I will give the most mainstream definition now. Most people know The Thing as the comic character. He is orange with blue jeans and has super strength. Originally he was a WWII vet,
Ben Grimes, who joined his friend Reed Richards on a space mission. During that mission, he Richards,
Richards's wife and brother-in-law were exposed to radiation in space. This caused them to get super powers. In 2005, Michael Chiklis played The Thing and in 2015,
Jamie Bell played The Thing. The Thing is loved among Marvel heroes. He gets positive reception for his portrayal as an outsider. He was ranked #18 on IGN's top 100 heroes list. Successful solo series of him was released.