Incredible Hulk Annual #20: Review

Sep 1994

Peter David, Stuart Immonen

Story Name:

Story Time

Review & Comments

Rating:

Incredible Hulk Annual #20 Review by Jon Ryser (February 15, 2010)

Story Time ties in events from The Incredible Hulk #408. Desert Storm ties in events from The Incredible Hulk #390, 391, 392, X-Factor #76, Uncanny X-Men Annual #15, & X-Factor Annual #6. This isn't my favorite annual. I'm into the Hulk, and there's not much Hulk in here. Some might complain about the art, some about the writing, but with no real Hulk stories; there's not much going on for me.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Incredible Hulk Annual #20 Synopsis by Jon Ryser

A large man saves a woman named Sandy from a group of "nasty types" in Central Park. She is not pleased. Sandy has been hanging out every night for the last couple weeks in the park hoping to get attacked. She tells the large man (she doesn't know who he is yet - he's disguised) her story. She relates how she went to Scotland with her fiance, Jack. In Scotland he was senselessly killed (by Madman) during a fight between Madman, Piecemeal, and the Hulk. Ever since losing Jack, she has no hope, feels his death is her fault, and has been seeking punishment. The large man takes her down underground to his home and reveals himself to be the Abomination. He tells Sandy and the people who live there a fairytale story of his own origins. Sandy has fallen asleep during the telling. A couple cops wake her up in Central Park. She thinks it was all a dream. She finds a note in her pocket from the Abomination inviting her to the underground for story time on any full moon. The whole experience has given her a new outlook. She can go on living.

Story #2

Psychobabble

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By Jon Ryser

Doc Samson rushes in to "talk out" a man holding hostages at the post office. The man is obviously a mutant as he changes into different people. Doc Samson keeps trying to figure out which manifestation is the real one. This mutant is a schizophrenic who has been abused. Doc Samson refuses to let the SWAT teams take out the mutant believing that he can help him. He battles the different incarnations and tries to reason with them. The mutant becomes all of the personalities at once. A gentle female personality emerges. When Samson tries to reason with her, he finds that she is just one more personality. All the personalities suddenly come together in the form of a boy. Doc Samson takes him in his arms and promises that they'll work together to make the boy whole.

Story #3

Desert Storm

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By Jon Ryser

Achilles and Ajax are shot down on their way to Trans-Sabal to meet with a Pantheon field agent code-named Arabian-Night. They are attacked by Mandroids. Their filed agent arrives and defeats the Mandroids. He reveals that he is the Arabian Knight. Achilles and Ajax were told that their contact had information about a massive secret buildup of Muslim troops for export to Europe. The Arabian knight shows them the troops, but instead of wanting to stop them, he would like to help them get to Bosnia-Hercegovina. Achilles and Ajax fight the Arabian Knight. He stresses that the ethnic cleansing that has been taking place in Bosnia-Hercegovina is no different than what Hitler did to the Jews in WWII. Achilles is Jewish and wont stand for the comparison. While they are fighting, Allied bombers destroy the Muslim troops. Ajax asks, Whyz it OK to stop these soljers but not thother ones? Achilles and Ajax join the Arabian Knight in helping the wounded troops. Achilles wants to remember what he promised to never forget!

Story #4