Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #296Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #296
Title: “To Kill or Cure!”
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artists: Sal Buscema & Gerry Talaoc
Colors: Bob Sharen
Editor: Carl Potts
Rom, greatest of the Spaceknights, flies overhead. He was once Galador’s glorious son, but he gave up his humanity to become a cyborg combat machine in order to better fight for mankind against the Dire Wraiths. He came to Earth to fight our infestation of the Wraiths. He started alone, but was joined by a human turned Spaceknight Starshine and eventually by the nations of Earth. Rom is following incredible emanations detected by his energy analyzer. He says that they are coming from the facility ahead. Rom wonders if it is some new fount of Wraith horror, or if man, in his madness, has released energies so powerful that they may bring about his own destruction.
Chapter 2- The Hammer and the Hulk!
Hammer tells
Banner to help him. There is enough humanity left in Hammer that
he sees what is happening to him. Kate asks Bruce what about all
the others. Hammer lets out a growl. Hulk’s face looks
dejected as he says, “I… don’t know, Kate. No one
knows. Perhaps they’ll die, or perhaps they’ll change
too… into snarling, slavering, savage monsters like
Hammer… and me!” Banner can feel himself becoming a
monster again just like in his nightmares. Hammer comes at Hulk
and hits him. He lets out a growl, but Banner tries to reason
with Hammer. He says that maybe it isn’t too late and that
he might be able to reverse the gamma cure. Hammer’s only
response is to hit Hulk again.
Kate watches in horror as all the people
that Hammer exposed to gamma radiation start collapsing and
dying. Hammer hits Hulk once and then hits him again sending him
flying into the wall. The rubble pours down on the Hulk. A dark
silhouette of the Hulk stands by and watches the fight. Hammer
leaps onto Hulk and Bruce feels the man in charge of the monster
retreating. Hammer straddles Hulk and starts choking him. Bruce
Banner is hurt and scared, and somewhere deep inside he knows
that his alter ego is beyond pain and fear. Hulk hits Hammer off
of him. The dark outline of the Hulk stands behind him. Bruce
knows that the Hulk can withstand any attack, and that when
reason fails that the Hulk’s savagery gives him rage…
and that the rage gives him new strength. Hulk tosses aside his
crutch and walks towards Hammer. Hammer leaps into Hulk and they
land hard. Kate watches as Bruce does what he swore he would
never do… he calls upon the Hulk’s savage unreasoning
dark side. The dark Hulk comes ever closer. Hammer hits Hulk
right in his knee and Hulk drops to the ground. As the Hulk
stands up, the Hulk’s body seems to meet his shadowy
counterpart exactly. 
The savage Hulk
lets out a primal scream. Kate looks on in shock. Hulk plows into
Hammer. Hammer says that Hulk hurt him and that he will smash him
for that. Hulk says, “No! Hulk is the one who will
smash!” Hammer is sent flying out of the observatory. Hulk
leaps right out after him. Hulk says that he will keep smashing
and smashing until Hammer is dead.
Kate kneels over the body of a gamma irradiated woman who has collapsed. She begins to pray out loud for the Lord not to let Bruce turn into a monster. She asks that he send someone to cure him. Rom says, “I shall help, if I am able.” Kate turns to see Rom standing there. Kate stares with her mouth open unable to respond. Rom says that he thought that he might find Wraiths, but that instead he finds man killing man. Kate says that Bruce developed the gamma process to heal. Rom asks if she means that these people were in worse shape before. Kate says that they were sick. She says that the process was supposed to help them, but that it was untested and fell into evil hands. Rom says that he understands and can’t blame the sick people for wanting to regain their humanity. He says that he would do anything to restore his humanity. Rom’s energy-analyzer examines the people and he discovers that it was gamma radiation. Rom says that each person has received a tremendous dose, but that it was recent enough that the full force of the rays hasn’t absorbed into their cells. He says that since there is no genetic damage that the energy can be erased. Kate asks if he can cure them. Rom returns his analyzer into subspace and summons his neutralizer. Rom eliminates the gamma radiation and the people are restored to normal. Kate says that they are sick again. Rom says that he only restored them to the state they were in before the gamma cure. He says that even his power is limited. Kate says that she understands, but that there is another man in trouble. She says that the man she loves has been turned into a monster by the same gamma rays. She says that he is the Hulk. Rom says that he can’t withhold his aid from anyone that needs it.
Rom flies out of the observatory. He thinks
to himself that he has heard of the Hulk. Rom sees Hulk punching
Hammer into a tree and breaking the tree. Hulk stands over Hammer
and asks him why he still lives. Hulk hits Hammer and says that
he has beaten him. He says that he has smashed him down and asks
why he doesn’t die. Hulk starts choking Hammer and plunges
his head underwater. Rom arrives and tells the creatures to cease
battling. He baths them in his neutralizer. Hammer is transformed
back into the old sick man that he once was, but the Hulk is
unaffected. Hulk keeps holding the old man’s head under the
water. Rom sees that Hulk is about to kill the old man and says
that he has to stop him. Kate runs up and tells Rom that Hulk was
injured in the leg recently and that he is vulnerable there. Rom
says that she loves him and yet gives him the means to harm him.
Kate says that she loves Bruce and that she won’t let him
become a murderer by a mindless monster. Rom smashes into
Hulk’s leg. Rom thinks to himself that the neutralizer cured
all the others except the Hulk, but he tries again and again.
Suddenly, Kate sees a change in Hulk. She says that Bruce is
coming back to her. Hulk’s face looks confused as Bruce
says, “Kate? Oh, god, I’m the Hulk again… a
monster again… and I can tell by the way that you’re
looking at me that I’ve done something terrible!” Kate
tells Bruce that Rom is trying to cure him. Rom thinks to himself
that there can be no cure. He thinks how he has never encountered
a being with such a high energy level. He thinks how Bruce’s
genetic structure was changed long ago and that no one could cure
him. Rom says that has simply reduced the amount of energy for a
time. Bruce looks at his hands. 
He says,
“Cure?” But it is the Hulk that continues, “Hulk
wants no cure! Hulk is Hulk! Hulk is the strongest one there is!
And that is all Hulk will ever be!” Hulk leaps through a
tree branch and onto Rom. He says that spaceman wants to cure him
and take away his power to make him weak. Hulk says that spaceman
isn’t going to do anything but die. Hulk starts to beat on
Rom. Kate runs up and tries to stop him, but she is pushed down
by Hulk. Hulk is caught off guard, Bruce takes control for a
moment. He sees what he has done and says, “Kate? Oh, my
dear darling Kate… God in Heaven, help me! Help me!”
Bruce leaps away with his arms over his face. Kate kneels down
and puts her face into her hands.
No Excuses rating: 9.5 out of 10
Okay, first the bad… I hate Rom. I’ve always hated Rom. Okay now the good! The Savage Hulk is back! Wow. The first time I read this comic book I was 11 years old. This issue brought back the Savage Hulk who had been missing for two years. Man I remember thinking how the Bill Mantlo storyline of the Banner Hulk would never end. I mean two years seemed like forever (of course I was 9 to 11 and everything seemed like it will last forever). It’s 2003 now and I only wish that Bruce Jones’ storyline would wrap together in two years. (As of this writing it’s two years and counting… and counting). Hulk versus another Gamma People and he smashes! Sal and Gerry are reunited and man what a great outcome. This issue has great storytelling and amazing style. 5 out of 5 for the art. The only thing that could make this issue better is the removal of Rom.
Review and pictures by The Leader