Cosmic Hulk & Other Hulk Robots

[StrayLamb]

The MCP has the following listings for Hulk Robot & Hulk Robot Duplicate, which i've annotated.

HULK ROBOT
FOHS:RH 1-FB [Hulk android commonly referred to as Cosmic Hulk, created by Mad Thinker]
E 14 [First published appearance of Cosmic Hulk]
E 15 [Cosmic Hulk]
E 16 [Cosmic Hulk]
IH2 350-FB [Dr Doom traces Cosmic Hulk, repairs it, and places it in storage beneath NYC]
FFWGCM 5 [Dr Doom empowers a Hulk Robot with the Cosmic Cube, referring to the robot as another time-displaced artifact]
FOHS:A [Inert Cosmic Hulk discovered in the Eternals' Antarctic Base by the Leader, MODOK & Co; later refitted and empowered by MODOK]
FOHS:RH 1 [Cosmic Hulk]
WWHS /3 [Cosmic Hulk]
IH2 606-FB [Cosmic Hulk]
IH2 606 [Cosmic Hulk]
H2 21 [Cosmic Hulk]
IH2 608 [Cosmic Hulk]
H2 23 [Cosmic Hulk]

HULK ROBOT DUPLICATE
FOHS:A [Cosmic Hulk refitted and empowered by MODOK]
FF 320 [Cosmic Hulk retrieved from storage, where it has been since IH2 350-FB, and activated by Dr Doom]
IH2 350 [Cosmic Hulk]
MMACAD 8 [Cosmic Hulk given to villains by Dr Doom]
MMACAD 9 [Cosmic Hulk defeated and blown apart]
NO3 3 [Hulk Robot created by Reanimator]
W2 149 [Hulk Robot created by Reanimator]
M/HOL 2006 [Cosmic Hulk, while in care of MODOK & AIM]


In FOHS:RH 1-FB, the Hulk android commonly referred to as Cosmic Hulk, is revealed to have been created by the Mad Thinker when he was compelled to do so by the Cosmos Automaton, which primarily exists as a Dataloop that probes the universe, seeking a suitable recepticle that can give it form. The Dataloop first compelled Professor Gregson Gilbert to create the Dragon Man, but it did not meet the criteria of the Cosmos Automaton program, so it found another suitable mind in the Mad Thinker. Once completed, the Thinker locked the Cosmic Hulk away, unsure as to why he made it. Three years later, it was discovered by a group of engineering students, who tried to claim its development in E 14-16.

The Cosmic Hulk is defeated and runs out of power in the NYC sewers, where it's found by Dr Doom in IH2 350-FB. Doom repairs the Cosmic Hulk android, and places it into storage beneath NYC.

In FF 320, Dr Doom reactivates the Cosmic Hulk, which has been hidden in storage since he placed it there in IH2 350-FB. The android is defeated by the Thing in IH2 350.

In MMACAD 8, Dr Doom gives the Cosmic Hulk android to a group of villains during Acts of Vengeance. It's blown apart in MMACAD 9.

The Hulk Robot that appears in NO3 3 and W2 149 is a different robot, created by the Reanimator.

In FOHS:A, Cosmic Hulk is discovered by the Leader, MODOK & Co in the Eternals' Antarctic Base, where it's apparently been repaired and placed into stasis. It's taken by MODOK for study, where it appears in M/HOL 2006. MODOK later uses the refitted (not duplicate) Cosmic Hulk to create the Red Hulk at the end of FOHS:A. Subsequent listed appearances are all of the Cosmic Hulk, which is ripped apart by the Red Hulk in H2 23.

In FFWGCM 5 Dr Doom empowers a Hulk Robot with the time-displaced Cosmic Cube, referring to the robot as another time-displaced artifact. My understanding is that Dr Doom can only access the past, not the future. The only Hulk Robot that appears prior to the events shown in FFWGCM 5 is the one created by the military in IH 4 to use in testing the Iceberg Rocket. It's last seen encased in a chemical ice, its arms stretched out. Doom's robot hulk in FFWGCM 5 is similarly seen encased in some substance when he retrieves it from the timestream. I would suggest that the robot from IH 4 is the one retrieved by Dr Doom in FFWGCM 5, which he then empowers with the Cosmic Cube. This Hulk Robot turns out to be susceptible to heat and is defeated by the Torch. A possible argument against this theory is that the Hulk Robot from IH 4 is jet-powered, but alterations to it's workings by the Cosmic Cube may well have changed that. Alternatively, the Hulk Robot seen in FFWGCM 5 is a different robot of unknown origin.

Either way, the same Hulk Robot seen in FFWGCM 5, is next seen in IH2 143, still under the control of Dr Doom.

Two other Hulk Robots makes appearances in GSIH 1 & IH2 224.

Suggested ammendments:

HULK ROBOT * CHANGE LISTINGS
IH 4
FFWGCM 5
IH2 143

HULK ROBOT II * ADD LISTING
GSIH 1

HULK ROBOT III * ADD LISTING
IH2 224

HULK ROBOT IV * ADD LISTING (Created by Reanimator)
NO3 3
W2 149

HULK ROBOT DUPLICATE * DELETE LISTING
---

COSMIC HULK * ADD LISTING
FOHS:RH 1-FB
{E 14}
E 15
E 16
IH2 350-FB
FF 320
IH2 350
MMACAD 8
MMACAD 9
FOHS:A (1 - 28:2)
M/HOL 2006
FOHS:A (28:3 - 31)
FOHS:RH 1
WWHS /3
IH2 606-FB
IH2 606
H2 21
IH2 608
H2 23

COSMOS AUTOMATON * ADD LISTING
FOHS:RH 1-FB

[Leoparis]

There is a Hulk android in FF 100 created by the Mad Thinker with the assistance of the Puppet Master that you didn't mention. Could be the same one as FOHS:RH 1-FB.

[StrayLamb]

Arggh! I forgot about that one! You know, there are possibly other Hulk robots lurking out there as well.

This one can't be the same one as Thinker created in FOHS:RH 1-FB. This is a different android again, created by the Puppet Master while in league with the Thinker. It's made from the Puppet Master's radioactive clay. However, i would say it solves the problem of the Hulk Robot seen in FFWGCM 5. We don't see exactly what happened to the android after Puppet Master shot at it and set off an explosion in their base. This could well be the Hulk Robot plucked from the timestream by Doom in FFWGCM 5, which makes sense since this is immediately after FF 100. The same situation applies, with Doom altering the make-up of the android with the power of the Cosmic Cube.

Corrected Hulk Robot listings..

HULK ROBOT * CHANGE LISTINGS (Created by the Military)
IH 4

HULK ROBOT II * ADD LISTING (Created by Puppet Master with Thinker, appropriated by Dr Doom)
FF 100
FFWGCM 5
IH2 143

HULK ROBOT III * ADD LISTING
GSIH 1

HULK ROBOT IV * ADD LISTING
IH2 224

HULK ROBOT V * ADD LISTING (Created by Reanimator)
NO3 3
W2 149

[Somebody]

In FOHS:A, Cosmic Hulk is discovered by the Leader, MODOK & Co in the Eternals' Antarctic Base, where it's apparently been repaired and placed into stasis. It's taken by MODOK for study, where it appears in M/HOL 2006. MODOK later uses the refitted (not duplicate) Cosmic Hulk to create the Red Hulk at the end of FOHS:A. Subsequent listed appearances are all of the Cosmic Hulk, which is ripped apart by the Red Hulk in H2 23.

I'd need to check to recall the details, but the reason for the "Cosmic Hulk" robot duplicate listing is that FOTH and the prior post-Eternals v1 appearances (FF 320/IH2 350/et al) were irreconcilable in some way...

[StrayLamb]

I'd need to check to recall the details, but the reason for the "Cosmic Hulk" robot duplicate listing is that FOTH and the prior post-Eternals v1 appearances (FF 320/IH2 350/et al) were irreconcilable in some way...

Ah, snap!

The Intelligencia enter the Eternals' Antarctic Base at some point prior to the Beyonder's Secret Wars. Back to the ol' drawing board i guess. However, if one of these listings has to be for a Cosmic Hulk duplicate, then wouldn't it be better to keep all of the stated and intended appearances of the original version together, and assume that for some reason the Eternals created a duplicate, which is the one housed in their Antarctic Base. The original is left in the sewers of NYC at the end of E 16, picked up by Doom in IH2 350-FB, and has a continous, trackable history through FF 320, IH2 350, & MMACAD 8-9, whereas it's not explained how the Cosmic Hulk discovered by the Intelligencia came to be at the Antarctic Base.

The recording device which explains the origin of the Cosmic Hulk gets to the point where it states that the Eternals placed the Cosmic Hulk into sleep mode, when the Red Hulk smashes it, so we don't know what it was going to tell them next. Apparently Jeff Parker didn't feel up to explaining away the Cosmic Hulk's appearances in FF 320, IH2 350 & MMACAD 8-9. I'm going out on a limb and assuming that the Cosmic Hulk was placed in sleep mode by the Eternals where it dropped in the sewers, and was left there, possibly as they had no further interest in the thing at that time, and that at some point afterwards, they duplicated the android for undisclosed reasons. That at least maintains the cohesive chronology followed by the previous writers.

So we would end up with this for Cosmic Hulk, which at least to my mind is a lot more cohesive overall..

COSMIC HULK
FOHS:RH 1-FB
{E 14}
E 15
E 16
IH2 350-FB
FF 320
IH2 350
MMACAD 8
MMACAD 9

COSMIC HULK II
FOHS:A (1 - 28:2)
M/HOL 2006
FOHS:A (28:3 - 31)
FOHS:RH 1
WWHS /3
IH2 606-FB
IH2 606
H2 21
IH2 608
H2 23

What do you think?

[michel]

I'm good with your suggestion.

[StrayLamb]

The jet-powered creation of the military in IH 4 is not an animated robot, and is referred to as a Hulk facsimile.

HULK FACSIMILE * ADD LISTING (Created by the Military)
IH 4

HULK ROBOT I * CHANGE LISTING (Created by Puppet Master with Thinker, appropriated by Dr Doom)
FF 100
FFWGCM 5
IH2 143

HULK ROBOT II * ADD LISTING
GSIH 1

HULK ROBOT III * ADD LISTING
IH2 224

HULK ROBOT IV * ADD LISTING (Created by Reanimator)
NO3 3
W2 149