Since the early days of the Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch has been mercilessly pranking Ben Grimm aka The Thing. And hey, Ben has gotten back at with a few epic pranks of his own.
Usually, the practical joke war between Ben and Johnny doesn’t lead to an all-out fight, but the cover to the upcoming Fantastic Four # 6 seems to feature The Thing in a particularly murderous rage as he pummels his friend, the former (and recently depowered) Human Torch.
Accompanying the image from Marvel was a short explanation by editor Mark Paniccia that reveals why the Thing has been pushed over the edge in the Original Sin tie-in issue. Basically, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) nearly cured The Thing years ago, but Johnny accidentally destroyed the device and condemned his friend to life as a stone monster. With the death of the Watcher, all of the Marvel Universe’s dirty secrets are coming out. Johnny’s secret is no exception.
“Something I always loved about the relationship between Ben and Johnny was how much it was like brothers, bickering, poking fun of each other, pranks…great moments that felt like real family,” noted Paniccia, “The secret that gets out will have a major effect on the two. It’s brilliant emotional stuff. Hard hitting and heart breaking.”
Fantastic Four # 6 will feature the current creative team of James Robinson and Leonard Kirk when it hits the stands in June.
