Marvel Unveils Jack Kirby Plaque at Avengers Campus to Mark Iconic Creator’s Birthday, And the Right Hero Was Present

There is no debating Jack Kirby’s influence on comics. The visionary artist was behind some of the most iconic characters in comics history, helping to create characters like Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Hulk, the original X-Men team, and countless more — and that’s just on the Marvel side. Kirby brought the New Gods to life for DC and even helped create an entire genre of comics with Young Romance.  Without Kirby, the world of comics today would look very different and now, the legendary creator is being honored at Marvel’s Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure and the perfect hero was on hand for the moment.

To celebrate what would have been Kirby’s 109th birthday, Disney unveiled a special plaque honoring Kirby. The plaque reads “Avengers Campus owes much to your vision and storytelling. The characters you created populate this campus as a living tribute to you, Jack.” The plaque also bears a quote from Kirby himself: “If you look at my characters, you will find me. No matter what kind of character you create or assume, a little of yourself must remain there.” The plaque was shared on social media by Kirby’s grandson, Jeremy — complete with Ben Grimm/The Thing as part of the moment.

The Thing Was The Perfect Hero to Help Honor Jack Kirby

While the commemorative plaque was placed at the Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure and it might seem like it would have made more sense for Captain America or Iron Man to be a part of the celebration, Ben Grimm was not only the right choice, but really the only hero it really could have been — even if The Thing’s typical team affiliation is Fantastic Four. There’s a reason for that: out of all of Kirby’s characters, The Thing is the one that is most influenced by Kirby’s own life. Ben Grimm shared a lot with Kirby. His personality was similar to Kirby’s own, as were other elements of the character. His name, for example Benjamin Jacob was taken from Jack’s own birth name as well as his own father’s name. Elements of Ben’s history also come from Kirby’s own, with both of them growing up poor on the Lower East Side and both of them having been in a youth gang. Ben was also Jewish, just like Kirby.

With The Thing being perhaps Kirby’s most personal character, it’s just perfectly fitting that it’s The Thing that was on hand to help celebrate the icon as there is a lot of Kirby in the hero. Of course, as Kirby himself said, there’s a bit of himself in all of his characters and now, everyone who comes Avengers Campus will be reminded of that and how, without Jack Kirby, none of it would exist. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect, even beyond it being Kirby’s birthday. With Avengers: Doomsday headed into theaters in December, another of Kirby’s epic creations is about to loom large on the silver screen. It’s just another example of Kirby’s long legacy, and it’s one worth celebrating.