Hulk: Raging Thunder #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeHulk: Raging Thunder #1 is the first appearance and origin of Lyra (Earth-8009), the genetically engineered daughter of Thundra and the Hulk, who would go on to carry her own series under the 'Savage She-Hulk' banner and join both the Defenders and Avengers Academy. The issue is a structurally clever one-shot: its main story plants the conceptual seed for an entirely new corner of the Hulk family tree, establishing that Thundra covertly harvested Bruce Banner's DNA via a kiss to produce a warrior heir — an inversion of the usual superhero origin that gave Lyra a uniquely designed power set (she grows weaker, not stronger, when angry). Released the same week as Skaar: Son of Hulk #1, it doubled down on Marvel's mid-2008 editorial push to populate Bruce Banner's family tree with powerful, morally complex offspring from alternate timelines, a storytelling direction that would unfold through the 'Fall of the Hulks' era and beyond.
In "Unbeatable," the Hulk faces a rare, personal trial as the world watches on New Year's Eve, with Thundra challenging the Thing to a showdown at Shea Stadium—her prize? Alicia, held captive to guarantee his fight. Written by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, with art by Ramona Fradon and inks by Joe Sinnott, this 2008 Marvel issue blends high-stakes spectacle with the emotional weight of loyalty and honor, all rendered in the vibrant colors of Stan Goldberg and the sharp lettering of John Costanza. The cover by Greg Land and Jay Leisten captures the moment with intensity, setting the tone for a clash that’s as much about pride as it is about power.
In "Thundra at Dawn!" from Hulk: Raging Thunder #1, Thundra makes a bold move on New Year’s Eve, challenging the Thing to a showdown at Shea Stadium—forcing him to choose between fighting her or risking Alicia’s safety. The clash of wills and the high-stakes tension unfold under the city’s glittering countdown, setting the stage for a battle that’s as personal as it is explosive.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The one-shot was written by Jeff Parker with interior art by Mitch Breitweiser and inks by comics veteran Joe Sinnott, edited by Nathan Cosby and Mark Paniccia, and published on June 11, 2008 (cover-dated August 2008) under Joe Quesada's editorial-in-chief tenure. Its release was timed to the theatrical opening of The Incredible Hulk (2008), part of a broader Marvel publishing strategy of spinning off Hulk-adjacent one-shots and mini-series around the film. The issue also functions as a double-feature, pairing the new story with a reprint of Fantastic Four #133 (April 1973) — a key early Thundra story — to give readers unfamiliar with the character's Bronze Age roots a direct contextual entry point.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Lyra (Earth-8009), also known as She-Hulk II — the genetically engineered daughter of Thundra and Bruce Banner / the Hulk — confirmed across the Marvel Database, Wikipedia, Grand Comics Database, and League of Comic Geeks.
- Origin of Lyra is told in-story: Thundra travels two centuries back in time, battles the Hulk to a standstill, steals his DNA via a kiss, and returns to her era so Sisterhood scientists can impregnate her — producing Lyra decades later.
- Written by Jeff Parker; interior pencils by Mitch Breitweiser; inks by Joe Sinnott; colors by Moose Baumann; letters by Nate Piekos; cover art by Greg Land and Jay Leisten.
- Published as a one-shot (single-issue series) with an on-sale date of June 11, 2008, and a cover date of August 2008.
- The issue includes a reprint of Fantastic Four #133 (April 1973), a classic Thundra story originally titled 'Thundra at Dawn!' in which Thundra challenges the Thing to battle on New Year's Eve — providing historical background for the character central to the new story.
- Lyra originates from Earth-8009, a dystopian alternate future timeline called the United Sisterhood Republic, a matriarchal society at war with male warrior factions.
- Lyra's defining power inversion — she grows weaker when angry, the opposite of her father — was built into her by her Femizon creators as a biological failsafe to prevent her from turning against them.
- The character's debut generated enough reader response to earn her a starring role in the four-issue limited series All-New Savage She-Hulk (2009), written by Fred Van Lente, and subsequent appearances in Avengers Academy and the Defenders.
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Fantastic Four #133 (1973)
Reprinted in Giant-Size Hulk #[nn] (2008), Marvel Heroes #20 (2009), Hulk: Fall of the Hulks Prelude #[nn] (2010)
Key issues in Hulk: Raging Thunder
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