The Incredible Hulk #168
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Incredible Hulk #168 marks the first appearance of the Harpy, the gamma-mutated alter ego of Betty Ross Talbot — one of the most significant transformations of a core supporting character in the Hulk's entire publication history. By weaponizing Bruce Banner's closest emotional tie against him, writer Steve Englehart turned the series' long-running romantic subplot into an active threat, a narrative move that reverberated through decades of Hulk storytelling. Betty's forced mutation set a template for the character's later transformations into the Red She-Hulk and the Red Harpy, cementing her role as far more than a passive love interest. The issue also advances a concurrent subplot in which General Thunderbolt Ross is relieved of command of Project Greenskin, reshaping the supporting cast's power dynamics at a pivotal moment in the Bronze Age run.
In "The Hate of the Harpy!", Betty Ross undergoes a shocking transformation after being exposed to gamma radiation by M.O.D.O.K., becoming the vengeful Harpy with a personal vendetta against the Hulk. Written by Steve Englehart and brought to life by Herb Trimpe’s dynamic art—both in story and on the cover—this 1973 issue marks a pivotal moment in the Hulk’s saga, as the military shifts control of Project Greenskin to Colonel Armbruster while the jade giant faces his most emotionally charged foe yet.
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The issue arrived in the middle of Steve Englehart's brief but creatively adventurous run on the Hulk title, during which — as Marvel's lead writer at the time — he pushed the series toward stranger, more emotionally complex territory than it had recently occupied. Englehart's immediate preceding issue, #167, had established MODOK's scheme to exploit Betty's mental breakdown, making #168 the direct payoff of that setup. The creative team of penciller Herb Trimpe, inker Jack Abel, colorist Stan Goldberg, and letterer Artie Simek — all veterans of the title — handled the visual execution, with Trimpe also providing the cover. Roy Thomas served as both editor and editor-in-chief. The issue was published with a cover date of October 1973, and a Mark Jewelers advertisement insert variant also exists from that same print run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of the Harpy, the gamma-irradiated villain form of Betty Ross Talbot (Elizabeth 'Betty' Ross), introduced in the story titled 'The Hate of the Harpy!'
- Written by Steve Englehart, penciled and cover-drawn by Herb Trimpe, inked by Jack Abel, lettered by Artie Simek, colored by Stan Goldberg, and edited by Roy Thomas.
- MODOK, acting through A.I.M., uses a gamma-ray device on the mentally vulnerable Betty, theorizing that her long exposure to Bruce Banner made her immune to gamma radiation's lethal effects — allowing a higher dose to transform her into a creature more powerful than the Hulk himself.
- The Harpy possesses green skin, bird-like wings and talons, and fires gamma-radiation blasts from her hands called 'Hellbolts'; she defeats the Hulk in their first battle by exploiting his emotional attachment to Betty.
- The issue also introduces the character of Talia (Jim Wilson's girlfriend) and contains a significant subplot in which the U.S. President relieves General Thunderbolt Ross of command of Project Greenskin, replacing him with Colonel Jack Armbruster.
- A Mark Jewelers advertisement insert variant of this issue exists, produced as part of Marvel's military/PX distribution program of the era.
- The story arc continues into issue #169, where the Harpy and the Hulk encounter the Bi-Beast (his first appearance) in a floating island city, and Bruce Banner ultimately cures Betty of the Harpy transformation using the Bi-Beast's technology.
- The Harpy identity was later revisited and evolved: Betty again took on a Harpy form in Al Ewing and Joe Bennett's Immortal Hulk #16 (2019) as the 'Red Harpy,' demonstrating the character's enduring narrative utility across Marvel's publishing history.
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Reprints
Reprinted in L'incroyable Hulk #27 (1973), The Mighty World of Marvel #171 (1976), Gamma la bombe qui a créé Hulk #6 (1979), Hulk #5/1980 (1980), Marvel Treasury Edition #26 (1980), Hulk #5/1980 (1980), Essential Hulk #4 (2006), Incredible Hulk Epic Collection #6 (2021), The Incredible Hulk Omnibus #3 (2025), Χούλκ [Hulk] #10, Hulk E I Difensori #39
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