H.E.R.B.I.E. and the Thing cook together

Did you know the “Highly Engineered Robot Built for Interdimensional Exploration” was introduced in a 1978 animated series to replace the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four because The New Fantastic Four didn’t have rights to the character? I didn’t know that until today, but it’s fascinating that the little robot assistant has such an odd history and has still managed to persist. I had my first exposure to him in Marvel Rivals, helping him push a payload through Manhattan. Is H.E.R.B.I.E. the Harley Quinn of the Marvel universe?

Anyway, H.E.R.B.I.E. is shown with an appropriate retro-future look and is kind of giving Rosey from The Jetsons. He’s shown cooking with the Thing, portrayed (with the help of CGI) by The Bear actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach. It’s a cute scene that shows the hero is a gentle giant despite his rocky exterior. But I’m just thinking about the little robot dude. He’s trying his best. He doesn’t have taste buds to know his recipe is missing that special something.