The Incredible Hulk #317
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Incredible Hulk #317 is the first appearance of Bruce Banner's incarnation of the Hulkbusters — a five-person team of blacklisted civilian specialists assembled by Banner himself to hunt down the now-mindless, separated Hulk — marking a radical structural shift in the book's premise. John Byrne's central gambit of splitting Banner and the Hulk into two physically discrete beings (executed in #315) reaches its narrative payoff here, as Banner steps fully into a leadership role that reframes him as protagonist rather than victim of his own alter ego. The issue is a keystone of one of the Copper Age's most discussed abbreviated runs: Byrne's brief, cult-beloved tenure on the title set the table for later creators — most notably Peter David — to build on the Banner/Hulk duality concept throughout the late 1980s and beyond.
In "You're Probably Wondering Why I Called You Here Today...", Bruce Banner takes a bold step forward, assembling a team of outcast specialists to form the new Hulkbusters. With Doc Samson back in the fray and Betty Ross on the edge of a life-changing moment, Bruce faces his past with a rare mix of determination and hope. Written and illustrated by John Byrne, with cover art by Byrne, this 1986 issue captures a turning point in Bruce's journey—where healing and leadership begin to intertwine.
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John Byrne took over The Incredible Hulk as both writer and penciler beginning with issue #314 (cover-dated December 1985), coming off high-profile Marvel stints on X-Men and Fantastic Four. His run lasted only six regular issues (#314–319), plus a story originally intended for #320 that ended up in Marvel Fanfare #29 — a result of a reported dispute with Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter that cut the run short before Byrne's larger plans could be realized. Issue #317 was edited by Dennis O'Neil, inked by Keith Williams, colored by Andy Yanchus, and lettered by Rick Parker; the complete original color guide for the issue later surfaced as a collector's artifact, attesting to Andy Yanchus's hand-colored production work. The entire run was later collected in the Marvel Visionaries: John Byrne trade paperback and subsequently in the Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Going Gray.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Bruce Banner's Hulkbusters team (Earth-616), created by John Byrne; the five founding members are demolitions expert Craig Saunders Jr., marine researcher Carolyn Parmenter, survivalist Samuel J. LaRoquette, xenobiologist Dr. Armand Martel, and geophysicist Hideko Takata.
- Banner and the Hulk had been physically separated into two distinct beings in Incredible Hulk #315; this issue depicts Banner, now wheelchair-bound, officially assembling his specialist task force at Hulkbuster Base (Gamma Base, New Mexico) to pursue the now-mindless Hulk.
- Issue also contains Bruce Banner's marriage proposal to Betty Ross — a pivotal romantic beat in the Banner/Betty relationship that leads to their wedding in Incredible Hulk #319.
- Doc Samson stars in a parallel action thread, battling the savage Hulk across the New Mexico desert, accompanied by TV reporter Dianne Bellamy.
- Written, penciled, and co-inked by John Byrne, with additional inks by Keith Williams; edited by Dennis O'Neil; colored by Andy Yanchus; lettered by Rick Parker.
- Part of Byrne's six-issue run (#314–319) on the title, a run cut short reportedly due to a creative dispute with Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter; the planned #320 story was later published in Marvel Fanfare #29.
- The Banner/Hulk separation established in this arc is explicitly temporary — Banner is forced to re-merge with the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #323 when their continued separation proves physically hazardous to both.
- The entire Byrne run, including this issue, was collected in the Marvel Visionaries: John Byrne trade paperback (ISBN 978-0785127055), and later in the Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Going Gray (collecting #314–330 plus annuals and Marvel Fanfare #29).
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Reprints
Reprinted in L'incroyable Hulk #177 (1986), Marvel Superheltene #4/1988 (1988), Marvels universum #4/1990 (1990), Fantastici Quattro #25 (1990), Fantastici Quattro #26 (1990), Marvel Super-Heroes Megazine #4 (1995), Hulk: ¡Libertad! #[nn] (1998), Incredible Hulk Visionaries: John Byrne #[nn] (2008), Marvel Universe by John Byrne Omnibus #[1] (2016), 100% Marvel HC. El Increíble Hulk de John Byrne #[nn] (2017), Incredible Hulk Epic Collection #14 (2020), Alpha Flight #33, Alpha Flight #34, Coleccionable El Increíble Hulk #2, De verbijsterende Hulk Special #16, Der unglaubliche Hulk #19, Marvel Superheltene #14
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