Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #398Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #398
Title: “Ghosts of the Past, Part 2: Betrayals”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Dale Keown
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Betty tells Marlo to slow down. She recognizes Jackie’s car in the driveway. She says that if Marlo wasn’t driving so slowly that they wouldn’t have lost her a mile back. Marlo says to excuse her for being a careful driver. Betty says that she knew that if they drove around a little that they would find the car. Marlo says that this might be a stupid question, but that if there is something going on that maybe they should call the police. Betty asks what they would say. She says that all they saw was a grown woman and a grown man who may have been unconscious, or maybe asleep. She says that they wouldn’t give her the time of day. Jackie watches from the window. Betty says that maybe there isn’t anything wrong anyway. She says that with all the strange things that have happened to her that she thinks they could handle this one. Jackie draws a large knife. Marlo says that maybe they should contact Bruce. Betty says that he would just tell them that they were being paranoid. She says that she is sure that he has his own problems.
Hulk is being punched in the face by
Ironclad, punched in the back by Ogress, trapped in one of
Jailbait’s cages, and being shot in opposite directions by
Redeemer and Hotshot. Rock tells them to move out of the way, and
that he wants a turn with him. Vector is standing with Leader. He
says that what he likes about Leader is that he knows how to
throw a party. Vector starts to say that it will only be a matter
of time before the Hulk, but Leader interrupts him and says,
“ducks”. Vector asks what Leader said. Leader says that
there is too many people attacking Hulk. He says that if Vector
had studied Hulk’s current fighting style that he would know
that at any moment he was about to duck. Just then, Hulk ducks
under Ironclad and Ogress’ punches. He grabs their wrists
and then uses them to tear through Jailbait’s cage. Redeemer
takes a shot, but Hulk pulls Ironclad back and Redeemer hits him
in the back. Hulk then kicks Ironclad into Redeemer. Vector tells
Leader that they have to do something. 
Leader says
that actually he doesn’t really care about the fight. He
says that he has his own agenda to attend to. Leader presses a
button on his gauntlet and disappears into the hole Vector
created in Agamemnon’s door. Vector shouts at Leader.
Jackie’s doorbell rings. As she walks to the door she turns the television on and cranks the volume way up. Jackie opens the door. She sees Marlo and Betty and says that this a surprise. Betty asks if Rick is there. Jackie says that he isn’t and asks why. Betty says that they thought they saw him asleep in her car and that they followed her. Jackie feigns shock and says that she thought that they had more of a bond of trust than that. Marlo says that to be honest, Rick took what they told him about her from them, but that they don’t really know very much about her. Jackie says that they should remedy that right now. She asks if they checked to make sure that Rick wasn’t home. Marlo smirks at Betty and says that they were too busy trailing her. Jackie tells them to come in and give him a call. Marlo says that Jackie must be a clean freak, and that she has never smelled so much Lysol. Jackie says that Marlo sure says what is on her mind. She says that she was having some cesspool trouble and that is why she went heavy on the air fresheners.
Downstairs, Rick is still chained next to the rotting corpses. Rick shouts that he has been held captive by the Kree and the Skrulls, and that she is small potatoes.
Marlo asks why the television is up so loud. Jackie says that she finds it helps drown out her noisy neighbors.
Leader materializes inside Agamemnon’s stronghold. Agamemnon appears and says that he finds it curious that Leader did not bring his compatriots as well. Leader says that a mass attack against Agamemnon isn’t what he is after. Agamemnon asks Leader what it is that he does want. Leader says that he is glad Agamemnon asked.
Hulk and Ironclad are struggling. Hulk says
that Ironclad is just prolonging this. Ironclad tells Hulk that
he is going to die. Hulk says, “Maybe. But not at your
hands.” Ironclad says that is fine with him as Rock creates
a giant spiked hand and rams the fingers through Hulk from
behind. Rock says that he owes Hulk for what he did to Redeemer.
Hulk shouts in pain, but says that Redeemer looks fine to him.
Ulysses charges in. He slices through Rock’s hand with his
flaming sword. Hulk thanks Ulysses and jokes that he was just
saving his strength. Rock shouts for Hotshot and Redeemer to
shoot him. They blast and knock Ulysses over when they hit his
energy shield. Atalanta fires on Redeemer and says that help is
on the way. 
Hulk leaps into
the air at Hotshot and Ironclad. He says, “Help? I
don’t want any more help! These losers are mine! All
mine!”
Betty says that she got Rick’s answering machine. Marlo asks what is on it this week. Betty says that Rick is singing along to the theme of “Tiny Toons”. Marlo is looking at the mantle. She sees Jackie in several pictures with different boys. As Marlo looks her foot gets tangled in the television’s plug. She accidentally pulls the plug out. Marlo leans over to plug it back in and is surprised to hear Rick shouting. Jackie is standing behind Marlo as Marlo is on her hands and knees. Rick’s machine finished and Betty leaves a message. She walks into the room and is stunned. Jackie is standing over the body of Marlo with a bloody knife in her hand. Marlo is bleeding from her back as she lies motionless on the floor. Jackie says that Marlo was going to take Rick away from her. She says that she wasn’t right for Rick. She says that Betty isn’t right for him either. She says, “A mother just knows these things.”
Hulk claps his hands and sends Ironclad,
Jailbait, Hotshot, and Ogress to the ground. Vector says that was
very good. He says that it is fitting that it come down to them.
He says that they are the two greatest intellects and the two
greatest powers. Vector asks if Hulk is going to flee, or if he
is going to take it like a man “or whatever it is you
are?” Hulk starts walking into Vector’s stream of
power. Vector tells Hulk to go ahead and scream as he does what
he has always wanted to do, “Flay the green hide from your
bones!” Chunks of Hulk’s flesh are coming off all over.
Vector tells Hulk to crunch all the handholds in the floor that
he wants. Vector says that any second that the torture will be
too much for him. Hulk claws closer and closer until he is only
inches from Vector’s hands. Vector stands amazed and says,
“… dear god.” Hulk, in his greatly decreased mass,
smacks Vector into Ironclad knocking them both down. Hulk falls
to his knees and says, “ouch”. Ulysses says that maybe
they should get him something. Atalanta suggests twenty gallons
of mercurochrome. Hulk tells both of them to shut up for a
minute.
Hulk
concentrates and his form returns to normal. Hulk tells them to
get him a new pair of pants, and that he will finish this up.
Agamemnon appears behind Hulk. He says that it already is
finished. Agamemnon says that hostilities can stop immediately
and that he and the Leader have come to an accord. Hulk grimaces
at Agamemnon.
Betty cowers away from Jackie. She says that Jackie is right and that she and Marlo are no good for Rick. She says that she’ll just take Marlo and go. Jackie lunges with the knife, but Betty ducks and Jackie tears into the wall. Betty starts to run, but Jackie tackles her from behind. Jackie says that if she lets Betty go that she will only come back. Jackie swings her knife and nicks Betty’s cheek. Betty hits Jackie’s arm and knocks the knife from her hand. Jackie grabs the cord from the light and wraps it around Betty’s neck. She says that she doesn’t expect Betty to understand because she isn’t a mother. Jackie says that being a mother means doing things that you don’t want to, but have to because she knows it is right. Jackie says that she is sorry about this. She says that she really does love Betty, and that she is the daughter she never had. Betty grabs a fire poker and jabs it into Jackie’s side. Jackie asks how dare Betty treat her that way. Betty tells Jackie that she is “one crazy mother”. Betty whacks Jackie unconscious with the fire poker. Rick is still in the basement. He says that he can hear them up there. He says to let him go before someone gets killed. Betty looks down at Marlo’s motionless body.
Hulk says that they just blew a hole in the side of the Mount and terrorized its inhabitants. He asks what Agamemnon means when he says that they have an accord. Leader materializes and says that he thought Agamemnon was quite clear. Leader tells Hulk to get some pants on. He says that not only is he giving some of them an inferiority complex, but that there are ladies present. Atalanta tells Hulk not to hurry on her account. Hulk tells Atalanta and Leader to shut up. He asks how dare Agamemnon. Agamemnon asks how Bruce dares to question his authority. Leader says that as a rational man that surely Bruce can appreciate when discussion leads to a cessation of hostilities. Leader asks if Hulk doesn’t love a happy ending.
Betty kneels over Marlo’s body.
No Excuses rating: 10 out of 10
Great fight and exciting stuff. The death of Marlo is a monumental event, even more than we know. Dale’s final issue of the Hulk is a great one. Visually amazing and nice storytelling. A minor victory for the Leader, even though in the long run his plan was a disappointing one.
Review and pictures by The Leader