Incredible Hulk annual #14

Title: “Weakness of the Flesh!”

Writer: John Byrne

Penciller: Sal Buscema

Inker: Sal Buscema

Colors: Andy Yunchus

Editor: Dennis O’Neil

The Hulk leaps along toward the site of the original gamma bomb test. A ship following him deploys two long manacled arms.

From inside the ship, the crew says that they are having very good fortune. He says that the Hulk hasn’t been seen on the planet for months, and that now he practically jumps into their arms. A commanding officer tells them not to waste the opportunity. He asks for a report status. He is told that the Hulk moving better than 75 miles per hour, and that his leaps are covering about ten miles a piece and increasing. The officer says to activate the grapplers on his next leap. He says that he wants him seized before he starts his downward arc.

The manacles grab one of Hulk’s arms and his opposite leg. The ship starts to dip with the added weight of the Hulk. The ship’s auto-gyros activate and stabilize the ship. Hulk swings his free fist and smashes the leg manacle off. Another manacle shoots out and grabs the Hulk’s leg again. The arms start shaking and disorienting Hulk. The manacles start to retract back into the ship. The doors close behind them as the Hulk is brought on board.

Hulk finds himself alone in a dark ship. He asks where he is and what this place is. When Hulk gets no answer he smashes his fist against the ground and pulls up two cables that start electrifying him.

Through a window above, Hubert St. Johns, Doctor Kelloway, and Doctor Kortz watch the Hulk. Kelloway says that they are hurting him and that they said they wouldn’t hurt him. St. Johns says that a few thousand volts can hardly hurt a creature as powerful as the Hulk. He says that it is fascinating to observe him up close. He says that it is going exactly as Kortz predicted. Kortz says that if they will notice the sensor readings that Hulk is also getting stronger as he predicted. Kelloway asks if he will eventually be able to damage the ship. St. Johns says that he could, but that they will act now to prevent it.

The room Hulk is in begins to fill with gas. Hulk sees the gas and remembers how it works. He leaps onto the room’s ceiling and starts tearing his way through the ceiling to see where the gas is coming from.

St. Johns says that Kortz didn’t predict this. He orders him to do something. Nancy Kelloway says that Hulk is going to break through the bulkhead. Daniel Kortz tells Kelloway to restrain herself and that everything is under control. As Kortz dons a jetpack, he says that he had hoped that the Hulk would be too stupid to react to the gas like this, but that he is prepared for this. He says that he is prepared for anything. Kortz pushes a button and flies out into the room.

Kortz calls out to the Hulk as he flies toward him. Hulk sees him and says that he should have figured that it was a puny human. Hulk takes a swing at Kortz, but Kortz easily dodges. He tells Hulk that he knows all about the Hulk’s speed and that he has studied him for a long time. Kortz flies by again and Hulk leaps off the ceiling to grab at him, but Kortz dodges him again and Hulk falls back to the ground. Kortz says that he knew that Hulk couldn’t concentrate on attacking him and on holding on to the ceiling. Hulk hits the ground. He manages to get up, but only in time to fall over again succumbing to the gas.

Later, Hulk is restrained on a table. A glass sphere is placed over his head and a continual supply of gas St. Johns says that the plan went off without a hitch after all. He asks how long it will be before they can initiate the final phase. Kelloway says that she thinks a few more days. She says that they need a few more tests. St. Johns asks how many more tests they need and that this project is already ten months old. He asks what more they need to learn. Kortz says that he doesn’t think they need anything else. Kelloway says that Kortz isn’t the one taking the final risk. Kortz says that St. Johns is and says they should ask him. St. Johns says that he says that he wants it to go ahead. One of the techs tells St. Johns that the Hulk is waking up. St. Johns says that is good and that he prefers the Hulk was awake for this. St. Johns tells him to make sure that the Hulk stays groggy. St. Johns walks up to Hulk and says that at last they meet. He says that Hulk seems like an old friend to him because he has spent so much time studying him. He says that he feels that the Hulk’s prison may be the key to his. Hulk lets out a very low growl. St. Johns introduces himself, Kelloway, and Kortz. He tells Kortz to proceed. Kortz says that he has to admit that he is looking forward to this as he prepares the needle. He says that until now it has been all theoretical, but that now it becomes real. Kortz says that they don’t need to sterilize the point of puncture since no microbe on Earth could hurt Hulk. St. Johns tells Kortz to be careful and that the micro-tipped needle he is using took a year’s time and a fortune to produce. Hulk growls as the needle is inserted. Kelloway says that they are hurting him. Kortz says that Nancy surprises him. He says that when he was a student in her class that he thought she was made of sterner stuff. St. Johns says that he hopes Kelloway’s humanitarianism won’t stop her from doing her job. Kelloway says that they promised. Kortz says that the Hulk wasn’t hurt. He says that it was more shock than pain. Kortz hands off the large jar of Hulk’s blood and says to process it immediately. Kortz says that the test should take about an hour. He says that they have time for a rest and a meal. St. Johns says that it will be his last meal before he never needs to eat again. A tech stores the Hulk into a holding chamber. He is amazed at the strength Hulk is using even though he is groggy. He says that it is nowhere near enough, but that it is impressive none the less. He wonders how the Hulk feels to be helpless for the first time in his existence.

Later, St. Johns asks about the results. Kortz says that it was a complete success. He says that they distilled the formula and isolated all the impurities. He says that this will be infinitely more successful than the others. Kelloway says that she is still worried. St. Johns says that they have tested and retested. He says that they have run out of test subjects. Kelloway says that she still has her doubts and that it is his safety she is worried about. St. Johns says that he thinks that she is just a coward and that is why she has been mired in obscurity for twenty five years. He says that she is afraid to seize the unknown by the throat. He says that what he is afraid of is what will happen if they waste one more day with tests.

Later still, Hulk is still restrained on the bed. He asks where he is and why can’t he move. Hulk says that he feels something that he has never felt before. Kelloway enters the room. She tells Hulk that she isn’t going to hurt him. She says that she wanted to apologize for what they are doing to him. She asks how much he understands her. She says that the reports from Samson that she read indicate that he is like a small child that will never grow up because there is no father figure strong enough to show him the right things to do. She says that she thinks that she is a lot like him. She says that she is like a child in a woman’s body. She says that she spent her whole life learning and never grew up. She says that she is sorry. As she leaves, Hulk tells her not to go. He says that she is alone and afraid, but by then Kelloway is gone.

Outside the room, Kelloway tells Hulk to sleep well. She says that she hopes this will be over soon and that he will be free again. She says that she will never be free so long as she is in love with a man like Kortz. Suddenly Kortz appears. He says that he expected better of her than to be in love with her most brilliant student. Kelloway asks what he is doing there. Kortz says that he could ask her the same and reminds her that this is a security area. Kelloway says that she was here before him and that she created this place. Kortz says that if she had used it that they never would have sent for him. He asks if she was delaying on purpose so she could ask for his help and be near him again. He says that she really is pathetic. As he walks away, Kortz downgrades Kelloway’s security clearance. Kelloway cries and says that there is no need for him to be such a monster and that tells him not to force her to hate him for loving him.

As the guard is reading a book instead of watching the monitors, the Hulk finally manages to strain against his restraints and knocks the bolts holding his restraints apart. He smashes the globe over his head and walks to the door. Hulk hits the door and the door slides open. Hulk walks down the hallway. He sees another open door and walks through it. Hulk enters a dark room. Suddenly the lights come on and Hulk finds himself surrounded by gamma mutated beings. They all seem monstrous and ogre like. One drops from the ceiling on the Hulk’s head. Hulk punches it away and knocks it into another mutate. All the mutates start to grumble at Hulk. Hulk tells them that he is ready if they want a fight. Hulk charges right into a pack of them and punches them away. Hulk asks if they see now. He says that Hulk is stronger than any of them. Suddenly a mutate with stubs for legs, but an immense upper body, leaps onto Hulk’s back and wraps his tentacles around his neck. Hulk says that the monster is stronger and that he can’t breathe. Hulk breaks the hold and says that he has had enough. He says that everywhere he goes that people try to attack him. Hulk says that now it is his turn to kill. Hulk grabs the monster by the head and slams it against the ground. Hulk says that the monster wasn’t stronger than him after all, but when he looks around he sees that all the mutates seem to be dropping to the ground. Hulk asks if he was only able to kill the monster because it was already dying.

From above again, St. Johns and Kortz watch the Hulk. St. Johns says that it seems that the Hulk is more resilient than Kortz thought. Kortz says that after the gassing and the loss of blood that even the Hulk should be weakened enough for the rejects to finish him. St. Johns says that it doesn’t matter and that it has been amusing. He says that it has served a vital function anyway and that the Hulk is eliminating all their failures. St. Johns says that Kortz was right about that at least. He says that their cellular structure is very unstable and that they fall apart as they exert themselves. He says that fate might have awaited him. Suddenly Kelloway enters the room. She calls them monsters and asks what they are doing to the Hulk. She says that they have lied to her again and again. St. Johns gets right in her face and asks why he shouldn’t lie, steal, and cheat if it gets him what he wants. He asks who she is, a wash out that was two steps ahead of imprisonment, to tell him what to do. He asks her how many deaths are on her hands and how many young girls were dead in back allies because of her clumsiness. He says that he pulled her out of that and gave her a second chance. He tells her not to forget it. She says that she hasn’t. She says that she is just trying to protect him from that. Kelloway points down to the Hulk. Kortz says that she wants to protect St. Johns and the Hulk. He says that she is the protector of all life… except the lives of the unborn. Kelloway adds the lives of the poor wretches below. She says that they were Kortz’s attempts to show results while rushing in. She asks him not to and says that he knows what happened. She tells Kortz that the reason she lost her position was because she was covering for his mistakes at the university. She says that she went to the abyss for him. Kortz laughs and says that she is every bit the fool he thought her to be. He says that she is a fool and a weakling. St. Johns says that he has had enough. He says that he wants the procedure completed before nightfall. Kelloway tells St. Johns to go ahead and kill himself if that’s what he wants. St. Johns says that he has warned her. Kelloway says that she is the one that has warned him over and over, but that he doesn’t want to hear her. She says that he must have as much fat between his ears as he has everywhere else. St. Johns mumbles, “…fat…” He backhands Kelloway to the ground. Kelloway is bleeding from her mouth. She tells him to go ahead and reach for the moon. She says that she hopes that it falls and crushes his fat blob of a self into jelly. At the door, St. Johns says that he is not the one who will die today. He says that he will grow and gain power and that when he has that power that he is coming back there and that he is going to kill her.

Kelloway sits alone in the room. She says that this is the end of her brilliant career. She decides that maybe this is a fitting end. She says to let St. Johns get his power and come back and kill her. She says that she is no better than St. Johns or Kortz. She says that she was supposed to have dedicated her life to others and the ending of pain… the curing of disease. She says that she might have been great, even the best, but that she did fall. She looks down at the Hulk fighting the mutates and says that she made that sea of rotting flesh because she was stupid and weak. She says that she let life overwhelm her and that she fell in love with a monster. She says that she has become everything that she hates. Kelloway decides that maybe it doesn’t need to end like this. She picks up a piece of machinery and starts banging it against the viewing window. Hulk is looking at the last reject fading away. He hears the banging and sees the “girl”. Hulk remembers her and leaps up to the window. Hulk smashes through the window. Hulk says that she was his friend. Kelloway says that is right. She says that she tried to help him, and that she needs him to help her now.

St. Johns is strapped to a table. A tech finishes putting the transfusor into St. Johns’ arm and stomach. Another tech secures the induction coils and tightens the restraints. Kortz says that all readings are green and ready. He tells teams one and three to stand by for final staging. Kortz starts the countdown from fifteen. He tells St. Johns to remain calm. St. Johns tells him to get on with it. When Kortz gets to nine he gets a red light. St. Johns curses Kortz’s incompetence and says that he thought he knew his job. Kortz says that he does. He says that they are spending too much energy stabilizing the formula and remaining in the air. St. Johns says to land then and asks if he has to think of everything. St. Johns says that he has been waiting since the day it was revealed that Bruce Banner was transformed into the Hulk for this. He says that he realized that what happened to Banner was the key to his prison of flesh. He says that he has waited years and now Kortz risks everything for the sake of a few seconds. He says that this has cost billions of dollars and cost hundreds of lives. He says that he won’t wait a nanosecond more. Kortz orders two circuits be overridden and for full power to all systems. The tech does as he is told. He says that all lights are green. He says that energizers are discharging excess radiation. He says that micro-analysis show blood and protein levels are at maximum irradiation. The gamma stimulator is firing and the formula is at maximum flow. Suddenly there is a banging from the door. One of the techs tells Kortz that it is the Hulk. Kortz realizes that Kelloway must have freed him and led him there. He says that they can’t be stopped now. Kortz orders that all secondary systems be overridden and to go for condition alpha. One of the techs tries to tell Kortz what that will do, but Kortz smacks him and says that he knows what it will do because he designed the system. Kortz shoots the final phase firing. St. Johns screams as he is hit.

Hulk keeps banging on the door. Kelloway tells Hulk to keep it up. She says that they have to stop them. Hulk says that doesn’t know why she is so upset, but that he will do as she says. Hulk smashes the door down. He enters the room and asks what is going on. He asks what his friend wanted him to stop. Hulk falls silent as he stares at the gigantic, enormous Hubert St. Johns transformed. He is fat beyond belief. The floor strains against his girth. St. Johns holds the dead Kortz in the air by the neck. Hulk says that it is Fat Man, but asks what happened to him. Kelloway sees Kortz and rushes to him as St. Johns drops him. She says, “He’s… he’s dead! He’s… dead… because… he… failed…” Kelloway turns to St. Johns and says, “You idiot, you complete, you utter moron! He didn’t fail! He succeeded! You don’t understand, do you? You won’t understand. The gamma rays cause accelerated replication of cell tissue. But they can only work with what they find at hand! Bruce Banner… all the others who have been exposed to the gamma rays… they’ve all been of normal build or less. So the gamma rays replicated their muscle and bone tissue, and made the Hulk, the Abomination. All you gave them to work with was fat! Fat! Fat! Fat! So that’s what they replicated! Tons and tons of fat!” St. Johns says that a little while ago that he made a promise to her. He starts to say that he is going to keep it, but he starts to choke. Kelloway says that St. Johns has burst. St. Johns falls over and crushes Kelloway and Kortz. The techs see that they are all dead and run before the Hulk sees them. Kelloway’s hand twitches on the other side of St. Johns’ body. Hulk says that Fat Man is dead. Little Man is dead, and that his friend is dead. Hulk says that he is all alone again. Hulk says that he will go and be alone. Hulk says that he thinks that is how it was supposed to be for him and that he likes it that way.

CONTINUES CHRONOLOGICALLY IN MARVEL FANFARE #29

No Excuses rating: 9.5 out of 10

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