Rick Jones
Rick Jones,
professional sidekick,
gets thrown into the
spotlight when he absorbs
gamma radiatiion off of
Bruce Banner in a nutrient
bath. Thankfully Peter David
realized Jones' true nature as
the sidekick and returned him
to his normal state as soon as
he took over the book.
Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #271-276-Bereet showed up and saved Rick's life by placing him in an alien technology that stabalizes his condition. Betty convinces Bereet to help get Rick to a hospital. A mask Bereet has turns into a plane. Bereet flies them to Gamma Base. Bruce returns to his lab in the desert and reads the report on how Rick exposed himself, and he takes off after them. Bruce arrives at Gamma Base and arranges some machines to cure Rick. Because this is Rick's firsy exposure he is cured by a simple reversing of the process.
Incredible Hulk #324- Thunderbolt
Ross had really gone off the deep end. When the hulk needed a
nutrient bath to save his life Ross figured if he messed the bath
up it would kill the Hulk. He went to an unguarded control panel.
Rick Jones went to stop him. Ross freaks when the Hulk makes it
into the bath on time. He throws Rick over the railing into the
bath and smashes the control panel. Rick caused an imbalance with
the chemicals. The bath exploded. Bruce turned into the gray Hulk
and immediately transformed back to Bruce. Since everyone was now
wet nobody noticed that Rick was drenched in the nutrient bath.
Incredible Hulk #325-326- Walking along the side of the
road Rick Hulk stops a truck from hitting him by hitting it
first. Rick is unaware that he is changing into a Hulk as he
thinks he is coming down with a cold and that is why he is woozy.
Later a Hulk is seen bursting through the wall of Bruce's
quarters. He is seen runnig amok throwing cars through buildings.
SHIELD mobilizes to find Banner. When they find him however a
Hulk lands on their jeep, picks up Banner and leaves. When they
land Hulk turns back into Rick Jones and he talks with Bruce. The
two are stuck in the desert but as they shake hands as the sun
goes down gray Hulk transforms and hurts Rick's hands which
causes him to transform into his Hulk. Rick gets angry because he
thought that because he was the Hulk that Bruce would be cured.
He took on the curse for nothing. The two Hulks fight back and
forth, but in the end it is the gray Hulk who is standing over
the Rick Hulk. That is until Thunderbolt Ross, who is now the
monster Zzzax, blasts him unconscious from behind.
Incredible Hulk #327- As the issue opens dawn breaks leaving the Rick Hulk to fight Zzzax/Ross himself. Zzzax blasts Hulk until Bruce tells Hulk to splash Zzax with water. They go to leave but are hit again. Zzzax moves into the Rick Hulk's body taking it over. He hits Banner with Hulk's fist, but has to leave it after that as it is too tiring to be in Hulk. Hulk turns back into Rick from it. Ross freaks when a family recognizes him as a monster. Banner explains that he is a monster and Zzzax leaves.
Incredible Hulk #329- Rick walks to the old hideout in the desert where Rick used to lock up the Hulk at night. He figured to lock himself in there (though how he would do that solo I'm not sure) when the Outcasts burst out and held him. Rick hears about the Outcasts origin, but they don't trust him and are to take him away because they're waiting for "green one". When Rick turns into the Hulk at sundown they welcome Rick into the fold. Bruce comes to warn Rick and finds Hulk among the Outcasts. Bruce was followed by the army and they attack. Hulk drives them back, but since some Outcasts were killed in the fight they ask Rick Hulk not to come back.
Incredible Hulk #330- Rick Hulk lifts a truck that was pinning Betty. Rick takes Bruce and Betty back to Gamma Base by leaping with them. But then it's dawn and he transforms back to Rick. This Head thing that posesses bodies has a hold of Doc Samson when Rick accidentally stays to long at Gamma Base and transforms to Hulk at sundown. They duke it out and the Head thing dies when Thunderbolt Ross jumps in front of Betty to save her and then electrocutes it with his remaining Zzzax power. Ross dies.
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