Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #382Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #382
Title: “Moving On”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Dale Keown
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Achilles stands in a room with weapons
ricocheting off of him. Hector asks Achilles how he is doing.
Achilles says that this is a spring shower and to give him
something tough. Hector tells Atalanta that he doesn’t get
it and that Achilles seems to be as invulnerable as ever. He
wonders why he bled when the Hulk punched him. Atalanta tells
Jack the tech to ready the poison gas. 
Hulk enters the
control room and asks if this is a private party. Hector says to
look at who showed up to observe. He says that he sees that even
the quadruple extra large jumpsuit didn’t fit Hulk. Hulk
says that he couldn’t get the chest zipped and that he hopes
that his pecs isn’t too overwhelming for Atalanta. Atalanta
says that she will try to control herself. Atalanta asks Banner
if he is going to join them. She says that the suit may not fit,
but that the job would fit him perfectly. Bruce says that he is
considering it. He says that them allowing him free rein to roam
around “The Mount” goes a long way to promoting trust.
He asks what they are doing. Atalanta says that they are testing
Achilles. She orders the gas released. Hector says that normally
Achilles can inhale a ton of the stuff without a wheeze. Achilles
is smiling recalling the truly tough gases they used on them in
‘Nam when he doubles over in pain. Atalanta orders the room
vented. Banner says that it won’t be fast enough. He smashes
through the observation room window and grabs Achilles. Banner
smashes through the wall and says that he remembers where the
infirmary is. Two Pantheon men are in the hallway coughing from
the leaking gas.
At Rick’s apartment, Rick tells Marlo and Betty that they will never work as roommates. Betty says that she appreciates Marlo’s generosity, but that Rick is right. Marlo asks if it is because when her husband was Joe Fixit that the two of them had a relationship. Betty says that would be it. She looks in the fridge and asks if all Rick has is beer and Yodels. Rick says that is two of the four food groups. The food groups being: beer, Yodels, pretzels, and chips. Marlo tells Betty to look at it as something they have in common. Betty says that there are things she would rather not have in common. Marlo asks Betty if she knows what her problem is. Betty says that it is that there is no fresh fruit and that tap water gives her cramps. She asks Rick if he has any Perrier. Rick rolls his eyes. Marlo says that Betty’s problem is that this is her best offer and that she is too much of a stiff to realize it. Betty says that she is not a stiff. Rick repeats that it won’t work. Marlo says that calling Betty a stiff is an insult to stiffs everywhere. Rick repeats that it won’t work. Marlo says that the best thing she could do is move in with someone that doesn’t have to take breaks for slugfests. Rick says that it won’t work. Betty thanks Marlo for her charity anyway. Marlo says that it isn’t charity. She says that she needs help paying for the rent. She says that unless Betty thinks she can’t get a job. Betty says that of course she can get a job. Marlo asks what she is qualified to do. Betty thinks about it and says, Well… nothing.” She adds that she can pull her own weight. Rick says that it will never work. Marlo and Betty walk out together talking. Rick shouts out, “Hey! Don’t ask my opinion or nothin’.”
Back at the Mount, Ulysses slams Paris
against the wall. He says that he would like to wipe the smug
smile off his face. He says that Paris’ bonehead stunt with
the bay doors could have killed all of them. He says that the
wings were ripped off one of their planes. Paris says that
Ulysses is carrying on. He says that if the situation had been
reversed that Ulysses would have done the same to him. Ulysses
says that he should turn Paris into a splotch on the wall. Paris
says that what he should do is do it or stop talking about it.
Paris says that it is becoming tiresome. Paris sees Hulk and
says, “Ah. Look, Ulysses. It’s the avocado avenger come
to pay his respects.” Ulysses snaps at Hulk that he thinks
he should know that while they appreciate him saving Achilles
that the breach he created caused several technicians to
collapse. He says that if they had died that it would have been
on Banner’s head. He tells him to watch it next time.
Hulk grabs
Ulysses and slams him against the wall. He says, “Either you
watch your tongue… or I’ll pull it out where you can
see it better. Get it?” Ulysses says, “Got it.”
Hulk drops him and says, “Good.”
Paris and Banner start walking down the hall
together. Paris says that Ulysses had that coming and that it is
nice to see someone willing to give it to him. Paris says that
Ulysses is stuffy. He says that he puts on pretensions of
heroism, but that his private conduct is quite scandalous. Paris
introduces himself. Hulk introduces himself as “Robert Bruce
Banner”. Paris asks if he minds if he calls him
‘Bobby’. Hulk says that no one ever has. Paris goes on,
“Yes, well, Bobby, I thought you might be interested in the
final diagnosis of Achilles’ little problem. It appears to
be you.” Banner asks what he means. Paris says that Hulk is
a walking source of low-level gamma radiation. He says that
something about it makes Achilles vulnerable. He says that
whenever Hulk is around that Achilles will become vulnerable. He
says that neither Achilles, nor his brother and student Ulysses,
will be happy about his continued presence. Hulk asks if they are
all brothers and sisters there. Paris says that they are an
extended family. He says that they are brothers, half-brothers,
and cousins. He says that it is all tangled up. He says that
Delphi, who he hasn’t met yet, is his and Ulysses cousin.
Suddenly Ajax comes running and screaming at Hulk. He says that
he will kill him. Ajax plows into Hulk’s back.
Paris yells at
him to stop it, but Ajax bulldozes on. Paris gets on a
communicator and contacts the maintenance crew and says that they
are going to need clean up on level six, section twenty-three.
Inside Marlo’s home, Betty is admiring the size of Marlo’s… Jane Fonda workout tapes. Marlo says that it is her pride and joy. Marlo says that Rick gave them a house warming gift: two six-packs of beer. Marlo asks if Betty wants one. Betty says that she hasn’t had beer since she was a schoolgirl sneaking it past the nuns. Marlo says that she grew up with five brothers and that she got used to it fast. Betty agrees to have one. Betty says that it is crazy that she likes Marlo. She says that Marlo is the “other woman”. Marlo says that it just shows that Betty isn’t threatened by her. She says that she wishes that she had some of Betty’s self-confidence. Betty says that she wishes that she had some of Marlo’s endowments. She says that when she hit puberty that she must have been beating the boys off with a stick. Marlo says that her brothers took care of the beatings. Marlo asks Betty how she met Bruce. Betty says that he was a scientist on a project that her father, the general, was overseeing. She says that he was the first civilian man she had ever met. She says that he was cerebral and soft spoken. She says that her father hated him, but that she loved him. Marlo says that it sounds like she was attracted to Bruce to annoy her father. Betty says that wasn’t it at all, but then admits that maybe there was a little of that. Marlo says that Bruce was so guarded and cautious in Vegas. She asks what he is really like. Betty says that honestly she doesn’t know anymore. She says that she thought that she didn’t, but that apparently she doesn’t.
Ajax is grabbing at Hulk. He says that he is bad and that he will hurt him first. Bruce says that he is going to hurt him last. Hulk punches Ajax and says that it is ridiculous for him to still be blaming him for what happened to Atalanta. He says that it was an accident and that he needs to get over it. Hulk asks if he is getting through to him. Ajax punches Hulk off of him. Hulk says that apparently he isn’t getting through. Ajax says that Hulk says bad things and makes him look stupid. Hulk says that God is the one that did that and that he is just the one that held up the mirror. Hulk breaks through a tree and lands by a small body of water. Ajax leaps onto Hulk. Hulk tells Ajax that Atalanta wouldn’t be happy if she knew that they were wrecking the garden. Ajax slams Hulk’s head into the water. Hulk didn’t notice the water and didn’t get a breath. He says that he has the lung capacity of a whale, but that now he is about to drown in a foot of water. He says that he has to twist around and get some leverage. Hulk flips Ajax off of him. Atalanta shows up. Ajax tells her to get out of the way so she doesn’t get hurt. She tells him to stop and asks if he is listening. She asks if he is listening, and he says that he always listens to her. Atalanta tells Ajax that she wants to forget everything that happened before. She tells him to look at Banner. She says that he is his friend. Ajax says, “Fren?” Atalanta goes on, “Yes. Your friend. From now on you’re bosom buddies, the best of pals, amigos, compadres, clear?” Ajax looks confused for a second and then it is like a light goes off in his head. He says, “Oh! Fren! Muh fren! Bezz fren! Bezz fren hole worl.” Ajax is hugging Hulk and Hulk tells him not to overdo it. As Ajax is walking away, Hulk is talking to Ulysses. He says that Ajax is like a walking tank. He asks if he ever takes his armor off. Ulysses says that he can’t. He says that without the armor that his legs and spine would collapse under the weight of his body. Ulysses tells Hulk not to worry about him anymore. He says that Ajax worships Atalanta. He says that Ajax will be devoted to him because she told him to be. Ulysses apologizes for snapping at him earlier. He says that Hulk didn’t know, and that he gets hot-headed sometimes. Ulysses asks what Paris told him about him. Hulk says that they didn’t talk about him at all. Ulysses asks when Hulk decided to join. Hulk says that he hasn’t yet. He says that mostly he has been observing all the back biting and in fighting that goes on there that has nothing to do with what Agamemnon talking about. Suddenly Delphi starts gliding down the hallway. Ulysses tries to introduce Banner to Delphi, but Delphi just glides right past them. Banner says that was fun.
In New York City, outside the theater, fans
are gathering to admire Miss Nadia Dornova. They tell her how
wonderful she was in the show. She signs an autograph for Alice.
Alice asks how she likes working in New York. Nadia says that she
is loving every minute. One of the fans says that she loves her
accent. Nadia says that she loves hers. The woman says that she
doesn’t have one and that she is just a regular American.
Nadia says that in her experience there is no such thing as a
“regular American”. Nadia spots something and calls out
to Sergi. He asks what is wrong. Nadia points down the alleyway.
She says that man in the shadows is the one she told him about.
Sergi tells her to get back in the theater and to send Tony and
Nikko out quickly. A large green scaly foot walks away as Sergi
calls out to him. Sergi, Tony, and Nikko are running after the
figure down a dead end alley. The get to the end to find that the
man they were chasing got away. They wonder where he went. One of
them asks Sergi who he was. Sergi says that he is some cretin
that has been spying on Nadia. He says that she has spotted him
outside her apartment and at the theater. The guy says that if he
comes back that he wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. 
Over the heads
of Sergi, Tony, and Nikko is the shadowed form of the Abomination
looking down from the building at them.
Ulysses and Hulk are still walking together. Ulysses asks Hulk if he wants to see what Agamemnon was talking about. Ulysses shows him a room full of injured people. Ulysses says that these people are all from a small country where there is fighting to overthrow the government. He says that some freedom fighters were hiding in their town. He says that in order to get at them that the government napalmed the entire town and didn’t care about the townspeople. Banner says that he can’t believe that the US government would stand by and permit this. Ulysses says that the US government supplied the napalm. He says that of course they didn’t do so directly, but through “hush-hush channels”. Ulysses says that the government might find their leader’s actions abhorrent, but that the government has major economic interests there. Ulysses says that the flag is red, white, and blue, but that maybe they should add the green of money. Ulysses greets an elderly woman. She blesses him and says that he should trim his beard. Ulysses says that she always says that. The woman counters that he never does. Ulysses shows Hulk a little girl completely wrapped in bandages. He says that they are working on less painful skin grafting techniques to help the little girl who has 90% of her skin burned off. He says that is on the science front. He says that on a military front they are assembling an army that will take their government apart. Hulk says that their government won’t be happy about them doing that. Ulysses says that is the same government that spent millions of dollars hunting him. He says that is the same government that had to be shamed into getting rid of the stockpiled gamma bombs that it had. Ulysses asks if it wouldn’t be nice to give them back a little payback and at the same time help humanity. Hulk admits that it would.
Marlo and Betty are laughing drunk together. Betty tells Marlo that once she was turned into glass. Marlo says that it sounds like a real pane. They laugh some more. Betty says that she has been kidnapped by guys that live underground and by robots. They laugh some more. Betty adds that once she was the Harpy. Marlo asks if he was the one that never talked. Betty says that she wasn’t Harpo. She says that she was the Harpy. She says that she was green, had wings on her back, and feathers. Marlo says that she guesses that she needed a whole new wardrobe. Betty says that she needed lots of backless dresses. They laugh some more. Betty says that she hates her hair. She says that she dyed it once, but that she hated it then too. Marlo says that is because she didn’t have it done by an expert. Marlo asks if Betty is short for Elizabeth. Marlo says that she had a friend named Elizabeth and that they called her Betsy. Betty says that someone tried to call her Betsy Ross once and that she hit him. They walk into the bathroom.
Delphi lies on the floor by a small pool of water. She recites the words, “Gods of Earth and gods of sky… open now my inner eye… show to me events sublime… show to me the present time…” In the pool of water, Hulk is seen shaking hands with Ulysses. He says that they can count him as an enlistee for now. He says that the one thing he believes in is helping mankind. Delphi goes on, “Gods who hold the strings of fate… show me now… a future date….” In the water is the Hulk again. He is laughing and seems to be covered with blood. Delphi says, “I see hatred, death, and pain, and a soul no longer sane… I see violence, blood, and gore… gods above… I’ll see no more.”
No Excuses rating: 8.5 out of 10
It’s more meet and greet time with the Pantheon. I’m still not much of a fan of them at the time. I much would have preferred that they spend more time investigating the new Hulk instead of taking him on face value. Of course that all comes to bear with time. I like Marlo and Betty moving in together, and though his time with the Pantheon goes on for a little too long… it’s a good thing Hulk joins them. Foreshadowing of the Abomination makes me happy, and Keown just continues to get better and better. A 4.5 out of 5 for the art.
Review by the Leader
Pictures (except the last one) by Captain Nate