Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #169Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #169
Title: “Calamity in the Clouds!”
Writer/Co-creator: Steve Englehart
Penciller/Co-creator: Herb Trimpe
Inker: Jack Abel
Colors: P. Goldberg
Editor: Roy Thomas
The Harpy flies over the Statue of Liberty holding the unconscious Hulk in her talons.
A half hour ago, Thunderbolt Ross returns to
New York. He says, “Relieved of command. They turned me out
to pasture like a blasted horse gone lame. I’m finished!
There’s nothing left but memories , and Betty…”
Ross catches sight of the Harpy on the television and says,
“Good Lord!” The television says they have live
coverage of the monster-bird’s battle with the Hulk at the
Holland Tunnel. They say that so far they don’t know who she
is. 
Ross says that
it is his daughter Betty. Ross runs down and gets into a taxi. He
says that there is no mistaking Betty’s face even with it
green and fanged.
Once the cab can get no closer Ross gets out and runs. He sees Betty standing over the Hulk. Harpy sees Ross and says that it is another “hated one”. She says that Glenn died trying to save him. She says that she hasn’t finished blasting the Hulk to atoms yet. She says that the monster is no threat at the moment. She says that if he is not already dead that he will be with another hellbolt and that he can’t stop her from blasting him. Harpy is about to kill Ross, but she holds back her blast. Ross asks Betty what has brought her to this. He says that she is still his little girl. He says that he has loved her since she was born, and that he knows her better than any man alive. He asks how she can do this. Harpy turns and says that he is trying to confuse her. She says that she is the Harpy and that she kills. She says that she can’t do it with him there. She picks up Hulk in her talons and flies away. Ross drops to his knees, but reaches out to Betty and calls her name. Harsh green tears stream down Harpy’s face as she flies away.
Three jets are deployed with orders to shoot to kill. The jets are flying so fast that Harpy doesn’t even hear them until they buzz by her. Harpy says that they are fools to think that her confusion against her enemies extends to them. She says that she hates soldiers and that she hates weapons. Harpy lets off a blast and destroys one of the jets. The two remaining jets pull upward in order to attack from above, but before they can a tornado pops up out of nowhere. Harpy says that the tornado seems to have dropped from a strange cloud and that it is coming right at her. Harpy and Hulk are sucked up into the tornado. The tornado withdraws back into the cloud after devouring them.
Hulk starts to wake up as Harpy notices that
they have landed on something. The mist starts to clear and Harpy
sees the city in the clouds. 
A voice booms
from behind Harpy and Hulk, “I am the Bi-Beast! Stand where
you are!” The bottom head says, “My skull-brother and I
bid you welcome, strangers.” Bi-Beast snatches up Harpy. The
top skull says that first they will examine the green woman he
trapped. Harpy asks if they caused the hurricane and that for
that they will pay. She says that she is no one’s prisoner
and has the power to prove it. Harpy blasts Bi-Beast. The bottom
skull says that her hands are like bombs. He asks if they should
crush her for her impudence. The top skull says that they should.
Hulk runs at Bi-Beast. He says that Harpy is his enemy and that
he is the one that will crush her. Hulk leaps into Bi-Beast and
causes it to drop Harpy. Harpy says that the beast does have his
uses after all. Her taloned feet each grab one of Bi-Beast’s
faces. Bi-Beast hits Harpy. The top skull says that they brought
her there for love, and the bottom one finishes that love can
easily turn to hate. Hulk says that the two heads talk to each
other, but that neither of them listen to him. Hulk pulls down a
wall. He says that he told them to stop fighting
“bird-Betty” and that he meant it. Hulk throws the wall
at Bi-Beast. Hulk stands over the unconscious Harpy. Hulk says
that Harpy tricked him with the face of a friend, but that she
couldn’t kill him. Hulk says that he is too strong and was
only knocked out. Hulk says that she is the one that will die.
Bi-Beast brings both of his giant fists down on Hulk’s back.
Hulk says that “funny-head” hits him when he
wasn’t watching. Hulk says that everyone is against him.
Hulk says that he will fight Bi-Beast, but that he feels strange.
Hulk says that it is hard for him to breathe. Hulk turns back
into Banner and Banner says that the air is so thin there before
he passes out. He wonders where he is as he goes unconscious.
Looking down at Banner, the Bi-Beast’s top skull says that
he is a human. The bottom skull says that he is aware of that. He
tells the top head that he will question him. Bruce wakes up and
Bi-Beast says he sees that he is not dead. He tells Banner to
tell them who he is and how he changed from the large green one.
Bruce introduces himself and says that he is a scientist. He says
that they have to tell him where he is. Bi-Beast tells Bruce to
be quiet and that because of their respective sizes that Banner
has no authority there. They say that if Bruce is a scientist
that he does have a destiny. He says to come with them.
Bi-Beast picks up Harpy in one of his giant hands and starts to show Bruce around. Bi-Beast explains that he is the last survivor of a race of bird people that created him in their laboratories as a “repository for their accumulated wisdom” when they saw their own end coming. The Bi-Beast tells Bruce that in their time that they were a great people and dwelled there eight miles above the Earth. He says that they hid there and disdained contact with other beings. He says that their civilization decayed. He says that at the end an Earthian airplane crashed there. There was only one survivor who came to be known as the Red Raven. Bi-Beast says that his people looked to him for salvation, but that he turned against them and destroyed their warrior class. He says that Red Raven left them helpless. Bi-Beast’s top skull says that the bird people gave him what little knowledge they had of warfare and gave his skull-brother their cultural wisdom. He says, “But the fools gave neither of us a comprehension of science!” The bottom skull says that to be fair they never expected the machines that provide them air and other necessities to break down. He says that their android body and brains were meant to live forever as a monument to all that they had been. He says that the machines are breaking down. The lower skull says that his brother trapped the bird woman because he longed for a being like the ones that created them, but that if he can repair their machines that he is the far better catch. Bi-Beast takes his leave of Banner because he can see the fear on Banner’s face, but what they don’t realize is that Bruce’s fear is for Betty. Bruce says that the horrible green creature was Betty. He sys that the last time he saw her was at the sanitarium. He wonders if maybe he changed her. Bruce says that he has to think. He says that he is a scientist in a land of super-scientific machines. He decides to try and rig something up to help.
Sometime later, Bruce walks into the Bi-Beast’s lair. He sees Harpy caged inside with manacles over her hands. The top skull tells Harpy that silence isn’t going to ease its captivity. He tells her to talk to them. Bruce shouts for Bi-Beast to leave her alone. Bruce says that he has been working on their machines, but that he will stop if they’re going to torture her that way. He says that he wants her with him. The top skull says that he must be joking. He says that she is dangerous and that if they hadn’t imprisoned her hands that she could wreck the entire city. The bottom skull brother says that they can’t force Bruce to perform his tasks correctly and that they will keep him happy, He says that once they sedate her that she shouldn’t give them any trouble. Bruce wheels Harpy out on a bed.
Bi-Beast stands outside looking at the sky. The top skull brother says that he questions the lower’s tactics. He asks what if the two of them try to escape. The bottom skull says that they are eight miles high and asks where they would go. He says that even if the female was free she couldn’t get them both out with the thin air. The top skull says that he is probably right, but then spots a glowing streak arriving at the city.
MODOK has arrived at the floating island. He says that if he hadn’t been tracking the gamma radiation that he never would have found it. Bi-Beast arrives and asks him now that he has found it what he intends to do… “other than surviving… which is unlikely!” MODOK thinks quick. He says that he is looking for two monsters that have wronged him. Bi-Beast says that they are there, but that the Harpy is their prisoner, and that the Hulk is no more. He says that he became a human scientist, and that he is aiding them in restoring their machines. MODOK says, “Your machines? You permit Banner access to the technology available here? You double-brained buffoons! Have you no knowledge of science? He could destroy us all if you don’t stop him! Find him at once!”
Bruce has placed Harpy inside a machine. He says that he thinks he has figured out that the machine can draw the radiation off her body and return her to normal. He says that he may be able to cure himself as well, but that for once it doesn’t seem as important. He says that undoing the damage that he has done to her is all the matters to him. Bi-Beast arrives and tells Banner to stop everything. Banner says that he can’t stop now when he is so close. Banner pushes the button. Bi-Beast snatches Bruce up and demands to know what he just did. Bruce says that they are hurting him, and that they don’t know what they are doing. Bruce changes into Hulk. He dives at the monster and knocks him to the floor. Hulk tears apart a machine and holds it over his head. Hulk says that he couldn’t breathe before and fell asleep, but now that he is awake he will finish what he started. Hulk says that before he falls this time that he will take funny-head with him. Suddenly Hulk is shot in the back by MODOK. The giant metal machine falls on Hulk as he drops. MODOK is surrounded by AIM scientists. MODOK tells Bi-Beast that his ultra-ray weapon removed the Hulk from his path, and that it will do the same to Bi-Beast. He says that he took advantage of Bi-Beast’s dealing with Banner to radio for his forces and that now he claims the island for AIM. Bi-Beast says that the bird people created them and the land to live forever. The other skull-brother says that their trust is their life. He says to wait until they reach their defenses. MODOK says that they won’t and he and the AIM scientists fire on Bi-Beast. MODOK says that their trust, and their life, has expired. Bi-Beast says that is not true. He pulls down a lever. Bi-Beast tells MODOK that though he has murdered them that they have repaid him in kind. They say that rather than let the island fall into his hands that they would rather destroy it. Bi-Beast says that in one minute everyone will die in an explosive annihilation. The top skull says that nothing they can do will stop it. As it dies, the bottom skull-brother says, “Thank you… skull-brother. Thank y…”
Hulk has been changed back into Banner again because of the thin air. Bruce crawls out from under the metal and says that he has to get Betty. Bruce goes to the machine and sees that Betty is still the Harpy. He says that maybe that is for the best and that she may be able to fly them to safety. Harpy tells Bruce that she is no toy to be dragged around. Bruce tells her to shut up and that he is trying to save her life. The buildings are crumbling around them as they run. He thinks to himself that there is no way that Betty will be able to carry him. He thinks to himself that he has lived an exciting life and that he has tried to repay Betty the best he could. Harpy tells Bruce to let her go. She says that she knows who he is and that she won’t go another step with him. A wall collapses on Harpy. When the dust settles, Bruce sees Betty trapped under the rubble. Betty calls for Bruce to get her out of there. Bruce says that she is back to normal and that the machine worked after all. Bruce helps her out and says that without her wings that Betty is just as doomed as he is. Just then the island cracks open. Bruce and Betty fall through just before the island explodes.
No Excuses rating: 9 out of 10
Once again this is fantasy as I like it! Within two issues, these guys have created what I consider to be two classic characters. Bi-Beast manages to go on to make some more appearances, but really he is a far underused villain. As you can probably tell from my glowing review of the creation of the Harpy I’m disappointed to see her career cut so short, and I have to say that I’m annoyed about MODOK destroying the sky island.. Herb Trimpe does a magnificent job with both Harpy and the incredible giant Bi-Beast. Great issue all along… my only real wish is that it went on longer than it did.
Review and pictures by The Leader