Featuring: Hulk
Release: December 2, 1965
Cover: March 1966
12 cents
Script by: Stan Lee
Layouts by: Jack Kirby
Pencilling + inking by: Johnny Romita!
Lettering by: Sam Rosen
10 pages
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Why shouldn’t I tell? It’s time the world learned the truth…!
That’s a damn compelling cover, a collaboration between Kirby and Romita, with the Romita influence coming in heavy, but a unique look for the Hulk that is very distinctive compared to either man’s style. Dramatically, we shockingly hear Rick Jones tell an officer (presumably Talbot) Hulk’s secret. We’ll see how that plays out.
John Romita took over as the regular artist on Daredevil last month. He’s just filling in here, as the series has floundered without a regular artist for the last 10 months. Bill Everett will be taking over next issue. We also saw Romita filling in on last month’s Captain America
As we noted in our recent Daredevil post, John Romita just recently passed away in June 2023 at the age of 93. One of the greatest comic artists of all time.
It is a compelling title. “Bruce Banner is the Hulk!” Is this the issue where his secret identity is finally revealed? Secret identities have been revealed on occasion before, but the learner of the identity usually develops amnesia or dies.
Recall from last issue the army built Banner’s T-Gun without knowing what it did. They hit Hulk with it and now everybody assumes Hulk is dead. In fact, Hulk has been transported to the future.
Where he’s battling the Executioner.
I’ve mentioned my love of brawl issues in the past, and this is a brawl issue, but a comparatively weak brawl.
Rick returns to the desert. Talbot follows him. He’s annoyed Betty still loves Banner, even though Banner might be a traitor and is presumed dead. Talbot thinks Rick can help him prove Banner was a traitor. He follows Rick to Hulk’s hideout.
Rick also thinks Banner and Hulk are dead, and is tired of Talbot’s accusations that Banner is a traitor. He thinks there is now no harm in revealing the truth. Maybe wait like 5 minutes, Rick.
We get an important character moment for the Hulk. His personality still seems unset. How smart is he? How evil is he? How much is he Banner and how much is he Hulk? He considers letting Executioner destroy a city, but realizes he can’t. There is a hero within him who saves the day.
Rick makes his fateful decision to reveal the whole truth to Talbot. That Banner is the Hulk, and that he became the Hulk by saving Rick’s life. Just as the two leave Hulk’s hideout, a mini whirlwind forms, and someone appears to be returning from the future…
Maybe should have waited 5 minutes, Rick.
Will Talbot die next issue? Come down with amnesia? Or will Hulk’s secret stand revealed. Let’s find out!
(Well, it’s already Friday, so we’ll probably wait until next week to find out.)
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 52/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
Characters:
- Hulk
- Executioner
- General “Thunderbolt” Ross
- Rick Jones
- Major Glen Talbot
- Betty Ross
- King Arrkam
Story notes:
- Executioner knows secret of time travel but won’t share it with Hulk.
- Ross doesn’t know purpose of T-Gun, and neither does Rick. Rick thinks Hulk is dead.
- Ross orders Talbot to keep Jones under surveillance
- Talbot annoyed that Betty still loves Banner.
- Talbot wants to prove Banner was a traitor to win Betty.
- Executioner’s troops fire stun gun at Hulk.
- “Mobile pillboxes” of Executioner shower city in heat rays
- Rick Jones returns to Southwest desert.
- Thinking Banner and Hulk dead, Jones considers revealing the truth.
- Hulk is unable to let Executioner destroy a city; he at first claims to not care about anybody but proves himself a hero.
- Executioner retreats, but Arrkam attacks Hulk. Hulk disappears.
- Jones tells Talbot the truth to prove Banner wasn’t a traitor, that he turned into the Hulk saving his life.
- Hulk returns to present. Perhaps the T-Gun effect just wore off?
| Previous | #487 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #77 | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #78 |
| Tales to Astonish #77 | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #78 |
