The Avengers #88
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAvengers #88 marks the first appearance of Psyklop, the ancient one-eyed insectoid villain whose debut set in motion one of the Hulk's most emotionally resonant arcs — his accidental journey into the Microverse and his discovery of the sub-atomic world of K'ai, completed in Incredible Hulk #140. The issue is equally significant as the first Marvel Comics work plotted by science-fiction author Harlan Ellison, representing one of the earliest instances of a major outside literary voice being brought in to shape a superhero narrative in the Bronze Age. By weaving Lovecraftian cosmology — Dark Gods, prehistoric insectoid civilizations, and a cult in the Louisiana bayou — into a mainstream Marvel crossover, the story broadened the tonal range of what the Avengers title could attempt. The chain of events set here ultimately introduced Jarella, one of the Hulk's great loves, and established the Microverse as a meaningful corner of Marvel's universe for decades to come.
In "The Summons of Psyklop," the Avengers face their most bizarre challenge yet when the Hulk—finally contained by the combined genius of Reed Richards and Charles Xavier—is snatched mid-capture and whisked away by an ancient alien entity with a sinister agenda. With a mix of science, psychic power, and a touch of voo-doo, the heroes must track down the missing gamma-powered giant before the alien's dark rituals awaken something far older and more dangerous. Written by Roy Thomas and Harlan Ellison, with dynamic art by Sal Buscema and inks by Jim Mooney, this 1971 classic features a cover by Sal Buscema that captures the eerie, otherworldly tension of the story.
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Harlan Ellison, already celebrated for television work on shows like Star Trek and The Outer Limits, submitted a prose plot outline that was published in manuscript form as 'The Hulk In The Grip of Psyklop' in Marvelmania Magazine #4 in 1970 — months before the finished comic reached spinner racks, giving Marvel's most dedicated fan-club members an unusual chance to compare the raw plot against the polished version. Roy Thomas adapted the outline into full script, making several notable changes along the way: he altered the villain's name from 'Syklop' to 'Psyklop' to visually distinguish it from the X-Man Cyclops, and he added an H.P. Lovecraft epigraph drawn from 'The Call of Cthulhu,' inspired by the Lovecraftian undertones already present in Ellison's concept. Sal Buscema handled both the interior pencils and the cover, with Jim Mooney on inks, under editor Stan Lee.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Psyklop, an ancient insectoid villain created jointly by Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema, and Jim Mooney.
- Title of the story: 'The Summons of Psyklop!' (Part 1 of 2); the story concludes in Incredible Hulk #88 — i.e., Incredible Hulk #140 (June 1971), which features the first appearance of Jarella, one of the Hulk's most significant love interests.
- This is the first Marvel comic plotted by Harlan Ellison; Roy Thomas wrote the script, Sal Buscema penciled and drew the cover, Jim Mooney inked, and Stan Lee served as editor.
- Ellison's original plot synopsis was published in prose form in Marvelmania Magazine #4 (1970), predating the comic's release and allowing fan-club members to read and compare the two versions.
- Roy Thomas changed the villain's name from Ellison's original 'Syklop' to 'Psyklop' to differentiate it visually from the X-Men's Cyclops, and added an H.P. Lovecraft epigraph from 'The Call of Cthulhu' — the story's title itself echoes the Lovecraft tale.
- The active Avengers roster in this issue — Captain America, Goliath, Iron Man, and Thor — investigates a voodoo cult in New Orleans alongside the Falcon; Black Panther, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver appear only in a flashback meeting and opt to stay behind.
- Professor X and Mr. Fantastic appear in cameo roles, having helped the military subdue the Hulk at Boulder Dam before Psyklop teleports him away.
- Reprints include: Marvel Super Heroes #90; a 1994 JC Penney Marvel Vintage Pack reprint (identifiable by a Stridex ad on the back cover); Essential Avengers Vol. 4 (2004, black and white); Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Vol. 9 (2009); and Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 5 — This Beachhead Earth (2020). A British 1/- price variant and a National Diamond newsstand variant of the original also exist.
Cast · 17 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in The Mighty World of Marvel #123 (1975), The Mighty World of Marvel #124 (1975), Hulk #8 (1978), Die ruhmreichen Rächer #87 (1978), Marvel Super-Heroes #90 (1980), Hulk el Hombre Increíble #31 (1981), Hulk el Hombre Increíble #32 (1981), The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of the Incredible Hulk #02832 (1982), Hulken #1/1984 (1984), Hulk #10/1984 (1984), Hulk #10/1984 (1984), The Avengers #88 [JC Penney Marvel Vintage Pack] #[nn] (1994), Essential Avengers #4 (2004), Essential Hulk #3 (2005), Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers #9 (2009), Essential Hulk #3 [Second Edition] (2012), Marvel Gold. Los Vengadores: La Batalla por La Tierra #[nn] (2013), Avengers : L'intégrale #1971 (2013), The Avengers Omnibus #3 (2018), Incredible Hulk Epic Collection #5 (2020), Avengers Epic Collection #5 (2020), The Incredible Hulk Omnibus #3 (2025)
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