Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #151

Title: “When Monsters Meet!”

Writer: Archie Goodwin

Penciller: Herb Trimpe

Inker: John Severin

Editor: Stan Lee

Bruce Banner stands alone reeling as Betty Ross drives away in a jeep with Glenn Talbot. Bruce has just told Betty the truth about a girl from another world… Jarella. Jarella haunts Bruce’s memory and leaves his feelings confused and commingled with that of the Hulk. Bruce feels the pain.

Betty pleads with Glenn to go faster. She says that she just wants to be away from here and from Bruce. She says that maybe later she can try and see his side and understand, but that right now it hurts too much. Tears are in Betty’s eyes. Glenn tells Betty that he knows.

Bruce says that he thought that telling Betty the truth might spare her some pain. He says that lord knows that after standing by him since he was hit by gamma rays that she has had enough. He says that instead he has only caused her more anguish. Banner slumps in frustration and pounds his fist against the ground. He says, “What did you expect, Banner? Maybe you’re not physically the Hulk now… but that monstrous side of your nature is always with you. And one way or another, it reaches out to destroy… everything!” Bruce’s inner rage triggers the transformation into the Hulk. He says that he didn’t mean to lose control. Hulk remembers watching people in the jeep and that it was then that the anger started. Hulk says that they must have done something to make him feel like this. Hulk leaps after the jeep.

Betty tells Glenn that he was right to suggest stopping. She says that she can’t go back to the base in this state. She says that she doesn’t know what to do. Glenn says that talking might help. He says that they used to talk a lot before she and Bruce were an item. Hulk walks up behind the jeep. He sees Talbot’s uniform as a symbol that has hunted him. Hulk walks up to the jeep and sees Talbot and Betty kissing. Something within the Hulk is touched. He turns around and walks away.

In the nation’s capital, a congressional hearing is underway. General Thunderbolt Ross is called upon to testify. Ross says that if Congressman Dutton wants him to hand in his stars that he wishes he would come right out and say it. He says that if that is what it takes to get operations resumed at Project Greenskin then that is what he will do. Dutton says that is a dramatic resignation, but that what he would like is an explanation. He says that his esteemed colleague, Senator Morgan Clegstead, pushed through approval for this Hulkbuster base for the capture and detention of the Hulk, but that the first time it is used that the Hulk escapes. He asks if millions that might have been used fighting poverty or pollution been wasted. Ross says that if he views the Hulkbuster base as a fancy prison then it has. Ross says that he sees it as a place where mankind may one day reap the benefits from what they discover about gamma radiation as they attempt to cure the Hulk. Ross says that none have worked harder than Bruce Banner, but that this was done outside of detention cells. He says that circumstances beyond his control caused him to become the monster again. Ross says to blame him for allowing Banner such freedom, but not condemn the entire project. One Congressman asks if they should retire and consider their decision.

Later, Clegstead puts his hand on Ross’ shoulder and says that there will be a complete resumption of Hulkbuster activities. He tells Ross that he was splendid and made Dutton look like a fool. He says that will teach him to cross the old pros. Ross awkwardly thanks Clegstead and excuses himself. Outside, Ross says that there might not be a Hulkbuster base without Clegstead, but that he just can warm up to the man at all. Ross figures that it might be because of all the “green menace” bull Clegstead drummed up to get support. Ross says that he can’t help but wonder what his true motives are.

Clegstead walks down the street. He says that he has spent 20 years in Congress and that nothing is going to take away the power he has had to fight for now. Suddenly Clegstead is hit with intense pain. He struggles to a house. He puts his head against the door and calls out to Dr. Lathrop. He walks through the door and collapses into the room. Dr. Lathrop comes out of his lab and apologizes. He says that he will get the sedatives. After he has given the sedatives to Clegstead he asks if that is better. Clegstead says that it is for now until it wears off again. He says that the pain gets worse and more frequent. Clegstead says to get him downstairs. Clegstead says that he understands that Lathrop has brought back more than his sympathy from Project Greenskin. Lathrop says that he was successful. He says that during the Hulk’s brief imprisonment that he was able to get a sizeable blood sample. Clegstead tells Lathrop not to wait for applause. He says that it was the only reason he helped General Ross get the base and the whole reason he planted Lathrop among the scientists working there. Lathrop prepares the injection. Clegstead says that they will finally get to test Lathrop’s theory… the theory that only he would listen to. Lathrop says that Clegstead has given him a chance to rival Pasteur or Salk, but that he must once again plead with him for more time to test the injection on animals. Clegstead says that he doesn’t have any time. He says that he is dying of cancer. Clegstead says that Lathrop theorizes that the Hulk’s blood, laced as it is with radioactivity, can destroy the malignant cell growth that is now consuming him as a kind of advanced chemotherapy. Clegstead asks what he cares of precautions. He says that this is his only chance. He tells Lathrop to let the Hulk’s blood mingle with his now. Lathrop injects Clegstead.

Later that rainy evening, Lathrop says that it is done. Clegstead says that he can feel it tingling within him. He says that it is going to work. He says that he will live to retain his power and make it grow.

Bruce Banner sits reading a paper on a freight railroad headed for Washington. Bruce sees an ad for Ant-Man to appear at George Washington University. Bruce says that he should have thought of Hank Pym before. He says that he could hold the solution to his whole messed up life. Bruce says that he and the Hulk have caused enough trouble for this world, especially for Betty Ross. He says that it is better that he go where his green later ego is accepted and loved… Jarella’s sub-atomic world. He says that there is no one better to help him than the genius of growth change.

Making his way through the storm, Bruce Banner makes his way to Washington University. He looks at the poster outside of Ant-Man’s appearance with something that might be hope. Inside, the janitor tells Bruce that if he is there to see Ant-Man to just turn around and go back home. He says that Ant-Man cancelled out for the evening. Bruce says that it is vital that he talk with Pym. He asks the janitor if he can at least tell him if Pym is in town. Bruce says that he knows him and that they are fellow scientists. The janitor says that he isn’t his social secretary, and that Banner doesn’t look like a scientist. He says that Banner doesn’t even have a shirt on under his coat. He says that he knows a nut when he sees one. He tells Banner to get out or he will call the cops. Bruce asks the man not to threaten him or make him angry. The janitor asks Bruce if he thinks he gives a fig if a skinny guy like Banner gets angry, but by then Banner is gone and the Hulk is there. The man shouts for help. Hulk tells him not to yell, but to talk. He says to tell him where to find the man who can make him small enough to find Jarella. Hulk smashes one of the chairs in the stadium and says to tell him or he will get really mad.

Outside, the cops hear a ruckus and are about to check it out, but Hulk smashes through the wall. He says that loud man is too scared to say anything. Hulk sees the police and their guns. He presses their car over his head and says that he hates men with guns. Hulk tears the car into two and the police run. Hulk says that now they see what happens when they chase him. Hulk asks why he must always smash before men leave him alone. Hulk says that it doesn’t matter and that he must find the one that can help him get to Jarella’s world.

Ross is about to get on a plane back to New Mexico, but he is told that the Hulk is on the loose right there. He is told that the local authorities are on the phone asking for their help. Ross gets on the phone and learns that the Hulk is headed toward downtown Washington. He says that he will join their units as they converge on Hulk. He tells them to use caution.

Clegstead watches the news about Hulk and says that this is perfect. He says that it makes his whole stand against the Hulk appear justified. He says that those criticizing Project Greenskin will look like fools. He says that no one will know that he used it for his own ends. Lathrop tells Clegstead that since the Hulk’s blood was injected that his reactions have changed… more odd. He says that Clegstead must let him run the tests he wants and make sure that the malignant cells are being destroyed. Clegstead says that it is pointless and that he has never felt so strong. He says that he is even feeling well enough to put in an appearance at the scene of the emergency. He says that some effective TV exposure there will leave him way ahead of the critics like Dutton. Lathrop protests, but Clegstead tells him to shut up and walks to his car. He says that he is too good a politician to not capitalize on this opportunity. He says that any chance he gets now is important, and that with his new lease on life that he may soon be running the nation. Dutton appears and says that not if he has anything to say about it. He says that after tonight that he will have plenty. Clegstead asks Dutton how dare his skulk outside his home. Dutton says that he was coming for some answers. He says that maybe they should start with what a Project Greenskin scientist is doing reporting to him. Clegstead says that he has better things to do than to answer the questions of a meddling first-term congressman. Clegstead hits Dutton and knocks him to the ground. Clegstead thinks to himself that he only meant to brush him aside. He feels the urge to continue the attack, but he moves on. Lightning flashes and Dutton looks up at Clegstead. He says, “Clegstead! Good lord… your h-hand!” Clegstead’s hand on the door of the car is large, green, and covered with boils. Lathrop jumps in the car as it starts to drive off. Lathrop begs him to come back in the lab for some tests. He says that he can’t go out now. Clegstead says that he can and must. Lathrop points out Clegstead’s hand and says that the Hulk’s blood isn’t reacting on the malignant cells the way he thought. He says that they are not being destroyed, but mutated. He says that something is growing and feeding on the normal tissue. He says that unless they act now that it won’t stop with his hand. He says that it will consume Clegstead. He asks Clegstead if he is listening to him. Lathrop screams as the car rides on.

Ross uses a megaphone to try and talk sense to the Hulk. He says that there are innocent lives at stake and that they would rather avoid a battle. Ross tries to promise Hulk something if he comes down, but Hulk says that he knows Ross and his promises. Hulk says that he likes neither. Hulk says that he always hears them before someone fires something at him. Hulk says that he won’t be fooled this time and that he will strike first this time. Hulk leaps onto a refrigerated truck and crushes it. He lifts it over his head and meat from the truck spills out. Suddenly tires shriek as a car goes out of control. Through the darkened windows people see someone struggling with the driver and pulling him down. The car is about to hit Ross, but he leaps out of the way.

For a time, all is silent. Then the limo door opens and a quivering ooze comes forth. The unknown crawls out of the car. The something that was once Morgan Clegstead oozes toward Ross trying to feed and grow. It is insatiably seeking more. Hulk sees the ooze crawling toward Ross and says that he must reach Ross before the slime does. He says that he doesn’t want his help against his enemies. The ooze reacts to Hulk’s voice. Perhaps the ooze still maintains the thoughts of Morton Clegstead, or perhaps the ooze instinctively knows that Hulk’s blood is responsible for making it what it has become. The cops fire their bullets despite the fact that they just absorb into the slime, but then the slime starts to head toward the Hulk. Hulk says that puny humans are afraid of the blob. He says that they are afraid of anything their guns can’t shoot. Hulk says that he isn’t afraid. He asks what he has to fear from ooze. The slime runs over Hulk’s foot and Hulk shouts that it burns. Hulk says that it eats at him like acid. Hulk smashes against the ground. The shockwave shakes Hulk free, but it doesn’t hurt the ooze. The ooze rises up over Hulk’s head to come at him again. The ooze eats the meat that was spilled in the street and grows larger and larger. The ooze comes at Hulk again. Hulk hits the ooze, but his fist is just caught inside. Another tentacle comes out of the ooze and grabs and sucks at Hulk’s flesh like a leech. Hulk seems to feel panic. He pulls back. Hulk says that hitting doesn’t hurt it. He asks what about force of a falling building. Hulk pulls the building behind him up and forward and onto the ooze. Hulk is loose again, but the ooze starts to move out of the wreckage. Hulk says that it is making him run, and that nothing has ever done that. Hulk asks how he is to fight it when he can’t smash or break it. Hulk says that whenever he grabs it that he burns and bleeds. Hulk says that his wounds are making him move slow. The ooze catches Hulk again by the foot. Hulk can feel the ooze sucking him in. He knows that if it does so that he is finished. Hulk grabs hold of a flagpole. The ooze slithers around Hulk from all sides. Hulk says that if he is going down that he will go down fighting. Hulk pulls the flagpole up and spears it into the ooze. Hulk aims for the center thinking that maybe he will hit its heart. Hulk asks if everything doesn’t have a heart. The ooze pulls back, but it starts to come at Hulk again. Hulk says that he is waiting and that whatever happens… happens. Hulk says that he will not run again. Lightning fills the sky and is drawn to the flagpole inside the ooze. The ooze catches on fire.

Ross sees Hulk and the ooze and says to bring up the heavy weapons. Only Hulk remains as the ooze has burned away. Hulk sees that the humans are coming at him. Hulk limps off into the shadows and trees.

The police tell Ross that they traced the car that the thing came from and that it belonged to Morton Clegstead. Ross says that doesn’t make any sense. He wonders if it ever will. Dutton appears and says that it will, but that it is in such a fantastic way that no one may ever believe it. Ross asks what this is all about. Dutton says that after having trouble with Clegstead earlier that he got a court order to enter his home. He says that he found some amazing notebooks belonging to Dr. Lathrop. Ross says that he is guessing that they are damaging to Project Greenskin or Dutton wouldn’t have come to him. Dutton says that they are damaging to Clegstead, but that there are other findings about the Hulk which point the way toward medical breakthroughs. Dutton says that in curing Bruce Banner that Ross will be helping many others as well. Dutton says that he came to tell Ross that he has his blessing. Ross shakes Dutton’s hand. He says that there is always one hitch to helping Banner and that is the Hulk himself. Ross says that as far as the Hulk is concerned that he isn’t sure there are enough blessings.

No Excuses rating: 8 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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