Featuring: Hulk
Release: February 3, 1966
Cover: April 1966
12 cents
Hulkish story by: Stan Lee
Hulkable layouts by: Jack Kirby
Hulking artwork by: Bill Everett
Hulksome lettering by: Artie Simek
10 pages
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Even he cannot suspect that Bruce Banner’s gamma rays have miraculously given Hulk the power to grow stronger, rather than weaker, so long as his rage keeps mounting!
As Richard recently pointed out in the comments, this is a great cover of Hulk battling Hercules, courtesy of Kirby and Everett. I fear the issue itself won’t quite live up to the image.
There is some pretty tight continuity on display. When we last saw Hercules, he and a casting agent had left New York bound for Los Angeles. Here we see them on a train from New York to LA. We’ll next see them arriving in LA in Thor #128. The casting agent doesn’t know this is the real Hercules. He’s been cast to play Hercules, so the agent assumes he’s method acting.
Note how little time there has been to breathe in these stories. Hulk’s battle with the Leader led right into his battles in the future, which have led right into his battle with Dr. Zaxon. There’s been no room to breathe. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger. Not so much one long story, as a bunch of story threads that don’t respect issue boundaries.
We’ve seen hints before that Hulk’s strength is tied to his anger, but here’s it’s very explicit that the gamma rays gave him the power to grow stronger as his rage grows. Put differently, the madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets.
Zaxon is killed by his own blast, but Hulk is accused of the murder. This is apparently the first murder he’s actually accused of.
Hulk picks the wrong train to interrupt.
A fight is inevitable. The agent thinks it will be good publicity.
“By the Zesty Zither of Zeus!” shouts Hercules.
Hercules finds good sport in it and sees why Thor likes Earth.
We’ll call the battle a draw. It was an uninspired slugfest, like Hulk’s battle with Executioner, paling in comparison to the Hercules/Thor slugfest. In fairness, they only have 10 pages, and have to wrap up Hulk’s last story with the poor man’s Iron Man. So they only get 4 pages to dedicate to fisticuffs.
This is the best pause in Hulk’s story we’ve seen for a while, so we’ll take it. Namor is confronting the Behemoth right now, so we’re eager to see how that plays out. Thus we’ll read next issues Namor story, but save the Hulk story for later.
Now you’re obviously curious what happens to Hercules when he reaches Los Angeles, and we’ll get there soon. But first we need to figure out what happened to Wasp when she tried to fly across the Atlantic Ocean by herself. I presume she drowned.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 50/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in The Incredible Hulk Epic Collection vol. 2: The Hulk Must Die.
Characters:
- Hulk
- Dr. Zaxon
- Hercules
- Hercules’ agent
- Rick Jones
- Major Talbot
- Betty Ross
Story notes:
- Zaxon had been Banner’s replacement, but secretly sought Hulk’s power for himself. He’s now fighting Hulk in Iron Man-like armor.
- Zaxon will use organic energy attractor to drain power from Hulk and into himself.
- Hulk’s gamma rays have given him the power to grow stronger as rage grows.
- Typo: They say Saxon instead of Zaxon.
- Zaxon killed by own weapon.
- Hulk thinks Zaxon is dead; soldier concurs.
- Hulk accused of murder of Zaxon.
- Hercules on train headed New York to California, passing through New Mexico/Arizona.
- Hercules enjoys melody from magic box. Destroys it when news comes on.
- Agent suggests Hercules fight Hulk.
- Hulk interrupts Hercules’ train ride.
- Army closes in, so Hulk retreats.
- Hercules carries train across breach in tracks.
- Hercules wants an ox from the train kitchen.
| Previous | #491 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #79 | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #80 |
| Tales to Astonish #79 | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #80 |
