The Incredible Hulk - 1978

The Incredible Hulk

Packet No. J26
1978

Leave it to Marvel to take a monster fueled by rage and turn him into a teenage girl!

Yes, we are talking about The Incredible Hulk! Much like Dr. Donald Blake, Dr. Bruce Banner is more than just the human counterpart to a being of great power. He is also the owner of a broken heart.

Make sure to take time to appreciate that crying Hulk in the first image worthy of any Marvel romance comic.

The cool, scientific Bruce Banner and the brooding, brutish Hulk! Can they be the same creature? Incredibly, yes! A strange radiation illness overtook Dr. Bruce Banner as he was experimenting in his laboratory. Banner's brilliant intelligence gradually ebbed away as green blotches appeared on his skin. His strength increased until he could move mountains, but his mind groped unhappily for thoughts. Unexplained old feelings surged through him. Today, this change takes place every time Dr. Bruce Banner becomes overly excited. He must remain calm ... or else!

But fighting injustice generates excitement and so the monster that dwells within the mild-mannered man often erupts.

One day Hulk finds himself wandering along the beach. A young couple is swimming nearby. Tears come to the eyes of the huge Hulk. He tries, but he cannot remember. Once long ago Hulk had a girl friend ... but it is so hard to think!

A1

The Hulk

remembers.

"The two humans having a picnic - are they a danger to Hulk?" Angry because he can't remember Hulk strikes a car!Then he lifts it! And smashes it! 

A2

"Must do

something to

stop hurt"

"Quick Harvey, run for your life! It's The Hulk!" screams the girl.

"Why does everybody run from Hulk?" moans the creature. "Hulk won't think anymore. It just causes him pain."

The confused Hulk falls on the abandoned blanket of the picnickers. Their radio is still playing. Music, they say, hath charms to soothe the savage beast. Even The Hulk cannot escape the pitiless emotion called love. As he falls asleep, he changes back into the frail, intelligent Banner.

A3

The change to
Banner!

Meanwhile, at a California Air Force Base strange reports concern the staff. A comet has been reported coming toward earth, a comet with a radioactive tail. When the tail hits earth's atmosphere, mankind may have only a few short hours to live!!!

Walking on the beach, Bruce Banner hears a radio report of the comet! "The astronomer who first sighted the comet believes that it can be destroyed only after it enters the earth's atmosphere.

A4

A comet

threatens

earth!

Only a scientificially-trained pilot can save us. The pilot must use our new X-890 rocket with a nuclear warhead that can operate on the edge of space."

Banner knows he must be that pilot. He rushes to the base and volunteers. Scientists fear the change to Hulk may occur at any moment, but Banner alone has essential knowledge to save the earth.

At blast-off, Dr. Banner is at the controls!

A5

Rocket races

to the comet.

But even greater danger looms ahead. Traveling through space, the fiery tail of the comet contains a strange creature. The Absorbing Man!! Becoming part of anything he touches, he has joined forces with the comet, directing it toward the earth.

A6

Part of the comet

becomes ...

Now the warhead released by Banner makes a direct hit! It destroys the comet!!

But the terrible Absorbing Man grabs onto the rocket's tail. As he grasps the metal ship, he becomes steel!

A7

Absorbing Man!

Banner barely begins to relax after the explosion when he sees the Absorbing Man in the monitor. A man made of the same metal as the rocket!

But he's alive ... his eyes seething with sheer hostility.

Banner, overly excited, becomes .... The Hulk!!!

 

B1

The Monster

Hulk emerges!

On the rocket Absorbing Man realizes that Banner has seen him. Up goes the ball and chain! SMAASH!! "That little love-tap should've finished'm." But amazingly, Hulk climbs out of the rocket's cockpit.

B2

SMASH!

Absorbing Man

strikes!

"That blow might have killed a human, but the Hulk isn't HUMAN!!" screams Hulk.

Absorbing Man and Hulk engage in wild battle on the rocket as it speeds toward the earth. Closer and closer, the rocket hurtles toward destruction.

B3

Hulk and

Absorbing Man

fight.

B4

Rocket

plunges toward

earth!

SHROOM!!! The ship explodes on impact!

Only two creatures could have survived that fall - The Incredible Hulk and the Absorbing Man! Emerging from the wreck, Absorbing Man strikes again.

B5

The Hulk

survives!

B6

But so does

Absorbing Man!

"You ain't even got a hammer to back you up," he shrieks to The Hulk. But Hulk doesn't need a weapon. "Hulk don't talk as pretty as some, but he can FIGHT better than ANY!!" Soon Absorbing Man realizes that he underestimates The Hulk.. He had turned back into human shape too fast. He swings at Hulk and misses!

B7

Thwump!!

The strength of

Hulk!

C1

Absorbing Man

strikes again!

Hulk lifts a whole nuclear engine! WHRAAK!! The machine disintegrates as it strikes the Absorbing Man. But this is just what Absorbing Man craves. All the energy of the nuclear reactor is now concentrated in the vicious form about to attack Hulk!

C2

Hulk raises

part of the

roctet ...

C3

and delivers

it!

Using the radioactivity Absorbing Man now centers his strength on changing the earth. It begins to melt! Red-hot mud flows over the ground. Hulk begins sinking into the mire!! His legs go deeper and deeper. There is no way out of the mud! "It's always so hard ... so hard to think." moans Hulk.

C4

The earth melts!

But wait! If he cannot get out of the mud, Hulk can go in further. He divers through the strange, melting earth, tunneling underground. Absorbing Man loses sight of his enemy. No one could survive in the molten earth. Then suddenly, what is shaking under him? The earth is moving!

Through molten earth, Hulk digs a tunnel. Then, BRRAK!! The earth heaves! It breaks! Hulk bursts forth to attack Absorbing Man

Grabbing Absorbing Man's ball and chain, Hulk whirls him at the end of it. Then he releases. The impact propels Absorbing Man toward a sheer cliff. Ahead of the drop in a massive rock formation. Absorbing Man connects with the rock! KUHWOOM!! Defeat looms until he realizes who he is. Can't he absorb whatever he touches? When he remembers, he uses the impact to become solid stone. Now nothing can stop him from victory!

"Get ready to meet your maker. This is the final round." he screams to Hulk as he advances again. Hulk can't believe his eyes.

What can he do against a man of solid stone? This time Absorbing Man remembers his ultimate weapon. He can absorb the strength of any living thing as easily as metal or rock. With that knowledge he grabs hold of Hulk's green wrist. Slowly the green blotches of Hulk's strength begin to appear on the Absorbing Man. To the strength of stone he adds the strength of Hulk!

Down, down, the Absorbing Man forces Hulk until he is flat on the ground. Absorbing Man is jubilant! The first man alive ever to beat The Hulk - and the last. Determined to get rid of Hulk for the final time, Absorbing Man will bury him under an enormous hillside! Standing on The Hulk, sapping Hulk's strength, Absorbing Man lifts a whole mountain over his head. Tons and tons of rock are balanced on the two figures!

C5

Absorbing Man

weakens and ...

But unknown to Absorbing Man, the strength of rock alone does not cause The Hulk to weaken and fall. A familiar chemical change has begun in Hulk's body. The greenish hue leaves his skin. His muscles relax. His face takes on a more peaceful expression. The change rapidly transforms him into Dr. Bruce Banner.

And as Hulk's strength wanes, so does that of the Absorbing Man! Bruce Banner crawls out from underneath the monster. When the green color drains from Absorbing Man, his arms tremble and weaken. The stone man begins to crack as the weight of the mountain crumbles and falls in a great heap upon the doomed creature. Another force of evil quelled forever.

C6

loses his 

strength.

Exhausted, Bruce Banner lies on the ground - a victor again in his battle for survival!

C7

Banner has won!

Cue that sad walking away music.