Image Comics started with several comic book creators who wanted to take ownership of their creations and formed a new company that would allow them to accomplish this dream. There are some amazing characters who came out of Image Comics, but there are also some that bear a striking similarity to famous Marvel and DC characters, although with big enough differences to help them stand out on their own. One of these characters was created by Dale Keown, the artist who worked with Peter David on one of The Incredible Hulk’s most successful runs. Keown then created a nightmare-fuelled version of Hulk for Image Comics.
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It was 33 years ago today that Dale Keown created a character known as Pitt, and while visually and power-wise, he is a monstrous version of Hulk, he was unique enough to become a success and stand on his own.
Pitt Brought Hulk to the Extreme
After Todd MacFarlane helped create Image Comics alongside other big names like Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld, he invited Dale Keown to join them if he had any ideas for his own creator-owned character. Keown had gotten into comic books because of his love for large, muscular characters like Hulk, which was why his work on that title was so respected. With that in mind, he created Pitt for Image Comics, and it was easy to see the similarities between this original character and Hulk.
However, Pitt was different enough not to cause any problems with people considering it a copycat character. Pitt was created with the combination of an alien named Zoyvod’s genetic structure with a human fertilized egg. However, when the creature awoke from the gestation tank he was kept in and escaped, he was eventually captured and returned to work as an assassin. He was very similar to Hulk in size and power levels, as his strength is immeasurable, and he has a rapid healing factor. However, he also has razor-sharp claws that can rip through almost anything, and he has psychic powers where he can read the minds of people around him.
The Image Comics series was an interesting mix of monster stories and family dynamics, as when Pitt arrived on Earth, he quickly connected with his brother (from the same mother the original human egg was taken from), and he set out to protect him while also bonding with the young man.
Eventually, Pitt ended after a 20-issue run, although the last 11 were through Dale Keown’s Full Bleed Studios, rather than Image Comics. Unlike many Image Comics heroes, Pitt also got an early chance to earn more fans when he appeared in a crossover with none other than The Hulk in a one-shot single issue in 1996 by Marvel Comics. The issue is known for reuniting Peter David and Dale Keown, with the two battling thanks to a mistake made by a young boy with mysterious powers.
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