Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #196Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #196
Title: “The Abomination Proclamation!”
Writer: Len Wein
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Joe Stanton
Colors: Glynis Wein
Editor: Len Wein
Forty-eight hours after the Abomination/Hulk fight ended, Samson, Ross, and Clay Quartermain are still within Hulkbuster Base looking for some clue as to the whereabouts of the Hulk and the Abomination. Samson asks how many times they are going to watch the tape. Ross says that they will continue until they find what he is looking for. Samson says that is the end of the tape because the Hulk’s punch disabled the transmitting bug in the Abomination’s head. Ross says that isn’t it and tells Samson to cue up the news tape. Samson does as he is told, but says that they have been through the footage fifteen times. Ross tells Samson to stop complaining and pay attention. He says that this is the part where Abomination betrays them and convinces the Hulk to join up with him. Ross says that Hulk actually had the sense not to listen until the Bowers boy was tricked into shooting Hulk. Ross says that they then leapt away together and that no one has seen them since. Samson asks Ross if he is satisfied that there are no clues on the tapes now. Ross says that there has to be. He says that it was his idea to send Abomination after the Hulk and so it is his fault that they have teamed up. He says that whatever damage they cause that it will be on his head.
At Kennedy Space Center, they are preparing for tomorrow’s fully-pilot operated spacecraft test launching. At the guard’s gate, Pete greets Jack the driver and says that he hasn’t seen him in a while. Jack says that he took some time off because his wife delivered their fifth child. Pete asks how Jack plans to feed all of them. Jack says that is why he drives his truck sixteen hours a day. Pete says to watch it before he gives himself a coronary. Pete tells Jack to drop his load at warehouse six. Jack stops his truck thinking about the innocent look on his new daughter’s face. Before he can open the door to the back however, Hulk and Abomination plow through. Abomination tells Hulk to take the place before they know what has hit them. The whole security force starts to shoot at Hulk and Abomination. One of them notes that they don’t think that the bullets are doing anything but making them angry. Hulk grabs one of their guns and says that Big-Ears told him that the puny humans would attack them for no reason. He crushes the gun. Hulk and Abomination start smacking around the soldiers. Hulk says that humans always attack him, but that they don’t like it when he fights back. One of the soldiers sneaks off. He says that the bullets and heavy artillery won’t do anything and that they have to fight muscle with muscle. The soldier drives the new moon-buggy through the wall. He tells them that this machine will finish them. One of the buggy’s claw hands grabs the Abomination. Abomination tells him to let go before he tears him apart. The soldier says that the buggy was designed to move mountains on the moon, and that it won’t even strain to handle him. Abomination punches the thing and manages to dent it, but he realizes that the buggy is tougher than he thought. Abomination calls out to the Hulk. Hulk says that he will smash the one that hurts his friend. The soldier uses the buggy’s other claw hand to swat the Hulk. The claw moves towards Hulk to grab him up too, but Hulk grabs the arm and says that the big machine can’t catch him if it doesn’t have an arm. Hulk rips the arm off the buggy and stabs it into the machine. The moon buggy goes dead from the damage. Abomination climbs up the side of the machine and grabs the soldier out of the control bubble. Abomination says that unless the soldier wants a demonstration of what he can do to him that he will tell him where the command center is. The soldier points and tells him that it is around the corner.
Inside the command center, the people are
working until Abomination smashes the doors off their hinges.
Hulk asks Abomination if he should smash them. Abomination says
that is up to them. He says that if they do what they’re
told that they won’t get hurt, but if they disobey that they
are all his. Wilbur Manners asks what the meaning of this is.
Abomination asks who he is. Wilbur says that he is in charge
there. Abomination smashes his fist against a table. He says that
Wilbur was in charge, but that he is running the show now. He
says that everyone will follow his orders and asks if there are
any objections. Wilbur says, “N-n-n-no! N-not at all!” 
Abomination
says that now that they understand each other that he wants to
patch into the command broadcasting system. He says that he has a
message that he wants everyone from the Pentagon on down to hear.
Suddenly, Abomination comes on every
monitor. He says that the Space Center has been borrowed by he
and his partner the Hulk. Abomination says that they will gladly
give them back the Space Center for 100 million dollars in uncut
diamonds. One of the men in the Pentagon says that Abomination
can’t threaten them, but another man asks if he wants to
bet. Abomination continues and says that they have until midnight
to give them the gems or he and the Hulk will turn the place into
a giant government owned parking lot. Samson tells Ross that it
seems they have found the Hulk. Clay asks what they are going to
do with him. 
Abomination goes
on and says that he hopes they refuse him. He says that he owes
this country a debt and that he would love to pay them back in
spades.
Samson says that if only he had captured the Hulk in New York that they wouldn’t be in this mess. Ross says that if he had stopped Banner from charging into the gamma bomb test that there wouldn’t be a Hulk. Ross says that if Samson wants to take the blame that he will have to stand in line. Clay tells Ross that Samson suffers from an overdeveloped guilt complex. Samson tells Clay that he is going to squash him. Clay says that it sounds like feeding time at the zoo.
Abomination smashes the table and demands
more food. Hulk asks why Big-Ears is talking so loud and that it
hurts his head. Wilbur says that Abomination should listen to his
friend and that the commissary is getting it there as fast as
they can. Abomination says that he doesn’t have to listen to
anyone as long as he is running the place. Wilbur thinks to
himself that Abomination won’t be running the place for
long. He says that the government trusted him with the safety of
the place and that he is not a man to shirk his responsibility.
Wilbur picks up two high voltage prods. 
He zaps
Abomination and yells for him to die. Hulk leaps over the counter
and says that little man is trying to hurt his friend with
lightning. Wilbur is horrified to see that Abomination is still
alive. Hulk grabs Wilbur and says that he will smash. Wilbur
tells him to go ahead and do his worst. He says that he has done
his duty and isn’t afraid to die. Hulk is confused and says
asks if the little man wants him to smash him. Hulk asks if
little man is proud that he hurt his friend. Hulk drops Wilbur
and says that the little man is too stupid for him to smash.
Abomination climbs over the counter and says that he isn’t
too stupid for him to smash. Abomination gets in Wilbur’s
face and says that he should kill him for that, but that he might
need him. He says that if he tries anything else that whether he
needs him or not that he will pulverize him. Wilbur says that
Abomination wins. Abomination tells Hulk to keep an eye on Wilbur
and to finish him if he tries anything. Hulk says that he will
watch. Abomination wonders to himself if Hulk will do what he has
to when the time come. He thinks how Hulk has a soft spot and
that it may be the death of him.
Nearing the end of the six hours, Ross walks into the room. He says that the Pentagon did exactly what he thought they would do and dumped the whole problem on them. He says that they know them the best and that until further notice that it is up to them to stop them. Clay says that he figured as much and so he got suited up for action. Ross says that there is no action yet, and that Samson has another idea. Clay asks what Samson wants from him. Samson says that he wants nothing from Clay and that the only person that can help is Betty Ross Talbot. Ross says that Samson had better not put his daughter at risk. Betty says that this is her decision to make and that she agrees. Samson says that he knew he could count on her.
Abomination says that time is running out
and that if they don’t hear from the Pentagon in the next
five minutes that they are going to start trashing the place.
Abomination tells Hulk that once they start that they aren’t
finished until the place is a junkyard. Hulk says that he will do
what Big-Ears says. Abomination tells Hulk to get ready, but
suddenly there is a voice on the monitors. Betty is calling out
to the Hulk. She tells him to look at her and to try and remember
who she is. She says that she is Betty and that she is
Hulk’s friend. Abomination starts shouting and wants to know
who turned the monitor on. Wilbur says that it is a live
broadcast that is being remote controlled and overriding all the
circuits. Abomination says that since no one turned it on that
they won’t mind if he turns it off. Abomination smashes the
monitor. He tells Hulk that it seems they have the
Pentagon’s answer and now they will give them theirs. Hulk
asks Abomination why he smashed the picture and that the girl
said she was Hulk’s friend. Abomination says that it was
just a trick to turn them against each other. Betty’s face
appears on another screen. Betty begs Hulk not to listen to
Abomination. She says that whatever he has said is a lie. She
repeats that she is Hulk’s friend. Hulk says that he knows
her face and if only he could remember. Abomination tells Hulk to
forget it and turns him from the monitor. There is another screen
behind them. Betty begs Hulk to leave the Space Center alone and
that he must not destroy it. Abomination says that the monitors
are everywhere. He tells Hulk that they have work to do. Hulk
tells Abomination that he is starting to remember. Abomination
freaks and smashes another monitor. Hulk says that he remembers
now. Hulk asks why Big-Ears smashed his friend. Abomination says
that she is not his friend, but just another puny human. He says
that they are just trying to break them apart. Hulk thinks about
it for a minute and realizes that Abomination has lied to him.
Abomination says that Hulk doesn’t know what he is saying.
Hulk says that he heard Betty and that Big-Ears tricked him and
tried to use him. Hulk says that makes him mad. Hulk smashes
Abomination into the ground. Hulk says that he thought
Abomination liked him, but that he was wrong. Hulk tells
Abomination to stop hiding so he can smash him again. Abomination
crawls up behind Hulk from underground. Abomination says that if
he wants him he has got him. He plows into Hulk’s back and
asks what Hulk is going to do with him now. Hulk says that
Big-Ears doesn’t fight fair. Hulk says that he sees the real
Big-Ears, the one he used to know, and that he doesn’t like
him at all. 
Hulk plows into
Abomination. Hulk says that he never understood why Abomination
wanted to wreck the place, but that now he is glad he didn’t
help him. Abomination says that they could have made millions on
the deal. Hulk hits Abomination and says that Big-Ears fights for
diamonds, but that he fights for his friend Betty. Hulk says that
is why he will win. Abomination thinks to himself that Hulk might
be right. He says that he is more powerful than Hulk, but that he
gets stronger as he gets madder… and that he’s never
been madder than he is now. He says that he has to escape while
he can. 
Abomination
punches Hulk into a building. He says that their partnership
might have really worked if it wasn’t for the Hulk’s
soft spot between his ears. Abomination runs for the rocket. He
says that it will take the Hulk hours to dig out of the rubble
and that he will be long gone. Hulk stands right up and says that
bricks couldn’t keep him down. Abomination enters the rocket
and says that the controls are so simple that a baby could fly
it. He says that he will ditch it in South America where they
will never find him. Hulk sees that Abomination is trying to get
away and leaps onto the rocket as it starts to take off. Hulk
manages to hold on as the rocket tries to knock him off with its
incredible speed. Hulk’s fingers dig in and he actually
manages to climb and climb until he reaches his goal. Abomination
says that Hulk can’t be there. Hulk says that he was
stronger than the rocket and that he is the strongest one there
is. Abomination congratulates him and then says goodbye.
Abomination kicks him off the rocket. Abomination says that he
has done it and that even the Hulk couldn’t survive a fall
from this height. Abomination suddenly sees the safety circuits
glowing red. He says that the Hulk’s weight must have thrown
the ship off balance. He says that he has to save it, but
suddenly the ship explodes.
The Hulk falls with the exploded rocket. All the rocket fragments burn up on re-entry, but the Hulk just plummets through though now on fire. He smashes into the ground.
Back at Hulkbuster Base, Betty is still trying to convey her message to the Hulk. Samson hangs up the phone and tells Betty that she can stop now. He says that he is sorry, but that there was nothing they could do. Samson says that it is finally over. He holds Betty.
No Excuses rating: 10 out of 10
This is actually my first comic book ever and I can’t say enough good things about it. Len and Sal do a fantastic job entertaining. Abomination versus the Hulk is my favorite fight in all of comicdom and this issue sets the precedence for that. If you want to read me gushing about it you should check out the review on #195.