Marvel Comics Presents #26 (August 1989) (Hulk's story)

Since Thanksgiving was this week, I haven't really had an opportunity to write a comic review. Luckily, I was able to scrape together this little review of a short story. It's not one for the holidays, but I work with what I got. Before we begin, I have to talk a little bit about the crossover storyline Atlantis Attacks.

Atlantis Attacks was a crossover storyline that unfolded over various Marvel titles' Annuals in 1989. This was a format started last year with the Evolutionary War crossover. However, unlike the previous crossover, Atlantis Attacks was a more serialized crossover. You want to read what happens next? You have to get all the Annuals to read the whole thing. Well, in 1989, anyway. It was a format that Marvel would use over the next few years, but the format would undergo modification. Later, storylines would involve smaller numbers of Annuals. For example, The Punisher Annual #4 (1991) was part of a crossover called "The Von Strucker Gambit" that also involved Captain America and Daredevil's Annuals from that year. 

Atlantis Attacks was a crossover that focused on the return of the evil Elder God known as Set after the events of Marvel Team-Up Annual #5 (1982). The title itself is a bit misleading, but that's a tale for another time. At this point, the Hulk (who was back to his original gray appearance) was working in Las Vegas as a legbreaker named Joe Fixit. As a result, he was not really involved in the crossover. This short tale here was his entire involvement in it. This is Hulk's story in Marvel Comics Presents #26!

The cover is a Paul Gulacy piece. It's...alright. In the tradition of the series, the cover just shows the main characters of the stories contained within. Hulk is looming in the back cover. Coldblood looks cool, though. Not much to say about this cover, really. 

"Splashdown"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Jeff Purves
Inker: Mike DeCarlo
Colorist: Tom Fine
Letterer: Agustin Mas
Editors: Mike Rockwitz, Terry Kavanagh 
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with a scared sailor. And he has reasons to be frightened.

"This anchor sucks! You need to get a refund."

Yup, Joe Fixit is here, and as his job at the time, he's here to collect on some debts that the sailor incurred in Sin City. Good news, the man has some of the money. Bad news, he only has some of the money.

The sailor offers Joe's boss a stake in his theme park's profits, but the big angry gray guy isn't biting that bait. Captain Morgan shows Joe around the park. The two head to a show starring an orca named Shandu (likely a parody of Shamu). Shandu seemingly performs as normal but then decides to do a bit of improvising.

"OM NOM NOM Hey, human doesn't taste like chicken! YOU LIED TO ME, BENNY!"

Oooh, that's going to hurt.

Joe refuses to step in to stop it, until Shandu leaps at some kids. Joe then decides to step in. After all, even that big gray legbreaker has standards. The sailor begs Joe to get rid of the whale...and offers money. He just spoke the legbreaker's language. Joe goes to send the whale back to the sea, when he spots a strange submarine. The occupants are Atlantean, and they're testing out a device to make sea animals go berserk. So far, it seems to be working. Joe slams the whale into the sub, wrecking it and making it sink. The Atlanteans flee, the story ending with a very confused Joe Fixit wondering what that was all about. 

This was a nice short little story. It was nice seeing Joe Fixit save those kids from the rampaging Shandu. Yes, the Hulk has a rather...complicated relationship with humanity, and the Joe Fixit/Gray Hulk was more unscrupulous and arguably more heartless than the classic "Savage"/Green Hulk, this is a good way of showing that there are lines that even Fixit would not cross. The art is decent. It does its job. Although it didn't really show the clothing damage Joe suffered thanks to Shandu.

This was supposed to be Hulk's entire involvement in Atlantis Attacks. Yes. It was. At the time, the Hulk was believed to be dead. However, he would go on to appear in Avengers Annual #18 (1989), helping the Avengers. Whoops.

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2021 trade paperback Atlantis Attacks: The Original Epic. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Incredible Hulk #271 (May 1982)

When the Guardians of the Galaxy films hit movie theatres, many people got introduced to the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe. One of the breakout characters of the film was a certain little gunslinging uplifted raccoon named Rocket. And like the other members of the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy, he's an older character than many people realize. As such, I thought I'd take a look at his first appearance.

Well...technically, Rocket first appeared in Marvel Preview #7 (Summer 1976), written by Bill Mantlo with art by Keith Giffen. In his debut, he was called "Rocky", and used British phrasing. Which made sense as the character was inspired by the Beatles' 1968 song "Rocky Raccoon". However, it's in this comic that he would gain a higher profile...for a while, at least. Let's look at Incredible Hulk #271!

The cover is an amusing one. An Al Milgrom piece, it shows the Hulk being a bit frustrated with this little funny animal on the cover. Basically, Hulk is expressing my one big issue with this comic, but more on that later. It's a fun cover. I like it.

"Now Somewhere in the Black Holes of Sirius Major There Lived a Young Boy Name of Rocket Raccoon!" 
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Al Milgrom
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a pair of unusual figures finding our Green Goliath out like a light.

Meet Rocket Raccoon and Wal Russ, a pair of funny animal adventurers. The two notice that Hulk is very much alive...and they need to get him out of here before the Robomower arrives. The Robomower is a big monsterous blue machine with arms and tank treads. Rocket tries to attack the machine, but his laser gun is not very helpful. Luckily, Hulk wakes up, and ol' Jade Jaws is none too happy. Well, more none too happy than usual. 

Yeah, never wake Hulk up if you value your life. Hulk then notices Rocket and Wal. Hulk wonders what is going on, but Rocket and Wal plan to skedaddle. The fuzz is after them. As in the cops.

Yeah, why do Rocket and Wal fear these guys? Oh yeah, they could end up getting killed accidentally. Anyway, the three make their way to Rocket and Wal's ship: The Rakk 'n' Ruin. On board, they're able to treat Hulk to some dinner. Hulk still wants to know where he is, and how he got here. Wal and Russ have no idea how he got here, but they do know where he is. 

Welcome to the Keystone Quadrant! This little area of space is cut off from the rest of the universe by the Galacian Wall. The major world on it is called Halfworld. Halfworld is Rocket and Wal's home. Why is this place called Halfworld? Well, one half of this planet has been stripped bare of its resources by its mechanoid inhabitants in an attempt to build a giant humanoid ship known as...Ship. Yeah, the mechanoids are no good at names.

The other half is a Garden of Eden, which is the home of uplifted animals. They maintain their half with machines the mechanoids built for them. The only known humans in the Quadrant are the Keystone Cops. And lately there has been some serious trouble in the Quadrant recently.

Meet Judson Jakes, the cause of all the problems in the Quadrant recently. This malevolent mole runs Inter-Stel Mechanics, a monstrous mega-corp who uses the creations of the terrible tortoise Uncle Pyko as well as the mercenaries known as the Black Bunny Brigade to do his dirty work. Jakes is obsessed with obtaining an artifact known as Gideon's Bible. This Bible is supposed to have contained the knowledge of the origins of the Keystone Quadrant. Thing is, Gideon's Bible is written in a language that no one on Halfworld can read. 

Rocket and Wal get a call from Rocket's ladyfriend Lylla Otter. The Black Bunny Brigade has launched an attack on the Cuckoo's Nest, the stronghold where Gideon's Bible is kept at. The two anthromorphic animals ask Hulk to help them out. After all, his power would be invaluable. However, the Green Goliath is a bit confused. He ended up here because he helped someone else, and he does have allies/friends on Earth that he wants to come back to. 

Back on Earth, two of those allies (Betty Ross and Rick Jones) are in a bit of a pickle. Rick Jones, being a bit of a dolt, decided to expose himself to a massive dose of gamma radiation in order to become a second Hulk. Rick's own idiocy has left him nearly at death's door, and then this woman shows up.

Meet Bereet, Krylorian filmmaker extraordinare. You may remember her from my review of Incredible Hulk #276 (October 1982). She's here to film the death of Rick Jones as part of her latest documentary about the Hulk. She's made a film about the Hulk before (this was a way to retcon the events of the first nine issues of the Rampaging Hulk magazine out of canon). Betty asks the alien woman to help her. Bereet whips out a spider-like machine that keeps Rick stable. The Life Support Spider can't cure Rick, but it will keep him alive until he can get some proper medical help. This occurs as the Hulk, Wal, and Rocket arrive at Cuckoo's Nest. We next get to see Spacewheel, the home of Judson Jakes.

Jakes also has Lylla captive. The malevolent mole asks Uncle Pyko to translate the Bible. The terrible tortoise is unsure that he can. After all, the words in there are incomprehensible. But Jakes has faith in him. Pyko is a genius. He built the Spacewheel station, he can translate a book. Uh, Judson? Just because Pyko can build a space station doesn't mean that he's a linguistics expert.

Anyway, the Rakk 'n' Ruin makes its way to the Spacewheel. The Hulk as agreed to help, and none too soon. Jakes and Pyko have sent a welcoming party.

...I think some of these guys would find their way to Earth in 1988. Rocket and Hulk engage in a little EVA to fight the clowns. Between Rocket's sharpshooting skill and Hulk's raw power, the Killer Clowns get wrecked. Hulk provides an alternate entrance to the Spacewheel with his fist, where they find that Blackjack O'Hare, the leader of the Black Bunny Brigade, has Lylla at gunpoint.

Hulk and Rocket take down O'Hare, and rescue Lylla. The thrown-together party head out to retrieve Gideon's Bible, but the Hulk gets distracted by something in another room.

Uncle Pyko can get Hulk home. After all, it would be advantageous to them both... Meanwhile, Rocket, Wal, and Lylla manage to catch up to the evil Judson Jakes. Jakes sics a creature called a Drakillar on them. The Drakillar is another one of Uncle Pyko's creations. Once a bat, now a monster. Rocket painfully blasts the creature, putting it out of its misery. 

Meanwhile, while talking to Hulk, Uncle Pyko makes a little revelation: He did manage to translate Gideon's Bible. He discovered how by probing the mind of one of the Keystone Cops. The Cop didn't survive the experience, but Pyko discovered the Cops were direct descendants of the people who wrote Gideon's Bible. The scene implies that Halfworld may have started out as an ancient human interstellar colony. Anyway, there's a balance of power on Halfworld between Uncle Pyko's machines and the animals that Rocket protects. The Hulk would really mess that balance up, and as such, Pyko wants him gone.

Meanwhile, Rocket's got a gun to Jakes's head, and the trash panda's got an itchy trigger finger. Pyko just hands him Gideon's Bible, claiming that he couldn't translate it. He told Jakes that earlier. He also points out the Hulk has gone home, claiming that whatever brought him here just...wore off. Rocket takes the book back, but is very suspicious of Pyko, outright saying that he thinks the turtle knows something.

The story ends with Jakes fuming over Rocket getting the Bible back (although Pyko reminds him that he supposedly couldn't translate it, so it was useless to them), and Rocket hoping that maybe he and the Hulk will cross paths again one day. You'd be surprised who your path crosses with in the future, Rocky...

I enjoyed this issue, but I felt it would have been better for a standard issue, not an anniversary one. It is a fun little tale, don't get me wrong. But this was meant to be the Hulk's 20th anniversary. It would have been nice to have Hulk be the focus of the story. This is clearly a Rocket Raccoon-focused story. It still is a fun one. And it's interesting to see how different he was in his early appearances compared to more modern portrayals of the character. 

I like Sal Buscema's artwork. His style captures the rage of the Hulk very well. His rendition of Rocket makes me think he was trying to go halfway between more realistic and cartoony. As such, his Rocket feels a bit...off to me. His Wal and Lylla don't seem to have that issue. I have no idea why. 

If you want to read this story yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback Rocket Raccoon and Groot: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! Join me next time when we look at the debut of some superhumans who made an escape...

The Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1 (April 1994)

One of the rather...unfortunate (depending on who you ask) tropes when it comes to superhero comics is sometimes, superheroes will brawl with each other as much as they'll brawl with villains. It's not that odd that writers have this urge to pit heroes against each other. Like us, many of them are fans. And if there's one thing comic book fans love doing, it's fighting over which fictional character would win in a fight with another fictional character. And sometimes, some writers want to test that out, too. Some are pretty good, like Titans: The Technis Imperative. Others tend to be lousy.

One of those writers was Peter David. Before becoming a writer for Marvel Comics, David had worked in their sales department in the mid-1980s. His first Marvel work was in The Spectacular Spider-Man #103 (June 1985). It would lead to him writing "The Death of Jean DeWolff" in that title, which allowed him to break into writing comics. He would be fired from the book by its editor Jim Owsley (Who may be better known as Christopher Priest) due to pressure from then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. But another editor, Bob Harras, would come to the rescue. He offered David a book that nobody wanted to write, and was struggling as a result: The Incredible Hulk. David would write the Hulk for 12 years, and he made the book a must-read title.

This story is meant to be the first meeting between the Hulk and another Marvel character that had become quite popular at the time: Venom. Venom's general first appearance is Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)...at least the combination of the Venom symbiote and its most famous host: Eddie Brock, who himself first appeared in Web of Spider-Man #18 (September 1986). The character would become one of Spidey's most popular villains, appearing in various merchandise, other media, and even his own movie, which I looked at the trailer for here. Venom's alignment would change over time, becoming more of an anti-hero. He would also get numerous one-shots, mini-series, and ongoings over the years.

So, what happens when the Green Goliath collides with the Lethal Protector of San Francisco? Well, let's find out! Let's take a look at Incredible Hulk vs. Venom #1!

The cover is a Jim Craig piece. High above a city ablaze, the Hulk is trapped in the webs of none other than Venom himself. Underneath it, the city is on fire. Venom is a lousy Lethal Protector. I got no complaints about the cover. I think it's neat.

"Rockin' the Town!"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Jim Craig
Inkers: Bill Anderson, David Day, Dan Day
Colorist: Tom Smith
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Glenn Herdling
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with a man putting a stamp on a postcard. His name is Barney, and he started a new job at KLX-TV in sunny San Francisco, California! He gets some mail from the mail clerk, and it makes the man sigh. You see, poor Barney tends to get...the wacky mail. The mail from the loonies, the conspiracy theorists, the paranoid rednecks, that kind of thing. However, one piece of mail catches his interest.

Meet Ariel O'Hare. News anchor, and yes, that is her name. Considering Peter David's thing for putting pop culture references in his comic work, I would not be surprised if he was paying homage to another famous reporter. She's grown bored of her regular noon reports and wants something juicy. Barney shows her his letter. It's from a wannabe-supervillain calling himself "Dr. Bad Vibes". He's claimed to have created an earthquake machine...and he's going to test it out at noon today, right here in San Fran.

O'Hare thinks it's one of the dumbest super-criminal names she has ever heard. Eh, I doubt the Central Organization of Police Specialists would agree with you there, ma'am. Barney thinks the name alone is newsworthy, and Ariel agrees with him on it. Also, keep this in mind. This is the Marvel Universe. It's perfectly plausible that some disgruntled nobody could have built such a machine in this world.

We switch to the front of a TV store. A man is standing in front of the window display and watching one of the TVs. Inside, a married couple named Jay and Beatrice are arguing. Evidently, Jay was tempted to do a little straying from his marriage. However, he ended not cheating, and as far as he's concerned, that should be the end of the matter. However, Beatrice believes he should never even have considered it if he was happy with her. Jay tells Beatrice she constantly makes him miserable, and she leaves the store with teary eyes.

The redheaded man watches this and leaves. He passes by an alley and sees a schoolgirl sneaks out of her school with the help of her boyfriend. The boy yells at the man to keep moving. The amused man agrees to do so, saying the kid looks too tough for him. The two teenagers drive off, looking for adventure...and maybe a good donut.

At the station, the hour has arrived. Ariel is giving her report, where she shows Bad Vibes's letter and mocks him. But then...the ground shakes. The ground quakes! We got a rumble coming to San Francisco! Sadly, this Rumble is not of the Royal kind.

The man notices the quaking, and black tendrils wrap around him. You see, this man is no ordinary man. His name is Edward Brock...aka Venom.

Yeah, you can instantly tell this is from the 90s. Look at this jaw! Seriously! Is Venom overcompensating for something?! It's hilarious! And his tongue! It's dripping with Gene Simmons envy! Come on, Ed! Anyway, the two teenagers' car ended up being surrounded by fire. The girl (Tammy) is trapped inside. Her boyfriend Skip can't get her out. Venom uses his webs to pull the car out and rips off the door, which frees Tammy. Skip complains about the damage, and he calls Venom "Spider-Man". Uh, Skip? Venom looks like he swallowed a steroid factory. That's not Spidey. Naturally, Venom is offended, and drops the car. It crashes into the ground. Don't worry, he saved Tammy beforehand.

You're probably wondering what Venom is doing in San Francisco? Well, at this time, he was its Lethal Protector. After the events of Amazing Spider-Man #375 (March 1993), Venom moved to San Francisco and started work there as a hero after making a deal with Spider-Man: Spidey doesn't bother them, they won't bother him. Spidey reluctantly agreed.

Ariel O'Hare announced that the earthquake knocked out power throughout the city. Well, it's still daytime, so that should not be much of a problem. She then gets another note from Dr. Bad Vibes: pay him $20 million for he'll blow up Blitz, I mean, cause another earthquake.

Back at the TV store, Jay is confronting some looters of his shop. However, one of the looters notices something in the sky. Venom is trying to free a man trapped under rubble, but tragically, he is dead. The conjoined being laments this, but is perked up by the alert of a monster in town. And who is that monster?

Why, it's the Incredible Hulk! Like Venom, he's been recently trying to go down the straight and narrow. In Incredible Hulk #377 (January 1991), Bruce Banner and his two Hulk personas (The cunning Gray Hulk and savage Green Hulk), were able to come to terms with each other and create a "combined" form: the Professor Hulk.

Anyway, Venom believes that Doctor Bad Vibes was able to recruit Hulk to make earthquakes for him. The Lethal Protector tries to attack ol' Jade Jaws, but his webs do no good, and he eats a Mighty Uppercut from the Hulk.

I love this panel. Venom looks almost like a Looney Tunes character the way he takes that punch. I expect him to ramble coherently like the Tasmanian Devil after that. Venom shows his own toughness and uses his superior agility and speed to get on the Green Goliath's shoulders and web his face up.

Meanwhile, April O'Neil, I mean Ariel O'Hare is hosting a news forum with a Professor Hinkley and a psychic. He points out that "Dr. Bad Vibes" may be just some crank. Uh, Professor, this is the Marvel Universe. In this world, people can be born with superpowers. He could be legit. The psychic predicts more earthquakes will come, and soon. Professor Hinkley states that yes, that is possible, because they are in San Francisco, which is right near the San Andreas Fault. The psychic states that her visions have never shown anyone named Sam Andreas. The insanity makes Professor Hinkley facepalm hard. Real hard. Two hands hard.

Heh heh. This scene is funny, but the funniest part of this comic is coming up. Trust me. Back to the fight! Venom is webbing up Hulk's face, but the Green Goliath is able to send him packing with a Thunderclap. It's a technique where he claps his hands so hard, he creates a sonic boom. It's especially effective against Venom, as his symbiote can be harmed by very loud noise. Hulk is able to rip the webbing off his face, and gives Venom another Thunderclap, cracking a bad gonorrhea joke in the process.

Hulk then gives Venom a Banzai Drop. Somewhere, Yokozuna was smiling widely in pride, and he did not know why. Hulk and Venom argued over the fact that they both had seemingly reformed. So, each of them challenges the other to prove it.

Remember when I said the funniest part of the comic was coming? Here it comes! Prepare to laugh! Ariel O'Hare is making a news broadcast when Hulk and Venom burst into the studio. And the two decide to pay tribute to Hans and Franz. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the greatest moment in comic book history, the moment where the medium reached its peak.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! I laughed so hard when I first read this part. It still makes me laugh thinking about it. I love it so much. It gets even better when Ariel asks them if they are insane. And Venom, with his ridiculously-muscled 90s body and oversized green-drooling giant jaw just says in response: "Do I look insane?" Well, the two's taunting works, as Dr. Bad Vibes calls in on line 2...and 3...and 4...okay, it did not work.

Turns out the two just got every attention-seeking nut in town calling in, much to O'Hare's frustration. Hulk points out one thing: If Bad Vibes really wanted to retaliate, he could have just started another earthquake. After all, he supposedly can do that, right? Well, he might be all talk. You see, the Hulk's instruments have determined that the earthquakes were completely natural. At the time, the Hulk was a member of a group known as the Pantheon, which allowed Hulk access to some advanced tech.

One of the callers turns out to be the real Bad Vibes, so Hulk traces it. They find his address. O'Hare wants to accompany Venom and Hulk there. Venom is willing, as he has a "soft spot" for reporters. This is a reference to Web of Spider-Man #18 (September 1986), which was Eddie Brock's first appearance...well, his hand, anyway. It also references Eddie Brock's former reporting career.

The three find their way to Bad Vibes's address. And unlike Empire City's, this one is a...little less impressive.

Yup. It's just a crazy dude with a cardboard box. At least this Bad Vibes has the sense to not put his brain in a glass case on his head. He warns the group not to take another step. Hulk does so. Bad Vibes presses a red spot on his box, clearly intended to be a button. Another earthquake hits, and the crazy man laughs. He rants and raves that he's triggered the Big One. Everybody's gonna die! Well, not really. It's all a coincidence. Remember, Hulk established earlier that his instruments determined that the earthquakes were not artificially triggered. Venom, Hulk, and O'Hare leave, the reporter disappointed in the story just being another wacky crank.

Venom admits he wished it was Dr. Bad Vibes behind the earthquakes. Hulk points out a bit of a truth: nobody wants to admit that sometimes, the world is unfair and chaotic. It's why people embrace insane conspiracy theories. It's comforting. Venom laments this, as life can be unfair is a sucky lesson to learn. The story ends with Jay and Beatrice meeting up. Teary-eyed, the two embrace, their brushes with death inspiring them to get back together and try to make things work. Venom witnesses this and supposits that maybe not everything is pointless.

I enjoyed this one-shot. There was some genuinely funny moments, and I thought the twist with Dr. Bad Vibes was clever. I did wish that his initial threat was taken more seriously. This is the Marvel Universe. He could have been easily a legit threat. I also wished we saw a bit more Teeth-Clenched Teamwork between Hulk and Venom. I also wished we saw a bit more of Jay and Beatrice. Would have given their reunion at the end matter a bit more, in my opinion. Also, I liked that the earthquakes were coincidental. It's a nice twist in a universe where it's possible for a person to gain the actual superpower to cause earthquakes.

Also, the art is a bit...90s for lack of a better term. Venom's jaw is insane. I'd get it if he did intentionally to freak out criminals, but it just looks crazy.

Interestingly enough, this comic was made to benefit the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse. Marvel and the NCPCA had had a decade-long relationship at that time, and this comic was made to raise proceeds. So, you'd think that the story in the comic would be dealing with the issue of child abuse. This makes this comic a bit bizarre to me. When I first read this, I had no idea that it was basically made as a fundraiser. I get that they wanted to provide an entertaining story for the comic, and it is in my opinion, but it's so strange that they would not use the subject that the NCPCA was all about tackling. It's weird.

As for the art, well...it does have some of the 90s-ness to it, but it's not remotely as terrible as say, Rob Liefeld's work in X-Force. Yeesh.

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the trade paperback The Incredible Hulk Epic Collection Vol. 21: Fall of the Pantheon. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! And if you want to give my blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time, where we return to a storyline that tackles Batman's early days...

The Incredible Hulk #276 (October 1982)

The Incredible Hulk. Ol' Jade Jaws. The Not-So-Jolly Green Giant. Marvel's Mightiest Mortal. Born of rage and gamma radiation, the Incredible Hulk has for the past fifty years, smashed anyone who stands against him. He's been seen as a hero, an outcast, and a monster. He's been green and gray. Through it all, he's become one of Marvel's greatest characters.

Among the many threats he's faced over the years are a group called the U-Foes. First appearing in The Incredible Hulk #254 (December 1980), they were headed by a power-hungry rich businessman named Simon Utrecht, the U-Foes duplicated the spaceflight that empowered the Fantastic Four, giving them twisted versions of the Fantastic Four's powers. In-universe, they got their name as a nod to Utrecht, but in real life, it was a nod to the 1979 Graham Parker song "Waiting For The UFOs".

Funny enough, I don't think they ever fought the Fantastic Four. It's such an obvious face-off there. Anyway, let's take a look at one of Hulk's encounters with this fearsome foursome: Incredible Hulk #276 from October 1982.

The cover is pretty cool. The Hulk is under siege from the U-Foes! This twisted wannabe Fantastic Four is giving ol' Jade Jaws quite a fight, using their numbers to their advantage. It's a very well-drawn cover.

"The Return of the U-Foes!"
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciller: Sal Buscema
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Letterer: Jim Novak
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Al Milgrom
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Rick Jones lying on a slab, the gamma radiation in his system slowly killing him.

In a previous issue, Rick Jones had exposed himself to massive doses of gamma radiation in an attempt to give himself the power to aid the Hulk against a group of aliens. However, reality decides to ensue for poor Rick. Instead of turning into a powerful green monster, Rick Jones ends up with the mother of all instances of radiation poisoning.

The apparatus over him belongs to Bereet, an alien filmmaker who uses advanced technology to film her art films. The Hulk is a favorite subject of hers. Her Life-Support Spider is able to stabilize Rick, but it's unable to heal him. That's where Dr. Bruce Banner came in. Banner attempts to use a gamma ray projector to draw the excess gamma power out of Rick.

Banner turns the machine to reverse, saying that he tried using this method to cure himself of the Hulk, but it didn't work due to his system have so much gamma radiation in it. The process does work on Rick, but something is wrong. The machine won't shut off, much to Betty Ross and Bereet's horror. Banner realizes that the machine won't stop siphoning energy out of Rick, including his "life energies". Okay. Science in the Marvel Universe is weird.

Banner then changes into the Hulk willingly. As Hulk, he's easily able to destroy the machine, saving Rick. Bereet applauds, while Betty is shocked. Betty demands to know how this happened. Bruce theorizes that essentially he had been exposed to gamma radiation during his various recent adventures (which included the debut of Rocket Raccoon), including his attempts to cure himself, altered his system allowing him to not only change into the Hulk willingly, but also retain his mind.

I love this sequence. It gives a sense of motion to the action. My mind's eye can picture Bruce changing to Hulk and back with the dialogue. I love it.

Rick and Bereet are overjoyed to hear this, as it means that Bruce has finally found a way to live with the Hulk. Betty, though...is not quite as enthused. She's angry at Bruce because he wanted to be cured of the Hulk, but now seemingly doesn't mind this new status quo. Well, to be fair, maybe Bruce is trying to make the best of things. Think about it. Every attempt Bruce has made to cure himself has failed miserably. But now, thanks to all the recent adventures he's had, Bruce has actual control over the Hulk now. He can still be Bruce, and access the Hulk's power. In essence, if he can't get rid of the Hulk, he has the next best thing.

Bereet, though, tells Bruce she is overjoyed for this new turn in his life, and then he realizes for some reason that not only is she there, she's an alien. Bruce, you mean you never noticed the alien woman with the Red Sonja goes sci-fi outfit and bag of tricks with you this whole time? Bruce then decides he'll table the issue of Bereet filming him later, as he wants to talk to Betty.

Betty and Bruce then converse over this new status quo. Betty dislikes it basically because basically...she wants to have a normal life with Bruce. She wants to be a regular housewife, with a kid while Bruce does a regular job, not turning into a green rage monster who goes around getting into brawls with monsters and supervillains alike.

There is one good point that Betty raises. I'm not quite sure at the time if Bruce's identity as the Hulk was public, but if it did end up public, supervillains would attack him at his home, endangering his loved ones. There certainly were supervillains ruthless enough to do so, even back in those days. Bruce counters that he would only use the power of the Hulk when it was absolutely needed, to stop natural disasters and the like. He promises her he'll never change into the Hulk unless Betty wants him to. However, he may have to break that promise.

Yup! The U-Foes are back, and they are fighting mad! Betty is unfamiliar with them, and Bruce basically explains that they are a twisted version of the Fantastic Four, created when Simon Utrecht (Vector), re-created the shuttle flight that gave them their powers. They did this out a desire to gain power so people would give them respect and adulation. Using their powers, they attack Banner, and give him a beating. Bruce then decides that if they want the Hulk, they'll get the Hulk.

Ironclad figures that Bruce's brain in control of the Hulk won't save him from his steel-like fists. He thought wrong. He easily sends Ironclad flying with one punch, and then disperses Vapor with a thunderclap. Vector and Hulk get into a fight involving them tossing debris at each other. Bereet uses a special sphere to protect herself, Rick, and Betty from the fight.

X-Ray flies in, realizing the U-Foes need a plan and to work as a team to fight Hulk. He blasts the Green Goliath with "Negative Gamma rays", causing him to change back into Bruce Banner. Ironclad returns and downs the scientist with one punch. To ensure he gets knocked out, Vapor flies in and turns her gaseous form into an anesthetic, taking Banner on a trip to Dreamland.

Vector decides to give the Hulk a public execution, saying it will give the U-Foes the fame and adulation they desire. Not to mention, if they could kill the Hulk, then no one might dare take them on. Yeah, about that...the Hulk is a former Avenger. Somehow, Vector, I don't think Earth's Mightiest Heroes would take too kindly to you killing one of their own, even if his relationship with the team could be rocky at times.

One of Bereet's toys witnesses this, and alerts her to it. Rick Jones is shocked, as he believed nobody could beat the Hulk. Bereet states they must save Bruce Banner from the U-Foes. Betty furiously refuses. Bereet takes it well.

A furious Bereet reminds Betty that she aided them when Rick was dying, and that she has a duty as a human to help someone in danger. Betty reminds her that she was helping Hulk while Bereet was back in her homeworld making movies. She agrees to help, but it will be the last time. Rick states they'll need a plan. Bereet has a simple one. Her spatial distorter is a literal bag of tricks, you see. It contains more than just her equipment she uses to film her movies. She also creates techno-art that can be used for more utilitarian purposes, like...personal defense. As she shows with her Defendroids.

The plan is a simple one. The Defendroids will engage the U-Foes, and Bereet, Rick, and Betty will take advantage of their distraction to find and free Banner.

I am not exactly sure what to say about this comic, to be honest. It's not a bad comic, not a bad comic at all. I have to say it's a rather enjoyable comic. It feels like a bit of a breather in a way. But that's not a bad thing, considering the epic adventures Hulk had previously. The fight with the U-Foes was good. It's neat to see a team of villains working as a team. I do think Betty's portrayal is a bit iffy, though. Can't quite put my finger on it. Sal Buscema turns in some good art, and Joe Sinnott's inking makes it look very clean. I got the scans from the Incredible Hulk trade paperback The Incredible Hulk: Pardoned, and I highly recommend it. Bill Mantlo was a rather underrated writer in my opinion, especially on Hulk.

Next time, we'll take a look at a daring adventure of Supergirl...