Featuring: Hulk
Release: November 4, 1965
Cover: February 1966
12 cents
Script: Stan Lee
Layout: Jack Kirby
Pencilling: Scott Edward
Inking: Mickey Demeo
Lettering: Artie Simek
10 pages
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Stay back!! Back!! You’re just a pack of men– but me, I’m the Hulk!
I like to think I know Marvel decently well, but I’ve never heard of Scott Edward. Usually means a regular DC artist is moonlighting at Marvel on the down low. Indeed, Scott Edward is the already legendary Gil Kane. He’s got some great work at Marvel ahead of him. Of course, Gil Kane isn’t actually his name either. His birth name is Eli Katz, but we all know him as Gil Kane.
But let’s see what he’s done in his 20+ years in comics before getting here. We technically did meet him as one of the artists working with Wood on Thunder AGENTS.
By this point in his career, his biggest claim to fame is the creation of the new Green Lantern, Hal Jordan.
As well as the new Atom, Ray Palmer.
Arguably, the sleek stylish sci-fi looks of Gil Kane– along with those of Carmine Infantino– are what gave birth to DC’s Silver Age of comics.
His earliest comic work is with Archie, working on Bentley of Scotland Yard, starting in Pep Comics #38, and on the Shield and Dusty the Boy Detective, starting in Shield-Wizard Comics #11. We include the opening pages of Pep #38 and #39, so you can see Kane’s work with and without the inks of Pen Shumaker, respectively.
It’s hard to know for sure his first Marvel work, as artists were so often uncredited. The first Marvel work I can confidently find is Adventures Into Terror #17, from 1953. The earliest signature of his I can find in a Marvel comic is Marvel Tales #117, also from 1953. But prior to this point, he was never a regular Marvel artist. He soon will be.
Here’s a sampling of his DC work.
- Adventure Comics #91, feat. Sandman, 1944
- Star Spangled Comics #35, feat. Newsboy Legion, 1944
- Star Spangled Comics #46, 1945
- Sensation Comics #70, feat. Wildcat, 1947
- All-American Western #107, feat. Overland Coach, inks by Frank Giacoia, 1949
- Girls’ Love Stories #6, inks by Bob Oksner, 1950
- Jimmy Wakely #7, feat. Kit Colby Girl Sheriff, inks by Bob Lander, 1950
- Sensation Comics #104, feat. Astra Girl of the Future, 1951
- Strange Adventures #12, 1951
- The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog, inks by Frank Giacoia, 1952
- Our Army at War #1, inks by Joe Giella, 1952
- Big Town #17, inks by Joe Giella, 1952
- All Star Western #75, inks by Joe Giella, 1954
- Robin Hood Tales #7, with layouts by Irv Novick and inks by Joe Kubert,1957
- Mystery in Space #49, 1959
- Showcase #19, inks by Bernard Sachs, 1959
- Green Lantern #1, inks by Joe Giella, 1960
- The Atom #1, inks by Murphy Anderson, 1962
- Green Lantern #16, inks by Murphy Anderson, 1962
- The Brave and the Bold #59, 1965
Yes, the Sandman and Newsboy Legion stories are signed as Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, but the GCD seems confident Kane is ghosting for them.
Gil Kane passed away in the year 2000 at the age of 73.
This story picks up where last issue left off, with Hulk trapped in the future by his own Time Gun while attempting to free Rick Jones from prison.
Hulk is a prisoner of King Arrkam. They want his aid against the Evil One. Hulk just wants to get home. His mind is cloudy. His brain is a mix of Hulk’s and Banner’s, and part of his brain seems to forget that he is Banner.
The “Evil One” turns out to be the Executioner. Was he also sent to the future? Or is he just here because he’s immortal? Either way, he and Hulk are about to fight.
We’ve caught back up with Namor’s story, so we’ll pick up with Namor’s story tomorrow and then see this battle play out.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 52/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I think Gil Kane’s first step into working for Marvel is sufficiently significant.
I read this story in The Incredible Hulk Epic Collection vol. 2: The Hulk Must Die.
Characters:
- Hulk
- Major Talbot
- General Thunderbolt Ross
- King Arrkam
- Executioner/Evil One
Story notes:
- Squad cannot allow destructive rampaging brute in their land, especially when faced with the threat of the Evil One.
- Squad tries exploso-ray gunners and delta missile.
- They subdue Hulk with the Captivator, which harnesses concentrated gravity.
- Hulk in 25th century
- Deputy Chief of Staff chews out Ross for not knowing what happened to Hulk.
- Squad brings Hulk to stone fortress.
- Sometimes Hulk’s clouded brain forgets that he is Banner; the bestial part is submerging Banner.
- Arrkam wants Hulk’s help against the evil one; Hulk wants machine to send him home. He threatens to destroy their society otherwise.
- High-intensity paralyzer howitzer deployed.
| Previous | #485 | Next |
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| Tales to Astonish #75, Story B | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #77 |
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