John Carpenter’s The Thing is known for its terrifying creatures, top-notch special effects, and ambiguous ending, the latter of which isn’t so ambiguous thanks to the movie’s two secret sequels. Carpenter’s 1982 reimagining of John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella Who Goes There? is a horror classic. Despite its low box office and initial poor reviews, The Thing has endured the test of time.
The Thing‘s bittersweet ending presents one of the biggest lingering questions in the horror genre. As R.J. MacReady and Childs weather the storm following the apparent death of the titular monster, doubts about their true identity grow, and the credits roll. Whether Childs or MacReady are the Thing has been disputed for decades, but two overlooked The Thing sequels provide their own answers.
John Carpenter’s The Thing Has Two Comic Book Sequels
Dark Horse’s The Thing From Another World & Questionable Research Continue The Plot Of The Movie
The creature takes the form of a helmeted head in Dark Horse’s The Thing From Another World
In 1991, Dark Horse released the comic sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing, The Thing from Another World, set a day after the events of the movie. Written by Chuck Pfarrer, the comic confirms that MacReady is rescued, but he returns to Outpost 31 in search of Childs. Unfortunately, the authorities get infected when they come looking for him, allowing the Thing to infect another base and a submarine.
In 1992’s direct continuation, The Thing from Another World: Climate of Fear, MacReady recovers from his wounds at an Argentinian base, where he tries to stop the Thing from spreading, to disastrous results. After witnessing Childs’ return as the Thing, an airstrike seemingly destroys a giant, spider-shaped version of the creature for good. Still, the battle isn’t over.
The third part of the story comes in 1993’s The Thing from Another World: Eternal Vows, where the Thing evolves to have a primitive conscience after taking the form of a local woman in New Zealand. From the monster’s perspective, the comic shows how the Thing struggles to spread without calling too much attention to itself. As MacReady arrives, the Thing is forced to abandon his conscience and transform into a fish, escaping into the ocean.
Also in 1993, Dark Horse released a second, separate sequel to Carpenter’s movie. The Thing from Another World: Questionable Research ignores the events from the previous comics and follows a new research team that investigates the creature, knowing what it’s capable of. Similarly to the movie, the Thing spreads among them, leaving only one survivor behind. However, Questionable Research strongly suggests that the Thing escapes, heading toward civilization.
The Thing’s Sequels Remain Surprisingly Consistent
Every The Thing Installment Can Be Enjoyed As Part Of A Whole
A group of survivors run in the snow in The Thing video game cover
While Dark Horse’s two The Thing comic sequels provide different follow-ups to John Carpenter’s 1982 movie, they are both respectful of its story and rules while adding a few twists along the way. The Thing from Another World sees the titular creature develop speech, strategy, and fear of its own. Though it also speeds up the infection process and sees the creature conquer larger bases, the movie’s claustrophobic tone is maintained.
Questionable Research is much closer to the movie in premise and scale, keeping the monster contained to roughly the same area as the film. However, it also raises the stakes. The human crew is well-prepared to investigate the creature in hopes they can ensure its destruction. Yet, they only give it a better chance to escape, possibly dooming the whole world.
Universal’s 2011 The Thing movie prequel expands on the story by exploring the events that took place at the Norwegian base, and Computer Artworks’ 2002 The Thing video game offers yet another continuation, with new groups of humans arriving not only to investigate, but also to realize they could weaponize the alien creature. MacReady appears in every installment except for the movie prequel, and he survives every time.
The Thing‘s sequels and prequels can’t be considered part of the same canon. Still, all of them offer a new twist on the same lore, each with a similar formula to the original movie and a new scenario where the Thing barely escapes. While nothing compares to the 1982 film itself, The Thing franchise doesn’t have a single installment that betrays the style of the original, unlike many other horror classics.
Release Date
June 25, 1982
Runtime
109 minutes
Director
John Carpenter
Writers
Bill Lancaster, John W. Campbell Jr.
Producers
David Foster, Lawrence Turman
