Fantastic
Four #26Fantastic
Four #26
Title: "The Avengers Take Over!”
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciller: Jack Kirby
Inker: George Bell
Before Hulk leaves, Thing grabs him again.
Hulk asks how he dares attack him again after getting beaten.
Hulk says that he will show Thing no mercy now. With one punch
Hulk slams Thing off of him and into the street. Thing thanks
Hulk for the rest, but while he is talking he is crushing
concrete into dust. Thing throws the powdered concrete into
Hulk’s eyes. Thing starts punching the blinded Hulk.
The soldiers continue to watch waiting since Thing is still fighting Hulk. One soldier says that it is a good thing that they are fighting in a condemned neighborhood, and that they are saving the wreckers a lot of work.
Off in the distance on a rooftop, camera crews capture the entire battle. One of the men asks where the other three Fantastic Four are.
In the Baxter Building, Reed is watching the fight. He says that he has to go help Ben. Sue says that Reed is burning with a fever. The doctor enters the rooms with a bunch of men. The doctor tells the men to get Reed on a stretcher. Reed stretches all over trying to get away, but he is too weak and the men get him to lie down on the stretcher. The doctor says to get him to the hospital because he needs an oxygen tent since he is having trouble breathing. Sue says that they can’t let anything happen to Reed. The doctor says that he will do his best.
Later at the hospital, Sue brings in the serums that Reed was working on when he fell sick. The doctor says that he will have to send them down to the lab.
In another part of the hospital, one of the patients asks why one patient has asbestos screens. The nurse says that is the Human Torch. Johnny Storm wakes up and remembers the fight. He tries to flame on, but he is wearing asbestos pajamas. Johnny pulls them off and says that he will need all his skill against the Hulk. Torch leaves the asbestos bandage on his arms and starts flying towards the Hulk/Thing fight. He is still weak though and is forced to rest on his way. Torch says that he has to keep going so nothing will happen to Ben. Torch finally arrives at the fight and is relieved to see that Thing is still on his feet. Torch uses his flame and blasts little pieces of flaming shrapnel at the Hulk. Thing tells Torch to stay back and that nothing but muscle can beat the Hulk. Hulk says, “The Torch! Don’t you fools ever know when to quit?” Hulk says that if Torch thinks that this is going to give Thing a breather that he is wrong. Hulk says that they all think that he is just a mass of muscle with no brain, but that he will prove that he is as smart as any of them. Hulk rips the top of a hydrant off and aims at the Torch. Torch dodges the stream and blasts his flame at the top of the building above Hulk. The building falls over and buries the hydrant, but Hulk just shrugs it off. Hulk says that Torch’s flame will die down, and that when it does he will finish him. Thing says that Hulk has proved his point and that he is no weakling. Thing suggests that Hulk calm down so they can talk this out. Hulk refuses and says that they are just trying to trick him the way the Avengers tricked him. Hulk says that they would just wait for his guard to drop and then attack. Hulk says that he will never trust anyone ever again, and that everyone has betrayed him. Hulk says that from now on he strikes first. Hulk grabs two rocks and smashes them together. The force from the impact is so strong that both Thing and Torch and thrown clear.
The soldiers say that they’ll never be able to stop the Hulk. They say to alert all units. One soldier says that the artillery is waiting for the command. They fire the big gun, but Hulk shocks everyone as he grabs the shell out of the air and without stopping swirls around and hurls the shell into the air to explode. Hulk says that they will think twice before firing at him again.
Thing and Torch are struggling to get up. Thing asks Torch if he is all right. Torch says that he just needs a minute to catch him breath. Thing tells Torch to stay back. He says that he has done his share, but that the rest is up to him. Thing gets up to fight, but finds that the Hulk is gone. Some reporters try to get an interview with Thing while he searches for the Hulk, but Thing just tells them to get lost. The reporter asks Thing what his battle plan is if he finds the Hulk again. Thing says that he is going to melt Hulk’s “tender heart by weepin’ and wailin”.
Under the Thing’s feet in the subway
tunnels, a train is coming up on the Hulk standing on the tracks.
The train can’t stop in time, but Hulk effortlessly stops
the train with one hand. He tells the crew to get all the
passengers out while he still can. The guy says that Hulk
doesn’t have to tell him twice. Soon the Hulk is driving the
train. He says that he has to find the Avengers. Hulk drives the
train to the upper east side and comes out a manhole. Hulk
remembers that the Avengers are using Anthony Stark’s house
as a headquarters and goes in. Hulk makes his way inside the
house. The lights come on and Hulk finds that the Avengers have
just returned. Giant-Man says that the reports are true and that
the Hulk is on the rampage again. He says that they will stop him
this time. Rick tells them not to hurt Hulk, and to give him a
chance to reason with him. Thor says that they don’t want to
cause injury and that it is up to Hulk. Without warning Hulk
leaps into the midst of the Avengers and grabs Rick Jones’
arm. 
Giant-Man tells
everyone not to rush in, and that Hulk has the advantage in close
quarters. Hulk yells at Rick Jones and says that he deserted him
when he needed him. He says that he left him for the Avengers,
but that he won’t let him get away with it. Hulk spins and
knocks Giant-Man off of him. Iron Man tells Hulk to drop Rick,
but Hulk just smacks Iron Man. Captain America leaps at Hulk, but
he has no effect. Thor says that Giant-Man is right and that they
are all in each other’s way. Before the Avengers can regroup
Hulk plows through a wall with Rick. Hulk says that they will
never get him now. Rick tries to tell Hulk that he has the wrong
idea. Wasp manages to follow the Hulk and thinks to 
herself that she
can’t lose sight of him.
At the hospital, the doctor is checking on Reed and says that the antidote has worked and that Reed’s fever is down. The doctor says that with Reed’s constitution that he will be up in no time. Sue thanks goodness and says that she couldn’t bear it if something happened to Reed. A short time later, Reed is already getting out of bed. The doctor says that Reed needs time to rest, but Reed says that he has to do something about the Hulk.
Reed and Sue arrive back at the scene with Thing, Torch, and all the soldiers. Thing says that he knew that Reed was too ornery for germs to beat him. Torch says that the gang is all here again, and that he wouldn’t want to be the Hulk now. A soldier gets word that the Avengers are back in New York at that they are pursuing the Hulk. Reed tells the others to get to the Fantasti-car and seconds later they are flying near where the Hulk should be. They spot the Hulk with Rick Jones, but Hulk seems to be clutching his head in pain. The Hulk isn’t actually in pain, but he is quite annoyed because he has the Wasp flying inside his ear. Hulk swats the side of his head and knocks Wasp out of his ear. While Hulk is still off balance, Captain America lunges into the Hulk and knocks him backwards. Hulk swings at Captain America, but Cap dodges and Hulk hits the wall. Hulk takes another swing, but winds up tearing the wall up as Captain America ducks below the punch this time. Cap says that Hulk is going to wear himself out. Suddenly the Human Torch swoops down into the fight. Cap asks Torch what he is doing. Torch says that he is giving Cap a breather before the Hulk gets his hands on him. Torch lobs some fireballs at Hulk to put some distance between Cap and Hulk. Cap tells Torch to stay out of it and that the Avengers can handle this on their own. Reed forms his arm into a lasso, but when he throws it at Hulk he snares Iron Man instead. Hulk says that there are too many of them, and that they will keep getting in each other’s way. Hulk says that he will be able to take them out one by one. Invisible Girl tries to throw a force field around Hulk, but Giant-Man gets in the way and is captured by it. Hulk decides that this is his chance. He grabs Rick Jones and leaps into the air. As he goes Hulk spots Thor and says, “There’s Thor… with the one thing I fear… that unbeatable hammer of his! I’ve got to move… now!” Thor throws up his hammer to follow the Hulk, but the Thing is leaping into the air to try and snag Hulk’s ankle. Thor’s hammer smashes into Thing and Hulk gets away. Thor calls Thing a “foolish one” and asks why he didn’t heed his warning. Thing calls Thor a “lantern-jawed long-haired lummox”, and tells him to learn to throw that thing. Thor tells Thing not to vent his wrath on him because they are on the same side.
Hulk leaps up onto the top of a building that is being constructed. Hulk says that if they follow him up there that he will give them a battle they’ll never forget.
Back at Tony Stark’s mansion, the Fantastic Four and Avengers all explain and apologize for getting in each other’s way. Reed says that they have heard of the Avengers and that they have a great deal of respect for them, but says that they started this fight with the Hulk and they want to finish it themselves. Iron Man says “no dice” to Richards. He says that the Hulk used to be one of them, and that they feel that he is their responsibility and that they can handle him best. Thor says that this talking is useless, and that first they must find the Hulk again and then maybe they can work together. Thing says that for a guy with long hair that Thor is an okay guy. Reed says that Thing has been the one that carried this fight so far, and that if he is willing to team up then so be it. Iron Man agrees and then radios into the police to ask about the Hulk’s last sighting. The police say that the Hulk has been “spotted atop new construction site at East 63rd street”. The cop suggests that the Avengers find and team up with the Fantastic Four, but Iron Man says that they are way ahead of him.
Torch arrives first on the scene and overhears the Hulk yelling at Rick. Hulk says that he trusted Rick with all his secrets, but that Rick deserted him to join with Captain America. Rick tries again to tell Hulk that he has it all wrong, but he never gets the chance as Human Torch fires a flame at the Hulk. Hulk braces himself between two girders and lifts himself over the flame. Rick tries to tell Torch to back off and that the Hulk isn’t going to hurt him, but Hulk doesn’t wait around and hurls an entire section of framework at Torch. Hulk says that they are still hounding him, and that he is going to teach those “weaklings” a lesson. Torch starts flying around Hulk, but Iron Man tells Torch to knock it off. Torch keeps doing it so Iron Man uses a repulsor ray to knock Torch back. Torch figures that Iron Man must want the Avengers to get the credit for beating the Hulk. Iron Man uses too much force however and blows out Torch’s flame. Reed holds onto the building’s framework and Thing pulls him back to launch Reed like a rubber band. Reed grabs Johnny and then stretches around some girders. Torch looks up and sees that Iron Man is tackling the Hulk now. Torch says that they’ll see how well “rustpot” does without their help. Iron Man is trying to think of something he can do against the Hulk, but the Hulk sees that Iron Man is in the exact right position and bends up some girders. The girders start twisting around and trap Iron Man as they bend. Thor throws his hammer and shatters the girders freeing Iron Man. Thing says that they had their chance and to let a pro handle this. Thing tells Hulk that he was only fooling around with him before. Hulk and Thing rush at each other from opposite sides of a girder. Hulk hits the girder low while Thing hits it high. The force of the blow causes the entire area to fall apart. Thing falls down into a tub of soft cement. Thing gets up coated with the stuff all over him. Hulk tells Thing to hold still and he will knock him out of the cement. Captain America says that Thing is too valiant a fighter for him to allow him to be defeated. Captain America pushes a massive iron ball towards the Hulk. Hulk grabs the ball and hurls it back at Captain America. Cap dodges it of course, but the force shatters more of the building. Hulk says that Captain America is the one that tried to take Rick from him and that he will pay for that. Hulk lunges at Cap, but Cap leaps over him. Cap says that it will take more than brute force to make him surrender, and that as any good combat man knows that if he applies judo that the stronger his opponent is the more it works against him. Captain America flips Hulk. Hulk says that Cap talks a good fight, but that none of that matters in the end. Hulk grabs a grappling cable, and as Captain America hurls his shield at Hulk, Hulk uses the cable to smack Cap’s shield out of the sky. Hulk says that if Cap like circus tricks that he can do that too. Hulk stops on the wooden board that Cap is standing on and sends him flying into the air. Cap grabs a girder and Hulk tells him to stay there and he will be up to finish him. Giant-Man grabs Hulk’s wrist and says that Hulk can’t beat all of them. Hulk says that Giant-Man is wrong, and that as long as he has his strength that he can smash anything that lives. Hulk flips Giant-Man. Hulk says that he might be half Giant-Man’s size, but that he is many times stronger. Hulk charges Giant-Man, but Giant-Man takes a pill and switches to ant size. He grows back up and causes Hulk to swing at him again. Giant-Man shrinks again and says that if his pills hold out maybe he can tire the Hulk out. Hulk says that sooner or later Giant-Man is going to make a mistake, and that his first mistake will be his last. Wasp leads a group of ants that start crawling all over Hulk. Hank tells Wasp to stay back, and that he will command the ants from here. Wasp says that anyone else would have given her a thank you kiss. Hulk says that he has to make this itching stop. Rick thinks that the longer this battle goes on the more chance that someone is going to get hurt. Rick takes an “emergency gamma-ray treated capsule which Banner gave me months ago” and fires it into the Hulk’s mouth. Hulk leaps off the building and is headed for the water to get the ants off. Hulk dives into the water. Someone says that they should go after him, but someone else notes that it is hopeless because Hulk has such powerful lungs that he could stay underwater for hours. The Avengers and Fantastic Four turn away, but as they do they fail to notice Bruce Banner surfacing and floating silently away.
Giant-Man tells Rick that he is safe now. Rick says that he was always safe and that the Hulk wouldn’t have hurt him. Captain America says that he feels sorry for the Hulk. He says that he knows what it is like to lose a partner and how it can affect a man’s actions. Thing recalls that Cap used to have a partner named Bucky. Thor explains that is why Cap has taken Rick under his wing because of the way he reminds Cap of Bucky. Reed says that it is too bad that Hulk can’t see that they are not his enemies. Reed says that there is no telling when Hulk will resurface, but that when he does that they can count on them to help. Thor says that the Avengers will come as well. Reed says that perhaps their battle was not in vain because they got to meet and get the measure of each other. Reed says that he is pleased with what he saw. Thor says that he hopes that the Avengers can have a record as unsullied as that of the Fantastic Four. Sue says that she is just glad that it is over, and that no one got hurt. Thing says that only his pride got hurt. Torch says that after tangling with the Hulk that he realizes how cute and lovable Thing really is.
Leader’s Lair rating: 9 out of 10
Here is the first meeting between the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Like the formation of the Avengers the Hulk acts as a catalyst that brings good things. Hulk takes on the Fantastic Four and Avengers at the same time, but he doesn’t get a shot to get his hands on Thor (and actually says that he fears Thor’s hammer!). Personally I think that he means Thor’s hammer is the only thing that he feels he would really have to contend with. The fighting isn’t as classic as it was in the last issue, but it’s still phenomenal. The only thing that would make a little more sense is if this story took place in Avengers as part of the now formulaic “crossover”. This issue feels more like an Avengers book than a Fantastic Four book. As the title suggests the Avengers take over.