Rick and Morty turns Rick into a Lovecraftian nightmare in official art

Rick and Morty has had plenty of otherworldly monsters throughout the franchise, but now, Rick is getting one in official art.

Rick and Morty fans are all too familiar with Rick and his encounters with cosmic Lovecraft beasts (especially when Rick, Morty, and Summer are chased by Cthulhu-like creatures in each episode's title sequence ), but now, Rick is actually becoming one of the monsters he regularly encounters — all while paying homage to a surprising Marvel Comics hero.

Rick and Morty is the sequel to the dimension-hopping adventures of scientist and inventor Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith. Sometimes the two travel to a universe nearly identical to their home world, while other times they travel to completely different dimensions, often with monsters that usually only appear in the literature of author H.P. Lovecraft. From the grinning, fang-toothed beasts that chased Rick and Morty in the first episode, to the Night Families appearance in the most recent season, there's no shortage of cosmic horrors Rick and Morty must contend with -- and in Rick and Morty's latest comic series, , Rick apparently joined them on the cover.

Called for Rick and Morty vs Cthulhu #3 by Jim Zub and Leonardo Ito (courtesy leagueofcomicgeeks.com), fans can get a first look at one of the covers that will be available upon release. This cover (created by artist Troy Little) depicts Rick standing in the middle of the page, looking shocked and even panicked, while behind him is a version of himself that has mutated into a Lovecraftian nightmare. Considering the context in the artwork, it's implied that Rick is actually transforming into this otherworldly beast before fans' eyes - a beast with crab hands, a body reminiscent of aliens, and three eyes , tongue-like tendrils spilled from his mouth, and squid-like tentacles encircled him.

Rick and Morty Also Pays Tribute to the Incredible Hulk

The artwork, both in style and content, appears to be a nod to Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk #1. That issue of The Incredible Hulk depicted Bruce Banner standing there, like Rick on this cover, with the giant Hulk standing behind him, as if to convey the fact that Banner is actually transforming into the Hulk. That's exactly what Rick looks like on this cover—horribly transformed into a menacing monster, just as Banner has done before him. while the image The image of Rick turning into a monster is reminiscent of The Incredible Hulk, and it's hard to argue which of the two films is worse. Banner is becoming a powerful green man, capable of great acts of heroism, and even became one of the founding members of the Avengers. Rick, on the other hand, is turning into a disgusting tentacled beast that only seems capable of driving people insane -- and in a sense, that's the point.

In this series, Rick is essentially challenging the entire Lovecraftian mythology itself, so it's no surprise that he experiences existential horror at its highest level. Unlike the Hulk, Rick isn't a hero, he's just a guy smart enough to take on anything in the multiverse, even if he doesn't fully understand it - but has to live with the consequences of his arrogance anyway. But, this is Rick, so even though he's turning into a Lovecraftian nightmare in the official Rick and Morty art, he might be able to get away with it.

Rick and Morty vs Cthulhu #3 from Oni Press Comics will be available on February 15, 2023. Morty's Pickle Rick Source: leagueofcomicgeeks.com