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Hulk (2008 series) #52

on-sale: Jul 1, 2012
Jeff Parker | Carlo Pagulayan

Hulk (2008 series) #52 cover

Story Name:

Haunted Hulk, Part 3


Synopsis

Hulk (2008 series) #52 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

Entering Fresh Kills, New Jersey, Red Hulk is attacked by a monster; he accuses Doctor Strange (present in his astral form) of leading him into a trap. Strange responds that it’s just the guardian of the underground network called Monster Metropolis and he assumed Red Hulk could deal with it. Red Hulk deals with it. Warning Rulk that the monster will heal and Rulk will have to fight it again on his way back (Rulk replies,” Happy to.”), Strange directs Rulk down a watery conduit. Strange then tells Rulk he will have to resume his human form; Rulk doesn’t trust Strange but reverts to Thunderbolt Ross. Watching eyes note that the image on their scanner following Ross isn’t a shadow but emits a gamma trail. Ross is attacked by a toothy purple monster but he can’t transform back into Red Hulk. The monster trips him up with his tongue and is about to devour Ross when Manphibian bursts out of the water and fights the beast, killing and eating it. It jokes about eating Ross next which isn’t comforting. An alarm sounds, sending a band of creatures fleeing down their tunnel. Manphibian doesn’t think he can stop them but now Ross can transform again so he becomes Red Hulk and starts hurling punches. One monster is a banshee, emitting a hideous scream. The Werewolf By Night arrives, having finally managed to pass the swarm of monsters to get there, tearing out the banshee’s vocal cords. The three big monsters then fight their way through the mob to reach the lab. Morbius introduces himself to Rulk along with the final member of the Legion of Monsters, N’Kantu, the Living Mummy—who delivers a violent electric shock to Rulk’s back. Doctor Strange appears, telling Rulk the Mummy did it on his request. Strange reveals that the mysterious entity possessing Rulk is now trapped in N’Kantu’s body. The Mummy cannot identify the being within him and Strange indicates the being’s identity is essential to overcoming it. Werewolf reveals that the being used gamma radiation to cause the monster stampede. Rulk thinks he knows who it is and he’s right: the ghost of Doc Samson emerges from the Mummy and explains how he latched onto Red Hulk and the gamma radiation enabled him to reform and recover his memories. He explains his resentment at not being accepted into the Hulk family because he was “beautiful,” not a monster. Now he wants to drain Red Hulk’s power and the ghost catching device isn’t working because Samson’s is gamma formed not ectoplasm. As Samson tries to drain Rulk’s power, Rulk pushes it out, sending Samson into the ghost trap. Morbius reveals that the action ripped Samson apart and he’s gone. Rulk expresses sorrow for his loss; Strange explains that the ghost wasn’t the real Doc Samson but his shade, a darker emanation of his life-force. Strange suggest they drink to the people our world calls monsters who stand between them and things far darker. Red Hulk agrees….





Characters
Good (or All)
DOCTORSTRANGE
RULK
ROSS
WEREWOLF
Plus: Legion of Monsters, Living Mummy (N'Kantu), Manphibian, Morbius.

Enemies
DOCSAMSON

> Hulk (2008 series) comic book info and issue index


Hulk (2008 series) #52 cover

Excelsioring your collection:
statue
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Carlo Pagulayan
Jason Paz
Val Staples
Carlo Pagulayan (Cover Penciler)
Jason Paz (Cover Inker)
Val Staples (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Cory Petit.



Review / Commentaries


Hulk (2008 series) #52 Review by (January 22, 2025)

Review: Red Hulk joins the guest-starring Legion of Monsters in battling his harassing ghost. The Monsters make for some nice moments though, oddly, Morbius has the least to do. Jack “Werewolf By Night” Russell has some cool moments now that he can communicate like a human—and with that name, shouldn’t he be “Terrier By Night”? The Living Mummy pulls a few surprises and Rulk fits in with them well. The odd bit is that the tormenting ghost turns out to be Doc Samson, miffed that the Hulks never treated him as one of their own. It seems a bit out of character for Samson to whine about the Hulk not being his buddy but he’s properly zapped in the end. I guess. Dr. Strange’s explanation that he’s some sort of shade or memory or any one of a dozen things short of being the real Doc Samson is a bit hard to follow and anyway Samson returns eventually and bygones are bygones without any of the Hulks taking him to a baseball game or something. But all the monsters in the story make up for it.


Comments: The Legion of Monsters premiered in MARVEL PREMIERE (seems appropriate) #28; they had a self-titled miniseries immediately before this Hulk issue. Doc Samson died in INCREDIBLE HULK #610; he returns temporarily in CHAOS WAR, then permanently in CIVIL WAR II #0. Juan Vlasco contributed to the inking.





Thor

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