Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #123Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #123
Title: “No More the Monster!”
Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Herb Trimpe
Inker: Herb Trimpe
Editor: Stan Lee
In the Baxter Building, Hulk is restrained within a machine designed by Reed Richards. Reed says that this is his responsibility and that he is going to take the chance. Torch reminds Reed about what he said. He says that if anything goes wrong with Reed’s experiment that it will destroy the man inside the monster. Reed says that it was Bruce Banner what supplied the final data he needed for the device and that he thinks Banner would have wanted them to take the chance. Reed says that it has to be now if they are going to take the chance and pushes the button that activates the machine. A mass of energy fills the chamber. It radiates outward until the Hulk’s very form seems to dissolve. Hulk seems to disappear. Torch says that he knows this looks bad. Thing says they wanted to save Banner, but that instead they have murdered both he and the Hulk. Reed tells Thing to relax and that he expected this to happen. He says that to reverse the effects of the gamma rays that the device had to break down Bruce’s molecules , his very atoms, and put them back together again. The platform starts to glow again and Bruce Banner is reformed in the Hulk’s place.
Thing apologizes to Reed for doubting him. Reed says that it isn’t important. He says that to be sure that the device did the job that they will require tests. Bruce interrupts and says that he doesn’t want any tests. Bruce starts getting dressed. He says that he doesn’t want to see ungrateful, since it was mostly Reed’s calculations that cured him, but that for the first time in years he feels human once more and that he has some celebrating to do. Reed says that Bruce can’t possibly mean that. He says that he is a scientist and must have considered the possibility of side effects. Thing says to leave Bruce alone and that he just wants to forget all that Hulk stuff. Reed says that all of them do, but that they can’t until they know that the Hulk is gone. Bruce says that he doesn’t blame Reed for not noticing because they were in the heat of battle, but that his formula wasn’t designed to stop him from becoming the Hulk. Bruce says that it was to enable him to control the transformations. Bruce changes up into the Hulk, but retains his intelligence. Thing says that might be so, but that if the Hulk takes a step towards him that it will be clobberin’ time. Hulk says that Thing can stop waving his fist at him. He says that it is only the body of the Hulk, but the mind of Bruce Banner. He says that the Hulk they knew is gone. Sue says that is marvelous, but that she is surprised that he would ever want to become the Hulk again. Bruce says that he never does. He says that he did it this once to prove a point. Hulk goes to sit on a chair, but the thing collapses under his 1,040 pound frame. Thing helps Hulk up and says that now he knows Bruce Banner is inside. He says that if the old Hulk had done that he would have gone on a rampage. Hulk says that thanks to them that Hulk is gone. Reed thinks to himself that after seeing the Hulk tortured so much that he is happy to see him smile and that he only hopes that nothing ever wipes the smile off his face. Reed asks if he is sure he can change back. Bruce does so and says that he hopes someone has a Polaroid because they just witnessed the end of an era. Bruce says that he will never become the Hulk again. Torch says that they are with Bruce, but that Reed has a point and that he needs someone to watch over him to prove he is cured. Torch starts to fly to Bruce, but Thing blocks his path. Thing says that Bruce is walking out of here and that he is doing so without a shadow. Thing says that ever since Bruce became the Hulk that he has been hounded by the army, navy, and every super-hero. He says that if Bruce wants out that he says to let him go in peace. Bruce thanks Ben and says that he won’t rest until he finds the formula that will change Thing back to a human as well. Reed relents and says that they will watch from the Baxter Building. Reed shakes Bruce’s hand and wishes him luck. Bruce says that thanks to Reed he doesn’t need luck…only time.
Out on the street, Bruce says that the first thing he is going to do is to call the girl he loves. Bruce calls her from a telephone booth. He tells her to listen to what he is going to say with her heart and not her mind. Betty tells Ross that Bruce is on the phone and that he has been cured of becoming the Hulk. Betty says that he has to go to him and asks that he not stop her. Ross says that he won’t. He says that he never wanted anything but her happiness.
At the airport in New York, Betty and Bruce hug. Betty says that it is all too wonderful to believe. She says that they never have to fear him becoming the Hulk again. Bruce says that if it weren’t true that he would have already become the Hulk because of the thrill of holding her in his arms. Bruce says that they have two lost lives to make up for.
In the days that follow, Bruce and Betty take in a baseball game. Bruce thinks to himself that no one is the crowd knows the joy of being able to get excited over a team without having to fear that he will become a monster. They go to the beach and Bruce swims in the water. Finally one night, Bruce says that he wants to ask Betty a question. Betty says that Bruce doesn’t need to. She says that she can read his thoughts and that she would be proud to become Mrs. Bruce Banner.
But in the dead
of sleep, Banner awakens, and not for the first time, as if there
were some ominous presence lurking nearby. It is as if deep
within the recesses of Bruce’s mind there still lived the
incredible Hulk. Bruce lies awake in bed. He thinks to himself
that he will never become the Hulk again, but there is always a
chance that the savage bestial side of the Hulk might return. He
starts to think what would happen if he harmed Betty, but then
pushes the thoughts from his mind. He says that Betty is his life
and that the Hulk must remain dead.
General Ross tells Talbot that Betty sounds so happy when she calls from New York that he can’t get up the nerve to ask Banner to become the Hulk one last time. Talbot says that he doesn’t understand. Ross says that he has something to show him. Ross says that it is something that means even more to him than his daughter’s happiness. Talbot thinks to himself that nothing means more to him than Betty’s happiness and that if only she had found happiness with him instead of Banner. Ross orders the most top secret area of the base opened. Inside, Ross tells Talbot to feast his eyes because when he leaves he has to forget what he saw. Ross shows Talbot the Tripodal Observation Module, or TOM. Ross tells Talbot not to be fooled by its name or appearance because it could just as easily be called the Murder Module. Talbot says that it looks like something out of HG Wells’ War of the Worlds. Ross says that he doesn’t read much, but that no Sci-Fi writer ever came up with anything as deadly as this. He says that the force-beam gives it the firepower of a whole division. Ross says that with its legs it can go anywhere and do anything. Talbot asks what the Hulk has to do with this. Ross says that they have to transport the Module up north for final tests. He says that there are forces in the world that would do anything to get the Module. He says that there are forces that fear nothing that they could send to guard it…
Ross’ sentence is finished on board a
jet, “…nothing except… the Hulk!” Leader says
that there are some that do not even fear the Hulk. 
Leader says that
Ross couldn’t conceive of that any more than he could that
he is being watched from the overcast sky above. Leader says that
the Module is far too valuable to remain in the hands of humans,
and that it would be better in the hands of someone who deserves
it. He says that he will use the Module to bring a world of
inferiors to their knees.
Bruce kicks back and says that he is gonna lay there until he grows roots. Betty says that no one would begrudge him it either because if any man has earned it he has. Betty says that she wishes that her father would call though. She says that it isn’t like him not to have phoned by this time. The doorbell buzzes. Betty answers the door to find a soldier standing there. He says that it is a telegram for Bruce Banner from General Ross. Betty asks if something has happened to her father. Bruce says that the note is a request that her father didn’t want to trust in normal channels. Bruce says that Ross wants him to become the Hulk one more time. Betty says that Bruce mustn’t, but Bruce says that he doesn’t know how he can refuse. Bruce tells the soldier to let Ross know that he is coming.
Bruce and Betty arrive as they are loading the Module onto the truck. Talbot tells Ross that Betty and Banner are coming. He says that he bets Bruce turns him down. Ross says that Banner has had the whole flight to consider his request. He says that before he decides he wants Banner to know how valuable the module is. Bruce says that there isn’t any need. He says that Ross wouldn’t have asked if it was vital to America’s security. Bruce says that he will become the Hulk for the last time. Ross says that it looks like he owes Bruce a long overdue apology. Bruce says that there is no need, but Ross says that he will be the judge of that. Ross says that Bruce is a civilian and that no one would ever blame him if he never wanted to see him again. He says that when the chips are down and the votes are counted that people will find Dr. Bruce Banner was a man. Ross and Bruce shake hands. A soldier says that they are ready to go and that if Banner is coming he had better hurry. Bruce starts going over. He says that maybe this will be a milk run, and that he isn’t going to change into the Hulk unless he absolutely has to. Ross thinks to himself that he hopes that the feeling he is having is a false alarm.
The truck drives off unguarded save for Bruce Banner inside. They’re hoping that the anonymity will keep anyone from noticing it. For the most part it works. No one notices the convoy except for one. Leader flies overhead in his jet. The jet has a giant menta-disk attached to its bottom. Leader says that they are far enough from base for him to attack. He says that people are always shunning him for being their superior, but after today they will know just how superior he is. He says that the human race will shun him no more. Leader uses his mental powers through the menta-disk to give it irresistible magnetic power. The couplings holding the Module down snap as it starts to rise into the air towards the jet.
The soldier inside the truck tells Bruce to relax and that no one even knows what route they are taking. Banner asks if he felt the sudden wrenching sensation. Bruce looks behind to see the Module attached to the jet.
Leader says that he will end the confusion of those in the truck below by ending their lives as well. Leader shoots out a mental beam.
Bruce points out a curve up ahead to the driver, but the driver says that he can’t make his hands turn the wheel. He says that they are dead, but Banner tells him to jump from the truck. The two of them jump out of the truck as it plummets. Bruce changes into the Hulk and lands safely with the soldier in his arms.
Leader sees that Banner survived the fall by becoming the Hulk. He says that serves his purpose fine and that he can test the weapon he has stolen.
Hulk spots the jet landing. He heads there
and says that they will see how their attacker deals with the
might of the Hulk combined with the mind of Bruce Banner. Hulk
says that Ross told him that the Module was so complex that no
man could master its controls quickly enough to matter. Suddenly
Hulk spots Leader inside the Module. Leader blasts the Hulk and
asks if it is the brainless barbarian or Bruce Banner in control
of the Hulk. He says that it doesn’t really matter since the
force-beams will destroy the intelligent one as quickly as it
would the stupid one. Hulk says that Leader’s mutated brain
enabled him to figure out the tripod in a moment and that in his
hands it really is a Murder Module. Hulk leaps up and grabs onto
the control dome. Leader says that is a pitiful attempt and that
though he is out of range of the force-beam that he is not
without defenses. Leader releases a gas that catches Hulk by
surprise. Hulk drops off the Module and hits the ground. Leader
tells him to admit defeat. Hulk says, “Give up? No! Hulk
never gives up! Hulk cannot give up!” Leader recognizes the
change in Hulk’s voice and knows that the savage Hulk has
returned. Leader shouts for Hulk to stop, but Hulk leaps into the
Module’s legs and knocks it over. Hulk says that nothing can
stop him. Hulk turns his attention to Leader. 
Leader tries to
drive Hulk back with a mental bolt, but Hulk grabs Leader. Hulk
says that he will crush the life from Leader’s evil body.
Hulk says, “Now, Hulk will…wait! I’m not the
Hulk… I’m not! I’m Bruce Banner… and I’m
a man… a man… not a mindless marauding monster!”
Hulk drops Leader as he changes back into his Banner form. Leader
runs away to plot his vengeance. Bruce says that he almost became
a murderer. He says that it can’t happen again and that he
will never become the Hulk again… even if his life depends
on it.
No Excuses rating: 8.5 out of 10
The Banner Hulk revisited! Banner was in control of the Hulk’s body originally during the initial Hulk run, but only for a brief time. Thomas reintroduces the idea that will become much more prevalent in Hulk lore in later times. The page that says that Bruce awakens from his sleep almost like the Hulk was still in his head speaks volumes. Always love it when the Leader makes an appearance. 4.5 out of 5 for the writing. Trimpe does a good job storytelling and really has some interesting visuals (as I think this page shows).