It was 27 years ago that one of Marvel Comics’ longest-running titles was cancelled after 31 years in publication. On January 20, 1999, Marvel Comics cancelled The Incredible Hulk after 474 issues. The final issue saw a title card at the very end of the book that said it all, when writer Joe Casey added the dedication to “Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Bobbie Chase, & Peter David … Architects Never Forgotten.” That was one of the biggest problems with the comic book at this time. Peter David had left the series after one of the most accomplished runs in Hulk’s long Marvel history, and nothing that came after his run matched up to it.
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Fans had started to lose interest, and the storylines were falling behind. Even with a writer as talented as Joe Casey, it wasn’t working anymore, and it was time for a change. After 31 years in publication, with the first issue arriving in 1962, the final issue of The Incredible Hulk featured a replica of the exact same cover as the first issue. Casey then had a chance to end Hulk’s story, but interestingly enough, the writer wrote himself into the story and admitted he had no idea how to finish the long-running story of Marvel’s favorite monster.
The Incredible Hulk Ended After 31 Years In 1999
What was humorous was that, not only did writer Joe Casey say he didn’t know how to end the long-running series, but he wrote it into the story, mainly breaking the fourth wall. The first page had Joe getting a call from his editor telling him to finish the final issue of the Hulk. After taking a shot at his editor for working on Deadpool and Captain America comics, Joe said he didn’t sign on to kill a series that started before he was even born. However, he then admitted that he had a way to do it.
What resulted was one of Hulk’s most bizarre stories, where he headed to the Watcher’s Homeworld and attempted to gain access to the Ultimate Machine, which is connected to the Cyclopedia Universum in the universe, which stores all the knowledge of every Watcher throughout history. This was much bigger than most Hulk stories and seemed more akin to something The Fantastic Four or Doctor Strange might encounter, as he sought the “House of Truth” to come to an understanding about his place in the world.
He then stepped through the door and was swept back to his childhood to see what he exists, why he is the Hulk, and what it all means. What he learned was that he was blaming the entire world for his problems, but he never stopped to really look at himself. When he finally arrived back on Earth, he did the one thing he needed to do for the entire 31-year run on The Incredible Hulk. Hulk turned back into Bruce Banner and faced General Ross. Banner said he felt responsible for Betty Ross’s death because he never should have allowed himself to love her and let her into his life. General Ross let him go, and Banner finally got absolution. Joe Casey said he didn’t know how to end a 31-year-old story, but he wrapped up Hulk’s tale just fine.
It should be noted that Marvel cancelled The Incredible Hulk after 474 issues, just to start a new series one month later with the creative team of John Byrne and Ron Garney starting things over with a new number one.
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