For Fantastic Four readers here.Is it already known fact that they simply don't want to change Ben Grimm back, right? Reed, Franklin, Val and even Ben himself must have so many billions of options to turn him back into human that it must be a matter of choice right now, right?
They tried enough times and realized that it's more trouble than its worth. It's grown back, he's asked to revert, a number of different things over the years. Ben has the chance to protect his family better this way, and they don't seem to mind at all.
>>151966750But I think of characters like Rick Jones who have been through several different power ups though the years and was able to keep an acceptable visage while maintaining super powers. I'm sure that there must be a way to do the same for Ben. The only in universe explanation that makes sense is that they (Ben and Reed) choose not to do so. Maybe because of branding I don't know
>>151966654You might as well ask why Tom never eats Jerry. If he changes back there is no Thing.
>>151966844They established an explanation back in the Future Foundation era. It was something like, the actual solution to Ben's problem would've been to treat his powers as an on/off state, similar to how every other F4 member can walk around in a state that isn't expressing powers. The issue is that Reed had always tackled it from the standpoint that it was a permanent affliction caused from the cosmic rays, so he was always trying to deal with both the baby and the bathwater at the same time. By the point the Future Foundation was able to fully diagnosis this, Ben had allowed his being to be so seeped into by the cosmic rays and the powered state that it could no longer properly maintain his original form, but they were able to find a solution that would allow him to return to normal for a day each year.
>>151966654>AblativeThey come off? Has this ever been depicted?
So he's more like a crustacean then?
>>151967260The Amazing Bugman
>>151966654Before secret wars during the Hickman run Reed basically makes a serum that allows him to transform back once a year (which is also the only day he actually ages), not sure if that is still thing in the continuity.
>>151967344>not sure if that is still thing in the continuity.I think it has been put into play in a Hulk comic in recent years
>>151967193there's been times where he's shown being injured by a villain managing to pull off the rock scales. iirc they just eventually grow back over the flesh
>>151967344I liked the gag in world's greatest heroes where his bathroom has a rock crusher toilet
>>151966654Yeah it's common knowledge
>>151966654They're lazy
