The Jack of Hearts is Wild! (The Incredible Hulk #214)

The Jack of Hearts is Wild! (The Incredible Hulk #214)

This book features, Marvel Z-lister, the Jack of Hearts taking on on the Hulk in a spectacular battle. I really liked this story as a kid because it was a normal-sized guy taking on a wrecking machine like the Hulk.

The Incredible Hulk meets the Angel of Mercy! (The Incredible Hulk #338)

The Incredible Hulk meets the Angel of Mercy! (The Incredible Hulk #338)

This book was an unusual take on the Hulk because not only is he grey but his speech is different. He’s far more articulate than he is often portrayed as and sounds like the Thing. I’m not really sure why the grey Hulk speaks like this, but he does.

Generation Next! (Uncanny X-Men 317 & X-Men 37)

Generation Next! (Uncanny X-Men 317 & X-Men 37)

Previously in X-Men: The Phalanx Covenant:

Banshee rejoins the X-Men only to discover the team has been replaced by an army of techno-organic beings known as the Phalanx! He assembles a ragtag team of X-Men, mostly made of prisoners lying around the Mansion. He, Jubilee, the White Queen and Sabretooth set out on a mission to protect the next generation of mutants!

The Phalanx Covenant Part 1 (Uncanny X-Men #316 and X-Men #36)

The Phalanx Covenant Part 1 (Uncanny X-Men #316 and X-Men #36)

In the eyes of Stephen Lang, the Phalanx is his last ditch effort for humans to defend themselves from mutantkind. All while selling it’s soul and threatening mankind itself. He sees humanity as so threatened by mutants he seeks to link up each of them to overpower them once and for all. The only sacrifice would be our individuality, making man slave to the new techno-overlord. The totalitarian overtones are pretty apparent and you could see the idea of giving up freedom for protection is common theme today, maybe more than in 1994. 

Inferno! (Uncanny X-Men #242)

Inferno! (Uncanny X-Men #242)

This is 80s X-Men at their best. There’s relationship drama, Cyclops has ditched his wife for his his first love, Jean. His brother takes the scorned wife’s side and falls for her. But then you get the out-of-this world twist that she’s trying to sacrifice their son to a demon just to get back at Cyclops. All the wild sci-fi soap opera that Claremont-era X-Men stories were known for are here.

Drug War in Madripoor! (Wolverine #5)

Drug War in Madripoor! (Wolverine #5)

I had a soft spot for Wolverine since I went to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade when I was very little and as the Marvel float went by, the guy in the Wolverine suit shook my hand.

The Spider-Man Christmas Special! (Marvel Team-Up #127)

The Spider-Man Christmas Special! (Marvel Team-Up #127)

It’s Christmas-themed team-up where the Watcher enlists Spider-Man to intervene and help someone during Christmas. 

The Incredible Hulk goes behind the Iron Curtain! (The Incredible Hulk #258)

The Incredible Hulk goes behind the Iron Curtain! (The Incredible Hulk #258)

This was an interesting glimpse into how comics handled the cold war. The Soviet Super Soldiers were not portrayed as bad guys but as heroes (except Dynamo, who’s just a jerk) doing what they think as best for the state. This is probably reflective of the time books featuring communists in the 50s and 60s would be much more judgmental of ‘commies” than we would be in the 80s as the cold war was starting to wind down.