I’ll start with a hearty “Thank You!” to Jim Warden for the scans seen here.  Jim contacted me last week to let me know he is the proud owner (and major Hulk fan, if I remember correctly) of the complete original artwork and cover art for this issue, and that scans of all the pages were to be found in his CAF gallery if I wanted to use them here.  Of course, that’s an offer I’d never turn down.  So, thanks for looking out for me again, Jim!

As I’ve said before, do yourself a huge favor and check out all the incredible art in Jim’s collection, including all the pages I couldn’t post here.

The rest of Hulk 319

For those reading along, yes, next week I'll be posting Marvel Fanfare 29.

Amazing issue.

I mentioned the first three panels of the above page in another thread. Here's a recap for those who missed it...

In Amazing Heroes # 76, there's a fantastic interview with JB regarding his plans for the Hulk. He would have taken the character back to where he was early on--a green-skinned, Kirby-ish version.

Banner would have found a simple way to cause the transformation, and would have had control over the Hulk (or so he thought), but the Hulk would also occasionally come out on his own, with his brutish personality warping Banner's. Banner would have become somewhat addicted to the power of the Hulk, almost like an alcoholic. The underground vault would have come back into play, too.

Well, in panels 1-3 of the page shown above, Banner muses about how he thinks there might have been a way for him to control the Hulk from the very start. Since JB's run ended after this story, it seems like just that--musing.

But, given the Rosetta Stone provided in the form of JB's Amazing Heroes interview, I'm convinced that this dialogue was the initial setup for a story where Banner cannot resist the temptation--and willingly turns himself into a new Hulk that he thinks he has under control.

This explains the mysterious hint from JB in AH # 76 about the first appearance of the new Hulk coming before the last appearance of the old Hulk. I think that there would have been two Hulks--one being the Buscema-esque version that was separated from Banner, and the other being the new, Kirby-ish, Banner-controlled Hulk.

It would also explain the hint that a "very, very, very important death" was forthcoming in future issues. I believe that JB planned on killing off the mindless, Buscema-esque Hulk. Perhaps there would have been a battle royale between the new, Banner-controlled Hulk and the mindless Hulk.

While JB is understandably reluctant to talk about aborted storylines, it's a theory I've had brewing for a few years now, and thought people might find it interesting.

That storyline would have been SO cool.

Yeah, that would have been neat, but JB made it clear in the AH interview that he fully intended to keep the Hulk green. He would have looked as he did around the time of Incredible Hulk # 4-5 and Avengers # 1.

Can't say for sure if a Hulk-vs.-Hulk battle is what JB had in mind, but it would have been really cool to see the Banner-controlled "new" Hulk outwitting the mindless Buscema-type Hulk.

Interestingly enough, during the Milgrom run that followed JB's, we saw Banner's gray Hulk battle Jones' green Hulk. Hmm.

Oh, and as for this issue, it's really great. The moment where Betty finally faces down General Ross was long in coming.

And, although JB has said that he wouldn't have married Bruce and Betty, had he known then what he knows now, it's still a very triumphant moment. Those two really do belong together.

And I love the misdirection on the cover (and throughout the story). It all leads one to think that the Hulk will crash the wedding, but that doesn't happen.

Wow...i believe that this is the second wedding in the Marvel Universe!

***

No -- besides Reed and Sue, we also had the Quicksilver/Crystal wedding and the Vision/Scarlet Witch and Swordsman/Mantis double wedding before this.