Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #16Incredible Hulk vol. 3 #16
Title: “Dogs of War part 3”
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Penciller: Ron Garney
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colors: Jason Wright
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Angela Lipscombe is complaining to Doc Samson about how Bruce showed up at her door, and that now all of her things are destroyed in the fight between the Hulk and General Ryker. Samson asks Angela how that makes her feel. Angela says that it makes her feel like crap. She says to keep his psychoanalyzing to his patients. She asks how he would feel if an old girlfriend showed up with the plague, turned into a werewolf, and then destroyed all his cd’s. Samson says that the point is taken.
Samson opens the door and the Professor I
sitting there. Bruce says that it is uncomfortable to be in his
regular body, but that it feels good to be back in this body.
Samson shakes Bruce’s hand. Samson says that it is good to
have him back. Angela says that he doesn’t get it, and she
thought that he was supposed to be the Hulk.
Professor says
that he gets to retain his intelligence and memories, but that he
gets to control the power of the Hulk as well. He apologizes for
ducking out on the festivities, but that he wanted to quickly
finish some work he had at Samson’s place. Angela asks which
version of the Hulk has any fashion sense. She says Hulk looks
like a refugee from a Duran Duran video. Samson asks if that is
the masking device that Bruce was working on. Professor says that
Ryker let it slip that he tracked his radiation signature. He
figured that he might be able to mask his signature. Samson says
that he would figure something that size wouldn’t have the
charge necessary. Professor says that is what he is trying to get
around. Professor tells Angela that she might find some of
Betty’s clothes in Samson’s closet and invites her to
put some on. Angela says, “Sure thing ‘Bruce”.
Ryker is yelling at his people. He says that he is disappointed that Banner was allowed to escape, but the fact that he left with a picture of him… he trails off. One of Ryker’s people asks how they are going to get to Banner now that he knows they are after him. Ryker says that they are going to destroy his private life piece by piece. He says that he wants a systematic sweep of every known associate of Banner’s, and that in one week he expects every aspect of Banner’s life to be under his control. Ryker tells Johnson to come with him. Johnson asks where they are going. Ryker says that they are going to visit an old friend.
Professor says that he is heading out to find an old friend and that he will explain when he gets back. Angela says to Samson “and he rides off into the sunset”. Samson says that he is like that. Angela says that the Bruce Banner she knows isn’t like that. She asks Samson when he is going to tell him that he isn’t really Bruce Banner. Samson says that he was the last time he checked. Angela says that the Bruce Banner she knew was uncoordinated and neurotic. She says that people don’t just change because they build some muscles no matter what it says on the back of comic books. Angela says that Bruce wouldn’t puff out his chest either and adds that Bruce Banner is not left handed (but we’ll say ambidextrous). Samson says that he doesn’t know what she is driving at. Angela reminds Samson that she spots liars for a living. She says that often multiple personalities develop a “brave” personality, and that personalities might show dexterity in opposite hands. She says that isn’t Bruce Banner, that is who Bruce Banner wishes he could be. She says that the problem is that he thinks he is Bruce Banner, and that Samson knew all along. Samson says that he had no choice.
General Ross walks into a room that is supposed to be off limits to everyone except himself. He asks Ryker what gives him to ignore that directive. Ryker is standing next to the preserved body of Betty Banner. He says that it is the same reason as always “national security”. Ross says that he knows who Ryker is and what he has been up to. Ross says that he has no hesitation about bringing Ryker to task for it either. Ryker says that it is too late for that. He says that he has taken over this facility by order of the president. Ross says that the president will overturn that. Ryker says that for now he controls everything in the building, including the frozen body of his daughter. Ryker says that if Ross wants her back that he is going to have to earn her. Ryker says that he wants Banner for an experiment, and that if Ross doesn’t help him that he will turn off the power that keeps his daughter frozen.
Nick Fury returns to his apartment. He pulls his gun out and finds that the Professor is standing in the middle of the room. Fury asks if Bruce got his brain back. Hulk says that it is something like that. Hulk says that he needs a favor. He shows Fury the picture of Ryker and asks what his name is. Fury says that he is Ryker, but that if you ask around he doesn’t officially exist. Fury says that Ryker is the worst kind of psycho- one with resources. Fury says that he can’t tell Hulk anymore than that though. Hulk asks if Fury is afraid. Fury says that he isn’t afraid of anyone, but that if he was he would be afraid of Ryker. Fury warns Hulk that if he is planning on picking a fight that he had better know his opponent. Fury says that Ryker was torturing people before Hulk was born. He says that he dropped Agent Orange in Vietnam. He says that he developed a mutated strain of polio that makes people susceptible to genetic alteration and gave it to illegal Mexican immigrants and put it in Columbian cocaine. Fury then insinuates that Ryker killed Kennedy. Hulk asks if Fury is trying to tell him that, but Fury says that he isn’t saying anything. He says that they can’t even prove he was in the country at the time. Fury gives Hulk a phone number to reach a guy called Hack. Hulk says that he has to go after Ryker. He asks Fury if he can count on him when the time comes. Fury says that you can’t count on anyone.
Angela asks Samson if he lied to Bruce. Samson says that it isn’t as simple as that. Angela says that Samson traded two destructive personalities with one benign one. She says that Bruce can’t even think of Betty without crying, but the Professor offered her Betty’s clothes. Samson admits that he lied. Samson tells Angela not to look at him that way. Samson says that sometimes doing what is right means putting your ethics aside. Samson says that medicine isn’t an exact science and that MPD isn’t an exact disorder. He says that Bruce Banner was falling apart and that he had to put him together quick. Samson says that he created an ideal being. Samson says that he had hoped that he could mesh him with his true self over time, but that it never happened.
Professor turns off his masking device. He shouts out to Ryker to come and get him.
No Excuses rating: 5 out of 10.
Not a winner here. Here is where I have a few problems with Jenkins’ writing. Professor was not the merged Hulk. It’s as simple as that. Merged Hulk was never left handed until Jenkins decided that he was. Some time I’m hoping that it will be explained that Samson really did cause a merger, but that when the merger failed it created another personality in the same vein. I don’t know where Jenkins gets the idea that Hulk and Fury were buddies. The scene between Ross and Ryker worked well though. Two out of five. Garney’s and Buscema’s excellent work is ruined somewhat by the lame pony tail on the Professor.
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