Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #105Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #105
Title: “This Monster Unleashed!”
Writer: Bill Everett and Roy Thomas
Penciller: Marie Severin
Inker: George Tuska
Editor: Stan Lee
The Hulk leaps along with Betty Ross tucked
under his arm. Betty wonders where the Hulk is taking her. She
thinks of the irony that the Hulk is trying to save her from her
father and Major Talbot while they were trying to protect her
from him. She says that if only she could reach the mind of Bruce
Banner inside the Hulk’s savage mind. Hulk says that puny
humans are everywhere. He says that they can’t hurt him, but
that they might hurt the girl. He says that he has to get her
somewhere safe where no one can find them. Betty realizes that
she can’t escape without falling to her death, but also
wonders if she should escape as long as she might help Bruce. She
tells Hulk to take her to the hotel and that if she is going to
go with him that she will need a change of clothes and some
money. Hulk says that Betty doesn’t need anything as long as
he is with her, but that he will do what she wants so she
won’t be afraid of him anymore. 
Moments later, Hulk and Betty stand outside the hotel. Hulk says that he doesn’t like being in the city. Betty tells him to stay there for a few minutes and that she will come back for him. She tells him not to do anything or harm anyone. Betty rushes off to call her father when two mysterious figures hear Betty coming. They grab her and figure that they can take her as a hostage. They grab Betty and one of the men says that they were going to steal a car while the Hulk had everyone scared off the streets. Hulk shouts at the men not to touch Betty or he will crush them to a pulp. The men beg off and start to back away. Betty tries to calm the Hulk down so he doesn’t kill the men. She says that if he hurts them that the army will never leave him alone. Hulk says that he doesn’t care and that they tried to hurt her so they must pay. Hulk starts to pull a fire escape off the side of a building. The men start to run. Betty says that she can’t take this anymore. She says that she loves Bruce Banner, and “not… this monster…” Hulk is puzzled by Betty calling him a monster. He starts to change back into Bruce Banner. Rocky, one of the running crooks, sees this and says that now his gun isn’t useless anymore. He fires a shot and keeps running. The bullet hits Bruce Banner just as he changes back. He says that he can’t die like this. Bruce falls to the ground. Betty kneels by his side and asks why Hulk became Bruce again for no apparent reason.
Near the harbors of New York, a foreign freighter fire off the “X-capsule”. One of the men on the freighter asks what the capsule is. He asks if it is going to explode on contact. Another man says that is why the other man isn’t entrusted with the secret purpose. He says that he only thinks of bombs and tells the man to look out the porthole. He says that while the searchlights are looking for the Hulk that they will strike. The capsule lands against the docks. It opens up and then starts to sink, but not before the living, breathing cargo is released. The man explains that their eastern allies were conducting top secret atomic tests underground. He says that due to an error that an internal upheaval caused molten lava and radioactive ore to fly in all directions. A few days later, a nomad happened across a half-human, half-best crawling out of the fissure. A few days after that the nomad died of radiation exposure. A team of military scientists were sent out to capture the brute. They figured that the brute had survived in suspended animation for countless ages, but that it was awakened by the blast. Figuring it was the missing link they quickly gassed it and took it to examine it. As they examined the missing link they notice all its ape-like hair falling out of its body. Suddenly they notice these weird crystals popping up on his skin. Suddenly the beast sprung up and ripped through its bonds. The crystals transformed the creature from the missing link into an engine of destruction. The scientists fired on the creature, but it didn’t affect him. They fired light mortars at him, but against with no affect. The creature destroyed the artillery. Finally the beast was put out with a bombardment of sleeping gas. They figured out that when the beast awakens that even sleeping pellets would no longer affect it. One man says that he has a plan. The creature was loaded into a lead lined capsule and that they just fired it at the harbor.
The Missing Link
is wandering the abandoned streets of New York. It doesn’t
know where it is and doesn’t like it.
Betty Ross is loading Bruce Banner into a car. She says that she was so worried that he would die. Bruce says that he thinks that it was only a flesh wound. He asks where they going. Betty says that she has to get him to a doctor. Suddenly the police pull up responding to the gun fire they just heard. Bruce tells Betty to floor it. The police follow them and Bruce tells Betty to go faster. Betty says that she is going as fast as she can, but that they are bound to find them anyway. Bruce starts freaking out and says that he isn’t going to be caged. He starts to transform. Bruce tells Betty to slow down and falls out of the car as he changes into the Hulk. Hulk says that he can take care of himself and that there is no need for the girl to be in danger. Betty drives off hoping to get her father to help Bruce. Hulk is about to leap off when he realizes that he can’t. He says that there is something wrong with his leg. Hulk says that he has to find another way out. Hulk smashes the ground. He falls through the hole and in top of a subway train. Suddenly Hulk realizes that he is running like a puny human. He says that he doesn’t run and that he must stay and fight. Hulk snags the roof of the subway tunnel and starts to dig a hole upward. Hulk says that nothing is stronger than him and that nothing can stop him when he is angry.
Hulk breaks through the surface and comes face to face with the irradiated missing link. Hulk wonders if the monster is after him like everyone else. The Missing Link turns angry and confused. It smacks the Hulk and says that it will kill the creatures that it finds. Hulk says that it hit him with the force of a piledriver and that it burns where the monster hit him. Hulk says that no one hurts him and lives. He says that the monster gives off radiation, but that he was created by radiation. The Missing Link turns from Hulk and Hulk takes it as a slight. Hulk says that he will show Beast-Man that he is the strongest one of all. Hulk rips up the street and leaps over the monster with it. Missing Link emits an overpowering radioactive aura that burns right through the concrete. Link turns to face the “green creature that threatens me!” Hulk says that the creature melted the concrete like butter. Hulk and Link collide. Hulk hits Link’s shoulder and shatters the skin into crystals. Hulk says that the burning in his hand hurts him more than his punch hurt the monster. Link grabs Hulk up in a bearhug and the burning courses over Hulk’s body. Hulk starts punching away at Link, but Link just squeezes tighter and tighter. The radiation from Link’s body starts to transform the Hulk back into Bruce Banner. Link realizes that he is no longer fighting the Hulk and drops Banner to the ground. He says that the pink skinned one is not worthy of battle. Banner’s body awakens, but it is the Hulk’s voice that says, “Hulk beaten… because he suddenly changed into this shape! Where did it come from? Must get back my own body… so I can get revenge!”
Elsewhere, General Ross tells the news to keep the public off the street and that the army will take care of the Hulk. He says that right now a secret device is being made that will eliminate the Hulk forever. Ross says that the device is being manufactured by Reed Richards from Bruce Banner’s own notes.
Rick Jones is on the phone and says that Reed is putting the finishing touches on it now. Reed says that he is done and that he had better get it away from him before he changes his mind. Reed hands the weapon over and says to remember that it might just kill Banner too. Reed says that if Banner himself hadn’t designed the thing that he never would have built it. Rick says that maybe they shouldn’t go through with this. Talbot takes the gun and says that even Banner knew that the Hulk must be destroyed. Talbot thinks to himself that if Banner dies that Betty will never forgive him. He wonders if he could forgive himself.
In downtown, the police have just discovered the Missing Link walking down the street. Their spotlight hits Link and causes him to freak. Link starts charging the police so they won’t bother him. The cop starts shooting Link, but the bullets don’t stop him. Link knocks the gun out of the cop’s hand and smashes the spotlight with his other hand.
Banner’s body is walking down an alley. Hulk says that he is starting to get his own body back again. Once he is himself again, Hulk says that no one makes a fool of him. Hulk spots Link fighting the police. Hulk says that he doesn’t like the police, but that he doesn’t like the glowing giant either. Hulk lunges at Link and hits him crystallizing his skin again. Hulk says that he will be careful this time and will avoid the monster’s clutches. Hulk says that he is stronger and hits the monster again. Link’s skin continues to shatter like glass. He says that he doesn’t know what the monster’s problem is, but that no one destroys him. Another police car arrives on the scene. Hulk says that they aren’t interfering with his fight and throws the car into another direction. The car picks up the injured police to take them to a hospital. Hulk is about to turn back to Link when Link grabs Hulk in a full nelson. Hulk flips Link over onto the ground. Hulk says that his back hurts from where the monster was touching him, and that his hand hurts while holding him. Hulk says that the monster is on fire somehow from within. Hulk says that he will finish him off once and for all. Hulk throws Link into a building. Even with his hurt leg Hulk leaps high enough to hit the top of the building. The building crumbles over on top of Link. Rick Jones and Talbot pull up to the scene. Talbot gets ready for a shot, but Rick says that they have to find out where Betty is first. Rick shouts to Hulk. Hulk hangs from the building and says that they are fools. He says that he is not done with Beast-Man yet. Rick asks what happened to Betty. Hulk says that he doesn’t have time to answer questions and that he has to keep burying monster. Hulk says that he doesn’t know where the girl is anyway. Hulk lands on the ground. He goes to warn Rick and Talbot. Rick notices that Hulk is trying to tell them something, but Talbot notices that Hulk is hurt. He takes the opportunity and blasts Hulk. Hulk says that he will smash the light that is bathing him. Hulk crushes the machine, but then he changes into Bruce Banner. Suddenly Missing Link pops out of the rubble. Rick asks what that is. Bruce says that is what Hulk was trying to warn them about. He says that it is some kind of radioactive monster. Talbot tries to shoot it, but it has no effect. Bruce realizes that the monster somehow recognizes him. Bruce tells Rick and Talbot to run, but Rick says that they can’t leave him there to die.
No Excuses rating: 8.5 out of 10
Man what a great issue. Action packed and interesting to boot. I really like the Missing Link. It’s a shame that he wasn’t more of a player in Hulk history. Bill Everett and Roy Thomas do a cool mysterious job with the Link’s origin. Marie Severin has her finest issue yet. The action is intense and the storytelling is outstanding. 4.5 out of 5 for the art.