Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #399Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #399
Title: “Ghosts of the Past, Part 3: A Convocation of Politic Worms”
Writer: Peter David
Penciller: Jan Duursema
Inker: Jan Duursema
Colors: Glynis Oliver
Editor: Bobbie Chase
Rick Jones storms into Dr. Strange’s home as Wong answers the door. Rick says that he needs him, and that he has to bring her back. Rick demands to know where Strange is and tells Wong to call his beeper since doctors all have beepers. Wong tells Rick that Strange is detained right now, and if he would have a seat. Rick tells Wong to take his hand off his shoulder. Rick says that he isn’t going to waste time with Wong and tells him to get him Strange. Strange descends into the room and says that “strange” is certainly the word he would use for Rick’s behavior. Strange says that he thought that maybe Namor was inside Rick’s body again, but that even Namor has more class than to be rude to Wong. Strange says that if Rick wants to be civil that he will be happy to talk with him, but that if he can also find himself naked in the middle of Times Square and that it is up to Rick. Rick plops down in a chair. He apologizes to Wong and Strange. Wong brings some tea out. Strange tells Rick to tell him what is troubling him. Rick says that if Strange thinks he is bad now that he should have seen him six hours ago.
Six hours ago, Betty is crying on Rick’s shoulder as they load Marlo’s corpse into the ambulance. Betty says that this is all her fault and that she will never forgive herself for this. Rick says that Betty was just trying to help, and that he can’t beat her up for that. The ambulance worker says that Betty should come with them to attend to the gash on her face. Betty asks why the ambulance’s siren is going. The man says that it is against the rules when the patient is dead. Rick tells her to go. Just then, the police are dragging Jackie into a squad car. She shouts to Rick that she was only doing this for him. She says that they were going to take him away from her, and that they just found one another. She says not to look so hurt, and that “mommy” will kiss it and make it better.
Back in his home, Strange asks if the woman holding him really believed she was his mother. Rick says that he isn’t there to talk about Jackie Shorr. Strange asks why he came all this way then. Rick says that he thought it was obvious. Rick says that he wants Strange to bring Marlo back to life.
Back at the old Gamma Base, Ross calls Banner a spineless milksop. He says that Bruce is slacking off when there is work to be done. Ross says that he is an over-educated civilian. Ross asks where Bruce gets off thinking that he is better than everyone else. Hulk pulls his old pipe out of the cobwebs. He speaks to the “phantom Ross” and says that he doesn’t think that. Ross says that he does. He says that he thinks that his muscles and smarts makes him better than everyone else. Ross says that Hulk thinks that no one is better than him. Hulk shouts, “Well maybe nobody is! Did you ever consider that?” He says that he is tired of spending time with blowhards that are always telling him that he is second rate. He says that he is sick of having people in his face. Hulk throws the pipe through Ross causing him to disappear. Hulk thinks about the fact that he brought Igor there not too long ago and made him confront his personal demons. Hulk says that it is ironic that he doesn’t need any artificial aids. He looks in the mirror and says, “Then again, I don’t carry all my demons on the inside.”
Strange tells Rick that if Marlo is dead that he can’t bring her back to life. Rick tells Strange not to give him that. He says that people come back from the dead all the time. He says that he has come back from the dead. He says that he bets Strange has to. Strange admits that he has, but adds that he is a professional. Rick asks Wong. Wong admits that he has as well. Rick says that three out of three people in the room have come back, and that Marlo should be able to also. Rick says that Strange can do it. He says that Strange is a mystic guy, and that he must be on a first name basis with Death. Strange says that Rick has him confused with Morpheus or the two teenagers from the “bogus movie”. Rick says that this isn’t fair, and that he isn’t ready to lose Marlo. Rick kicks over the table with the teapot on it. Strange says that they are never ready to lose the ones they love, but that he has to calm down. Strange says that maybe if Marlo’s soul was ripped away by demons or if vampires had attacked that maybe he could do something, but that she was knifed down by ordinary steel. Rick has tears in his eyes and says that he gets it. He says that Strange is a specialist and that he won’t help him. Strange says that it isn’t that he won’t, but that he can’t help him. Rick says that it comes down to the same thing. Strange says that Rick needs a good psychiatrist to help him deal with the loss. Rick thanks Strange for the advice and tells him to bill him as he storms out. Strange sighs as he puts the teapot back together again.
Hulk walks along outside. He sees himself and Betty walking together from so long ago. Betty is telling Bruce that the only time she hasn’t been on an army base was when she was in Catholic school. She admits that Bruce might be the first man she has ever spent time with that wasn’t in uniform. Bruce asks her how it feels. Betty says that it is almost like a guilty pleasure. Hulk stands over both of them. He asks if that is all she was to him. He asks if he was just a way of getting back at Ross for the way he raised her. Betty cowers from the “monster” and Bruce says that he will protect her. Hulk tells Bruce not to be an idiot. He says that he is him. Bruce says that he isn’t. He says that he is some sort of monster. Bruce says to look at him. Brutish, loutish, arrogant, and swaggering in his power. Bruce says that Hulk is nothing like him at all. Hulk tells Betty to ignore the twerp. He asks if she can tell that it is still him. Betty tells him to stay back, and that he is terrifying him. Hulk says, “You know… I guess he’s right. I’m not like him at all. I’m a vast improvement.”
Betty sits crying on the toilet as she holds the Janitor in a Drum that Marlo once used to dye her hair green. She gets up and sets the bottle down. She walks into the other room and picks up the phone. Betty calls Marlo’s mother. She introduces herself and says that she had better sit down for the news that she has to tell her.
At Four Freedoms Plaza, Reed tells Rick that he is very sorry about his girlfriend. Rick thanks him. He says that not to be crass, but that he is looking for more than sympathy. Torch says that they will do all they can, and asks if Rick has a picture. Rick hands a picture of Marlo to Johnny. Torch says that she is gorgeous and that it is really tragic. Rick asks if it would be any less tragic if she was ugly. Torch says that isn’t what he meant. Rick apologizes to Torch. He says that he is just so angry that he is taking it out on whoever is nearest. He says to ignore him and that everyone else is. Torch asks what the deal with the Jackie woman was. Rick says that the police checked her out. Rick says that if he had any brains that he would have done that as well, but that he really wanted to believe her and that she looked harmless. Rick says that she was a day care worker at one of the orphanages that he was at as a kid. He says that she was fired when she became mentally unstable, but that it was kept quiet to avoid bad press. Rick says that she got worse over the years and starting hunting down the children she took care of. Rick says that the kicker is that she still swears that she is his mother. Reed suggests a simple DNA test. Rick says that he doesn’t want to know. Reed says that it would prove that she isn’t his mother. Rick says that it could also prove that she is. He says that he doesn’t want to risk knowing that he is related to the murdering psychopath. He says that he doesn’t want to live without Marlo either. Reed says that bringing people back from the dead isn’t possible. Rick says that it has to be, and asks Reed how many times he has fought villains who have died and come back. Rick says that there has to be something to it. Reed says that he doesn’t know how it is done. He says that they have made advancements in cellular regeneration and cryogenics, but that reanimating the dead, body and soul, is beyond them. Rick walks to the door and says that he will just keep looking until he finds someone that it isn’t beyond. Torch says that he knows how he feels, but Rick says, “The blazes you do.” Torch blocks the door with his flame. He says that he loses his wife every single day. He says that the woman he thought he was married to turned out to be a Skrull, and that before he could even deal with that she went and died. Torch says that now he has to deal with seeing Ben and Alicia together, and that it tears him apart that he doesn’t mean anything to her. Torch tells Rick not to get holier than thou because when it comes to loss that he wrote the book. Rick says, “Gee, thanks, Torch. I feel much better now.” Reed says that it is a long shot, but that he will contact Henry Pym. Rick says, “Yeah, fine.”
At the hospital morgue, one of the workers is sitting there with a blank expression in his face and purple orbs floating around his head. Doctor Daniel Reyes walks in and shakes the man out of his daze. He says that he is there to run the autopsy on Marlo Chandler. Dr. Reyes says that they can’t botch this one and that it is for a homicide investigation. The man goes to open the drawer that Marlo was in only to find her body missing. He says, “oops”.
Henry Pym and Scarlet Witch are on Reed’s screen. Pym tells Rick that he is sorry, but that the technology Rick wants is beyond anything he has developed or even read about. He says that not to sound like a B-movie scientist, but that he thinks that maybe there are things that man wasn’t meant to know. Rick says that he needed more discouragement. Torch tells Pym that Rick has been mouthing off like that all day and not to let it bother him. Wanda says that their intelligence shows Hulk is involved with a group called the Pantheon. She says that Fury would be mad at her for suggesting it, but that maybe they could help. Rick says that he called them first, but that he didn’t get an answer from them or from Bruce. Wanda says that she thinks that Rick is just going to have to come to terms with this. She says that he isn’t responsible. Rick says that he does feel responsible. He says that it is his fault, and that he just has to do something. Wanda suggests Rick talk to Cap. Rick shouts, “no!” and runs out.
Hulk is sitting and brooding. He says, “Leader of the Pantheon’ huh ‘touched by godhood’ huh. Not long ago, Hulk asks Agamemnon where he gets off telling him that he has reached an understanding with a murderer like the Leader. Agamemnon says that things and people change. He says that one has to see the whole picture. He says that despite what Leader has done in the past that he has others that depend on him now. Hulk motions to Ironclad, Vector, Hotshot, and Jailbait and asks if they are the ones. Agamemnon says that they are innocents that Hulk knows nothing of. He says that they are being threatened by a terrorist group called the Hydra. Agamemnon says that Leader wants to have the Pantheon as an ally against them. Agamemnon says that he has acceded to his request. Ulysses says that he doesn’t believe this. Atalanta says that this is pushing it even for Agamemnon. Hulk asks why the Leader would need the Pantheon when he just broke in there and trashed the place. Agamemnon says that the Pantheon has many resources. He says that Leader knows this, and that only Hulk doesn’t. Agamemnon says that he doesn’t want any contradictions. Ulysses and Atalanta fall in line, but Hulk says no. He leaps at Leader, but Leader is already fading away. Leader says, “Farewell, Hulk. Another time. Another lifetime perhaps.” Leader’s minions fade away as well. Agamemnon says that they are gone and tells Hulk not to try his patience. Hulk tells Agamemnon to drop dead. He says that Agamemnon might be the leader of “this peanut gallery”, but that if he thinks that he is just going to take this that he can forget it. Hulk leaps out of the Mount. Agamemnon’s image grows out of the Mount after Hulk. He says that he is acting rashly, and that no good will come of it.
Rick is sitting alone in his hotel looking
at his picture of Marlo. He tells her that he is so sorry. He
says that this is his fault. He says that the Karma Police have
come around. 
A voice says,
“It’s because you killed Farnoq Dahn… and now you
feel you’re being punished for your transgression.”
Rick looks up and sees Leader and Redeemer. Rick says,
“Leader!” Leader says, “You… and only
you… may call me… Sam.” Leader asks if he can see
the picture. Rick asks if Wolfsbane told Leader about Farnoq.
Leader takes the picture and says that Rick is unaware that they
share an emphatic bond. He says that it happened when Rick’s
gamma energy was transferred to him. He says that at first it was
just knowledge they shared, but that in recent months, with the
strength of his emotions for Marlo, that it has become something
more. Leader says that he is having difficulty dealing with
Rick’s grief and that he cannot ignore his anguish and
heartache. Rick asks if Leader is there to kill him. Leader says
that killing Rick won’t help Marlo. Rick asks if Leader is
saying he can bring Marlo back to him. Leader says that is
exactly what he is saying. Rick pushes Leader against the wall.
He says that he is lying. He says that he is a murderer, and that
none of the others could help him. Rick says that Leader is one
of the bad guys. Leader says, “Men of vision have always
been vilified as heretics… ‘bad guys’ if you will.
Labeled as such by ‘good guys’. Condemned,
excommunicated, burned at the stake. Study history Rick.”
Leader says that with his technology and one of his followers he
calls Soul Man that he is sure he could do it. Leader orders
Redeemer to show Rick. Redeemer removes his helmet. Rick stares
in awe and Leader asks if they should talk about Marlo.
No Excuses rating: 6.5 out of 10
Somewhat of a filler issue, but it definitely sets the stage for the big 400. I love that after Rick exhausts all means of bringing Marlo back that he gets an offer from the smartest man in the Marvel universe. The issue establishes that people come back from the dead all the time in comics, but that no one really seems to be able to control it. Leader says that he can. Jan Duursema’s pencils aren’t too bad, and I’m trying not to let my disappointment of Keown’s leaving affect my grade too much, but some of this is just bad. 2.5 out of 5 for the art.
Review and pictures by The Leader