Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #314

Title: “Call of the Desert”

Writer: John Byrne

Penciller: John Byrne

Inker: Bob Wiacek

Colors: Andy Yunchus

Editor: Dennis O’Neil

The Hulk leaps through the trees in the Colorado Rockies. Hulk lands hard. The ground shakes and a squirrel runs while a stag deer watches Hulk. Hulk and the stag face one another both surprised by the other’s presence. The stag confuses the Hulk’s surprise for fear. It leaps at the Hulk, but Hulk just back hands the deer and snaps its neck. Hulk stares down at the dead animal. He picks it up for a moment by its horn and then leaps away.

A young boy watches the Hulk leap away. Suddenly a large ship zooms after the Hulk. The boy starts running for home and says that he has to tell someone.

CONTINUED IN HULK ANNUAL #14

A mile or so north of the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago stands the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. Ray enters the office of Doc Samson and asks him if he has heard the news on the radio. Samson says that he hasn’t and that he has been grading papers all afternoon. Ray says that there is a report from Colorado about the Hulk being back. He says that some kid claims to have seen him. Samson storms past Ray and says that he has no time to chat. Samson walks into the faculty lounge and asks who has the radio. One of the teachers hands it to Samson and says that he figured it wouldn’t be long before he came running. The radio tells Samson that Hulk was at Benkin’s Point and that he was heading south, southeast. Samson quickly checks a map and says that he has urgent business in New Mexico. He asks Polly if he can explain this to the dean for him. Polly says that she takes it that this cancels their date for that night. Samson says that he is sorry. Samson leaps into the air toward New Mexico.

Betty stares out the window of the apartment. Ramon stretches and asks why she is up already. He says, “Somethin’ wrong, baby?” Betty shouts not to call her “baby”. She says that she is a woman and has a name. Ramon asks what her problem is. Betty says that she is sorry and that she can just feel something in the air and with her. She says that she feels like a spring that has been wound too tight. Ramon says that he can fix that with a little music and a lot of amour. Ramon turns the radio on. The radio says that the Hulk has been spotted in Colorado heading toward New Mexico. Betty thinks to herself that she must have sensed that the Hulk was back. She says that she knows what she has to do.

Chapter Two: Yesterday’s Sorrows

Samson stands among the wreckage of the original gamma bomb testing grounds. He is talking into a tape recorder and says that even though he can’t leap as fast or as far as the Hulk, and that it has taken him twelve hours to get there, that he seems to have beaten the Hulk there. Samson says that it is so strange to be standing there and that so many memories haunt this place. Samson looks over five miles in the distance and sees the skeletal remains of the gamma bomb. Samson thinks about how Banner saved Rick Jones so long ago. He says that it is his theory that Bruce didn’t really realize what he had built until it put an actual life in danger. He theorizes that Bruce ran out there to save Rick because it was his way of apologizing to the cosmos. Samson thinks to himself that Bruce may have been better off if he had died that day, and that it couldn’t have been much worse than what did happen to him.

As Samson is thinking about the first time Bruce turned into the Hulk, the Hulk lands next to Samson. Samson says that he knew Hulk would come back there and that he has an almost mystical link with this place. He says that this is where the Hulk was born and might even be the only place that the Hulk, and Bruce Banner, could call home. Hulk looks at Samson. He mumbles, “…Banner…” Samson is shocked that Hulk spoke, but then suddenly Hulk smashes into Samson and shouts, “Hulk is not Banner!” Samson says that he is no longer the mindless, animalistic Hulk. Samson pleads with Banner to fight and take control. Hulk growls and hits Samson. Samson tells Banner to use his mind. Samson hits Hulk back. He tells Banner that if he is in there that he doesn’t want to fight him. He says that he wants to help him, but that he leaves him no choice. Hulk stomps his foot, but Samson dodges. Hulk says to stop calling him Banner or he will smash. Samson says that he isn’t going to stop this time. He says that he is going to save Banner or die trying. Samson uproots the ground Hulk is standing on. Samson hits Hulk again and says that the only way he is going to accomplish his goal is if he knocks out the Hulk. Hulk palms Samson’s head and lifts him into the air. He shouts, “Knock out Hulk? Stupid, puny human! Like all puny humans! Always attack Hulk. Try to hurt Hulk! Try to kill Hulk! But Hulk always wins! Because Hulk is strong! Hulk is strongest one there is!” Hulk punches Samson and knocks him unconscious. A voice tells Hulk to guess again.

Chapter Three: Yesterday’s Foes!

Hulk turns and sees the Juggernaut. Juggernaut says that is a handy phrase that the Hulk has, but that he has one of his own. Juggernaut shouts, “Nothing can stop the Juggernaut!” as he charges at Hulk. Hulk swings his fist at Juggernaut, but his hand passes right through Juggernaut’s head. “Juggernaut” hits some wreckage. From the wreckage emerges M.O.D.O.K. MODOK says that Juggernaut is a fool that wastes energy, and that he can put the energy to better use. “MODOK” fires a beam at the Hulk.

Samson wakes up and reaches for his tape recorder. Samson is watching Hulk raging as if he were being attacked, but that there is no one else around.

Hulk deflects “MODOK’s” blast with a hunk of metal. Rhino appears and charges the Hulk. Hulk says that he remembers Rhino and that he has smashes him before. Just like Juggernaut, Rhino passes right through Hulk as he charges. Hulk freaks out. He hits some metal and shouts, “Stupid Rhino is not real! None of you are real! Just stupid ghosts!”

Samson says that it must be Banner. He says that he must be using his conscious control that he has within the Hulk’s persona to cause the Hulk to hallucinate. Samson wonders why and says that he has to figure it out if he is going to save him.

Abomination stands with a large hunk of metal over his head. He asks if the Hulk thinks that they are all ghosts. He asks if he doesn’t think he can rip his head off. Hulk says that he knew Scale-Face would be next. He asks how Scale-Face can hurt him when he is made of air. Leader appears on a floating platform. He says that Hulk is smarter than he gave him credit for, but that now he has to face him. Hulk tells Big Head to go away and says that he doesn’t want to fight ghosts. Leader says that if Hulk thinks that he is ghost that he is a fool. “Leader” fires on Hulk, but the beams pass right through Hulk. Hulk stands with his arms folded and says that Big Head is full of lies like always. Hulk says that he won’t fight. Samson stands before the Hulk and asks if he wants to fight him again. Hulk says that Green Hair has fought him and hurt him before, but that now he thinks that he is just another ghost. He says that he will not fight. Samson says that he is glad to hear that. Samson hits Hulk as hard as he can and knocks him out. Samson says that he thinks that he broke his hand, but that the Hulk is unconscious. Samson tells his tape recorder that his guess was correct and that Banner was making the Hulk see old foes. Hulk came to realize that they weren’t real, and that it set him up for a “sucker punch”. Samson says that he thinks that it will be worth it because if Banner is exuding control within the Hulk that it means that he can be saved. Samson says, “Banner can be removed from his living prison… forever!”

No Excuses rating: 9 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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