X-Men vs. Hulk #1
X-Men vs. Hulk #1 occupies an unusual niche as a 2009 one-shot deliberately set within the gaps of early-1980s Marvel continuity — specifically between Incredible Hulk #285 and #286 — rather than in the then-current Marvel Universe. That structural choice allowed Chris Claremont to revisit the classic, tightly knit roster of Wolverine, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Storm, and Nightcrawler in their formative dynamic, consciously evoking his own earlier work rather than engaging with the post-Messiah Complex status quo of 2009. The issue also doubles as a reprint vehicle for Uncanny X-Men #66, the original X-Men/Hulk clash from 1970, giving readers a back-to-back look at how the rivalry between these two Marvel pillars evolved across four decades. As a piece of the broader Claremont X-Men canon, it reads as a deliberate callback — a writer returning to characters he helped define, placing a new story inside the continuity he originally built.
In "The Making of a Man...", the X-Men face their most unexpected challenge yet when Professor X's coma leads them to the Hulk—only to find Bruce Banner, who claims a machine in an old lab might save their mentor. With Major Talbot's interference reigniting the Hulk's rage, the team races into the desert for a showdown at a forgotten facility, where the key to Xavier's recovery lies hidden. Written by Roy Thomas and brought to life with classic detail by Sal Buscema and Sam Grainger, this 2009 clash of minds and might features a cover by David Yardin.
In the wake of Professor X’s coma, the X-Men follow a single psychic whisper—“Hulk”—to track down the jade giant. When Jean’s telepathy calms the Hulk into Bruce Banner, they learn he’s built a machine that might save their mentor, but their hope is shattered when Major Talbot triggers another transformation. The X-Men pursue the rampaging Hulk into the desert, where an abandoned lab holds the key to Xavier’s recovery—though the battle ahead may cost more than they expected.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The one-shot was written by Chris Claremont — the architect of the X-Men's most celebrated run — with interior art by Jheremy Raapack and a cover by David Yardin. Released on February 4, 2009, under editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, it arrived during a period when Marvel was actively publishing Claremont-penned X-Men material alongside the larger Dark Reign editorial initiative, though this issue stands entirely apart from that storyline. Its retroactive continuity setting (slotted between two specific Incredible Hulk issues from the early 1980s) suggests an editorial intent to produce a self-contained, all-ages-accessible story that would not require knowledge of contemporary X-Men events.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published as a self-contained one-shot on February 4, 2009 (cover-dated March 2009) by Marvel Comics.
- Written by Chris Claremont, with interior art by Jheremy Raapack and cover art by David Yardin.
- The new story is set in-continuity between Incredible Hulk #285 and Incredible Hulk #286, situating it firmly within the early-1980s era of the title.
- The plot centers on Wolverine engineering a battle between Colossus and the Hulk as a training test — a structural echo of Uncanny X-Men #183, where Logan similarly arranged for Colossus to fight the Juggernaut.
- A secondary plot follows the X-Men using Banner's technology to rescue Professor X from a coma induced by his effort to repel the Z'Nox; Jean Grey's mental powers and Major Glenn Talbot's interference are key to the story's resolution.
- The issue includes a reprint of Uncanny X-Men #66 (with its original cover), the first meeting between the X-Men and the Hulk, written by Roy Thomas with art by Sal Buscema.
- Characters appearing include Wolverine, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Lockheed, Storm, Nightcrawler, as well as flashback/coma-arc roles for Professor X, Jean Grey, Beast, Cyclops, Havok, Lorna Dane, Iceman, Angel, and Major Glenn Talbot.
- The issue was later collected in the Marvel trade paperback X-Men vs. Hulk (ISBN 0-7851-8902-5), alongside World War Hulk: X-Men #1–3, Hulk Team-Up #1, Incredible Hulk Annual #7, and material from Rampaging Hulk #2.
Cast · 16 characters
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Reprints
↩ Reprints The X-Men #66 (1970)
Reprinted in Hulk: Broken Worlds #[nn] (2009), X-Men vs. Hulk #[nn] (2014)
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