The Sensational She-Hulk #39

Published in 1992, The Sensational She-Hulk #39 is a prominent installment in the series' famous fourth-wall-breaking era. It was written and illustrated by John Byrne, who returned to the character to inject a heightened sense of meta-humor and satirical self-awareness into the comic. The issue is widely recognized for its cover, which features She-Hulk jumping rope while wearing a bathing suit, an image that leaned into the character’s burgeoning reputation for challenging traditional superhero comic tropes through irony and playful provocations.

The creative intent behind this run was to dismantle the seriousness of the Marvel Universe by allowing Jennifer Walters to acknowledge her status as a fictional character. John Byrne utilized the medium to comment on the comic book industry itself, balancing cheesecake aesthetics with clever editorial wit. While the cover design was controversial at the time of its release, it became an iconic symbol of the series, cementing the issue’s status among collectors as a quintessential representation of the 1990s experimental period in Marvel storytelling.