INCREDIBLE HULK #181 >> FINE << FIRST WOLVERINE 1974

THE

INCREDIBLE HULK #181

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THE PREMIERE

OF

WOLVERINE

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*FINE* (11/74)

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"The Incredible Hulk," the widely acclaimed Marvel Comics superhero character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, first made his debut back in May 1962. Recognized the world over, and one of the most revered comic book personas ever, in 2008 Wizard magazine named the HULK Marvel Comics' 7th "Greatest Character of All Time."

For the first and only May 1962 issue, The Incredible Hulk #1, the HULK was depicted as GREY, as then Marvel editor-in-chief, Stan Lee had wanted a color non-suggestive of any particular ethnic group. Colorist Stan Goldberg, however, had problems with the NEUTRAL GREY coloring, resulting in different shades of GREY— as well as GREEN— in the same May 1962 issue. As a result, Stan Lee picked the uncommon color GREEN, which, starting with issue #2, became the HULK’s signature color.

Unbelievably, the original HULK series of 1962 was canceled after just six issues, with the finale cover-dated March 1963. Stan Lee had written each story, with Jack Kirby penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth. The character immediately guest-starred in Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), and months later became a founding member of the Avengers, appearing in just the first two issues of that superhero team's series (Sept. & Nov. 1963). 

Thereafter, it was not until 1968 that Marvel re-launched the "The Incredible Hulk" as a standalone series, with The Incredible Hulk #102, which picked up directly after Issue #101 of Marvel’s then long-running Tales to Astonish series (which had featured the HULK since Issue #60 from 1964-1968), thereby closing out & replacing the Tales to Astonish series.

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The WOLVERINE character, on the other hand, first materialized in the form of brief advertisements in various Marvel Comics publications in July 1974. Thereafter, WOLVERINE made is brief debut in the final "teaser" panel of The Incredible HULK #180 in October 1974, quickly followed by his first FULL appearance in The Incredible HULK #181, cover dated November 1974.

John Romita, Sr. designed WOLVERINE's yellow-and-blue costume, and the character's introduction was ambiguous, revealing little beyond his being a superhuman agent of the Canadian government. In these very early appearances, he does not retract his claws, although HULK artist Len Wein stated that WOLVERINE's claws had always been envisaged as retractable. He appears briefly in the finale to this story in Hulk #182, before his next major debut as the centerpiece of 1975's Giant-Size X-Men #1.

Over the course of nearly 50 years, the INCREDIBLE HULK— as well as WOLVERINE— have been the bases of several TV Series, no less than 6 major movie blockbusters, and the subject of countless books, articles and comic book spin-off series. These 2 beloved rogue anti-heroes, at-once recognized the world over, and the subject of endless imitation, parody and reinterpretation, remain  venerable Comic Book Icons and veritable American institutions.

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IMPORTANT NOTE:  The present Incredible HULK #181, FINE grade issue up for auction, is COMPLETE & has NOT been RESTORED, altered or modified in any way, with NO CUT-OUTS or any MISSING PAGES (i.e. the “Marvel Value Stamp” on page 19 is INTACT).

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