Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #387

Title: “Hiding Behind Mosques”

Writer: Peter David

Penciller: Dale Keown

Inker: Joe Rubinstein

Colors: Glynis Oliver

Editor: Bobbie Chase

Hulk stands over a struggling Sabra. Hulk stops for a minute. He says that this is insane. He says that just because she paralyzed his vocal cords and started beating on him that it doesn’t mean he has to revert to type. Sabra rolls over and tells Hulk not to gloat too long. She shoots off a quill and hits Hulk right in his inner ear. Hulk’s sense of balance is thrown off. Hulk tries to leap on Sabra before she does something else, but his balance is so far off that he crashes into a wall.

Max and Gretta run together. Gretta tells Max that he told those people to stop the people that were trying to hurt him and they did it. She says that he has such a way with people, and that she knew it the moment they met at the embassy. Max says that he doesn’t understand any of this. He asks why those people were trying to hurt him. Gretta says that it is probably because his father is an ambassador and can be blackmailed. Max says that there is no blackmail. He says that they want to kill him. Max leans against the wall and clutches his head. He say that his head hurts so much. He says that it is like his mind is fighting with itself. He says that it is scary. Gretta says that it is a scary world, and that there is always someone wanting to hurt somebody else. She say that you have to be ready to protect yourself… have to be ready for them. Max agrees with her. He says that he was so confused about everything… until he met her.

Achilles tells Rick that the boy he was trying to protect is the one that turned this crowd into a bloodthirsty mob with just a few words. He asks Jones if he is starting to see the problem. Rick says that his vision is blocked by the bloodthirsty mob. Achilles and Rick run. They come to a dead end, but there is a window above. Rick tells Achilles to lift him up and that he will pull him up. Achilles says that he is heavier than he looks and that Jones would never be able to lift him. Achilles says to help him up and that he will pull him up under his word of honor. Rick asks if he is supposed to trust him. Achilles tells Rick that he is invulnerable and that he is just trying to avoid a time-consuming fight. He says that Jones might be in trouble though. Rick helps Achilles and says that he was right. He says that he weighs a ton. Achilles climbs through the window. Rick looks at the empty window and asks Achilles if he is still mad he hit him earlier. Rick starts to worry. Achilles tells him to stop his whining and pulls Rick through the window

Hulk leaps through the air. He says that he is so tired of being judged, not for who he is, but by what people think he is. He says that Sabra was quick to decide that he was trying to hurt Max when, in fact, he was there to save him from Achilles. He thinks how even if she hadn’t paralyzed his vocal cords that she wouldn’t have listened to him. He says that they all look at him with judgment in their eyes and that he is sick of it. As Hulk comes down he tries to grab Sabra’s cape again, but she speeds past him. Hulk thinks to himself that she is fast and strong, but that the fact that the world is still spinning around him helps her. Sabra looks back as Hulk falls. She sees that he is falling into the Israel Museum, and thinks to herself that the boss is going to kill her. Hulk smashes through the wall. Sabra says that she has to get him out of there before he destroys everything. She says that a beast like that has no concern for sacred relics.

Hulk is on the ground among the wreckage. Sabra swoops in and kicks him in the face. She says to think that she celebrated the day he got amnesty. She says that she told the world how the Hulk taught her about humanity. Sabra hits Hulk with more quills. She asks what happened barely a month later. She says that her superiors called her into their office to show her news footage of him on a rampage. She says that they rubbed her nose in it how the “man” she thanked was now a mindless destructive monster again. She hits Hulk. She says that when she spoke out for him that she spoke on behalf of her country. She says that he humiliated her and hits Hulk again. Hulk grimaces and punches Sabra back out of the museum. Sabra hits a statue outside and thinks that her lecture meant nothing to Hulk. Hulk lands near her. Sabra shoots another quill, but Hulk deflects it with his hand. Hulk rips the statue off its feet and smacks Sabra with it. Hulk wonders what his problem is with getting along with women these days.

As Betty walks into her job Mrs. Maxwell says that thank goodness she caught her before she went in. She says that she had better take the day off. Betty asks why she would do that. Suddenly the reporters swarm around Betty. They keep asking her inane question after inane question. Betty shouts for them to leave her alone. She says that she doesn’t know what her husband is up to. She says that he has his own life and so does she. She tells the leeches to go get their own lives instead of attaching themselves to the lives of others. David Guntly tells Betty that she should have given him the exclusive. Betty tells him to drop dead. She apologizes to Mrs. Maxwell. Mrs. Maxwell says that it is no problem, but that she didn’t know she was that Mrs. Banner. She asks Betty what it is like being married to the Hulk. Betty says that she could tell her some stories.

Achilles says that the coast is clear. Rick says that he isn’t going another step until Achilles comes clean about trying to kill the kid and going renegade on Agamemnon. Achilles says that the kid has the potential to be the next Hitler, and that he isn’t going to stand by and let that happen again. He says that he doesn’t care how innocent he looks. He says that Delphi saw visions of him leading armies and destroying everything. He says that he swore to them that he would never let it happen again. Rick asks, “Swore to who?” Achilles says that it is “whom” and points and says, “Them. Right over there.” Rick turns his head to look and Achilles punches him. Achilles apologizes to Rick. He says that he knows he is just trying to do the right thing, but that so is he.

Sabra flies behind Hulk’s erratic leaping. She is out of quills and so she flies into Hulk and hits him. She says that he has so little regard for them. She says that she is small and he is huge, but that Israel is small and that they stand up against their enemies. She says that attack them and they will endure. She says that they give as good as they get. Sabra rides Hulk to the ground. Hulk thinks to himself that now he isn’t fighting a woman, but a Zionist recruiting board. Hulk and Sabra land at the Wailing Wall. She asks what she was thinking and that one missed punch from Hulk could destroy the wall. She tries to fly away to lure Hulk away, but Hulk grabs her cape off. Sabra says that she can’t fly without her cape. Hulk tries to talk, but is still garbled. Sabra hits Hulk and tells him to stop growling at him with his “insufferable smirk”. She hits Hulk again, but Hulk smacks her away. As Sabra lies on the ground, Hulk weakly says, “IIIII… haaave haaad iiitttt… wiiiiith youuuu….”

Max and Gretta are going to hide behind the Dome of the Rock, but Achilles has caught up with them. Gretta tells Max that he can stop him. Max turns with glowing eyes and says, “Yes… yes, I can! I know it! You! Stop!” Achilles struggles, but he shakes it off and tells Max that he is invulnerable to everything… including mind control. Max and Gretta runs. Achilles says that they are only dragging this out because he will not stop until he stops him.

Sabra tells the monster that he has her, but not to expect her to beg. She says that everyone thinks that Israel is weak now. She say that they waited for America to defend them against Saddam, and that their pride was more devastated than their cities. She says that violence against women is becoming common place there. She says that frustrated soldiers are beating their wives because they had to stay their hand against Iraq. She says that their anger eats away at even themselves. She tells Hulk to take a message back to his American friends that she died with honor. That Israelis fear no enemy. She says that their people will never submit again. Hulk says,  “All right, you win.” Sabra keeps railing, but Hulk says that she won. He says that he surrenders, and that hitting her further would be pointless and needless. He says that it probably wouldn’t shut her up. He asks if she will now scrub her platitudes and listen for a minute.

Rick continues running from Max’s “avengers”.

Achilles chases Max and Gretta along the top of the building. Achilles says that Max is just endangering the girl. Max trips and falls off the building. Hulk leaps after him. He wonders if he should really save him since if the Pantheon is right that he is a future despot. He thinks about just letting gravity take its course, but says that he is kidding himself and catches Max. Hulk puts Max down and tells him to stay put. He says that he will deal with Achilles. Max says, “Stay put’ my butt! I’m going home!”

Hulk leaps back to the roof and confronts Achilles. Sabra blocks the other side. Achilles says that he sees they are no longer enemies. Sabra says that they have an understanding. Hulk says that doesn’t understand Achilles. Achilles looks on the ground. He sees Rick leading the angry mob that is chasing him, and he sees Max Meer not noticing them coming around the corner. Achilles says that he will let them understand. He says that he assumes that Sabra has heard of Dachau. Sabra says that it is the German concentration camp. Achilles says that he was there. He says that he was born in Germany in 1909. He says that he is a Jew, but knew nothing of his true parentage. He says that he never had a sick day in his life. He says that he married and had three children… two girls and a boy. He says that then came Hitler and his madness. He says that this wife and children were hauled away. His wife screamed his name and his children screamed for their father. Achilles says that they were slabs of meet to them. He says that he was a curiosity to them for a time. They tried to tattoo a number on him, but the needle broke. He says that they were herded into “delousing showers”, except they were gas chambers. He says that they dumped the bodies in the mass graves and left to rot. He says that crushed beneath dead flesh that he learned why he never got sick, and why the needles broke. He says that the man who couldn’t be hurt or killed was reborn from all the death around him. He says that he doesn’t expect Dr. Banner to understand, but that Sabra knows “never again”. Sabra repeats, “never again”. He says that Meer is going to be a dictator on par with Hitler. He says that he can control minds and that Meer will rule unless he stops him. Hulk asks Achilles if he told them all that so that they would go easy on him, or if it was just that thing where the villain always has to boast about their plan before they are thwarted. Achilles says that he isn’t a villain, and that his plan isn’t thwarted. He says that “the crush of history” has just caught up with Max Meer. Hulk says that Achilles distracted them. Achilles says that Meer will suffer at his own hands and asks what could be more poetic justice than that. The crowd chasing Rick tramples Max. After Max is trampled all the people chasing after Rick no longer remember what they were doing. As the police roll up, the Pantheon ship arrives.

At the Mount, Hulk says that he should have left Achilles at the mercy of the police even when the Pantheon ship did show. Agamemnon says that Banner’s discretion is appreciated. He says that normal authorities would never be able to hold Achilles. He says that Achilles will be dealt with by him… severely. Hulk asks about Max Meer. Agamemnon says that the boy is fine in Jerusalem Hospital. He says that Max is already flirting with the nurses. Agamemnon tells Hulk to show Rick around the Mount. Rick says that he will be sure the visit the gift shop before he leaves. After they are alone, Achilles asks his father why he lied to Hulk about the boy’s condition and about his instructions. Agamemnon asks if he means that he instructed Achilles to kill the boy. He says that he was interested about Achilles’ and Doctor Banner’s moral centers. He says that he found both their reactions interesting. Achilles asks if they all aren’t just rats in a maze to him. Agamemnon says goodnight to Achilles. He tells him to dream of his lost loved ones and to be content.

In Jerusalem, Gretta sits by Max’s side. She says that nobody understands anything. She says that his parents told her that he would be a vegetable, and that the man at the dome said he could control minds… that he would rule. She says that they are all idiots. She says that he will recover and that she will see to it. She says that as for ruling and controlling minds… that you can’t let people know who is really in charge. She says that behind every great man there is a woman. She says that he can be the great man… she says that she knew the moment she met him… that she could control his mind, and siphon her power through him. She says that no one will ever suspect… and that they will do great things together.

No Excuses rating: 8 out of 10

Review and pictures by The Leader

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