Fantastic Four #12
Fantastic Four #12 holds a foundational place in Marvel history as the first genuine crossover between two Silver Age Marvel titles — the moment characters from separate ongoing series physically met, fought, and shared continuity on the same page. Wikipedia's Marvel Universe article confirms it plainly: this is 'the first crossover comic book in modern Marvel continuity.' That single issue planted the seed of everything collectors now call the shared universe: heroes from different books inhabiting one coherent world, guest-starring in each other's adventures, and setting up storylines that played out years later — most directly the titanic rematch between the Thing and the Hulk in Fantastic Four #25–26. The Thing vs. Hulk bout here was also the first time two Marvel characters from separate titles threw punches at each other, establishing the 'brawl-cute' crossover formula that Marvel would deploy for decades.
In "The Incredible Hulk [Part 1]," the Fantastic Four answer a call to a secret base in New Mexico, where they meet scientist Bruce Banner and his assistant Karl Kort in a mission to track down the rampaging Hulk. With tension rising and secrets simmering beneath the surface, the team must navigate a mystery that leads them into a confrontation with a new threat—before the real enemy is revealed. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby, with inks by Dick Ayers and colors by Stan Goldberg, this pivotal issue features a cover by Kirby and Ayers.
In "The Incredible Hulk [Part 1]," the Fantastic Four are called to a military base in New Mexico to hunt down the Hulk after a sabotage attack leaves General Ross convinced the gamma-powered giant is behind it. There, they meet Bruce Banner and his assistant Karl Kort, whose presence only deepens the mystery. As the team searches the surrounding caves, Rick Jones begins to suspect Karl Kort may be more than he seems.
In "Part 2 Mission: Stop the Hulk!" from Fantastic Four #12 (1963), the team arrives at their New Mexico base for a critical briefing, where they meet Bruce Banner and his assistant Karl Kort. With the Hulk on the move and no clear way to stop him, the group must devise a plan before the situation spirals further.
In "Part 3 Who Is the Wrecker?", the Fantastic Four are called to a New Mexico base under orders from General Ross to track down and stop the Hulk, the only suspect in a sabotage attack. There, they meet Bruce Banner and his assistant Karl Kort, who join the search. As tensions rise, Rick Jones begins to suspect Karl Kort is hiding something—and his doubts lead the team into a hidden network of caves where the hunt intensifies.
In "Part 4 The Hulk at Last!", the Fantastic Four are called to a New Mexico base under orders from General Ross to track down and destroy the Hulk, suspected of sabotaging the facility. There, they meet Bruce Banner and his assistant Karl Kort, who join the search. As tensions rise, Rick Jones begins to suspect Karl Kort may be more than he seems—leading the team into a hidden cave system where the hunt for the Hulk takes a dangerous turn.
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The issue was written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Dick Ayers, and lettered by Art Simek, with Lee also serving as editor — the same core team driving the early Fantastic Four run. It carried a cover date of March 1963 and went on sale December 10, 1962, the same week that The Amazing Spider-Man #1 hit newsstands — a remarkable confluence that multiple sources describe as a pivotal moment in the construction of the Marvel Universe. One reported editorial motivation was to boost visibility for the struggling Hulk title by featuring the green giant in Marvel's flagship book, and the story fits canonically between Incredible Hulk #5 and #6 (the final issues of that first series). The issue was produced under the 'Marvel Method,' with Kirby laying out the story visually before Lee added dialogue.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: March 1963; on-sale date: December 10, 1962. Published by Marvel Comics.
- Creative team: Written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Dick Ayers, lettered by Art Simek, edited by Stan Lee.
- First meeting — and first battle — between the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk; simultaneously the first crossover between two separate Silver Age Marvel titles.
- First meeting between Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and Bruce Banner; the story depicts mutual scientific respect between the two characters.
- General 'Thunderbolt' Ross appears in a Fantastic Four title for the first time, recruiting the FF to capture the Hulk at Gamma Base in New Mexico.
- Rick Jones, Banner's young companion from the Hulk's own series, also appears, maintaining continuity with Incredible Hulk #5.
- The issue's villain is Karl Kort (the Wrecker), a communist spy and saboteur who is framing the Hulk for acts of destruction — it is the FF and Rick Jones who expose him, not the Hulk.
- The issue was reprinted in the UK in The Mighty World of Marvel #24–25 (1973) and The Complete Fantastic Four #24–25 (1978), and was later collected in Marvel Masterworks: Fantastic Four Vol. 2. In 2025 Marvel published a Facsimile Edition restoring it in its original form, complete with period ads, as part of a sequential reprint of the first twelve FF issues timed to the theatrical release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Los 4 Fantásticos #12 (1963), Smash! #29 (1966), Fantask #5 (1969), Marvel's Greatest Comics #29 (1970), I Fantastici Quattro #8 (1971), Marvel Annual #1974 (1973), The Mighty World of Marvel #24 (1973), The Mighty World of Marvel #25 (1973), The Mighty World of Marvel #37 (1973), The Incredible Hulk #[nn] (1978), Los Cuatro Fantásticos #18 (1980), Une Aventure des Fantastiques #25 (1981), The Marvel Saga the Official History of the Marvel Universe #8 (1986), Marvel Masterworks #6 (1988), Essential Fantastic Four #1 (1998), Biblioteca Marvel: Los 4 Fantásticos #02 (1999), Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #2 (2003), Master Lock Presents: The Incredible Hulk #1 (2003), Prevent Child Abuse America Presents: Amazing Spider-Man on Bullying Prevention #1 (2003), Fantastic Four Omnibus #1 (2005), Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #2 (2009), Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four #2 (6) (2009), Fantastic Four Epic Collection #1 (2014), Incredible Hulk Epic Collection #1 (2016) + 12 more
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