Spider-Tracer: Honey, I Enraged the Hulk!

Or, Ten Must Read Spider-Man and the Hulk Stories! That’s right, Spidey fans! For this month’s Spider-Tracer, I thought I’d pick out ten must read Spider-Man and Hulk stories for you to check out. Whether they’re teaming up, or trying to beat the other up, their encounters have made for some really great reads over the years. These encounters will be presented in chronological order to make things a little easier to follow. With that being said, let’s delay no longer, and get right down to the smashing!

 

1. “The Amazing Spider-Man” Volume 1, #14 (1964)

 

 

Spider-Man is lured to New Mexico to film a Spider-Man movie, hoping to use the money made from the flick to help out his poor Aunt May. As it turns out, the Green Goblin helped put this all together with the goal of killing Spider-Man to help establish his reputation with the criminal underworld. Feeling that there is strength in numbers, the Green Goblin brings along the revenge-seeking Enforcers (the very same criminal gang that we last saw working for the Big Man in issue #10). Spider-Man manages to find a cave to hide in where he can easily pick them off one by one.

 

I’m sure you’re wondering just what the heck the Green Goblin’s first appearance has to do with the not-so-Jolly Green Giant. Wouldja believe that the cave Spider-Man chose to enter also happened to belong to the Incredible Hulk? Not only does Spider-Man have to dodge the Hulk’s gamma radiation-fueled fury since his spider-strength is useless against him, but he also has to save the defeated Enforcers from him! The Green Goblin escapes to fight another day (three issues later, to be exact) and Spider-Man makes it home with just enough money to cover the trip back to New York. Had the Hulk not interfered, who knows how different Spider-Man’s first battle with the Green Goblin might have gone.

 

2. “The Amazing Spider-Man Annual” Volume 1, #3

 

 

Years before “The New Avengers”, Spider-Man attempted to join the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. However, there came a task he had to complete in order to join their ranks: He had to bring in the Incredible Hulk! Apparently the other Avengers had been too busy to go after and bring the Hulk in, and thought it might be the perfect job for ol’ Web-Head. Spidey manages to track the Hulk down, and, of course, this leads to a brawl. During the fight, Hulk turns back into human scientist Bruce Banner! Spider-Man realizes he shares a lot in common with the Hulk (both are secretly nerdy scientists always being hounded or bullied by others), and Spider-Man can’t bring himself to take the Hulk in. However, this doesn’t stop Bruce from turning into the Hulk again, and, during round two, Spidey manages to actually stagger the Hulk with a good punch, a punch he’d later use of Kraven the Hunter (I’m actually surprised Kraven lived through that one, but maybe Spidey didn’t hit the hunter as hard as he had thought)! Of course, the Hulk wasn’t at full strength quite yet or angry enough after turning back from Banner, which is how Spidey managed to get a good hit in. But hey, who is Spidey to look a gift horse in the mouth? Spidey later arrives at Avengers HQ to tell them he couldn’t find the Hulk, and swings off. Some of the super team are skeptical as to what Spidey is telling them, but that’s a fact known only to Spidey, Hulk and us, the reader. If only Spidey had known that the reason the Avengers wanted Spider-Man to bring the Hulk in was to help him; he might have changed his mind and brought the incredible behemoth in. How different Spidey’s early career might have been as a member of the mighty Avengers… Oh well…

 

3. “The Amazing-Spider-Man” #s 119-120

 

 

Peter Parker needs to go to Canada. But, as we all know, Peter Parker has all kinds of money woes, so a round trip to our neighbors to the north is out of the question on his budget. Peter happens to see a television that informs him the army is after the Hulk in Canada. Spidey brings this to attention of J. Jonah Jameson, promising pics, and Jameson agrees! So Peter makes it to Canada, only now, he has to go find the Hulk… again! Of course, he winds up having to change into his Spider-Man costume to confront the mean, green machine. The story, by Gerry Conway is a good read, but, for me, the big reason to check this out is to see the wonderful John Romita, Sr. artwork. Romita does a fantastic rendition of Spidey, as you all know, but his Hulk is also a great sight to see.  Romita didn’t get to depict the Hulk often outside of a few inking jobs or promotional materials, but seeing him depict both Spidey AND the Hulk with full pencils and inks? You’ve just got to see it for yourself.

 

4. “Marvel Team-Up” Vol.1, #27

 

 

Spider-Man and the Hulk team up to battle the Chameleon, a common foe dating back to both characters’ early careers. It also serves to flesh out the masked criminal a little years before it was revealed that he was the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter. It’s also worth mentioning that this yarn is written by Len Wein, a writer that was no stranger to either character. This is one overlooked issue certainly worth hunting down or picking up should you ever come across it.

 

5. “The Amazing Spider-Man” #328

 

 

We all know that Spider-Man is nowhere near the Hulk’s weight class, so what happens when the dynamic gets turned upside down? In this issue, the Hulk is grey. True, he’s a little smarter, and certainly craftier, but he’s nowhere nearly as strong as he is when he’s green. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still smash the web-fluid right out of ol’ Spidey. And he would have, too, if Spidey didn’t have the Captain Universe powers! But just how strong do these powers make Spider-Man? Why, strong enough to punch the Hulk into orbit around the Earth itself! One other thing to note is that the Grey Hulk only comes out at night, and, as soon as the sun’s rays hit him, he’ll turn back into Bruce Banner and die! Spidey wouldn’t let the Hulk die… would he? It’s worth mentioning that this issue marks artist Todd McFarlane’s last issue on the main “Amazing” title before moving to his adjectiveless solo title. McFarlane had, years before, made a name for himself at Marvel by drawing “The Incredible Hulk”, so seeing Todd get to depict Hulk in this issue is an extra bonus.

 

6. “Web of Spider-Man” #s 69-70

 

 

I already covered this story in a previous Spider-Tracer article I covered here: https://www.spidermancrawlspace.com2020/09/spider-tracer-10-reasons-to-read-web-of-spider-man-vol-1/

 

So this time around, I thought I’d let the Hulk give his own take on the two-parter. Hulk?

 

“Hmmmph. Hulk fight puny Bug Man. Puny Bug Man become Spider-Hulk. But it not last long, because only Hulk is Hulk! And Hulk is the strongest one there is!!! Hulk get paid now?”

 

Uhhhhh…

 

7. “The Amazing Spider-Man” #s 381-382

 

 

At this point in the Hulk’s life, Doctor Leonard Samson has merged his Savage (green), Grey and Bruce Banner personalities into a single entity. No more Savage Hulk, or crafty Grey Hulk, but a calm, logical Hulk. Cool, right? I guess that means Spidey and Hulk won’t be fighting in this story, huh? Wrong! A gamma virus infects Samson, and later the Hulk, which brings out all of his aggression, thus making him just like his old savage self, albeit far more murderous! Spidey really should have stayed in bed…

 

8. “Peter Parker: Spider-Man” Volume 2, #14

 

 

Once upon a time, Spider-Man and the Hulk were both married to Mary Jane Watson and Betty Ross, respectively. At the time of this issue, Mary Jane and Betty were both presumed dead. Both experiencing terrible grief, the two are trading blows, tearing up a train track in the midst of their fight. Given how strong he is, and how angry he can get, it’s hard to believe the Hulk would end their fight first, right? In a heartfelt moment, Hulk stops, offering Spider-Man sympathy for the loss of his loved one, a fact Spider-Man mentions over the course of their battle, and (rightfully) refuses to believe is dead. And wouldn’t you know it, a train is coming! However, poor Spidey is too exhausted to fix the tracks! Thankfully, the Hulk’s strength is limitless, and he helps bend the tracks back for Spider-Man to web in place. Soon after the train passes, the Hulk is gone, and all that’s left is a physically and emotionally weary Spider-Man.

 

9. “The Immortal Hulk: Great Power” #1

 

 

Spider-Hulk returns! This is a newer one-shot issue, so I will try to keep the spoilers to a minimum. One thing you’ll notice, if you haven’t already, is that the Hulk has a ton of personalities. These days, the Hulk’s personality appears to be changing at random, though the most common one in the driver’s seat appears to be the Devil Hulk. If you’re not reading “The Immortal Hulk” be sure to give it a read; it’s got some truly wild stuff, and it’s consistently one of Marvel’s best books.

 

Anywho, in this story, Bruce Banner finds himself cured of the Hulk. But the Hulk isn’t gone, for, as I mentioned earlier, Peter finds himself once more transformed into the Spider-Hulk! With a lot of repressed anger, particularly due to the recent acts of one of his most dangerous enemies, Spider-Hulk has the Savage, green Hulk personality. Aside from trying to cure Spidey, we also learn that the Hulk, at least that Devil Hulk personality of Bruce’s, knows one of Spider-Man’s greatest secrets…  It’s a really interesting revelation, to say the least, so be sure to check it out!

 

10. “Spider-Man 2099” Vol. 2, #s 9-10

 

 

This last entry on our list is a little out of order, but that’s because it takes place in the future, and features our heroes in a manner we’re not quite used to seeing. Following the big “Spider-Verse” crossover (the comic, not the film), Spider-Man of the year 2099, Miguel O’Hara, finds himself back in the future, but not the 2099 he’s accustomed to! In this alternate future, the Hulk has aged into a diabolical tyrant calling himself the Maestro due to having absorbed excess radiation following a nuclear war. Miguel has to try and get back to the past in order to fix his timeline and avoid getting killed by the Maestro, but it’s not going to be easy; he’ll need help from Strange 2099, the Sorceress Supreme! This story is written by Spidey 2099 and Maestro co-creator Peter David, a particular highlight of this crossover; his humor and characterization are ever on point! It would seem that Spider-Man and the Hulk are destined to encounter each other, despite the year or whomever is the secret identity (or in Hulk’s case, the personality!).

 

Did your favorite Hulk and Spider-Man encounter make the list? Which one is your favorite?

 

“Grahhh! Where Hulk’s money?!”

 

Let me know in the comments below! Gotta go!