The Incredible Hulk #6
The Incredible Hulk #6 holds a doubly significant place in Marvel history: it is simultaneously the final issue of the character's original solo run and the debut issue for two enduring pieces of Marvel mythology — the alien villain Metal Master (Molyb) and Rick Jones's Teen Brigade, the network of ham-radio enthusiasts that would play a pivotal role in the very first Avengers story just months later. The issue also marks the first time Banner's transformation into the Hulk is triggered by raw emotion — anger and stress — rather than by nightfall or a gamma-ray machine, establishing the psychological trigger that would define the character for decades. Its cancellation, due to poor sales, paradoxically freed the Hulk to become a popular guest star whose survival instincts were honed elsewhere, eventually powering a legendary comeback in Tales to Astonish and a solo title that ran uninterrupted for over thirty years.
In "The Incredible Hulk vs The Metal Master!", the Hulk—still wrestling with the unpredictable effects of his gamma experiments—faces a terrifying alien threat whose power defies even his strength. When his transformation falters and his human form remains, the Hulk must rely on Banner’s mind and ingenuity to outwit the Metal Master, leading to a daring breakout and an unexpected stand against an alien force unlike any he’s faced. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated with bold, eerie precision by Steve Ditko, with colors by Stan Goldberg and letters by Art Simek, the cover by Ditko captures the clash in stark, unforgettable detail.
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Stan Lee wrote all six issues of the original Hulk series, but issue #6 marked a notable artistic handover: Jack Kirby, who had penciled every previous installment, was replaced by Steve Ditko, who both penciled and inked the issue — a shift some collectors and historians have speculated was connected to Kirby's growing workload on Fantastic Four and the impending launch of his Thor run in Journey into Mystery. Dick Ayers, who had been inking Ditko and Kirby across several Marvel books, is also credited on inking duties at the Grand Comics Database. The series was published under the indicia of Zenith Publishing Corp., Marvel's distribution imprint of the era, and was approved by the Comics Code Authority. The issue carried a cover date of March 1963 but went on sale January 3, 1963, per U.S. Copyright Office filings.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Metal Master (Molyb), an alien conqueror from the planet Astra with the ability to psionically control metal — created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
- First appearance of the Teen Brigade: Rick Jones's nationwide network of teenagers communicating via ham radio, organized specifically to help the Hulk; the group would return just months later as a plot catalyst in Avengers #1 (September 1963).
- First time Bruce Banner's transformation into the Hulk is driven by extreme anger and stress, rather than by nightfall or an external gamma-ray device — a character-defining change that all later Hulk mythology is built upon.
- The Hulk receives his first-ever presidential pardon within this story, a plot point later revisited in The Incredible Hulk #279.
- Final issue of the original Incredible Hulk Vol. 1 series (1962–1963), cancelled due to poor sales; the Hulk's solo feature would not resume until Tales to Astonish #60 (October 1964), with the solo title formally restarting at Incredible Hulk #102 (April 1968).
- Steve Ditko penciled and inked the issue — his only full issue on the original run — replacing Jack Kirby, who had handled all five previous issues; Stan Lee served as both writer and editor.
- Story title: 'The Incredible Hulk vs The Metal Master!' — a single full-length story (a departure from the multi-part anthology format of earlier issues), running 24 pages at a cover price of twelve cents.
- The issue has been reprinted in numerous collected editions including Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk Vol. 1, the Marvel Famous Firsts: 75th Anniversary Masterworks Slipcase Set, and international editions from Panini Brasil (2008) and Panini España (2022).
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Reprinted in The Incredible Hulk #72-124 (1966), Marvel Collectors' Item Classics #11 (1967), Marvel Collectors' Item Classics #12 (1967), Marvel Collectors' Item Classics #13 (1968), Koloss #6/1968 (1968), The Mighty World of Marvel #11 (1972), The Mighty World of Marvel #12 (1972), The Incredible Hulk #[1] (81446-X) (1978), De Vergelders #1 (1979), Die Rächer #1 (1979), L'Incredibile Hulk #12 (1981), L'Incredibile Hulk #13 (1981), Les Vengeurs Color #2 (1982), The Marvel Saga the Official History of the Marvel Universe #8 (1986), Marvel Masterworks #8 (1989), Hulk: Transformations #[1996 edition] (1996), Essential Hulk #1 (1999), Marvel Klassik #6 (1999), Hulk: Transformations #[2001 edition] (2001), Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk #1 (2003), Marvel Visionaries: Steve Ditko #[nn] (2005), The Incredible Hulk Omnibus #1 (2008), Biblioteca Histórica Marvel - O Incrível Hulk #1 (2008), Marvel Masterworks: El Increíble Hulk #1 (2008) + 15 more
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