HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1

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wolframbane
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HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1

Post by wolframbane »

HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1 (HMSS 1)
December 2008
"It's Alive! Alive!!!"
22 pages

Characters: Hulk (Bruce Banner), Victoria Frankenstein, Monster of Frankenstein, Fritz, Children of the Damned, Hulkbusters, Victor Frankenstein (in portrait)

Synopsis:
(1-2). Bruce Banner is hiding out in Lyon, France under the alias Jacque Demasse. A local Hulkbuster unit established in Europe attempt to flush him out. Bruce is knocked out with gas by a mysterious operative, who spirits him away by car. Nighttime in Europe, approx 8:30pm according to clock tower.
(3). Bruce awakens on a train in Austria, and meets Victoria Frankestein and her hunchback servant Fritz. VIctoria reveals that she had been the one to secretly supply him with a passport and ticket to Lyon, and asks for his expertise. Daytime (probably following day), green forests.
(4-5). Arriving at Castle Frankenstein in Austria, Victoria shows Bruce the comatose form of the Frankenstein's Monster, who has undergone massive cellular breakdown. Bruce agrees to help her heal him. Nighttime during lightning storm (probably same day).
(6). Bruce and Victoria work to repair the Monster, which new organs procured by her Children. Fritz grows jealous of Bruce and Victoria growing closer. A montage of images over "weeks."
(7). Bruce and Victoria take a walk thru the nearby village. Daytime, green forests.
(8). The Monster has been in a chemical solution for days with no improvement. Bruce is drugged by Victoria. Nighttime, full moon. Monster has been in solution "for three days". Probably not the same day as (7) when Victoria mentioned working on "the spinal cord again," as the Monster has been in the solution for several days.
(9-22). Bruce awakens to find Victoria has bound him and is transfusing his regenerative blood to the Monster, accompanied by vast amounts of electricity, which awakens it. Bruce becomes the Hulk, breaks free, and during his battle with the Monster breaks out of the castle and into the nearby town. Hulk is weakened from the loss of blood, but the Monster is even more powerful. Fritz, who has fallen in love with Victoria, reveals that he contacted the Hulkbuster Unit 9, who arrive in helicopters and armored suits. Hulk and the Monster team up against the Hulkbusters, who soon retreat, Despite their newfound bond, Hulk leaves, and the Monster departs with Victoria. Nighttime, full moon, probably same night as (8).

Notes: This story occurs during a period off "weeks" ending the night of a full moon. The events occur "three years ago" but does not reveal three years before when, I would suggest it is actually three years before Bruce records the events in his journal, in which he narrates the tale.

As the Monster is in the care of Victoria, it occurs after FMON 18 (1975). She tells Bruce "you are the first in many years to see him... the Monster," so I would place this somewhere between the long absence of the Monster after it fought Dreadknight in IM 101-103 (1977) and before it had "gone his own way" sometime before DRSTR3 37 (1992).

The story also would have to occur while Banner was still the child-like Green Hulk, and on the run from the Hulkbusters, during a unrecorded period of weeks. He may or may not have been in Europe before this. When Victoria sent him the passport, it may have been a passport from America or simply another country in Europe. Anyone familiar enough with Hulk to place him in Europe? I am aware of H 136, 144-146, but these stories were all published in 1971 before the Monster was found frozen in FMON 12.

The Castle Frankenstein is probably the Swiss Castle (from FMON 18 and IM 101-102) where Victoria has previously been shown to reside (which is in Switzerland, a country that borders on Austria), rather than the one in Bavaria (DRSTR3 37) or London (FMON 9-11).

Victoria said she was "73" and her aging was retarded due to a formula Victor Frankenstein discivered during his work. She called Victor her great grandfather, but Victor died childless and she was actually descended from a near relative (OHOTMU:DE 4). Victoria also called the Monster "Adam", which he was called in BLOODSTONE 1-4.


HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1/2 (HMSS 1/2)
"Hulk By Night "
8 pages

Characters: Hulk (Bruce Banner), Werewolf By Night (Jack Russell)

Synopsis:
(1). Bruce awakens "somewhere in Italy," his ripped clothes suggesting he was the Hulk the night before. He is found by Jack Russell, who offers to take him home. Daytime and evening ("it will be dark soon"), green trees.
(2.) Back at Jack's home, Bruce is now dressed and fed. Jack asks Bruce to lock him in the cage. Still daylight, same day.
(3-7). Bruce locks Jack in a cage as night falls. Under the full moon, Jack becomes a werewolf and scratches the nearby Bruce, who becomes the Hulk and rips open the cage. The Hulk and Werewolf battle into the forest, where the Werewolf attacks a couple in a car, but the Hulk defends them. Both combatants finally collapse due to their injuries. Nightime, full moon, green trees. Same day as (1-2).
(8). Bruce wakes up and finds Jack gone, but he left a thank you note with enough money (in Euros) to help Bruce "get home." Daytime, the following day.

Notes: This story occurs over two days, ending on the night of a full moon. This is while Banner was still the child-like Green Hulk. This occurs while he was in Europe, and as Jack gave him money to get home, perhaps it was shortly before Banner returned to America in some issue. Again, is anyone familiar enough with Hulk to place him in Europe? Perhaps he arrived in Europe when Victoria Frankenstein sent him the passport in HMSS 1, and this returned home from Europe when Jack gave him the money.

This story also has to occur during a period when Jack Russell himself was apparently living in Italy for some time ("I haven't been home in a long time"). Also note he is depicted with longer hair than he had in the Werewolf By Night series. Anyone familiar enough with the Werewolf to know a time he lived in Europe or if there was wnough of a break he could have lived in Europe? Perhaps it occurred sometime between WBN 15 (vs Dracula in Transylvania) and WBN 16 (Arrived in France to fly back to the US), or perhaps between GSWBN 3 (back in Transylvania) and WBN 27 (returned to US). For more info, read the timeline at the bottom of the page in:
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/russelljackww.htm

This is well before Hulk and Werewolf later fought in H2 362.


HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1/3 (HMSS 1/3)
"Goom's Fairy Tales"
2 pages

Characters: Goom, Googam
Cameos: Hulk, Rorgg, Tim Boo Ba, Goliath, Lo Karr, Fin Fang Foom

Synopsis:
(1-2). Goom tells his young son Googam scary stories about the Hulk beating up monsters (Rorgg, Tim Boo Ba, Goliath, Lo Karr, Fin Fang Foom). A voice from the other room yells him to stop. The young Googam goes to scared. One day, probably evening (possibly in the cave where Goom left Googam was depicted in TOS 17).

Notes: This is a humorous piece that may or may not be canon. There is no real reason not to include it I figure. Some of the stories that Goom tells his son may or may not be real, although the only one that is definitely known to have happened was Hulk's battle with Fin Fang Foom, "throwing him into space," as shown in Hulk Vs Fin Fang Foom #1. Hulk (as a member of the Fantastic Four) also faced Goliath in an unrelated battle in FF 347 and 349, and a duplicate of Goom created by Xemnu in H2@ 5.

If this story is canon, it probably takes place on Planet X before Goom and Googam come to Earth in TOS 15 and 17, but after the first appearances of all the other monsters and the Hulk.

Goom first appeared in TOS 15 (1961).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/goomtos.htm

Googam first appeared in TOS 17 (1961).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/googam.htm

Rorgg, King of the Spider Monsters first appeared in JIM 64 (1961).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/rorggspider.htm

Tim Boo Ba first appeared in AAF 9 (1962).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/timbooba.htm

Goliath/Gigantus first appeared in JIM 63 (1960).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/gigant.htm

Lo Karr first appeared in JIM 75 (1961).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/lokarrjim.htm

Fin Fang Foom first appeared in ST 81 (1961).
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix3/finfangfoom.htm

Also note the poster on the wall with the cover of TOS 15. Perhaps Marvel Comics in Earth-616 eventually adapted many "real life" monster stories such as Goom's appearance, similar to many of the Marvel Comics featuring established Earth-616 monsters were read by the young Peter Parker in SENSM -1.


HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1/4 (HMSS 1/4)
"Blood Count"
10 pages, text story w/ images

Characters: Hulk (Bruce Banner), Count Dracula, his bride, Leader (BTS)

Synopsis: Villagers attack Dracula is at his Castle in Transylvania, Romania one evening, but run away when the Hulk happens upon the scene. Realizing the potential of such a powerful creature, Dracula invites him into the castle but is unable to mentally possess him. Hulk mentions that he had recently fought the Leader and escaped being trapped in a mountain. After Hulk falls asleep in an opulent bedchamber, he awakens as Bruce the following evening. He dines with Dracula and his Bride (name unrevealed), but he refuses Dracula's offer to submit to him. Enraged, the Bride bites Bruce and begins to feed upon his blood, but his radioactive blood causes her to mutate into a green-tinged uber vampire. Bruce himself becomes the Hulk and battles her, and Dracula himself impales her with a chair leg, killing her. Dracula again tries to possess Hulk, but Hulk causes a sonic boom with his hands, devastating the castle and he leaps away into the night. Dracula escapes, but is again beseiged by villagers, whom he dispatches with wolves.

Notes: This story occurs over two nights. It is a text story, and therefore possibly non-canon, but there are accompanying images of the action. This is while Banner was still the child-like Green Hulk and while he was in Europe. There is a topical reference to the "21st century".

Hulk mentions having recently battled the Leader ("Leader attacked Hulk again. Thought he could trap me in mountain far from here. He was wrong. Hulk escaped.") Is anyone aware of the Hulk having battled the Leader in Europe under a mountain? This would seem to describe the events of TTA 72/2 (1965), when the army destroyed a mountain Hulk and Leader were under, and Leader teleported them both to Rome, Italy. Dracula was stilled staked just prior to the Modern era (BFF:S 1-3), so this would have to be after he was ressurrected in the modern era in TOD 1 (1972). Also see:
http://www.leaderslair.com/noexcuses/tta072.html

As Castle Transylvania was destroyed in this story (only to be seen many times afterward), this is probably one of many such castles (as referred to in http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/draculav.htm ), including castles in Snagov and Borgo Pass), or possibly was only partially destroyed. This castle was mentioned as having "nineteenth century" furnishings.
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Re: HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1

Post by Enda80 »

"Also note the poster on the wall with the cover of TOS 15. Perhaps Marvel Comics in Earth-616 eventually adapted many "real life" monster stories such as Goom's appearance, similar to many of the Marvel Comics featuring established Earth-616 monsters were read by the young Peter Parker in SENSM -1."

Marvel Comics: History of the Marvels affirms that the Earth-616 Timely/Atlas did in fact do this.

(Marvel Comics: History of the Marvels) - Starting from circa the 1950's, the majority of Atlas' output was devoted to titles depicting supposedly authenticated tales of peoples' encounters with extraterrestrial lifeforms. Creatures such as Goom and Oog and Groot filled the pages-each tale personally verified and vouched for by Stan Lee and his staff.

The character of Fritz first appeared in an 1823 stage adaptation, Presumption: or the Fate of Frankenstein by Richard Brinsley Peake.
wolframbane
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Re: HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1

Post by wolframbane »

I think that if we are unable to place a definitive time for Hulk to be in Europe for HMSS 1 and HMSS 1/2, it can be placed anytime during his Green Hulk phase where there is a few weeks to accomodate it. Bruce arrives in Lyon, France with the passport Victoria sent him, he is spirited away to Switzerland, where he stays for "weeks," and leaves during the first or second night of the full moon as the Hulk. He then awakens as Bruce in the forests of Italy, where he meets Jack Russell, and after the second or third night of the full moon, Jack leaves Bruce enough money to return home.
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Re: HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1

Post by Enda80 »

"Anyone familiar enough with Hulk to place him in Europe? I am aware of H 136, 144-146, but these stories were all published in 1971 before the Monster was found frozen in FMON 12."

The Hardcover Handbook seems to state that FM's 1970's published adventure took place in the absolute 1970's, not the modern era, even though the Book of the Vishanti in Doc III#37 stated that they took place in the modern era after the events of Silver Surfer I#7.
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Re: HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1

Post by Somebody »

wolframbane wrote:HULK MONSTER-SIZE SPECIAL #1/3 (HMSS 1/3)
"Goom's Fairy Tales"
2 pages

Characters: Goom, Googam
Cameos: Hulk, Rorgg, Tim Boo Ba, Goliath, Lo Karr, Fin Fang Foom

Synopsis:
(1-2). Goom tells his young son Googam scary stories about the Hulk beating up monsters (Rorgg, Tim Boo Ba, Goliath, Lo Karr, Fin Fang Foom). A voice from the other room yells him to stop. The young Googam goes to scared. One day, probably evening (possibly in the cave where Goom left Googam was depicted in TOS 17).

Notes: This is a humorous piece that may or may not be canon. There is no real reason not to include it I figure...
I think this one may have to be "not canon" because of Fin Fang Four. In that one, Googam is captured by the EARLY Fantastic Four, and only released in the present day, shrunk down and hating the F4 for shoving him on Monster Isle for a decade and not letting him conquer everything in the name of GOOM! (and the TOS 17 Googam story is referenced therein).
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