Featuring: Hulk
Release: January 10, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
An heroic, hulkish handiwork, by: Stan (The Man) Lee and Gil (Sugar Lips) Kane
Lettered by Swingin’ Sammy Rosen
10 pages
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| Tales to Astonish #90 | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #91 |
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Only one thing will insure the safety of mankind.. The Hulk must die! Even though it means the death of Bruce Banner, as well!
We did leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Hulk is under the mental command of the Stranger and is going to go on a global rampage to weaken Earth enough for Stranger to conquer.
It’s the type of cliffhanger that usually makes me skip ahead to read the next issue promptly.
But I find the resolution here so anticlimactic, that it didn’t feel worth it.
As the situation is resolved by page 2.
Hulk reverts back to Banner. Stranger had taken control of Hulk’s brain. Not Banner’s. So therefore Earth is saved. And we can get on to the issue’s main plot points.
The first is a rather dark one. Bruce Banner has finally decided suicide is his best course of action. He thinks an overdose from his gamma ray machine may do it.
Meanwhile, General Ross is angry about a spy on the base who tried to kill Betty. Is he talking about Boomerang? No, this seems to be a new spy, and we are just learning about this attempt on Betty’s life. Weird storytelling choice that we did not see it actually happen.
Banner’s attempt at suicide is interrupted by Major Talbot, who takes him into custody.
The spy decides to test the machine himself, not appreciating what it does, and finds himself turned into a Hulk-like creature that Betty names the Abomination.
Who can stop the Abomination? Only the Hulk. The Hulk can’t be controlled, but perhaps he can be pointed.
Earlier, Banner had feared that turning into Hulk would make the Stranger’s control reappear. That was the impetus behind the suicide attempt. He seems to have forgotten that concern. And it works out as Hulk is no longer under Stranger’s control.
The Abomination got a stronger dose of radiation than Hulk had, so he is stronger. And defeats the Hulk. Then kidnaps Betty. Because that’s what villains do.
General Ross reflects on the irony. His one wish had been to see Hulk defeated. And he got his wish. But now who can stop the Abomination?
We’ll come right back to the next issue of Tales to Astonish to see how both Namor’s and Hulk’s stories play out.
The Abomination is played by Tim Roth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 51/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in The Incredible Hulk Omnibus vol. 1.
Characters:
- Hulk/Bruce Banner
- Stranger
- Betty Ross
- General Thunderbolt Ross
- Major Glen Talbot
- Abomination
Story notes:
- Hulk seeks out weapons base, as he must destroy Earth’s weapons at Stranger’s command.
- Hulk reverts to Bruce Banner and the Stranger’s influence fades. Stranger’s control may return if Banner changes back into Hulk. (But it doesn’t.)
- Banner plans to kill himself with a fatal overdose of his own Gamma Ray Machine.
- Last issue, Ross had been searching for the Hulk. He seems to have moved on, as now he’s more concerned about a spy on the base. There was a recent attempt on Betty’s life and attempts to sabotage their missiles.
- Spy wants to get pictures of Banner’s Gamma Ray Machine to sell behind the Bamboo Curtain.
- Talbot interrupts Banner before he can use the machine and takes him into custody.
- Spy decides to try Gamma Ray Machine on himself and seems surprised when he turns into a Hulk-like Abomination.
- Banner turns into Hulk to stop Abomination
- Abomination has retained his intelligence.
- Abomination is stronger than Hulk, for he had been subjected to a more intense dose of gamma rays.
- Betty names the Abomination.
- Abomination defeats Hulk.
- Abomination unsure if he can survive a missile attack.
- Abomination kidnaps Betty and escapes.
| Previous | #657 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Tales to Astonish #90 | Reading order | Tales to Astonish #91 |
| Tales to Astonish #90 | Tales to Astonish | Tales to Astonish #91 |
