Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #3Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #3
Title: “Heart of Darkness, Soul of Fire”
Writer: John Byrne
Penciller: Ron Garney
Inker: Dan Green
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Editor: Matt Idelson
(These events begin right before Bruce Banner collapses outside the Tolliver residence) A man stands in the shadows as several smaller figures attach equipment to his body. He yells at them to hurry and asks why they have to be so slow. One of the smaller figures says that the procedure is very delicate. The man has all the equipment hooked up now and an outline of the Hulk in ley lines generates around his body. He says that it was delicate at first, but now it is familiar. The Hulk throws the tanker at the same time the equipped figure pantomimes the action. The man is controlling the power of the Hulk and the immense power is almost like a drug to him. Hulk jumps through the barn. He looks down at Emma Tolliver and winds up looking down at Jonas Tolliver’s gun. Bruce Banner fights from within and takes control, transforming back into his own body.
Jonas admits that he is an idiot. Bruce asks where he is. Jonas says that he is in the middle of the barn he just demolished. Jonas keeps the gun on Bruce. Bruce asks how he got there.
A short time later Jonas is talking to the mayor of Faulkner telling him what a moron he has been and that he left his daughter with him. After Jonas hangs up he walks over to the holding cell and tells Bruce that the mayor is going to call the governor and see if the Avengers can’t get involved here. Bruce says that it won’t do any good. Jonas asks if Bruce is threatening him. Bruce says that he is a threat every moment he stays alive. Bruce says that he won’t do anything, but he can’t guarantee that the Hulk won’t. Jonas says that he thought Bruce controlled the Hulk. Bruce mistakenly says that usually he remembers what he did as the Hulk, but this time it’s different. Bruce says that these changes make him felt like a passenger inside the Hulk. Jonas’ girlfriend Jeanna and Emma arrive at the police station. Emma asks if Bruce is okay. Jonas says that Bruce is fine, but Bruce says that Emma shouldn’t be near him. Emma says that she is sure Bruce wouldn’t hurt her, but Bruce says that he can’t be sure. Jonas tells Emma that he is gonna take her to lunch. Emma says that she wants to stay with Bruce and that he is her friend. Bruce says that he is glad to hear Emma say he is her friend, but he says that her father is right. He says that he will be there if she wants to come back later.
Jonas, Jeanna, and Emma leave. Jeanna says that Bruce isn’t what she expected. Jeanna has to get back to the schoolhouse so she kisses Jonas goodbye. Emma asks if Jonas and Jeanna are going to get married. Jonas says that it has only been two years since Emma’s mother died, and that is too soon for the hurt to heal. They enter a diner, and some of the patrons start to ask Jonas about Bruce being held in the police station.
Twelve hours later Iron Man, Vision, and Scarlet Witch are talking about the Hulk. Iron Man says that they should have done something years ago about the Hulk, and that they were kidding themselves to think he could play well with others. Wanda asks how many times the Avengers have fought and helped cure the Hulk. Iron Man says that everytime Bruce has been cured he finds some need to become the Hulk again. They discuss that idea that Bruce might be addicted to the power of the Hulk. Wonder Man enters and says that there is some bad news on the television. The report says that the Hulk has just attacked a commercial airliner and that at least three hundred people have been killed.
Tyrannus sits
and watches the Hulk on screen. He asks one of the smaller
figures if this time they have complete control. The little
figure says that they have full control. Bruce Banner says that
if they believe that they are all fools. Bruce says that sooner
or later the Hulk will destroy them all. The shadowed man stands
up to reveal that he is Tyrannus. Tyrannus says that many have
tried and failed for thousands of years, but that they all find
that Tyrannus is not so easy to destroy.
No Excuses rating: 5 out of 10
The continued stalling of the plot makes this book such a drag that even the revelation that Tyrannus is the villain only merits an additional point.
The art is again fantastic and I’m tempted to give it a full five points, but again there is precious little action in this issue and I can’t give it a perfect score with such a glaring omission.
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