The Immortal Hulk #37 - Marvel Comics

IMMORTAL HULK No. 37, November 2020

There’s clearly quite the pulse-pounding plot lurking beneath the surface of Al Ewing’s narrative for Issue Thirty Seven of “Immortal Hulk”, as Samuel Sterns’ convoluted revenge upon the titular character finally seems about to be fulfilled. But despite this comic’s dramatic conclusion resulting in Puck being manipulated by events into vaporising the green Goliath’s brain with a technologically-advanced energy weapon, it must have been difficult for many of this book’s Hulk-Heads to actually follow just what the Leader’s long-winded plan actually was.

For starters, it is never explained just how the “would be world conqueror” is able to use the mysterious green doors in order to repeatedly loop back into the past of gamma radiation victims such as Del Frye, and then take over their bodies in the present day. The megalomaniac has clearly developed a frightening power over the jade-coloured gateways, one which he can then seemingly use to actually stop others from being resurrected. Yet apart from cackling to Doc Samson that “that’s why controlling them is so much fun” the British writer doesn’t provide any details as to how the Leader is doing it, nor why he needs to do so when his ultimate aim was simply to have Bruce Banner’s alter-ego shot in the head.

Fortunately, despite some of this head-scratching story-telling, “The Keeper Of The Door” does provide some genuinely grim moments which must have thoroughly entertained its audience. Sterns’ horrific looking conversion into the green-glowing ‘corpse’ of Doctor Fyre’s son and subsequent murder of Leonard by forcing his flesh-melting fingers deep into the superhero’s eye sockets is chillingly told, as is Titania’s trouncing by Rick Jones when the so-called reformed villain finally starts to realise she is being manipulated; “Jones! Who are you talking to? I asked you a question, Pencil-neck -- Unnhh!”

Creative contributors Joe Bennett and colorist Paul Mounts would also appear to be at the top of their respective games for this particular twenty-page publication, with the Leader's aforementioned transformation into a radioactive glowing ghoul visually being the highlight of the comic. The Absorbing Man’s gamma-powered hurricane form is equally well pencilled, and doubtless many bibliophiles could actually hear the billowing wind as Carl Creel generates a storm which literally hurls the hapless Hulk from panel to panel.

The regular cover art of "IMMORTAL HULK" No. 37 by Alex Ross