Incredible Hulk Annual, The (1976 series) #21

Review: First story: It opens with a flashback to Bruce’s mother’s murder then springs on us the idea that Bruce now has a son, followed by some crazy Pantheon action that drops Doc Samson and the boy off in the woods with the meaner, nastier Hulk. The Pantheon agents are forgotten while Hulk battles Gladiator of the Imperial Guard in a brutal battle. And then the kid runs away and the entire point of the issue vanishes into nothingness—but at least we got to see a cool fight. A shame, the idea of Bruce having a son was interesting but poof! It was gone.  

Second story: Another tale of children and the Hulk but Hulk is a bit nicer, pointing out that he doesn’t hurt kids. A point which needs to be made here because Artie and Leech think he’s the monster haunting Franklin’s nightmares. There is a connection between Hulk and Franklin with the boy’s creation of the pocket dimension in the wake of the Onslaught event; not sure if anything of significance comes of it for Hulk, aside from a few bad dreams. It’s a very nice kid-centered adventure as Artie and Leech just want to help their afflicted pal—by taking on a giant monster, true. But it’s the Hulk in one of his nicer moods. And he really does help them, up to a point. But there is more going on in Franklin’s brain than Hulk’s reassurances can cure. The cartoonish artwork helps the story establish the juvenile tone of the plot and rather nicely too.

Comments: First story: First and last appearance of David Banner/Elamron the Changeling. Hulk was supposedly cured by Doc Samson in INCREDIBLE HULK #377. Janis Jones was introduced in HULK: FUTURE IMPERFECT and came into this timeline in ABOMINATIONS #1-3 to be companion to Hulk.

Second story: Takes place after the Onslaught event and before GENERATION X #25. The X-Men seen in the illusion are Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Phoenix, Storm, Gambit, Bishop, Angel, and Cannonball.