Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #7Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #7
Title: “Trouble in Paradise”
Writer: John Byrne
Penciller: Ron Garney
Inker: Dan Green
Colors: Steve Buccellato
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Bruce Banner is thrown headlong into the mouth of Candler’s big flower. Luckily the Avengers had chosen that moment to hunt the Hulk, and the Vision catches Bruce as he falls. Iron Man asks Candler what that thing is. Candler says that it is a wondrous work of nature that is the salvation of humankind. Iron Man knows that Candler is supposed to be dead. Bruce shows them “Betty” alive as well. Bruce says that she even acts like Betty. Iron Man does a scan and finds a low-level psychic energy everywhere around them. Candler smacks the sensor out of Iron Man’s hand. Iron Man remarks that no ordinary man is fast and strong enough to break his sensor. Candler says that he is strong because his cause is just. Bruce says that he doesn’t think so and shows everyone the vegetation that is hanging off Candler’s arm. Betty and the others realize that Bruce was right and that they are all plants (This I don’t get because Candler admitted he created them from memories).
Iron Man announces that he has no idea what is happening, but he decides that he is going to destroy it all. His armor has created a nullifying wavelength. He blasts everything and Betty and the other veggie people dissolve into that moss stuff. Bruce holds the gunk that was Betty in his hands. He turns to Candler furious. Candler says that he may be injured but he still can take Banner. Bruce begins to change. He realizes that it wasn’t the spores that stopped him from changing, but instead it was the psychic energy that stopped him. After Iron Man dissolved it Bruce was no longer blocked. Bruce hulks out and decks Candler. Candler goes flying.
Wonder Man flies in and punches Hulk, but
Hulk just swats him away. Vision passes through Hulk and though
it doesn’t 
seem to hurt
Hulk is does cause Hulk discomfort. Hulk swings at the intangible
Vision. Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, and Vision all blast Hulk
together. Hulk claps his hands and sends them spiraling away on
the draft. Wonder Man dive bombs Hulk and knocks him to the
ground, but Hulk just swats him away. Iron Man realizes how
futile this is. Scarlet Witch is about to use her hex power, but
suddenly Candler’s big flower breaks through the ground.
It’s a real big flower. Suddenly Iron Man is concerned about
killing the big flower (guess he felt guilty for killing all the
veggie people). Hulk says that people and plants attack him. He
says that he wants to be left alone.
Tyrannus watches the events unfold as the subterraneans have found the Hulk again. Tyrannus tells them to prepare the manipulator. One of the subterraneans expresses concerns about Tyrannus’ injuries not being healed so Tyrannus hits him. Tyrannus figures Hulk’s mind will be disorganized and easy to take over. The subterranean says that Tyrannus should at least allow them to put the fail safe to break contact if it is necessary. Tyrannus is about to crack him another one, but realizes that he is right. Tyrannus says to do so, but that he should do so as he prepares.
The comic mistakenly believes that there is a link between the Hulk’s rage and his intelligence. Hulk freaks out and starts smashing the big flower. The Avengers watch as Owen Candler realizes that he is not really Owen Candler. It screams and screams. Wonder Man tries to tell Candler that he knows about being a thing that remembers being a real person. He offers to help, but Candler runs off suicidal. Candler runs right into the clutches of the Man-Thing. Candler is afraid and so he burns into nothingness. With Candler dead all the other vegetation drops lifelessly. Potato brain walks away and there is some doubt as to if it was even the real Man-Thing as it dissolves. The Avengers wonder where the Hulk went.
Hulk is already several hundred miles away after getting frustrated with his battle with the unconquerable flower (yeah that sounds like the Hulk- he doesn’t get angrier he just leaves when he finds something hard). A ship flies overhead and a figure jumps out. Hulk realizes that it was most likely someone else coming to attack him. Sure enough Hulk sees what he thinks is Wolverine.
No Excuses rating: 3 out of 10
I said it before and I’ll say it again- this story is garbage. The entire thing seems to have been for the “shock” value of seeing Betty Banner alive again when she wasn’t. All the characterizations in this issue were poor. Iron Man isn’t the type to start operating while admitting that he has no idea of what he is about to and what the effects will be. When Hulk encounters something impossible he gets angrier and angrier until it becomes possible for him. He doesn’t get bored and leave a fight. I have a hard time understanding why everyone is shocked that they are plants when they all stand around listening to Candler says that he created them out of memories.
With Byrne’s departure I’ll review his “run”: 0 out 10
Completely worthless- I just thank god that Tom Brevoort stopped the hemorrhaging and got Byrne off the book after this issue. Though the lame story continues. I’m guessing that when the higher ups that wanted the Hulk to go in a different direction, when they threw Peter David off the book, that they actually had no idea what they wanted that direction to be. There have been no important stories told since Peter David’s departure and as the book enters its sixteenth month without any particular agenda or direction I agonize that the character I loved is over.
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