Issue(s): Hulk #389
Cover Date: Jan 92
Title: "Of man and Man-Thing"
Credits:
Tom Field - Writer
Gary Barker - Penciler
Mark Farmer - Inker
Chris Cooper - Assistant Editor
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
This is the second of the only two fill-ins during Peter David's long Hulk run (the first was Hulk #360). The Pantheon sends the Hulk to investigate disappearances in the Everglades that are thought to be caused by the Man-Thing, but are really being caused by a Pantheon scientist that went rogue while trying to replicate Ted Sallis' super-soldier program and became a new Glob.

Hulk doesn't remember having met the Man-Thing previously in Hulk #197-198 (which also had an appearance of the original Glob). When he's originally given the assignment to investigate newspaper reports of the deaths due to the Man-Thing, the Hulk calls it a "fool's errand" and says, "I'm a scientist, not a monsters hunter. Why don't you call Ghostbusters.".

And when he approaches Ted Sallis' old shed (which was more recently used by the Pantheon scientist), he talks about "a" Man-Thing.

None of that is definitive, but it's confirmed with the scan below. I guess there are things from the Hulk's dumb days that he doesn't remember. But i suspect it's really the writer and editor that don't remember it, since a footnote for the original Glob only points to two earlier appearances, not the one in #197-198. To be fair it seems like the Hulk only vaguely remembers the Glob, so i guess the idea is that his memory of his dumb days is indeed incomplete.

What's also odd is that by the time of the scan above, the Hulk has already read through the Pantheon scientist's notes, which were dated 1990. The notes end with the scientist saying that he's going to use himself as a guinea pig to test the recreation of Sallis' super-soldier formula. But the Hulk still talks about the Glob as if it's the original (who the Hulk obviously met prior to 1990). It seems he thinks that the Pantheon scientist became the Man-Thing, and he only puts it all together at the very end.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Man-Thing's origin from Savage Tales #1 is shown (no footnote).
  
• The footnote for the Glob mentions Hulk #121 and Hulk #129 (only).

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

We know why PAD had that first fill in under very pubic protest, what was the reason for this one?

Knowing his workman like status and considering this was the peak of his run, seems like an odd tyme to take a break.

Artist Gary Barker is best known for his work on Garfield.
Not bad for a story of Man-Thing in the Marvel Universe---a decent Hulk story---but I think I'll always enjoy the surreal Gerber combination of satire and socially-conscious horror. I wonder if this is Tom Field, the journalist?

Shouldn't you have a Glob listing in the Characters Appearing?

This is a second Glob, and this is his only appearance, so i didn't include a tag for him.

his work on Garfield? do you mean he's an assistant or ghost artist for Jim Davis?

@Brimstone: Wrassler, Celeb, CEO - yes, he's been an assistant of Davis's for a long time and has done a lot of work on Garfield properties like the Boom! Studio comics.

Mark- thank you, Bruh!!! I just thought that was weird because Ive never known of Davis using anybody and am curious if this was hyped or advertised as I would assume assistants don't usually get credit, LOL!

The odd, bloodless way the Glob tries to kill Rick Jones--by suffocating him against his chest--mirrors the way Swamp Thing killed General Sunderland in the classic Swamp Thing 21.

And before that, the way Man-Thing and Glob defeated the Hulk in Hulk 197-198 (see link above).