Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #367Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #367
Title: “Countdown: The Madman”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Dale Keown
Inker: Marie Severin
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
(normally I like to place the pictures by their description in the book, but there were so many pictures I wanted to do with this issue that they are out of place to work with the space.)
Hulk sits unmoving in a chair. He hasn’t moved in an hour. Leader says that over half of the Hulk’s body mass is gone and that he may be dead. Leader says that he may have miscalculated the effects of the poison. Hotshot says that with the size of his brain that he thought Sammy never made mistakes. Leader says that he prefers Leader instead of Sammy. Jailbait leans in and tries to listen to Hulk’s heart. She says that he is cold as ice and that she can’t hear his heart. Leader says that isn’t very scientific. He says that they must examine him. Hotshot tells Leader to do it before he starts stinking up the place. Hotshot says that Hulk muttered something earlier, “Tired of fighting.” Leader says, “What exquisitely ironic last words those would be.” Leader, Hotshot, and Jailbait walk out.
Hulk thinks within his own mind, “Banner… Banner… I need you… help me… help us… Bruce.” Banner appears in Hulk’s eye and says, “Now that’s a first.” Hulk turns slowly to the keyboard. He says that he had to shut down there for a while in order to let his immunity system kick in. Hulk says that even if he doesn’t change in the morning that he doesn’t think he will last more than an hour. Hulk says that he isn’t going to play the Leader’s game and that he always has an angle. Hulk says that maybe Banner’s computer smarts can help him figure out the Leader’s angle. He says that the Leader helped him in the past, by removing the bullet from his brain, but that it served his purposes. Hulk wonders why he is doing so this time. He wonders why Leader won’t kill Madman himself. Leader’s computer asks for a password. Hulk types in “Leader”, then tries “gamma”, “green”, “brain”, and “genius”. Hulk tries to think of Leader’s real name. Suddenly Hulk realizes something.
Leader, Hotshot, and Jailbait walk back in with a bio-detector. Hulk turns and claps his hands together knocking them over. Leader shoots a mind blast, but Hulk dodges it. Hulk says that he never knows if those things are real or if he just thinks that they are real. Hulk says that he is a scrawnier target now though. He grabs Leader and slams him against the wall. Leader starts blasting Hulk, but Hulk tells him to stop or he will snap his neck. Leader stops and tells Lou and Jessie to back away. Hulk says that Leader’s real name is Sam Sterns. He says that Banner just let him know that he was getting chummy with a Phil Sterns. Hulk says that Phil Sterns is the one. Leader says that Phil poisoned Banner. He says that Phil is virtually a slave of Madman’s, and that Madman has become more and more dangerous over the years. Leader says that sooner or later Madman will strike against him and that he must die before that happens. Hulk asks who Madman is. Leader says that Madman is a shapeshifter that has deliberately exposed himself to more and more radiation over the years. Leader says that he soaked it up like a sponge, but that it splintered his mind and body. Leader says that he is incredibly powerful and incredibly insane. Hulk asks if Phil Sterns is an uncle, nephew, or what to Leader. Leader says that Phil is his brother. Hulk says that he kind of figured and drops Leader. Hulk says to tell him the rest. Leader says that Phil was a student at the same graduate school as Dr. Banner. He tells him not to bother trying to remember him and that he was quite forgettable. He says that while Bruce was at the top of his class that Phil hovered near the bottom. He says that Phil admired Banner, but that he did so from afar. Leader says that after graduation that Phil eked out a living, but that his tastes were extravagant. Leader says that Madman helped him with that by exchanging money for information and material. He says that when Bruce got the job at Yucca Flats that of course Phil recognized him right away. Phil tried to keep the information from Madman, but that he failed. Hotshot and Jailbait help Leader up. Leader says that if he went against Madman that he would use Phil as a hostage, but that it is unlikely that he would against the Hulk. Hulk asks how he knows Leader is telling the truth. Leader tells Hulk to look at Betty’s monitor. He points out the newspaper and says that the “Darien” on the newspaper is Darien, Connecticut. He asks him to go and help him brother now.
Leader
transports the Hulk away. Hotshot says that he thought
Leader’s excuse for why he wouldn’t go up against
Banner sounded pretty lame to him. Leader says that Hotshot
doesn’t know the whole story. He says that to stop Madman
that Phil Sterns must die. He says that as strange as it may
sound that he will not kill his own brother. Leader says that
even he has his limits.
Hulk materializes. He clutches his chest and says that even the transportation was a strain. He says that he has to wait up until the pain eases up. Hulk says that he can’t die without having a chance to.. but then asks what he would do. Hulk looks at the mailbox and sees the Sterns name. He says that this is Phil’s place. Hulk smashes in the door. He calls out to Phil. He says that he won’t hurt him and that it is Madman he wants. There’s no answer and Hulk says that he is going to make him go room to room. Hulk looks around the place for nearly six minutes. He says that he can’t believe it, but that Sterns isn’t even there. Hulk starts trashing the place and accidentally discovers a secret entrance.
Hulk walks and walks through the underground
tunnel. After walking for eighteen minutes the Hulk says that
this place is cold and damp. He says that he never used to notice
things like that. After another ten minutes it is getting hard
for Hulk to move. He finally sees light. Hulk discovers
Madman’s lair. He wonders where the Batmobile is. He says
that all his joints ache and that he can already feel Banner
getting ready to come out. Hulk thinks that it is odd that even
without seeing the sun that he knows that the change is coming.
Hulk says that he wishes he knew why. A voice says, “Pity
you won’t have the chance to find out, because… as you
can see by our clock on the wall… it’s show time.”
Madman says that destiny is calling and for Hulk to pick up the
phone. Madman says that so much of his life was modeled after his
that this is a glorious culmination of his existence. Madman
tells Hulk to hurl his challenges at him. He tells him to come at
him with his rage and his fury. Hulk just asks politely for the
antidote. Madman asks if that is it. He shouts that Hulk did that
on purpose just to hack him off. Madman transforms from his
regular sized masked self to his enormous muscle-bound size. 
Madman smashes
the Hulk and says that he will kill him. Hulk is send flying and
hits the ground. Madman picks Hulk up by the throat. Madman says
that Hulk was nothing before he poisoned him, and that now he is
less than nothing. Madman pulls his fist back to hit Hulk, but
Hulk kicks Madman in the face. Madman smashes Hulk into the
ground and says, “You hurt me! You’re not nice!
You’re not nice at all!” Madman picks Hulk up over his
head and throws him into the wall. Madman pulls off a stalactite
from his cave and uses it to smash Hulk in the face. Madman says
that he can hurt people too, and tells Hulk that it isn’t as
much fun when you’re the one being hurt. Madman tells Hulk
to get up, but Hulk kicks Madman in the face again. Hulk thinks
to himself to just ignore the pain. He leaps up into
Madman’s face. He wonders why he is bothering. He says that
he is slowing down and that he should just lie down and die. He
shouts that it is too close to the change and that he is starting
to think like Banner. Hulk smacks Madman again. 
He shouts that
he is the Hulk and that he doesn’t roll over for anybody.
Madman says, “Oh yeah? Roll over!” He smashes the
stalactite into the Hulk and sends him to the floor. Madman tells
him to fetch, sit up, and beg. He kicks Hulk in the stomach. Hulk
gets up and says that he will never beg again. Madman kicks Hulk
again and again. He tells him to play dead.
Hulk is on the ground. He says that Madman
has backed off. He thinks to himself that there is no reason he
shouldn’t. He says that he can just sit back and watch now.
Hulk thinks that he has no strength left to move. He says that he
took the impact, but that he is just skin and bones now. Phil
Sterns, dressed in Madman’s tattered clothes, is helping
Hulk up. He says that he is so sorry. Hulk asks who he is, but
when he looks up he realizes that it is Phil Sterns. Hulk tells
Phil that his brother says hi. Phil says, “My… brother?
Sam? But… but Sam is dead. Some sort of radiation accident,
we were told.” Hulk says that Sam is good at telling lots of
things, and at leaving things out. Hulk says that unless both
Phil and Madman have a thing for ripped clothes that they are the
same guy. 
Madman dons his
mask again and says that Hulk is quick. Madman says that Hulk
hasn’t said if he likes his place. Madman says that they are
subterranean chambers. He says that he has a knack for making
money that outstrips Phil’s. He says that he was able to
build all of this over time. Madman says that Phil was an
unrecognized genius in college. He says that when he graduated
that he was going to begin his research in what would have been
his greatest breakthrough: gamma radiation as a weapon. Madman
says that Banner stole it from Phil. Hulk says that is crazy, but
then so is Madman. Madman says that Bruce stole the military
support, the power of the Hulk. He says that all of it should
have been Phil’s Madman says that Phil spent years trying to
duplicate the condition that would give him power like the
Hulk’s. Hulk laughs and says that all of this is because
some lame-o wanted to be like him. Madman punches Hulk and tells
him to stop laughing at them. He hits him again and tells him to
show some respect. He shouts that he is the one that killed him.
Hulk catches the human sized Madman’s fist and hits him
back. Hulk says that if he is dying that he is taking Madman with
him. Phil rips of the mask and says that Hulk doesn’t have
time. He says that he can cure Hulk. He says that the ring with
the toxin is over on the table with a spring loaded stinger. He
says that he also found where Madman hid the antidote. He says
that you always make an antidote just in case. Suddenly Phil
screams in pain and grabs his head. He shouts for Madman to stop.
Phil says that this can’t be happening. He says that he is
the core personality and not Madman. Madman puts his mask back on
and says that if that is so that Phil is rotten to the core. He
says that Phil has outlived his usefulness and that he no longer
needs him. Phil tears the mask off and says that it is like a
knife through his skull. He says that he will do anything if he
doesn’t kill him. Suddenly Phil goes very quiet. Madman puts
his mask back on and says, “He’s toast. He’s
history. Yesterday’s news.” Madman laughs and says,
“This is superb! Death is the best thing that could’ve
happened to me!” Hulk presses the poisoned ring into
Madman’s human back and says that they finally agree on
something. Hulk says that he hopes Madman has a healing power,
but that if he doesn’t at least they can punch the clock
together. Madman punches Hulk to the ground. He runs over and
prepares the antidote. He says that it will only take two seconds
to inject himself. Hulk rams into Madman’s back and says
that he hasn’t got two seconds. Hulk knocks Madman to the
side and grabs the needle. He tries to inject himself, but the
needle bends against his skin. Hulk thinks to himself that he has
to inject it just as he transforms. Suddenly the huge Madman is
behind Hulk. He hits the ground and the needle goes flying out of
Hulk’s hand. Madman says that it was a nice last try, but
Hulk says that he can still get it. Hulk and Madman struggle for
the antidote, but Hulk grabs it.
Madman lies on the ground. Banner sits there next to him. Madman says that he cure himself. He says that the good guys win again. Madman tells Banner that he is the conscience, the good half. He says that Banner won’t let him die. He says that the Hulk might, but that Banner won’t. Banner walks over and prepares another antidote. Madman says that is it. He says that “Forgive and forget is Banner’s motto. Bruce places the needle on the ground far from Madman. Madman says that he can’t reach it there. Bruce says, “Your countdown has begun.” Banner walks out of the room. Madman says, “Wait… Banner… you’re not serious… Come back… let’s discuss this… you know Bruce… can I call you that? I’ve always liked you, Bruce. Bruce?”
No Excuses rating: 9 out of 10
I love Madman. I love everything about him. His background: his stalker-like attitude of Banner and his being the Leader’s brother. I love Leader’s attitude about his brother. Though I take some umbrage with the way Madman killed Phil. I think this may be undone at some point, but it definitely didn’t ruin what was a fantastic issue for me. 5 out of 5 for writing. Dale Keown’s first issue. Peter David said that he felt bad for Keown, finally getting on the Hulk and then being forced to draw the deflated Hulk his first time out. Keown does a great job with the pencils. He too however seems to lack something when the sequencing gets a little smaller. Perhaps this has something to do with veteran Hulk artist Marie Severin? Well anyway Keown gets a 4 out of the box just for getting rid of Purves.
Review and pictures by The Leader