The Incredible Hulk Annual #18
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeIncredible Hulk Annual #18 (1992) serves as the opening chapter of 'The Return of the Defenders,' a four-part crossover distributed across the 1992 annuals of Marvel's four original Defenders — Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer, and Doctor Strange — reuniting that classic 'non-team' for the first time since their dedicated title ended in 1986. Written by Peter David at the height of his celebrated run on the series, the lead story establishes the threat of the demon-summoning villain Shanzar and introduces the first appearances of both Lucian Aster and Dracchiss to the Marvel Universe. Beyond the crossover, the issue's dense anthology format — five distinct stories touching on the Pantheon, Doc Samson's psychological interior life, Rick Jones, and a comedic Hulk-vs-Thing arm-wrestling standoff — makes it a showcase of the creative ambition David brought to the Hulk title in the early 1990s.
In "Mano a Mano," the Defenders reunite when a mysterious book on magic unleashes a wave of demons upon their former allies. With Namor mysteriously trapped in Rick Jones' body, the team must regroup to face a threat that blurs the line between the supernatural and the personal. Written by Peter David and brought to life by Kevin Maguire’s dynamic art, this annual blends supernatural stakes with the characters’ enduring bonds. Cover by Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein.
When a mysterious book on magic awakens a horde of demons, former Defenders and their allies find themselves caught in a supernatural storm. Jill Walker and Denny must navigate the chaos as Namor’s consciousness becomes trapped in Rick Jones’ body, and the team is forced to reunite—though not all of them may make it out alive.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was released on March 31, 1992, with a July 1992 cover date, and was edited by Bobbie Chase under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco. Peter David scripted both the lead Defenders chapter ('Four on the Floor,' with art by Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein) and the Hulk-vs-Thing backup ('Mano A Mano,' with early work by Travis Charest, inked by Dan Green) — the Charest contribution being a notable early assignment for an artist who would go on to considerable prominence. The remaining three anthology stories were written by Evan Skolnick, Tom Brevoort & Mike Kanterovich, and James Robinson respectively, reflecting Marvel's annual format practice of using these oversized issues to develop supporting corners of an ongoing title's world.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Lead story 'Four on the Floor' is Part 1 of the four-part 'Return of the Defenders' crossover, continuing in Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #2, Silver Surfer Annual #5, and Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual #2.
- First appearance of Lucian Aster, the author whose mystical self-help book 'Spelling Made Easy' triggers demon transformations and sets the Defenders crossover in motion.
- First appearance of Dracchiss, a future-era tyrant who is accidentally pulled into the present by the Pantheon's seer Delphi and then expelled into deep space.
- The issue contains five separate stories: the Defenders lead by Peter David (art: Kevin Maguire/Joe Rubinstein), 'Mano A Mano' (Peter David, art: Travis Charest/Dan Green), 'Things to Come' (Evan Skolnick, art: Gary Barker/James Palmiotti), 'Nobody Loves the Hulk' (Tom Brevoort & Mike Kanterovich), and 'The Running Man' (James Robinson, art: Joe Phillips/Tony Harris).
- Cover pencils and inks are by Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein; the issue was edited by Bobbie Chase with Tom DeFalco as editor-in-chief.
- The Pantheon — Agamemnon, Achilles, Ajax, Atalanta, Delphi, Hector, Paris, and Ulysses — appear in the 'Things to Come' backup, alongside hologram cameos of X-Factor members Havok, Multiple Man, and Wolfsbane.
- The lead story introduces the plot device of Namor's consciousness being displaced into Rick Jones' body while the demon Shanzar occupies Namor's physically powerful form — a status quo carried through all four chapters of the crossover.
- The issue has been reprinted in Hulk Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 8, Incredible Hulk Epic Collection Vol. 19: Ghosts of the Past, and the Peter David Omnibus Vol. 2.
Cast · 39 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Der unglaubliche Hulk #37 (1993), Der unglaubliche Hulk #38 (1993), Hulk #10 (1993), Devil & Hulk #0 (1994), Hulk Visionaries: Peter David #8 (2011), Incredible Hulk Epic Collection #19 (2015), Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme Omnibus #2 (2018), Namor the Sub-Mariner by John Byrne & Jae Lee Omnibus Byrne Cover #[nn] (2019), Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus #2 (2020), Marvel Héroes #116 (2023), Silver Surfer Epic Collection #8 (2024), Der unglaubliche Hulk #41, Die Spinne #222
Key issues in The Incredible Hulk Annual
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