a loving dog is harder than battling Doctor Doom, so it isn’t long before Ben Grimm gives in. The villainous Miracle Man traps Ben Grimm inside of an illusion, but Pupverse saves the day. Thanks to her keen sense of smell, Thing is able to figure out what’s real and what isn’t. Following Pupverse’s instincts, Ben Grimm breaks through the illusion and knocks out Mister Miracle. Hooray! This is why more heroes need doggos.
Ben decides to keep the dog, and the rest of the Fantastic Four spend some time debating pet names. “If you ask me, I think she’ll let us know what her name is soon enough,” Ben says.
Hooray, Pupverse is sticking around (and probably getting a real name soon)! I hope she gets a cute Fantastic Four uniform. Is there a spot open on the Pet Avengers? Maybe she can even have a doggie playdate with D-Dog.
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