Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #313

Title: “Hook, Line, & Sinker!”

Writer: Bill Mantlo

Penciller: Mike Mignola

Inker: Gerry Talaoc

Colors: Bob Sharen

Editor: Carl Potts

Bruce Banner stands alone at the Crossroads, but moments ago he was being watched by the Beyonder. Unknown to Bruce is that to help Bruce the Beyonder altered the trajectory of a strange energy probe. Bruce tells himself that he must have courage, but asks why and says that he died once before on the day his hopes of controlling the Hulk were shattered. He says that he begged Strange to free him and he did. Bruce says that he chose to die… or so he thought. Bruce says that he thought he was free of being the Hulk, but that he was wrong. He says that some instinct of self-preservation kept him dormant but alive. Bruce says that even then it seems some aspect of himself emerged to guide the Hulk. Bruce says that he guesses Strange exiled the Hulk, but that no one anticipated Bruce Banner coming back to life. Bruce says that he told Strange that he would rather die than be the Hulk. He says that it seems Strange couldn’t kill him, but that maybe was wrong to ask another to do something he would be better off doing himself. Bruce leaps off the Crossroads. Bruce falls and falls though there is no surface to hit to kill himself… no deep ocean to drown in. Bruce falls through the air frustrated. He says that he can’t even kill himself. He says that he is cursed, doomed, and will never be free. His rage begins to build and Bruce transforms into the Hulk. Hulk growls and asks why he is falling. Hulk realizes that there is no up and down. Hulk says that he doesn’t understand, but that he doesn’t want to understand… he just wants to get out. Hulk seems to grab hold of a substantial energy field. He starts climbing. Hulk says that he will make his way out of there. He says that he will do what he always does… live and survive.

Somewhere inside the Hulk’s subconscious, Bruce Banner senses the Hulk’s thoughts. He knows that the Hulk is right and weeps.

Hulk is different now as the relationship between Bruce and the Hulk, that Nightmare severed, has been partially restored. Hulk walks around exploring. He says that he knows this place. He says that his friend Magician sent him there, but that he doesn’t remember why. Hulk says that he knows that this place is not a good place. He says that he has known hunger and hurt here. Hulk shouts that he wants to go home. Beyonder’s intervention is just about to effect the Hulk. He is hit in the spine by the strange energy beam. Hulk tries to grab the energy beam, but it is just out of his reach on his back. Hulk recalls the energy line that was in Klaatu’s back. He does what Klaatu did and leaps into one of the Crossroads portals to try and find a way to get the beam off him.

Hulk finds himself in a world filled with robots. The robots decipher the Hulk’s speech and analyze his situation. The figure out that the Hulk wants the energy line off his back, but after analyzing the situation the robots determine that they can’t help Hulk. Hulk vanishes back to the Crossroads.

Hulk tries another world. He is in a jungle and is rubbing his back against a tree to try and get the line off.

He stands on floating rocks in a world filled with floating jellyfish. Hulk tries to pull on the energy line.

Small dwarfish creatures run from the Hulk as Hulk tries to knock the beam off with a wooden wheel. He shouts that no matter where he goes, no matter how many strange doors he goes through, that he can’t get free from the line.

Hulk flounders around in the water in a dinosaur filled world. He says that it is always the same. He says that either he can’t reach the line.

Or he is kept too busy to try. Hulk fights with giant furry tentacles.

Or he can’t break the line when he does get his hands on it. Hulk smashes a rock into the line on a strange set of stairs.

Hulk says that the energy line is making him mad, and that when he gets mad he smashes. Hulk knocks over a marble pillar on a very Buddha-esque world.

Hulk smashing gets him the attention of those that try to help him… even if it is only to get him to stop smashing their worlds. A large dark furry creature tries to cut the energy line with a scalpel. But no matter who tries to help the Hulk the line is never broken and the Hulk’s anger continues to grow. Hulk shouts that he wants to know who has done this to him.

Back at the Crossroads, a light and ethereal apparition in the shape of a human comes along the energy line. The being rides the line down into the Hulk causing agony for both the Hulk and Bruce Banner. Both shout and want to know what is happening to them. Suddenly there is an explosion and Bruce Banner finds himself outside the Hulk’s body… though now a light and ethereal apparition in his own right. Bruce wonders, now that he is free, if the apparition that he saw is now trapped in the Hulk. Hulk says, “Trapped, Dr. Banner?” He says that he doesn’t know if that is the right word he would use to describe the state of a very grateful Walter Langowski. Bruce remembers that he once roomed with Walter back at the university… years before he became the Hulk and Walter became Sasquatch. Walter says that is when his troubles began. Walter says that he was trying to duplicate Bruce’s research with gamma radiation to turn himself into a second Hulk. He says that he thought he had succeeded, but that it was all a trick. He says that there were ancient forces, Great Beasts that have been long imprisoned, who seized onto his experiments to make a vessel for their accursed powers. He says that Sasquatch was born. He says that for a while he was the mightiest member of Alpha Flight, but that the Great Beasts took control and Alpha Flight was forced to kill him… or at least his body. He says that they found a place for his soul inside the cyborg armor of Box. He says that he could have stayed there, but that he felt like a ’57 Buick. He says that there is a woman on Earth, Aurora, and that he longed to hold her again with arms capable of feeling and to kiss her with lips able to taste her love. He says that it was for both their sakes that he wanted to be human again… or at least as close as he could. He says that to help him that Alpha Flight went “fishing”. They figured that since the Sasquatch form was actually from another dimension that they figured they might be able to find a suitable replacement in a similar source. Bruce says that their search lead them to the Crossroads. Walter says that Roger Bochs, Alpha Flight’s resident genius, cast their net in search of a mindless body… which led them to Bruce. Bruce says that he understands and that until just recently the Hulk was mindless, but that now he is doomed to share his existence with the “howling green horror all over again”. Walter says that he is the one that is doomed. He says that taking over this body was his only chance at living again, but that they never knew it was the body of the Hulk they were after. Walter says that now he wishes he had never tried. Bruce asks why. He says that there is no reason to despair and that Walter can keep the Hulk’s body. Bruce says that now maybe he can finally be free to die. Walter asks if Bruce would really die just to let him become the Hulk. Walter says that he would be a monster, but wonders if he could ever be a man again. He says that he guesses it wouldn’t matter since Walter Langowski’s body was destroyed. He says that at least he would have the power to stay in Alpha Fight, and the physicality to keep Aurora happy. Walter says to listen to him. He says that he was there when the world declared Bruce a hero. He says that Bruce is a hero to offer himself up self-sacrificingly just to make him happy. Walter says that he has tried to emulate Bruce all his life, and that he is going to do it one more time. Walter says that he has to be the hero that he always pretended to be. Walter says that Bruce has gained control over the Hulk before and that he knows he will do it again. Walter thanks Bruce for showing him how a hero dies. Walter casts his spirit out of the Hulk’s body. Bruce asks Walter what he is doing. He says that it wasn’t an altruistic offer he was making. He says that he doesn’t want to live if it means sharing his existence with the Hulk. He says that the Hulk is actually his own rage personified. He says that if Walter was in the Hulk that he would have full control over him. Bruce tells him to use the Hulk for good, but Walter’s spirit is already out of the Hulk and dissipating. Bruce’s spirit is being pulled back into the Hulk. He fights it, but eventually he is pulled back in. The shock is great to both man and monster. Hulk goes motionless and the energy line starts to pull him in. Walter’s spirit is now alone at the Crossroads.

Hulk says that the line is pulling him, but he asks where. Hulk passes through a portal. He looks out and sees Alpha Flight looking at him. Aurora asks Box if he is sure that is her Walter. Bochs says that Walter sent his life force down the energy line. Mr. Jefferies asks if it isn’t Walter then who is it. Shaman says that it would be a beast as great as Sasquatch himself… a body that would have been perfect host for their teammate. Puck says that from the way the monster is growling that he fears they have made a mistake. He says that they may have cast their line with Walter Langowski as bait, but that he fears that they have caught the Hulk. 

THIS STORY TAKES PLACE AT THE SAME TIME AS ALPHA FLIGHT

AND IS CONTINUED IN ALPHA FLIGHT #29

No Excuses rating: 8 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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