Amazing Spider-Man #119Amazing Spider-Man #119
Title: “The Gentleman’s Name is… Hulk!”
Writer: Gerry Conway
Penciller: John Romita
Inker: John Romita
Colors: Andrea Hunt
Editor: Roy Thomas
Spider-Man leaps over the electrified fence
of Doctor Octopus to visit his Aunt May. Spidey leaps over to the
house and says that there is going to be a big stir when Peter
Parker shows up on the front door without having tripped any
alarms. Peter takes his mask off and starts to change into his
street clothes. He thinks that he would have called first, but
that this telegram he has is marked urgent, and that he promised
Mrs. Watson that he would deliver it personally. Peter overhears
one of Doc Ock’s men saying that they don’t have a
telegram. He says that if anything comes up that Doc Ock will be
the first to know. 
Peter thinks to
himself, “Wanna bet, big-mouth?” Peter decides that he
had better read the telegram first before handing it over. He
says that he has been wondering what Ock’s interest in his
aunt was since he never struck him as the romantic type. Peter
walks up to the door. Aunt May answers the door and says that
this is a wonderful surprise. She says that she thought he had
forgotten about her with all the election excitement. Peter says
that he did get a little bogged down, but that now he is there to
check on her. Peter asks May if they have been treating her well.
May says that if Peter means Mr. Rafferty and his friends that
she takes care of them more than they look after her. Peter says
that if she says so. An hour or so later, Peter tells May that he
has to leave.
Spider-Man starts swinging home. He thinks to himself that he wishes he knew what Doctor Octopus’ game was. Spider-Man leaps onto a passing bus heading toward New York City. He thinks that maybe he finally has his answer in the telegram. He thinks that as much as he hates prying into her business that he is going to read the telegram and hope he doesn’t regret it.
Thirty-five minutes later, Spider-Man leaps off the bus onto a street light. Peter swings home. He says that he never thought he would miss the cluttered mess so much. Peter takes off his costume and opens the telegram. The telegram reads: “Urgent I contact you at once STOP Please come in person stop this matter too delicate for discussion here or on phone STOP” It is signed “Jean Pierre Rimbaud, Montreal, Quebec”. Peter says that he needs to go for a walk and think about this. He says that it is funny. He says that he used to go web-slinging to relax, but that now he gets “more of a kick out of touring midtown”. Peter decides to lock his closet. He says that it isn’t that he doesn’t trust Harry, but that he has been acting weird, and that finding a Spider-Man costume in his closet won’t help him sleep easy.
Out on the street, Peter spots Harry waving goodbye to his father Norman. Pete walks up to say hello, but Harry collapses into him arms. Norman shouts at Peter to get away from his son. He tells him to unhand his son. Peter says that Harry looks pretty sick and that he needs to get to a doctor. Norman says that he can handle that himself. He says that he is tired of Peter’s meddling. Norman tells his driver to get the car. As Norman and Harry drive away, Peter wonders what that was all about. He thinks to himself that it doesn’t make sense, but then he thinks of a way that it could. He thinks to himself that it can’t be happening again and that he has more problems than he did before. Peter wonders if Norman is starting to remember being the Green Goblin. Peter says that if he does that he will also remember that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Peter decides that is another good reason to go to Montreal. He wonders where he will get the money. Peter looks over at a TV and sees a news report about the Hulk being in Montreal. Peter says that he can get up there as a photographer for the Daily Bugle.
Peter heads to the Daily Bugle. Peter asks Betty if Jameson is in. Betty says that he is, but that he is in a terrible mood. Peter asks what else is new. Peter walks in and Jonah starts screaming at him. Peter tells Jonah that he can get him pictures of the Hulk pounding on Spider-Man. Moments later, Peter walks out with the money to get to Canada, but Jonah warns him that if he doesn’t come back with the pictures that he will destroy him with his bare hands.
Peter gets on the plane at Kennedy International Airport and lands sometime later in Montreal International Airport.
Peter walks looking for the attorney’s office. He wonders if he is doing the right thing prying and recalls how it always bothered him when she did it to him. He decides that maybe he never understood her before. Peter checks in at the lawyer’s office, but is told that he went out of town on business. Peter tells his receptionist that his aunt is very sick and sent him to find out what was so important. The receptionist tells Peter that she will check the files to tell if she can see. Peter looks out the window and sees a commotion at the hotel across the street. The receptionist suggests Peter come back later for dinner.
Across the street, Peter is freezing in the Montreal winter. Peter says that he can’t let it stop him. He says that he needs pictures of the Hulk, and that if there is anyone who where he is that it is the man that just went into the hotel… Brigadier General Thunderbolt Ross. Peter uses his Bugle press pass to get in. Ross tells the assembly that he has been asked to oversee the Canadian military forces against the Hulk because of his past experiences with the creature. Ross says that they can’t hope to contain him and that they should concentrate on crushing him. A soldier taps Ross on the shoulder to speak to him. Ross tells the reporters that he just received word that the Hulk has been spotted at a power station on the St. Lawrence Seaway, ten miles north. Ross says that the conference is over and promises that the next time he speaks to them will be to report the Hulk’s capture. Ross takes off with Lieutenant Costeau.
Moments later, Peter is rejected from coming along because he isn’t one of the regular American correspondents. The trucks start driving away and Peter says that he has to get those shots. Peter leaps into the air and grabs the truck’s rear. The other reporters admire his moxie and help him inside. An hour later, Peter’s spider sense starts to go off. He warns the driver, but he is too late. Hulk lifts the truck into the air. He says that if soldiers don’t leave him alone that he will knock them down. Hulk knocks the truck over. Peter sees that everyone is okay and then takes off to change into his Spider-Man outfit.
Spider-Man swings in and kicks the Hulk. He asks if it is true what they say about his breath knocking out bulls. Hulk is knocked off his feet and Spidey chalks it up to being the luck of catching the Hulk off balance. As Spider-Man sets up his camera, Hulk sees soldiers coming at him. Hulk says that first he will break the little man’s guns, and then he will break the little man in the funny clothes. The soldier start shooting Hulk, but Hulk just keeps advancing. Hulk rips up a giant hunk of ground and blocks the bullets with it. Hulk decides to stop the guns with it as well. He throws the ground at the soldiers. Ross orders them to scatter. Spider-Man spins a web across the field. It catches the rock and bounces it back at Hulk. Hulk calls the rock dumb and says that it makes him mad. Hulk says that what gets him mad, he hits. Hulk pummels the rock. Hulk leaps away as everyone is dodging the rubble from the exploding rock. The soldiers note that Hulk is headed toward the Maskattawan Dam. Ross shouts that he wants the Hulk. Spider-Man thinks that Ross makes Captain Ahab look like Peter Pan. Spidey wonders why Ross hates Hulk so much and wonders if Hulk hurt someone Ross loves.
Hulk is at the dam. 
He says that it
is just more rocks and starts smashing the dam. Spider-Man
arrives to see Hulk pounding on the dam. He says that if the dam
is broken that the village below will be flooded. Spidey decides
that he has to try and lower the reservoir level. Hulk tries to
hit Spider-Man with an I-beam, but Spider-Man dodges it. Hulk
says that he leaps around like a frog and asks why he
doesn’t fight. Spider-Man tells Hulk that Hulk would snap
him in two. Hulk says that little man is afraid of him.
Spider-Man asks Hulk if he has ever gotten a good look at
himself. Spidey gets up to the control tower. He spins the
pressure wheel and starts lessening the pressure on the dam by
allowing water to leak through. Hulk yells at the wall to stop
leaking, but when it doesn’t Hulk smashes the dam wall. The
dam collapses and water starts flooding over. Hulk says that he
doesn’t understand. He says that he wanted wall to stop
leaking, but that it didn’t. Hulk asks why nothing listens
to him. Spider-Man wonders if maybe the Hulk never really means
to hurt people, but that he just wants things to go his way.
Spidey starts trying to work his way out from under a large chunk
of dam wall that it holding him down.
Tangled Web rating: 8 out of 10
John Romita does a great job with the art in this issue. The storytelling is strong and the fight sequences are really cool. The plot is pretty good, but you can’t say that Spider-Man wasn’t asking for this. First, as he thought, Peter shouldn’t have butted in and then none of this would have happened. Second, he definitely shouldn’t have used the Hulk as a way into Canada. Look at that cover man, “Spidey vs. the Hulk!” That cover sums up all things that were great about comics in the 70’s.
Review and pictures by The Leader
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