Incredible Hulk writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson says the upcoming ninth issue of his run will introduce a new, previously unannounced creature to the Marvel Universe.
“I will say, by nature, I’m finding myself pulled more in the direction of the new stuff, constantly. Like, I just wanna do new monsters,” Johnson said on the Spec Tales podcast. “The one for issues #9 and #10 — I’m so excited about those. I mean, I can’t say I’m more excited than I am for the Ghost Rider-War Devil thing, ’cause that one’s very personal to me, but … it’s called Frozen Charlotte.”
Johnson kept details regarding Frozen Charlotte close to the vest, though did offer some insight into how the new Marvel monster got its name. “If you Google that term, you can see what it means,” he said. “It’s a term for a specific kind of china doll — like, porcelain doll … You can get Frozen Charlottes at, like, [an] antique store. It’s kind of like Precious Moments from a hundred and something years ago — like, these little baby-looking dolls. So, instead of like a rag doll with a porcelain head, it’s just like a solid porcelain doll that’s usually very tiny.”
The writer clarified that Incredible Hulk’s Frozen Charlotte is not actually a Frozen Charlotte doll. “It’s a reference,” he said. “Like, there is connective tissue to the idea of the frozen doll — the little doll. But that’s not what the thing is at all.” Johnson added that the new monster is not only “cool,” but also “adds a lot of lore to the Marvel Universe” — and a “doorway to the next chapter” of his Hulk run.
The creatures of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Incredible Hulk
Johnson and artist Nic Klein relaunched Incredible Hulk at Marvel this past June. Thus far, the series has already introduced a number of new characters to the MU, such as Brother Deep and Sister Sadie. The upcoming issue #5 will introduce the Swamp Siren. Then, issue #6 will add a World War II-era version of Ghost Rider to the mix, not to mention a new creature called the War Devil.
“I’m trying to balance the beloved characters that everyone knows and wants to see with the very obscure characters that you don’t see anymore — that I kinda wanna bring back — with the new stuff,” Johnson told Spec Tales. “I’m mostly introducing new things, but I’m trying to also give some fan service.” Man-Thing has already appeared in Johnson’s Hulk run, though the writer hopes to bring the character back down the road. Johnson also has tentative plans to bring the Moloids back into the fold.
Incredible Hulk #4 is on sale now from Marvel Comics. Issue #5 arrives on October 18, followed by issue #6 on November 22 and issue #7 on December 20.
Note: Spec Tales is a podcast that releases a new episode every Wednesday. In it, hosts Jake and Jesús ask collectors and creators to share their comic book “Grail Tales.” Each episode also includes a segment where Jake, Jesús and their guests speculate as to which comics may increase in value.
