Incredible Hulk #112
Incredible Hulk #112 (cover-dated January 2008) is the de facto first chapter of what would become The Incredible Hercules — one of the most critically praised Marvel series of the late 2000s. Though the title masthead doesn't flip to 'Incredible Hercules' until issue #113, this issue opens the inaugural story arc with Hercules and Amadeus Cho as its leads, marking the first time in the series' history that Bruce Banner's Hulk was entirely absent from his own book. The creative pivot — keeping the legacy numbering intact while swapping the protagonist — was an unusual editorial move that gave a supporting character his own ongoing showcase without the disruption of a new #1, and the resulting book drew widespread comparisons to Walt Simonson's celebrated Thor run for its blend of action, humor, and genuine mythological depth.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Following the conclusion of Greg Pak's World War Hulk event in 2007, Marvel chose to relaunch a separate Hulk title under writer Jeph Loeb, leaving Pak and incoming co-writer Fred Van Lente to reinvent the existing Incredible Hulk series. Early plans for a broader team book were scaled back to a duo pairing: Hercules and teenage genius Amadeus Cho. Rather than canceling and relaunching the title, Marvel simply continued the legacy numbering of the 2000 Incredible Hulk series, with Pak and Van Lente writing and Khoi Pham providing interior art. The cover was contributed by Arthur Adams, who crafted a knowing homage to Jim Steranko's famous 1968 Incredible Hulk Special cover — complete with an in-issue acknowledgment reading 'with apologies to Mr. Steranko.'
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- First chapter of the Incredible Hercules era: though still titled 'Incredible Hulk,' this issue opens the first story arc of what becomes The Incredible Hercules, with Hercules and Amadeus Cho as the central protagonists.
- Bruce Banner/Hulk does not appear in this issue — a deliberate narrative break from the series' entire prior history.
- Written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente; interior art by Khoi Pham; cover art by Arthur Adams.
- The team of Renegades — Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Angel (Warren Worthington III), and Namora — appears together as fugitives in the aftermath of World War Hulk, pursued by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Mighty Avengers including Ares.
- The story draws directly on Greek myth, paralleling Hercules' sixth labor (the Stymphalian Birds) with his present-day conflict against his half-brother Ares, who is now a Mighty Avenger.
- The cover is a homage to the 1968 Incredible Hulk Special #1, with Arthur Adams crediting Jim Steranko via an in-issue note reading 'with apologies to Mr. Steranko.'
- The series continued the legacy numbering of the 2000 Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) series rather than launching a new #1, with the official title change to 'Incredible Hercules' occurring on issue #113.
- Reprinted in Incredible Hercules: Against the World (hardcover, 2008), the Smash of the Titans hardcover (2009), and Incredible Hercules: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 (2019).
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