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Sharon Ventura is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine from the Marvel Comics universe. Created by Mike Carlin and Ron Wilson, the character first appeared in Thing #27 (September 1985). She also answers to the cryptonym Ms. Marvel (often used by Carol Danvers), and has served as a member of the Fantastic Four and the female wrestlers known as the Grapplers.

Sharon Ventura signed up for the Power Broker's program in order to join the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation (UCWF). The Power Broker (actually Curtiss Jackson), employed Dr. Karl Malus to create super-powered wrestlers for his competitions. Sharon was unaware of the criminal activities of Jackson or Malus. While boosting their subjects' strength, the pair addicted the subjects to a drug, ensuring their obedience. It has been implied that she was raped while a prisoner of Malus, which caused her to develop an intense hatred and distrust of men. Sharon managed to break free before Malus administered the drug. She adopted the costume which UCWF minder Ann Fraley (Auntie Freeze) had arranged for her, taking the name Ms. Marvel.

Shortly after joining the Fantastic Four, Sharon was mutated by cosmic rays and took on strength and appearance similar to that of Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing ^[1]. Sharon was offered the chance to be human again by Doctor Doom while a then powerless Ben Grimm chose to use one of Reed Richards machines to revert back to the Thing to save Sharon.^[2] Sharon left the Fantastic Four soon after and began working for Doctor Doom. Sharon claimed to be doing this so that Doom would cure Ben as he had her. Later when she refused to betray her friends in the Fantastic Four to Doctor Doom, Doom spitefully mutated her into a much more monstrous form. Even though she never officially retired her Ms. Marvel moniker, she became informally known as the She-Thing. After a bout of insanity, she joined the Frightful Four briefly, attacking the FF before regaining her sanity and relocating with Fantastic Four associate Wyatt Wingfoot.

Years later, Ms. Marvel had a guest appearance in Marvel Knights #4, a spinoff of the main Fantastic Four book. The appearance established that she was indeed alive and well in the Marvel Universe and her attire implied she was still residing with Wingfoot. Her absence was poked fun at, as she stated that she couldn't believe anybody still had her number.

Sharon Ventura recently appeared in Fantastic Four #543 (March 2007) in her Thing form.

Someone wearing Sharon Ventura's 'Ms Marvel' costume appeared in a comic following the Civil War. It is unknown if this is actually Sharon Ventura herself, somehow changed back to human form, or another woman wearing her costume. Whichever she was, she was captured by SHRA enforcers.

As Ms. Marvel, Sharon had superhuman strength and endurance. In both of her further mutated forms, her physical attributes and durability were greatly magnified.

In the alternate timeline of MC2, Sharon is human again, she and Ben were married, and have twin children, Alyce and Jacob, although they later divorced. Sharon Ventura appears in the 2007 Fantastic Five limited series.

Sharon Ventura is an alternate costume for Ms. Marvel in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.^[3]