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Fantastic Four Vol. 6 #5, (Legacy 650), 2018 Creators: Written by Dan Slott Drawn and inked by Aaron Kuder Colored by Marte Gracia & Erick Arciniega Lettered by VC's Joe Caramagna 4 out of 9 covers feature Ben in Jewish regalia! Esad Ribic cover - Ben in tallis and kippa holding Alicia, surrounded by heart and doves Mark Brooks variant - Ben in tallis and kippa holding Alicia in wedding dress Elizabeth Torque variant - Ben in tallis and kippa kissing Alicia under the chuppah Alex Ross variant - Ben in kippa kissing Alicia, surrounded on either side by superhero battles In an interview with CBR, Dan slott reveals he was building to Ben proposing to Alicia in the Thing #25, but was told the wedding would have to be in FF (then written by J Michael Straczynski First, a flashback with art by Mike and Laura Allred, very touching story about Sue teaching Ben to dance for the wedding while flashing back to playing matchmaker Then bachelor party with art by Adam Hughes. Serpent Society burst out of cakes Wedding in Benson, AZ??? Rabbi Lowenthal traveled with everyone to officiate Meet Aunt Petunia and Uncle Jake, who says kids being teenagers is meshugana Benson?? Don’t think there’s many Jews in Benson. The nearest synagogue is a 37 minute drive south (Temple Kol Hamidbar in Sierra Vista) Finally get to the wedding There is a chuppa. Ben wears a tallis “Alicia Reiss Masters and Benjamin Jacob Grimm” both sound more Jewish with their middle names (Jacob Reiss was her deceased father, Phillip Masters her stepfather) Doom interrupts with a worldwide projection announcing Galactus has returned and he'll defend earth, but nobody better enter Latverian airspace. The FF immediately think they need to spring into action “Remember what the rabbi said” Alicia asks Ben to have patience. Definitely what happens, people lose their identities, become just THE rabbi LITERAL CHUPPAH Reed uses a coronal displacement device (a 4-minute time bubble) to give those under the chutzpah time to finish the wedding while everybody else is frozen Amazing literalization of the chuppah as sacred time. Time literally freezes under the canopy They give vows. Not a traditionally Jewish thing, but more popular these days Typical I do moment No harei at, no ketubah, no sheva brachot Rabbi Lowenthal: “It is said that, at our weddings, the crash of a glass ends the hush of mythic time under a huppah… allowing the world and a new beginning to come rushing in. Never before has that been more true.” Seems entirely taken from Anita Diamant's The Jewish Wedding Now, which is reprinted on myjewishlearning. Pretty sure Dan just googled chuppah She writes “The crash of glass ends the hush of mythic time under the huppah, and the world rushes in. Everyone exhales, claps and shouts, “Mazel tov!” The celebration begins” Bubble snaps as they shout mazel tov, team rushes off in just married fantasticar Marvel Holiday Special 1994 The Thing in “Losin’ The Blues” Creators: Written by Greg Wright Drawn by Mike Manley Colored by Greg Wright Lettered by Brad Joyce Wright- early 90’s work like Deathlok and Morbius the Living Vampire Thing saves a group of ice skaters from a Christmas tree about to smash them Young girl named Amy starts asking lots of questions complaining about Xmas and Trees Intersperse their conversation with Ben stopping various crimes - a Salvation army robbery, a jewelry store robbery. People keep yelling at Ben for causing damage as he saves “I'm Jewish. They don't have a million Hanukkah specials on TV, or big sales, or tons of decorations. People think Hanukkah’s like eight days of Christmas, and it isn't! It wouldn't be so bad if Christmas stuff wasn't everywhere for three months, you know. I'm proud if my religion, but this stuff makes me feel--like--less or something.” Goes on yo explain how she doesn't see peace or goodwill, just fighting over presents Punk kids steal Amy's coat. Ben goes to offer her his, but a homeless person gives his coat first. Supposed to be sweet, but it's super creepy Ben gives his coat to the homeless man, who managed to convince Amy the season is about goodwill She gives Ben some felt as a Hanukkah present she just had lying around Ben offers to get all three hot cocoa Funny, I remembered the first time I read this story that it felt like Ben had never heard of Hanukkah before. But it comes across as him playing cou, leaving Amy room to articulate her own position. It could fit in with a narrative of Ben as someone who turned his back on his Judaism Marvel Holiday Special 2004 “The True Meaning of...” Creators: Written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Drawn by Duncan Rouleau Inked by Aaron Sowd Colored by Morry Hollowell Lettered by Clem Robins Franklin has to write a report for school on what his family does for the holidays, so he dictates it to HERBIE Thing identifies himself and Shadowcat as the only two openly Jewish superheroes Bull. Even if Moon Knight is still secretive and Magneto is evil at the time, there's Sabra Celebrates Hanukah with Mr. Sheckerberg and orphans Franklin offers to host the Hanukkah party at the Baxter building, Ben reveals Reed and Sue have offered. But he's not interested He likes that it's low key “This is personal. Between me and God. You understand?” Ben doesn't strike me as religious. Franklin finally talks to Reed about whether he believes in God Ends with an equation of all religious holidays as the same “Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa...other holidays like Ramadan” Frustratingly shallow read of holidays Marvel Holiday Comic 2011 “Chinese Food for Christmas” Creators: Written by Jamie S. Rich Drawn by Paco Diaz Colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu Lettered by Jeff Eckleberry Jamie is currently group editor for Batman comics FF era Ben Ben on the phone with Kitty Pryde, who is teasing him about his pumpkin spice eggnog latte and the fact Sasquatch and Moon Knight will eat all the sesame chicken Thing also brings up stereotypical Jewish drink, manischewitz Ben is hunting down this monster that keeps stealing Xmas decorations “It may be Christmas time for the gentiles, but for you...it's clobberin’ time!” Turns out the monster is stealing everything for orphan children whose charity Christmas was canceled Ben invites them to Jewish Christmas Weird that he asks if they have heard of Hanukkah (they have, and they know it's over) instead of whether they know what Jews do on Christmas All the Jewish superheroes celebrating together: Moon Knight, Songbird, Shadowcat, Thing, Sasquatch, Wiccan Gold, Langkowski, Kaplan Wiccan is lighting a hanukkiyah, which is cool except… He's not lit the central shanah candle We established Hanukkah is over! Marvel Two-in-One #8 (1975) - Thing and Ghost Rider team up Ghost Rider witnesses Three Wise Men recreation Thing insists that Mr. Fantastic celebrate Christmas with his family while he goes to investigate. Interpretive room for him being Jewish