X-amining Incredible Hulk '97 #1

"Sins of the Father" / "Where the Wild Things Are"

1997

In a Nutshell

Hulk battles Gladiator, and gets blamed for Franklin's nightmares. 

Writer: Chris Cooper, Bill Roseman (2nd Story)
Penciler: Jeff Rebner, Kevin Lay (2nd Story)
Inker: Mark Irwin, Andrew Pepoy (2nd Story)
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos 
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Polly Watson & Bobby Chase

Plot

1st Story: Members of the Pantheon approach Doctor Samson, seeking his help to find the Hulk's illegitimate son, David. Samson is stunned, having never heard of of Bruce Banner having a son. Meanwhile, Gladiator and Oracle of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard are searching for a shape-shifter named Elamron, who was last seen with Hulk. All parties, including David, converge on the Hulk. Gladiator and Hulk fight, with Gladiator taking Hulk into space and Hulk turning Gladiator's heat vision back on him. But when Hulk sees the look of fear on David's face, he stops, reminded of his own childhood. In the confusion David — actually Elamron — disappears.

X-amining "Onslaught" Tie-Ins Part 2

"Dancing in the Dark" / "Night Neverending" / "The End of the Line" / "Unfinished Business" 

October 1996

In a Nutshell

The Avengers, Fantastic Four and Hulk prepare for the final battle against Onslaught. 

Incredible Hulk #445 by Peter David & Angel Medina

Iron Man #332 by Terry Kavangh & Joe Bennett

Avengers #402 by Mark Waid, Mike Deodato & Tom Palmer

Fantastic Four #416 by Tom DeFalco & Carlos Pacheco

(Please visit the GCD for full credits from each issue)

Plot

Incredible Hulk #445: After rescuing a subway car full of stranded passengers, Hulk, angry with the way Onslaught used him & frustrated by the heroes' lack of action, decides to take the fight to Onslaught. Though Captain America cautions against it, Hulk is joined by Falcon, Hawkeye, Vision & Crystal. Together, Hulk & Crystal dig a tunnel beneath the city & into Onslaught's citadel. They attack, and though his allies are killed, Hulk succeeds in destroying Onslaught, happy to have won despite the losses. Suddenly, he's back in Four Freedoms Plaza, the entire attack a result of a telepathic illusion created by Onslaught and shared amongst the heroes, leaving the group more distrustful of Hulk than ever. 

X-amining Incredible Hulk #444

"Cable Vision"

August 1996

In a Nutshell

Cable (and Storm) battle Hulk (some more). 

Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Angel Medina
Inks: Robin Riggs
Letterer: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Colorist: Glynis Oliver

Enhancement: Malibu
Editor: Bobbie Chase

Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Plot

Storm races after Cable, who's been captured by the Hulk. He leaps away, and lands inside a magazine office, where Hulk spots a pinup of model Betty Page; the name "Betty" causes him to pause in his attack, giving Cable an opening to get inside his mind. He tries to remove the blocks Onslaught has placed around Bruce Banner's mind, to no avail. He emerges from Hulk's mind just as Hulk prepares to attack; Storm intervenes with a tornado that tosses Hulk away, but he sends Cable flying as well. Cable grabs a gun from a nearby sporting goods store and fires a gas pellet at Hulk. Storm ensures Hulk breathes in the gas, leaving him open to a combined attack as she hits him with lightning and Cable goes back into his mind to free Banner. Later, Hulk joins Cable & Storm as they proceed to rendezvous with the rest of the X-Men, determined to get a piece of Onslaught for messing with his mind. 

X-amining Incredible Hulk Annual #7

"The Evil That is Cast..."
1978

In a Nutshell

Writer/Co-Plotter: Roger Stern
Penciler/Co-Plotter: John Byrne
Inker: Bob Layton
Letterer: Jim Novak
Colorist: Janice Cohen
Editor: Bob Hall
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Plot
As the Hulk is treated by Doc Samson at nearby Gamma Base, Angel & his girlfriend Candy Southern are visited by Iceman and his girlfriend, Terri Sue Bottoms. As the couples are enjoying the pool, the two mutants are attacked by a mysterious figure who soon transforms into Master Mold. After Master Mold captures Iceman, Angel lures Master Mold to Gamma Base, where Angel is captured but Master Mold manages to anger the Hulk in the process, prompting the Hulk to grab onto Master Mold as the Sentinel flies into outer space. Angel & Iceman awaken aboard a space station, where they learn that Master Mold houses the mind of Stephen Lang. Hulk doesn't much care, and proceeds to tear apart Master Mold. Angel, Iceman & Hulk proceed to an escape pod, but when Master Mold reveals he's sealed the pods, Hulk kicks the pod containing the two mutants free and goes back to finish off Master Mold. Angel & Iceman land in the ocean just as the space station above them blows up, though Hulk soon emerges from the water, having leaped free of the station before it blew and grabbed onto the escape pod. Hulk heads back to Gamma Base, while Angel & Iceman hustle back to their waiting girlfriends.

X-amining Incredible Hulk #180-182

"And the Wind Howls...Wendigo!" / "And Now...The Wolverine!" / "Between Hammer and Anvil"
October -December 1974

In a Nutshell
The first appearance of Wolverine!

Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: Herb Trimpe
Inks: Jack Abel
Letterer: Artie Simek
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Editor: Roy Thomas

Plot
The Hulk enters Canada, drawn there by the sister of the Wendigo, who hopes to transfer the Wendigo curse from her brother to Hulk. Meanwhile, the Canadian military dispatches Weapon X to capture the Hulk. Wendigo and Hulk fight one another, pausing only when Weapon X, calling himself Wolverine, arrives on the scene. Realizing both his foes are nearly invulnerable, Wolverine convinces Hulk to help him defeat Wendigo. Thinking perhaps this means Wolverine is his friend, Hulk agrees, but once Wendigo is defeated, Wolverine turns on Hulk, determined to complete his mission. But Hulk manages to land a glancing blow on Wolverine, strong enough to knock him out, and when he wakes up, his superiors order him out, his time limit to capture the Hulk on his own having expired.

X-amining Incredible Hulk #392

"War and Pieces Conclusion: Fortunes of War "
April 1992

In a Nutshell
Hulk & X-Factor overthrow Farnoq Dahn

Writer: Peter David
Pencils: Dale Keown
Inks: Mark Farmer
Lettering: Joe Rosen
Coloring: Glynis Oliver
Edits: Bobbie Chase
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Havok has been captured by Farnoq Dahn, who plans to harness Havok's power to overcome his country's lack of nuclear arms. When CIA agent Galvin learns Dahn has drugged Val Cooper, he threatens to pull US support, but Dahn kills him. Meanwhile, the rest of X-Factor reach the front lines of Dahn's defenses just ahead of the Pantheon. Inside, Hulk, having followed the captured Havok into Dahn's palace, reveals himself. Outside, the rebel forces led by the Pantheon threaten to overwhelm X-Factor and Dahn's forces, prompting him to initiate his contingency plan: two dozen missile, each with a civilian strapped to it. He orders the rebels to stand down, then launches two missiles to show he means business. Hulk manages to save the small boy tied to one missile, while X-Factor rescues the boy's mother from the other. Hulk then tears through Dahn's defenses and captures the dictator, but when the Pantheon put him on trial before his people, most continue to support him. But Hulk insists they need to follow the will of the people, and doesn't allow the Pantheon to execute him. However, just then, Dahn is killed by Rick Jones, disguised as one of Dahn's soldiers. Wolfsbane approaches him in the aftermath, and he says he couldn't stand that after everything, Dahn was just laughing in the face of his people's continued support. He breaks down, saying he never thought he could do something like that, and Wolfsbane hugs him, telling him she knows the feeling.

X-amining Incredible Hulk #390-391

"This Means War" / "X-Calation"
February - March 1992

In a Nutshell
X-Factor is called in to stop the Hulk's attack on the nation of Trans-Sabal.

Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Dale Keown
Inker: Mark Farmer
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Issue #390: In Trans-Sabal, Hulk and the Pantheon help a rebel group repel the forces of the country's dictator, Farnoq Dahn. This prompts Dahn to ask CIA operative Galvin for additional assistance from the US, in addition to the equipment they already provided. Galvin proceeds to bring in X-Factor to take on the Hulk. Issue #391: Hulk's friend Rick Jones shows him that the equipment being used by Dahn's forces is from SHIELD, causing him to wonder if they're on the right side of the conflict, but Hulk insists they are. Meanwhile, X-Factor is briefed on the situation and prepares to battle Hulk, despite their dislike of Dahn. Back at the rebel camp, Rick befriends one of the soldiers, convincing him he's on the right side. Later, Hulk launches an attack on Dahn's forces, during which X-Factor intervenes. Hulk is able to mostly hold his own, until Havok is able to absorb some of his gamma radiation, weakening him but also triggering a massive explosion.

X-amining Incredible Hulk #369

"Silent Screams"
May 1990

In a Nutshell 
Freedom Force battles the Hulk. 

Writer: Peter David
Penciler:Dale Keown
Inker:Bob McLeod
Letterer: Joseph Rosen
Colorist: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

Plot
Bruce Banner is taken in by a family whose home was recently destroyed by a hurricane, and he sees in their young son Jack a lot of himself. Meanwhile, Crimson Commando, Blob and Pyro are flying to South Carolina in pursuit of the Hulk, while Mystique follows up another lead on his location in New York. Posing as an FBI agent, she meets with an older woman who painfully reminds her of Destiny, but the creature she spotted turns out to be something other than the Hulk entirely. In South Carolina, Freedom Force tracks down Banner and tries to take him into custody quietly, without triggering the Hulk, but night falls, bringing him forth. Hulk proceeds to fight back, smothering Pyro's flame monster and easily tossing aside Crimson Commando.

X-aminations in May 2015

A relatively quiet week month as we chug ahead through the non-team era of Uncanny X-Men, the Cable-fication of New Mutants and, of course, the story that never ends, "Cross-Time Caper", in Excalibur.

I am calling another audible, however, and slotting in Marvel Comics Presents #51-53 at the end of the month. It's another Wolverine story (of course) but it's drawn by Liefeld, and aside from giving us another opportunity to make fun of his art, that's the week of Memorial Day (and my birthday), so I'm using it to give myself a little break without taking the week off entirely.

On Sale March 1990
May 6th: Incredible Hulk #369
May 7th: Excalibur #22
May 8th: Wolverine #24

On Sale April 1990
May 13th: Uncanny X-Men #262
May 14th: New Mutants #90
May 15th: X-Factor #55

May 20th: Spotlight on the Starjammers #1-2
May 21st: Excalibur #23
May 22nd: Wolverine #25

May 27th: Marvel Comics Presents #51-53

X-aminations in January 2015...and Beyond!

After one more quiet week to give me a bit of a breather as I adjust to fatherhood, we dive right back into the regular grind with Uncanny X-Men #253, and the ensuing six months will feature some of the X-books' biggest moments, as we hit the 90s, and they hit back hard: Jim Lee fills in again on X-Men and helps transform Psylocke into a ninja warrior, Rob Liefeld becomes the new New Mutants artist and shortly thereafter introduces Cable, and just as summer comes upon us, Gambit makes his first appearance (and, maybe, just maybe, Excalibur's Cross Time Caper will come to an end).  

Also, after a series of annual and increasingly-expanding X-Men crossover storylines, culminating in the mostly-linewide "Inferno", 1990 sees the first such crossover to be spearheaded by the Avengers rather than the X-Men, "Acts of Vengeance", which we'll start examining in February. I haven't decided exactly which tie-ins I'll be looking at yet (and the story as a whole is much looser than even "Inferno", with little in the way of a central narrative to follow), but my plan is to cover only the ones with a significant connection to the X-books in some way (ie the Cosmic Spider-Man stuff, because Sebastian Shaw and Sentinels, or the Captain America/Magneto issues, because Magneto).

As always, sound off in the comments about anything I may have missed or that you'd like to see covered in future installments. Also, I still haven't decided on a title for the section discussing Liefeld's art.