Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #103Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #103
Title: “And Now… the Space Parasite!”
Writer: Gary Friedrich
Penciller: Marie Severin
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Editor: Stan Lee
Hulk suddenly finds himself standing in New York. The people take one look at Hulk and start running. Hulk says that nothing has changed while he was gone, and that he is still feared because he is the strongest of all. Hulk tells them to go ahead and run. He says that he doesn’t need them and that he just wants to be left alone. A policeman tells Hulk to halt and says that he is only going to fire one warning shot. The cop says that the next shot will be to kill. Hulk asks how he dare challenge him. Hulk says that no weapon can stop him, but that it is easy for Hulk to smash him. Hulk pulls a street sign and starts smashing neon signs with it. Hulk tells them not to follow him and leaps into the air. Hulk says that he wants to get to a high place where he can watch men. Hulk says that the army is bound to come after him and that he will have the advantage is he is high on the building. Hulk hangs off the side of a high rise and says that he can see for blocks. He says for them to bring their strongest and best soldiers and that he will smash them. Hulk starts saying that nothing can stop him, but before he can finish Hulk starts transforming back into Bruce Banner. Bruce quickly realizes that he is hundreds of feet above ground. He grabs the building with both hands and pulls himself up. Bruce says that people must have seen him and that means that the army will be hunting him again. Bruce says that he needs to get away so he can hide and think. He says that he must hurry and that if they spot him that they might shoot him on sight.
At a midtown television studio, General Ross and Major Talbot are guests on a popular talk show. The host introduces them and then introduces the young man that probably knows more about the Hulk than anyone alive… Rick Jones. The host turns to Ross and Talbot and asks them if it isn’t true that their battle with the Hulk has been a total failure at this point. Ross says that he thinks that is putting it a little strongly. Ross starts to say that they have succeeded in many things, but the host cuts him off and tells Ross not to try and con the public. Talbot says that perhaps Klyne, the host, is just ignorant of the facts. Talbot rolls some film strips of Hulk knocking down a fifty foot building with one punch and one of Hulk defeating the Thing. Klyne says that they already knew that the Hulk was no wealkling, but that surely Talbot doesn’t consider this to be proof that the Hulk is unstoppable.
Bruce Banner makes it all the way down into the building’s basement without being seen, but he almost walks in on the janitors in the locker room. Bruce walks into the locker room and starts getting himself some clothes. Bruce thinks that if he gives himself up that they will probably lock him up for life, but that if he doesn’t he is certain to become the Hulk again and there would be no knowing who he might harm.
Thousands of feet above Earth, the Space
Parasite is watching images of the Hulk. 
He says that he
has found his prey. Space Parasite says that if he can absorb the
Hulk’s power that it would be enough to support his system
for months or perhaps even years. Space Parasite starts heading
to New York and says that this will be his greatest battle and he
will win his sweetest victory. Space Parasite says that he was
created to destroy, and that it is only through the destruction
of others that he can live because when his opponent falls his
strength flows into him and becomes his life-blood. Space
Parasite says that this is the way it has always been for him.
Bruce is looking for Rick Jones’ address in the phone book of the lobby of the building. Bruce says that he has no right to involve Rick, but that there is no one else for him to turn to. Someone spots Bruce in the lobby so he runs out. Bruce runs down a subway entrance. He doesn’t have a token so he leaps the turnstile. The change clerk yells out at him, but Bruce gets onto a subway before the transit police arrive. Bruce thinks about the irony of escaping capture for all the months and then getting caught because he doesn’t have twenty cents.
Space Parasite’s ship gets close enough for him to work his teleportation system from. He stops his ship and starts looking for the home of his prey. Space Parasite tries to find the Hulk, but his finder is blank and says that there is no sign of the Hulk. He says that the scanner is constructed to find any object that it is tuned to, and that the only way it won’t register a location is if the object does not exist. Space Parasite happens upon the television talk show with Ross, Talbot, Klyne, and Rick Jones. Klyne asks Rick Jones to tell them how he feels about the Hulk. He asks Rick if he still contends that the Hulk is not a menace. Rick thinks for a moment.
At Rick Jones’ building, Bruce is yelling at the woman to give him the key to Rick Jones’ apartment. He tells her not to give her the third degree. He says that he is Rick’s uncle and that he wants the key. The woman gives Bruce the key, but warns him that if he is lying that he will be caught and that crime doesn’t pay. Bruce gets in and says that maybe it is better that Rick isn’t there right now. Bruce notices a television listing that has the Jack Klyne show circled. Bruce sees that Rick Jones is a guest and that he is going to talk about the Hulk. Bruce says that the show is on now and decides to turn it on. He says that it will be good to have someone say something nice about him, but when Bruce gets the television on he sees Rick saying, “I now realize that there’s no hope for the Hulk! When he turned on me… I was finally convinced that he’s a menace… and that he must be destroyed!” For minutes, Bruce sits with his head down in his hands. Suddenly Bruce realizes that he can’t stay there anymore. He says that Rick would turn him in if he found him. Bruce says that he has to leave before Rick arrives, but wonders where he will go. Suddenly Rick is standing in the door with a gun on Bruce. Bruce asks Rick why he is holding a gun on him. Bruce says that he heard what Rick said on television, and that he understands, but that surely he wouldn’t shoot the man that once saved his life. Rick says that he doesn’t have a choice. He says that as long as there is a chance that Bruce will become the Hulk again that he is a deadly menace.
Space Parasite discovers that Bruce Banner and the Hulk are the same person. Space Parasite says that he must face Banner and somehow turn him back into the Hulk.
Rick tells Bruce not to come any closer. He says that he is going to call the police. Bruce says that Rick couldn’t do that to him any more than he could shoot him down in cold blood. Bruce tells Rick to give him the gun.
In the hallway of Rick’s building, Betty is coming to see Rick. She says that she can’t believe that Rick has turned on Bruce. She figures that someone must have made him say those things, but that if he truly believes them that she wants to hear it from Rick’s own mouth. Betty walks into Rick’s apartment and sees Rick fire his gun. Rick says that he couldn’t do it and that he fired at the floor at the last second. Betty asks Bruce if he is okay. Bruce says that he is fine, but that she shouldn’t have come there. He says that the police are after him and that her father probably has the air force after him too. Rick starts walking out of the apartment thinking that he has failed his country and himself. Betty starts to say that she isn’t afraid and that she just wants to be with him when suddenly she completely freaks out. Betty starts shouting at Bruce that he is a killer and that he has to be destroyed.
Space Parasite is pleased that he was able
to project a hypnotic suggestion into Betty’s mind with a
laser beam. Space Parasite hopes that the shock will turn Bruce
into the Hulk. Space Parasite says that at last the battle can
begin. He rushes to his teleporter so that he can be there when
the Hulk emerges. 
Seconds later,
Space Parasite appears in Rick’s apartment. He tells Bruce
to “begone” and to summon the Hulk so that he can
conquer him. Bruce is holding Betty. He says that he doesn’t
know who he is or what he wants, but that he can’t become
the Hulk at will. Bruce starts to change. He tries to fight it
because of Betty, but he can’t hold it back. Space Parasite
says that at last he is face to face with someone that can assure
his existence for countless years. Space Parasite tells Hulk to
follow him to a fitting battleground. Hulk says that he will
follow and crush him.
Hulk leaps out the window at Space Parasite. Hulk says that he can’t escape him. Space Parasite says that Hulk’s bravery in accepting the challenge is admirable, but that it will bring about his doom. Space Parasite says that the rays from his solar scepter is already sapping the Hulk’s strength. The scepter shatters and Space Parasite sees that the blasts only stun Hulk. He says that those rays would totally drain a hundred men. Hulk grabs Space Parasite’s wrist and says that he is stronger than a thousand men. Space Parasite says that their battle should be one of sheer brute force because by merely touching Hulk he can transfer Hulk’s power into his power.
Millions of miles away on the Planet Xeron, two men of Space Parasite’s race say, “We have found him… at last! Even to this day… Randau lives!” Another says that now that they found him what can they do about it. An elderly man says that they have to destroy Randau. The man from before says that he cannot speak so casually about killing the man they once called king.
Long ago, Randau ruled over the perfect Xeronian society until one day his advisors showed him video footage of alien invaders that were attacking a neighboring planet that was only a million miles away. They say that if they allow them to overrun their neighbors that they will believe that they can overrun them. Randau says that he is a man of peace, but that he cannot stand by while his people are threatened. Randau tells them to prepare the Solar Chamber. His advisor says that the chamber is untested and that they don’t know what effects it will have on a living body. Randau accepted the risk and went ahead anyway. He was bathed in the mysterious rays of Xeron’s third sun. When Randau emerged from the chamber he was transformed. He tells his advisors that he can feel the power of the universe flowing through him. He says to take him to the enemy of Xeron and he will crush them. One advisor looks at Randau and says that he has been transformed from a monarch of peace into a hate filled conqueror. No one listened to the old man however and the people became consunmed with the lust for war and death. Randau met and destroyed his neighbors attackers, and with every victory his strength would increase a thousandfold. After the final battle Randau found that he could not stop. Instead of returning home he moved on looking for more battle. He sent back a message to his people that he has moved beyond their universe and that space is filled with menaces to their planet and that he will not rest until they have all been stamped out. For years and years, Randau roamed the heavens and conquered new foes with each step. Finally his people come to realize that Randau was not fighting for Xeron, but that he needed to fulfill his own bodily needs.
The advisor says that Randau has become the personification of all that they despise. He says that Randau must die.
Hulk loses his grip on Randau’s arm and falls back to Earth. He crashes right through the governor’s box at Yankee Stadium. Randau says that Hulk fell hundreds of feet and that he is not even hurt, but that Hulk’s strength will not allow him to win because he is going to summon all his might for a blow that will stun even the Hulk. Randau hits, but Hulk hits right back and says that Randau’s punch was like a bee sting to him. Hulk says that one punch was enough to defeat him, but that he is going to make sure that Space Parasite doesn’t bother him anymore by burying him under a mountain of rubble. Hulk leaps up and knocks part of the stadium down on Randau. Randau gets up and says that now Hulk has made him angry. Randau says that each time Hulk strikes him that he absorbs a little bit more of Hulk’s strength. Randau strikes Hulk down and says that now with the remaining tip of his scepter that he will drain Hulk’s lifeblood. He says that Hulk was a valiant foe, but that he was no match for the Space Parasite.
Back on Xeron, they say that Randau is about to kill again and that they have to activate the destruct mechanism inside his ship once he returns to it.
Hulk sits up and asks Randau if he really thinks that gadgets can beat him. Randau says that this isn’t possible. He says that he is focusing the energy on Hulk, but that Hulk is still coming after him. Randau says that his strength is fading and that it has been too long since he drained a victim of his energy. Hulk says that he will show Randau the meaning of defeat. He picks Randau up and throws him into an evacuated train. Randau says that he can’t last much longer and that he can feel himself getting weaker by the second. Randau picks up the train car and flies towards Hulk. He says that he has to concentrate everything inton one final attack, and that maybe if he drops the train on Hulk that he can beat him. Hulk asks Randau how he dares to continue to fight him.
The army surrounds the area.
Hulk leaps up and knocks the train car out of Randau’s hands. Hulk says that no one gets up after he downs him and lives. Randau is on the ground again and Hulk’s tells him to get up again. Randau is too weak to stand, but Hulk says that if Randau doesn’t want to fight anymore that is fine with him. Hulk wraps Randau up in the wreckage of the train car, leaps into the air, and dumps all of it in the river. Hulk says that now he has seen the end of him.
Down in the river, Randau says that he must not die this way. He says that he is a king and can’t die unless in battle. He uses all his strength and manages to get free and swim to the surface. Hulk wants to know how how he escaped. Randau admits defeat and says that Hulk has to accord him the honor of dying in combat. Hulk says that Randau wants him to hit one that can’t hit back, but that he only fights those that threaten him. Randau says that he must then return to his ship so that he might die on home soil. Randau pushes a button and teleports back to his ship.
Back on Xeron, the current ruler decides that he must press the destruct button to Randau’s ship and asks the gods to forgive him.
Randau is blown from his ship. He realizes that his people must have located and tried to destroy him. Randau says that now he has to home to return to and no where to go. He lies down on a piece of shrapnel for his ship. He thinks to himself that even though he is totally alone that at least he will soon know the meaning of peace. Randau dies.
Back in New York, the police tell the Hulk that they have him surrounded and tell him not to move. Hulk wonders when the police will figure out that he can’t be captured. The police throw tear gas grenades at Hulk. They forge through the smoke wearing gas masks preparing to gas the Hulk even further, but they find that Hulk has changed back into Bruce Banner.
No Excuses rating: 8 out of 10
I always liked the Space Parasite and was disappointed that I never saw him again. His story was a well told one (though I’m not sure how he was a space faring destroyer that was continually growing in strength and yet the Hulk was so much more powerful than him). The Rick Jones/Bruce Banner situation is quite shocking and feels like something out of the Twilight Zone. Interesting stuff. Marie Severin does a good job with this issue. Her style is a little odd, in my opinion, but I found her storytelling pretty good and her action pretty good as well. In hindsight review, this one felt like good old nostalgia Hulk. Monstrous threat arises that Hulk must smash. Makes me feel all warm and squishy remembering the Hulk of old.