i use to love the hulk but now he and the his comic ••••. the whole tyrranus plot was horrible.

Of course, the eternal nit for The Incredible Hulk is how is it that Dr. Bruce Banner's shirt gets ripped to shreds when the Doctor changes into the Hulk, but the only damage done to his pants is that they develop holes in the knees and the cuffs are jagged? I'd love to find pants that can take that kind of stretching that Banner's does and not tear into a thousand pieces.

Maybe this isn't really a nit, but I think it's funny how in The Incredible Hulk #1, after Banner first changes into the Hulk, a soldier refers to him as "That...that Hulk", the name catches on. Rumors don't spread as fast as that nickname did. Even Igor, the Russian scientist trying to pass himself as an American, knows to call Banner's alter ego, "the Hullk". Maybe it's not a nit, like I said. But it does seem unlikely to me.

This would really be a nit if in #1, the Hulk was his familiar green skinned self. Instead, in his very first appearance, way back in 1962, he was grey skinned. Anyway, after the Hulk's first rampage, two soldiers who used a jeep to ram the Hulk, describe him. One thinks the Hulk might be a gorilla that had escaped from the zoo. This story takes place in a desert region where nuclear (Gamma rays) testings are being conducted. Where the hell is a zoo going to be? The other soldier thinks the Hulk might be a bear dressed that escaped from the circus. Do bears and/or gorillas come in the shade of grey the Hulk was in the old days? Could one of those animals really be mistaken for the Hulk?

Well, I guess so. I mean, Banner's transformation to the Hulk originally took place at night. So maybe the darkness did make it hard for the soldiers to really comprehend what they were looking at. But it's this nocturnal transformation that leads me to a really big nit in this story. A Commie bad guy, the Gargoyle, kidnaps the Hulk and Rick Jones and takes them both back to Russia. During the course of the tale, Banner, a nuclear physicist, manages to cure the Gargoyle of his physical deformity. (Banner's another one of those scientists who specializes in one field, but is still, somehow, an expert in all fields.) Curing the Gargoyle fills the Communist with such good will that he not only releases Bruce and Rick, but he sends them back to America in a rocket.

Now, when Bruce and Rick leave Russia, it's daytime. I hope they're traveling eastward when they go back to the states. Because if they aren't, well, the two of them are going to fly straight into nightfall. That means that Banner will be changing back into the Hulk. In the confined quarters of a rocket, I don't think that'd be a pleasant trip for Rick Jones. Do you?

Oh, and one more thing about that rocket trip. The Gargoyle, after being cured, for some reason not very clear to me, decides to blow up the installation that he works in. I think it has something to do with Russian scientists not being able to cure him and yet an American could. I dunno. Anyway, as Banner and Rick are in the rocket on their way back to America, Bruce comments that he can hear the sounds of the Gargoyle's base exploding. To be heard over the noise of the rocket's engines, that would have to be one very loud explosion, doncha think?

In #2, Bruce and Rick go to a cave where they hope Banner can hide overnight when he changes into the Hulk. So far, so good. However, deep inside the cave there is, in front of a tunnel entrance, a ten foot thick block of concrete, fitted with hydraulic jacks. Now how did those hydraulics and that 10 foot thick concrete block get into the cave? The Hulk almost certainly didn't drag them down there. Did the Army? How could Banner convince General Ross to do it?

Some alien race, who actually refer to themselves as "Toadmen", travel to Earth with the intentions of conquering it. Before they do so, they want to find the greatest scientific mind on our planet, so they can learn just how technologically advanced Earth is. To find the smartest man on Earth, they use some sort of magnetic grappling to find "the most brilliant scientific mind on Earth" and lock onto him. Just how would magnetism determine a person's IQ?

I had to look on www.comics.org to see the cover to #2 in color, but judging by it, it presents a nit. In issue #1 of The Incredible Hulk, the Hulk was grey-skinned. On the cover of the second issue (and presumably the interior art as well), the Hulk is his familiar green-skinned self. No explanation is given for the change in skin pigmentation.

About that hideout for the Hulk in the cave, at the end of #2, it turns out to also be underwater. The very last panel panel of the second issue shows a cutaway of the chamber. Those walls do not look to be 10 feet thick. And that "ten foot block of concrete", looks like it's only two, maybe three feet thick.

In #3, the Hulk shatters the beam holding the "ten foot" thick block of concrete in place. Later in that issue, when Rick Jones puts the Hulk back into the chamber, he says to himself, "Lucky I was able to replace this shattered steel ramrod!" That "steel ramrod" looks to be three feet in diameter. In other words, Rick Jones replaced it by himself? What? Was he already switching places with the original Captain Mar-Vell? Otherwise...
There's
no
way
I
buy
that.

During the early half of #3, Rick Jones is tricked by General "Thunderbolt" Ross into leading the Hulk into a rocket ship. The General, in order to rid the world of the Greenskin Goliath plans to launch the Hulk into space. After learning how he'd been deceived, Rick Jones, "boy genius", enters the command center of the rocket base and using the remote controls, brings the ship back to Earth. Two things, how was he able to enter that command center with such ease? Is security under Ross' command that sloppy? And since when was Jones so smart that he can, just by looking, figure out how to operate the rocket's controls? Bet those highly skilled and well trained technicians feel like fools.

In one of those wacky coincidences that Stan Lee loves to use, the rocket carrying the Hulk is bathed in cosmic rays. The rays somehow cause "a shock to travel the many, many miles back to Earth -- an electric shock which will link the Hulk and Rick Jones more closely than ever before." As a matter of fact, it gives Rick complete controle over the Hulk. In the immortal words of Catnip the Cat, "Gee, dat sounds logical." >:-T

What's funny is that Rick's control over the Hulk is only active as long as Jones stays awake. One suspects that Rick was either downing No-Doz by the bottle or a speed freak. Otherwise...

Oh yeah. I guess this was a side effect of the cosmic rays ol' Jade Jaws got dosed with in #3, but starting with this issue, the Hulk has a hairy chest. I know the Thing didn't get a hairy chest from cosmic rays. I wonder if Reed, Johnny or Sue did?

In the next issue, #4, Rick Jones again proves he's the Wesley Crusher of Marvel Comics. He has the Hulk on some Gamma Ray device that Bruce Banner created. Rick correctly figures out - from Banner's notes - how to operate it and cure Bruce of being the Hulk. You mean it's so easy even a child could do it?

The cure is more or less temporary. Now Banner can change into the Hulk whenever he wants to by standing on a platform and stepping on a button that'll activate the Gamma Ray machine. You gotta wonder why the hell the damned fool would want to become the Hulk in the first place? Up til now, he's resented and feared the existence of ol' Greenie. Not to mention the fact that the Hulk is wanted by authorities who won't hestitate to use lethal force to stop the Hulk.

I forgot to mention this: One of the results of the Hulk's exposure to cosmic rays is that he can now leap some very vast distances. Funny thing is, judging by the lines Jack Kirby drew, it looks like the Hulk can fly, or at least change direction in mid-leap. Neat trick. This is a nit that occurs throughout issues #3-5.

This is hilarious. On page 12 of issue 4, this mother and her two sons are trapped in a burning house. The Hulk will, of course, rescue them. In the final panel of page 12, the mother tells one of her sons, "Don't cry, Bobby! We'll get out -- somehow." Well, you might try that window just behind you, ma'am. No fire there.

To rescue the family, the Hulk rips away the side of the house that's on fire. I'm surprised the side the Hulk pulls away doesn't collapse. I'm surprised the whole house doesn't collapse.

In the second tale in #4, a Russian MIG is disguised as a UFO. The front landing gear of the ship is a good three feet in front of the plane/UFO. Is this practical?

The "alien" aboard the ship (he's quickly revealed to be a Commie inside a robotic suit), challenges "Earth's mightiest mortal to meet (him) in hand-to-hand combat!" The fight is take place in "a lonely part of Grand Canyon". That could be anywhere, y'know. I guess that's why there's no press or other superheroes at the meeting place. But it's amazing Rick Jones and the Hulk found the "lonely part of Grand Canyon" with such ease, though. And lucky for the U.S., too.

Number five, opens with General Ross showing his daughter Betty, Bruce Banner and Rick Jones home movies of the Hulk in action. One clip involves some sort of "giant, specially constructed neuron magnet designed to attract and hold living beings." ... Now, that's technobabble.

Which is older, the Roman Empire or the legend of King Arthur? I ask because the villain in story 1 of #5, Tyrannus, and his people all dress in Roman-like outfits. Yet, Tyrannus claims to have been banished to the center of the Earth centuries ago by Merlin the Magician. Is that reasonable?

A General Fang is about to conquer some native people of Llhasa. Somehow, these primitive people manage to get word out to the outside world that they are about to be invaded. Banner, of course, hears about it. He decides to become the Hulk to battle General Fang. (Sure, why not?) The Doctor pulls out a book, Strange Myths and Legends before going to Llhasa. Why? To read up on Abominable Snowman. Snicker. Yeah, right. A green faced Yeti. That'll fool 'em. You gotta wonder, why would someone as powerful as the Hulk even need to bother with such an asinine disguise? Seems to me it'd be fairly silly, not to mention useless, tactic.

Benn, have you come across the issue of Hulk where Stan Lee gave Banner's first name as "Bob" throughout? Oh, the stress of writing and editing every Marvel Comic yourself. Stan gave himself a no-prize by saying "Bob" was Banner's first name and Bruce his middle. To this day, the Hulk's full name is Robert Bruce Banner because of that flub-up.

Stan Lee, of course, loved alliterative names because he thought they were easier to remember: Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Peter Parker, Scott Summers, Warren Worthington (the third). Heck, even Doctor Doom!

Nope, I haven't run into that issue yet, Trike - as far as I know. Have you ever seen The Official Marvel No-Prize Book? It lists several screw-ups that Marvel made over the years. In Amazing Spider-Man #1, Stan Lee refered to Peter Parker as Peter Palmer. In #3, Doc Ock calls Spidey "Superman". If you read The Essential Spider-Man #1, you won't find those nits. They've been corrected. There's a couple of others in The X-Men that have been corrected when the pertinent issues have been reprinted. So, it's possible that the "Bob Banner" nit has been corrected. It's also possible that I just haven't run into it yet.

And yeah, I've noticed Stan's penchant for alliterative names. Heck, I think I even noticed it as a kid.

Now for some more Hulk-nits.

In issue five, the Hulk has a hairy chest. In #6, he must've gotten ahold of some Nair, because his chest is now smooth.

For some weird, unexplained reason, in #6, when Banner zaps himself with Gamma rays, his body changes to Hulk size, but his head is still Banner's. "Fortunately", the Good Doctor has made a mask of the Hulk's face to study. Neat trick considering that it would actually have to have been the Hulk who made the mask. It's hard to imagine a reason why even the semi-intelligent Hulk would want to make a mask of his own face. Banner did it allegedly to study the face of the Hulk. Uh huh. Right. :-T What's really funny is that given that the Banner's head is smaller than the Hulk's, the mask fills out nicely to make it look like it's the Hulk's own head. That's some make up artistry. It's gets even more bizarre when the Hulk's real head replaces Banner's under the mask later in the issue.

Okay, so the villain in #6 is the Metal Master. (Do names get any dumber?) He has the power to control all forms of metal and do with them whatever he wants. First of all, I do wonder why he can't control the metallic minerals in the human body. But that's besides the point. To defeat him, Bruce Banner creates a weapon that Metal Master's powers can't affect. When MM is defeated, it's revealed that the reason MM couldn't affect the weapon is because it's made of plastic and cardboard. Now this issue marks the debut of Rick Jones' group, the Teen Brigade, a gang of ham radio operators. It's the Teen Brigade that gathers the material used to create the gun. What they got were tubes and circuits and condensers. Now don't tell me that none of those items have any metal in them. The Metal Master should have been able to affect the metal in the condensers and tubes and circuits. (Oh my!)

Personally, I thought this was a bit silly. The Metal Master wants to take over the Earth, but he doesn't kill anyone in the process. He says he wants "every Earthling alive, so that there will be many to serve (him)." I don't think killing a few soldiers is going to cut down the supply of slaves that drastically, do you?

Okay, is Bruce Banner a nuclear physicist or not? I've always thought he was. In Tales to Astonish #60, Banner has created a robot to be used in nuclear testings or something like that. In other words, Bruce is another one of those Scientist of All Trade to be found in the Marvel Universe.

Banner is shown entering the robot to work on some things. You'd think he'd've done the work he needed to before the robot was put together. Crawling inside it to work on it doesn't look like it leaves him with much room to manuever around.

Changed premise: Originally, Bruce changed into the Hulk when it's night-time. Then Banner could affect the change whenever he wants by zapping himself with Gamma rays. I have no idea how or why, but now all of a sudden, Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk when Banner is "...the most worried...when the pressure becomes unbearable." That's pretty close to the classic "You wouldn't like me mad" trigger. The big difference right now is what changes him back to Banner. Even more stress. Go figure.

That robot, in T2A #60, has three fingers. In the following issue, #61, it has two.

Here's something mentioned in The Official Marvel No-Prize Book: In #60, Major Glen Talbot calls Betty Ross, "Miss Brant". In #61, Rick Jones makes the same error. Miss Betty Brant was J. Jonah Jameson's secretary in the early issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. In this reprint book, Talbot's error is corrected. However, Rick Jones still calls Betty Ross "Miss Brant".

When Talbot first appears (T2A #61), Bruce Banner sees him talking to some of General Ross' security officers. On the basis of that, Banner assumes that Talbot has something to do with Security. Huh? Wouldn't security be checking anyone entering a top security base like Ross', just to be sure of who they are?

Issue #61 of Tales to Astonish (T2A), ends with the Hulk being bound with what everyone keeps calling chains. Frankly, they don't look like chains. Metallic rope, wires, cords, cables, or hoses, yes. But not chains.

At the end of T2A #62 we see a cameo appearance of the Lethal Leader. He's disguised in a radiation suit. In the very next issue, #63, the suit has changed appearances and now looks like one of the outfits A.I.M.'s people wore. (And no, A.I.M. doen't mean AOL Instant Messenger.)

Trike, I apparently have passed the issue where Stan Lee called Banner "Bob". I'm reading Tales to Astonish #64 and on page one, the Hulk's alter ego is called, "Dr. Rober Bruce Banner." It's the first issue where Banner's full name can be found.

Also, according to #64, Banner is an atomic scientist. That's the same as nuclear physicist, isn't it? (You can never be too sure where Stan Lee is concerned.) So, how is it he's able to whip up all these other scientific and mechanical doodads that involves disciplines outside his field?

Going back to T2A #60, Banner changes into the Hulk on page four of the story. He's wearing his glasses as the transformation begins. On page 9, when he reverts back to being Bruce Banner, you see the glasses lying beside Bruce. Even though he's miles away from where he changed. Even though there's nothing to show that the Hulk thoughtfully carried the glasses with him, the glasses appear out of nowhere. No wonder in later comics, Banner no longer wears specs.

Oh, I love this little tidbit, on page 7 of Tales to Astonish #60, Stan Lee writes, "Another ironic fact is that the Hulk can never clearly comprehend the truth...the fact that he and Bruce Banner are really one and the same." On the next page, as he begins to revert back to being Banner, the Hulk thinks, "I'm changing again...turning back into that weakling, Dr. Banner." Sounds like the Greensking Goliath comprehends the situation pretty well, if you ask me.

More Incredible Nits.

I've already mentioned how Banner's pants are made of an incredible material that stretches around the waist and thighs, but rips apart at the calves. Well, in Tales to Astonish #63-67, Bruce has a belt that stretches when he Hulks out. And frankly, the image of the Hulk wearing a belt is pretty funny. Trust me, if those pants aren't going to shred to pieces when Banner changes, they aren't necessary to hold the Hulk's pants up.

Okay, so the Lethal Leader. Here's someone else who got zapped by Gamma rays. His powers? He's supposed to be super-smart. So far, none of the stories I've read involving him (#63-69) give much evidence of his super-intellect. The Leader suspects there's a connection between Banner and the Hulk. Actually, he should know that Bruce Banner is the Hulk. In T2A #68, the Leader sends a horde of his robots called the Humanoids to battle the Hulk. Through some sort of headband device, the Leader is able to see what the Humanoids see and thus direct their actions. They attack Bruce Banner. In the middle of the fight, the Hulk suddenly appears. Now, even if for some weird reason, the Leader doesn't see the change, surely the fact that one moment his Humanoids were tackling Banner, the next the Hulk, should tell this super-genius that Banner is the Hulk. There's only one way the Hulk could have gotten into the center of the Humanoid pile up. Yet the Leader never makes that connection.

He's not alone, though. No matter how often the Hulk appears in the exact place that Bruce Banner was, no one and I do mean no one, even wonders if the two are somehow one and the same. You keep wanting to slap these people.

The Leader's appearance changes by each issue. Other than having greenskin like the Hulk, the Leader's most distinguishing feature is his elongated head. In #64, his hairline extends all the way down to his collar and ears. In #66, the hair ends well above his ears. In some scenes in #65, it looks like he's bald, or has a little bit of hair on top of his head only. In #68, his next appearance, the hair again goes down to his neck and ears.

Page 6 of #65 seems to have been misprinted. It's too large. Several panels are cut off at the edge of the page.

Also in #65, the Hulk picks up the floor some Communist soldiers stand on and shakes it like it was a rug, knocking the soldiers down. Later in Tales to Astonish #67, Hulkie does the same thing with a stretch of road. Maybe I'm just naive, but I don't think a paved road or the floor of a building will act like carpeting. I think if you were to pick up a section of the street or floor, it'd crumble, leaving you with the one big chunk you initially picked up.

Okay, what is it with the bit where the Hulk claps his hands and he creates a shockwave, sending people flying all over the place? Maybe I'm just too much of a wuss, but if I clap, I can't even move a piece of paper by dint of the force of slapping my palms together.

Something strange happens to the Hulk's linguistic skills between #65 and 66. Up until T2A #65, the Greenskin Goliath could speak in complete sentences. All of a sudden in #66, a direct continuation of the previous issue, the Hulk starts refering to himself as "Hulk" instead of "the Hulk" as he did in the last issue. As a matter of fact, his sentences are very close to the classic, "Bah, puny human, Hulk smash!" type of dialogue Jadejaws is famous for.

Also, the trigger for the Hulk changing back to Banner has changed - again. Now, instead of more stress turning the Hulk back into Banner, it's the Hulk being at rest that triggers the change. This too, is the method most Hulk fans are familiar with.

In T2A #69, the Hulk's chest hairs grow back. They are gone in the very next issue.

Getting back to this alleged genius, the Lethal Leader, in #68-69, the Leader wants to steal this device called the Absorbatron that Banner has whipped up. It's a device that absorbs the blast of atomic bombs. Why should Super-Genius, the Leader, steal it? Can't he make his own? If he's the money to make all these Humanoids, and other weapons, he's got the financial wherewithal to make his own Absorbatron, dagnabbit.

This isn't really a nit, I suppose, but it is rather surrealistic. The Leader works for some Communists who are trying for the usual world domination. It just strikes me as hilarious that someone who calls himself "The Leader" has a boss.

In #69, the Leader destroys his horde of Humanoids, telling them he "return(s) (them) to the nothingness from whence (the Leader) created them." Uh, no, I honestly think you had to make them from something, Mr. Leader, sir.

I laughed when I read this bit from T2A #69. The Leader whips out a gun (his "molecule ray" gun) to shoot the Hulk. He warns the Hulk back telling Jadejaws, "You cannot survive a direct hit by the power of a trillion molecules." Say what? Just from that description, it sounds like it could be an air gun.

#69 ends with Banner being shot and pronouced dead. The next issue starts with the body of Banner missing. Major Talbot opines that maybe Banner wasn't dead. A soldier tells his commanding officer that there's no way, he examined the body himself. Banner is dead. General Ross is due for retirement, I'd say. In the very same panel, he tells his soldiers, "A desperately wounded man can't outrun us!" "Desperately wounded"? He's dead. He's not going to run anywhere. No wonder Ross could never capture the Hulk.

As it turns out, eternal sidekick Rick Jones has stolen Bruce's body and is heading for the cave where he used to hide the Hulk. I tell you, Ross' security is lax. Banner is considered a traitor to his country and those soldiers let a 16 year old kid walk off with the body? I'm surprised the Communists didn't take over America in the Marvel Universe.

Come to find out, the wound that killed Banner was a head wound. Yet, by dosing Banner with Gamma rays, Wesley Crusher, er Rick Jones, revives Banner by turning him into the Hulk. First of all, I don't see a head wound on Banner. Second, that kind of damage I don't think can easily be repaired by zapping Gamma rays at the corpse. Well, maybe. If we're talking about Night of the Living Dead.

When revived, the Hulk has the mind of Banner. Bruce explains this by saying, "The bullet which is lodged within my skull must have affected my brain." Yeah, it killed you! A bullet in his skull and he's alive and fully functional? (As the Hulk, anyway). 'Scuse me while I go bang my head against the wall in an attempt to get this explanation to sink in.

Tales to Astonish #70 features the Hulk with the mind of Banner. It seems to me, that everybody who writes the Hulk for any length of time will eventually trot out the "Hulk-With-Mind-Of-Bruce-Banner" schtick. Stan Lee was the first. Unlike later writers, Stan surprisingly didn't try to milk the concept too much. Instead, the Hulk talks much like he did in The Incredible Hulk #1 and Banner finds himself giving in to the beastial nature that is the Hulk's. No matter how much angst Stan liked to imbue his stories with, he somehow or another managed to avoid really playing it up with the Hulk.

Anyway... So General Ross and company have a missile they've nicknamed the "Sunday Punch Super Missile", eh? I really cracked up when I saw that the launch pad for the rocket had "Sunday Punch Missile" stenciled on it.

The Sunday Punch Missile is an atomic missile. To escape it, the Hulk gathers Rick Jones and leaps away from it. Rick, as the bomb explodes, exclaims, "Y-you did it! The mushroom cloud just missed us." I'm a bit dubious of the idea that there's a "Missed it by that much" factor to an nuclear explosion. The Hulk and Rick Jones look close enough to me to still be harmed by it. And did Rick look at the mushroom cloud? Wouldn't that blind him?

Okay. No. Way. The Hulk leaps high enough to take him and Rick to the outer edges of the Earth's atmosphere? Maybe, just maybe, the Hulk could survive it. But Rick Jones should be a goner. (Of course, the Hulk should be dead, too. What with a bullet lodged in his skull.) As the Hulk and Jones fall back to Earth, Jade Jaws comments that Rick passed out "because of the thin air." Uh, no. I think being that far up in the atmosphere would kill him. If it doesn't, the fall will kill him. How many miles an hour are they falling when they land?

After they land, the Hulk administers mouth-to-mouth resucistation by blowing air into Rick's mouth. I've never taken a CPR class, but I'm reasonably sure that's not how it's done. For one thing, your mouth has to be on the person you're administering CPR to. The Hulk's are about six inches away. I guess, if they touched lips, the Greenskin Goliath might have to become known as the Greenskin Fairy. Inaccuracy in service of homophobia.

To escape Ross and his men, Rick and the Hulk go back to the cave that they've been hiding out in these past several issues. Originally, it was said to extend til it went underwater. In this issue, #71, the cave is smack dab in the middle of the desert. No way there's any water nearby.

I'm almost tempted to dismiss Tales to Astonish #72-75 as one big nit. There are so many nits in the story, it's ridiculous.

It starts with the splash page where the Hulk once again has hair on his chest. These hairs disappear later in #72.

In #71, Ross' army has the Hulk stranded in the cave. They are several yards away. However, in the very next issue, the army is just outside the front of the cave.

The Leader sends a holographic image to communicate with the Hulk. He wants the Hulk to join sides with him. The Leader offers to help the Greenskin Goliath escape from the army. How? By essentially beaming the Hulk out of the cave. Uhhhhhh, if the Leader has a transporter-like device, why does he send his Humanoids to steal the Absorbatron? Why not beam it out? For that matter, why waste time trying to convince the Hulk to join sides with him? Why not just beam the Hulk out of the cave and into a trap and whip up some doohickey that'll mesmerize the Hulk into teaming up with the Leader?

So those Humanoids came from nothingness, did they (#69)? However, #72 shows the Humanoids hatching from eggs. No, I cannot keep a straight face reporting that. It's as silly as it sounds.

In #73, the Leader chooses to cure Banner of the bullet that lodges in his head. Instead of using that transporter thing he invented, the Leader instead opts to use a "Gamma Rays Laser-type Beam". A what? Wouldn't it be better to beam the bullet out of the skull?

On page 5, the Leader, after dousing the Hulk with even more Gamma rays, says, "There's no way to measure (the Hulk's) strength." Apparently Marvel has found a way. IIRC, according to The Official Handbook Guide to the Marvel Universe, the Hulk presses 100+ tons. Sounds like it is measurable after all.

The Leader wants to test just how powerful the Hulk is now. He subjects the Greenskin Goliath to heavy electrical voltages. Isn't that a bit too risky? Suppose that the Hulk doesn't survive? Then the Leader's going to have to find himself a new ally, isn't he?

#73 reveals that the Hulk can hold his breath underwater for a half an hour. In the following issue, Banner mentally tells himself that he can hold his breath underwater for hours.

Here's where the story gets really screwy and unbelievable. Investigating the Blue Area of the Moon, the Lethal Leader, having sent up his own space probe, observes the Watcher. So far, so good. However, the Leader seems to have created a camera that is just short of being magical. Through the camera, the Leader is able to follow the Watcher on his journey from planet to planet. I'm sure there are thousands of Observatories that would love to get ahold of a camera that can do that.

Eventually, the Leader is able to find and using his camera, explore the Watcher's home world. (Snicker) First of all, isn't the Watcher, Uatu is his name I believe, more or less assigned to Earth? If so, why would he abandon his post? Second of all, the Leader is able to figure out how the Watcher's technology work, what the functions of the various devices the Watcher has. Somehow, I don't think the Leader is that smart.

The Leader wants to send the Hulk to the Watcher's homeworld, so Jade Jaws can steal one of the gadgets that the Watcher has. How does the Leader plan to beam the Hulk out there? By sending the Hulk via thought waves, because "the speed of thought is virtually without limit!" Actually, the speed of thought is much, much slower than the speed of light. Of course, the Leader must have access to some sort of FTL tech to enable his camera to send back images from thousands of light years away.


The Leader sent the Hulk to the Watcher's homeworld, because "(i)n (the Leader's) telescope*, (he) saw another--from a different world, also coming to seize the Ultimate Machine" which resides in the Watcher's home. Why take the time to recruit the Hulk? Why not use your "speed of thought" transporter and steal the Ultimate Machine before the "other" arrives, Mr. Lethal Leader, Super-Genius?

The "Other" the Leader wants the Hulk to fight, has some strange boasts. First he boasts that he is "able to withstand the winds of Andromeda". Bet I can, too. Just by wearing what spacesuits NASA has already developed. I don't think Solar Winds are all that powerful a force, are they?

Then he says he is able to withstand "the storms of Saturn". Is Hodgkins Law of Parallel Planet Development at work, here? Or is it just sheer coincidence that his home system has a planet named Saturn, too?

The Watcher, who has his own Prime Directive in effect, that is, he can only observe what happens and not participate. Well, when the Hulk and the Other start to fight in his home, the Watcher teleports them outside of his home. Isn't that interferring?

So, what is it that the Hulk is supposed to steal? A crystal ball or a fish bowl - at least that's what it looks like to me. As it turns out, this goldfish bowl contains "all the knowledge of the known universe". The universe must not know that much.

The Leader puts the globe on and dies. In #75, the Hulk decides to put it on. (Hey, he still has the brain of Bruce Banner, sort of.) All of a sudden, the fishbowl is a a half sphere.

Despite their distrust of Bruce Banner (they believe him to be a traitor), General Ross and his people build the T-Gun, Bruce Banner's last invention. They fear that the T-Gun may be a giant booby trap. So, if they're so afraid of the Gun backfiring on them, why don't they have someone else go over the blueprints for the T-Gun and check it for flaws or any possible booby traps?

* "Telescope"? I thought it was a camera?

Yesterday I got Incredible Hulk #161 and #229. In #161, the Hulk goes to Canada to find Betty Ross, who had by this point married Major Glen Talbot. Also going to Canada are former X-Man, Hank McCoy, a.k.a. the Beast and his former girlfriend, Vera. The latter two are going because Vera says it's a matter that can end the world. The problem? It concerns one time X-Men adversary/ally and Vera's current boyfriend, Cal Rankin, aka the Mimic. It seems that the Mimic's power, the ability to absorb the knowledge and abilities of others is getting out of hand. It's now absorbing the life-force of anyone who nears Cal. And he can bearly control it. It will soon get to the point where it will drain away the life-forces of everyone on Earth.

Anyway, as Hank and Vera near a checkpoint along the Canadian border, it's announced that the Hulk is in the area. So the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have stopped traffic to Canada. Rather than turn back, Hank applies a neck pinch to Vera, knocking her out. He then removes his suit, tie, shoes, glasses, rubber Hank McCoy mask and gloves and once more becomes the black-blue furred Beast. He then climbs over the cars and escapes into the Canadian wilderness carrying Vera. Once they get to someplace safe, the Beast once again assumes his Hank McCoy disguise.

Two questions; first of all, is there really a "neck pinch"? I mean, it's not just Spock who's been shown to use it. Back in the 40s, Superman was shown to be able to apply a neck pinch to knock people out. So, do these things really exist?

The big question and nit is that the Beast changes back into Hank McCoy. Um, just where was the Beast keeping his suit, tie, rubber mask, gloves and glasses? Under his fur? Just from what I can see, there nowhere for Hank to hide all that stuff. I doubt Vera's purse would be big enough to contain all that stuff. Maybe he hid it under Vera's dress. The pervert. And if he wasn't hiding it there, I don't want to think about where on his own person, he hid those clothes.

BTW, do Mounties wear those red and black outfits all the time, or are they just for special occasions?

The reason Vera and Cal want Hank (and not the Beast) is because Hank is some kind of expert on genetic mutation. (Is this still McCoy's specialty?) The Mimic has hidden himself in a cabin in the Canadian wilderness to isolate himself from other people. In the cabin are various scientific equipment to use in an attempt to cure Rankin of his powers. (Rankin, for the record is not a mutant.) Okay, so fill me again on why Vera and Cal need Hank? I mean if those two have enough knowledge to know what equipment they need to cure the Mimic, or how to build such equipment, then they have the knowledge to work it, you would think.

What is even stranger is the question of how could they afford all that equipment. According to a line of dialogue from Cal, the machines were bought using money from his and Vera's savings. I wish I had savings like that. I'd retire.

The Mimic dies when he absorbs the power and Gamma radiation generating from the Hulk. I'm surprised that Steve Englehart, who was writing the Hulk at the time, didn't use that as an excuse to "cure" Bruce Banner of being the Hulk. Temporarily. Again.

By the way, Incredible Hulk #161 marks the first time since his starring stint in the pages of Amazing Adventures #11-17, that the furry version of the Beast has appeared. I think the next stop for Hank was The Avengers.

BTW, do Mounties wear those red and black outfits all the time, or are they just for special occasions?

Special occasions. The red-and-black getups are dress uniforms; your average on-duty RCMP officer looks more or less like an everyday cop with a bit of extra braid on his pants.

(Free supplemental myth-busting factoid: The motto is 'Protect the Right', not "Always Get Your Man'. Oh, and also they hate being called Mounties...something to do with Nelson Eddy and the whole Rose Marie thing. Very difficult for a hard-working police force to live down, that Indian Love Call. )

"BTW, do Mounties wear those red and black outfits all the time, or are they just for special occasions?" - me

"Special occasions. The red-and-black getups are dress uniforms; your average on-duty RCMP officer looks more or less like an everyday cop with a bit of extra braid on his pants." - kerriem

Thanks, Kerrie. I was hoping you or one of our other Canadian residents would answer that question. I suspected that was the answer. Seems like I read about it somewhere.

So, I guess it's safe to say that having the Mounted Police in the Red and the Black outfits is a nit, indeed.

Again, thanks, Kerrie.

is there really a "neck pinch"? I mean, it's not just Spock who's been shown to use it. Back in the 40s, Superman was shown to be able to apply a neck pinch to knock people out. So, do these things really exist?

In karate class, many years ago, I hit an opponent on the neck/shoulder area and he told me afterwards that his arm went temporarily numb. Not long enough to worry about, just enough to notice, so I would guess that the idea of nerve pinches come from feelings of numbness that may come when a nerve is hit just right.
Some people probably took a minor reaction and extrapolated way too much importance into it. ;-) I don't think anyone has ever come up with a working nerve pinch in the fictional sense of the term.

BTW didn't Doc Savage also use nerve pinches?

The only question I can think of when it comes to the Hulk is, Who manufactures Purple pants??? Blue & black are fairly common, but I don't remember seeing any purple pants in reality.

"BTW didn't Doc Savage also use nerve pinches?" - KAM

Yeah, come to think of it, that sounds right to me, too.

"The only question I can think of when it comes to the Hulk is, Who manufactures Purple pants??? Blue & black are fairly common, but I don't remember seeing any purple pants in reality." - KAM

Yeah, that's pretty much become something of a joke in the comics. I don't know if they keep dressing Banner/Hulk in purple pants for copyright and trademark purposes, but frankly, I think they can ditch it.

That T-Gun I mentioned that appeared in Tales to Astonish #75, it's a Time Travel Gun. How does it work? By using "a sudden blast which alter(s) the light waves around a person" sending that person to a different time. You mean it's done with mirrors, Dr, Banner?

With Banner's absence, General Ross replaces the scientist with another, a Dr. Zaxon. While Banner's field was "atomic science", Zaxon is interested in harnessing "organic energy". Is that oil, coal, or manure?

Actually, it has something to do with the energy that people emit. What is this? The Matrix?

Zaxon, taking a reading of the "organic energy" the Hulk emits, notes how strong the Gamma irradiated reading is. Zaxon thinks he can harness that "organic energy" to control the weather, volcanos and project apparitions. Uh, exactly how? The Hulk can't do any of those things. And if through "organic energy", Zaxon can do these things, wouldn't draining a few dozen people accomplish the same thing?

Did Ross or anyone in the Army bother asking Zaxon what he meant by "organic energy" and where he planned to get it in the first place?

Near the beginning of T2A #70, Banner became the Hulk. He'll remain the Hulk non-stop until the end of T2A #80. This despite the fact that the Hulk falls asleep and is otherwise rendered unconscious several times during this ten issue span. To make matters worse, when he finally does revert back to Banner on the last page of #80, Bruce can clearly be seen to be wearing his glasses in the next to last panel of that issue. Just where the heck was the Hulk so kindly carrying those things?

First the Leader had a STAR TREK-like transporter. Now all of a sudden Tyrannus has one. With one of those babies, world conquest should be relatively easy, you'd think.

Beginning with T2A #81, a subplot begins with a new weapon that General Ross is in charge of, the Orion Missile. An organization that calls itself the Secret Empire makes plans to steal it. The nine memeber leadership of the Secret Empire all wear the same exact outfit. Yet, and without the aid of any identification markings, each member knows who is who underneath the costumes.

Boomerang also debuts in this issue. Originally, Boomerang, in addition to having a boomerang on his forehead, had a bunch of little discs (they look like washers to me) attached to the sleeves of his shirt.

In his debut, we learn his first name is Fred and that he was once a "star pitcher" for a baseball team. Presumably in the Major Leagues. So why would someone like that, when for whatever reason deciding to become a super-villain/assassin, choose to use a boomerang for his weapon. I mean, I know, baseballs, boomerangs, they're both things you throw. But aren't they still different throwing skills? Does skill in one necessarily translate into skill for the other?

At one point, when Boomerang goes to kidnap Betty Ross, General Ross' daughter, he throws a washer at the steering column of a Jeep, severing it. He then throws one that splits the barrel of a rifle. Then he throws one that hits the knees of two soldiers. Then he throws two more at the elbows of Major Talbot and Rick Jones. Surprisingly, not one of the human limbs are decapitated.

Rick Jones, Betty Ross, and Major Talbot had previously to this been kidnapped by Tyrannus. The Subterannean ruler "beamed" the three back to the Earth's surface in #80. They arrive standing upright. At the end of #81, the Hulk somehow manages to beam himself back to the surface. In order to do so, he lies down on what looks like a tanning bed. When he arrives on the surface, he's materializes on his back. Why were the other three on their feet, but the Hulk wasn't?

Boomerang's boots have four jets on each one. Each jet have fuel tanks that look like they're only 4 or 6 inches in length. Yet, Boomerang is able to travels a few miles on such tiny little jets. I'd love to know what kind of fuel he's using.

Some of those washers Boomerang has are magnetized. While fighting the Hulk, Boomerang manages to group them together in three sets of about nine of ten discs each. He then throws them at the Hulk, attaching one set to each of Jade-Jaws' legs and one on his chest. Uh, is the Hulk made of steel? Because otherwise, I don't see how those discs are going to stick to him.

At the end of #82, the Hulk has rescued Betty from Boomerang. They are in the desert, where it is clear skies and dry. However, in the very next issue, continuing the scene where #82 ends, it's raining.

To make a fire to keep Betty warm, the Hulk gathers some branches (in the desert?!) and slams two stones together to create a spark. I'm surprised the rocks didn't crumble to powder.

In #84, the Hulk travels to New York City. After he arrives, he breaks into a clothing store to grab a trench coat and fedora to hide himself while he's in the city. What, exactly compels the Hulk to do this? He's never cared about these things before - being recognized by people.

And is wearing a trench coat and fedora really that good a disguise? Stan Lee seemed to have thought so. Not does the Hulk wear such a disguise in this ish, but so have the Thing, the Silver Surfer and the Sub-Mariner at various times under Lee's tenure.

For some idiotic reason, General Ross is test launching the Orion Missile near the city of New York. This is far from the wisest course of action. Generally, dangerous missiles are tested well away from populated areas like New York. It's too dangerous to do otherwise.

Zaxon is interested in harnessing "organic energy". Is that oil, coal, or manure?
Well, if he could harness Stan's technobabble, then I'd say manure. ;-)

Yet, Boomerang is able to travels a few miles on such tiny little jets. I'd love to know what kind of fuel he's using.
Organic energy?

And is wearing a trench coat and fedora really that good a disguise?
In the online comic The Call Of Whatever, there are these 2 C'thulhu looking creatures. One is in a fedora & trenchcoat, the other is in shorts, sneakers, t-shirt and a backwards baseball cap. He explains to his trenchcoated friend that people and cops just assume he's a teenager with a silly mask, but that a guy in a trenchcoat looks like he has something to hide.

(I think The Call Of Whatever can be found at http://tcow.keenspace.com, but I'm not sure.)

LOL, KAM.

Continuing with the nits...

In #84, Rick Jones, wanting to get to New York to be with the Hulk, hires himself out to drive someone's car to New York. At this point, Rick is in Florida. The guy wants Rick to get to New York within 48 hours. Wonder how many speed laws Jones broke to do that?

The car owner warns Rick not to open the trunk of the car. As it turns out, the car owner is a Commie spy and the trunk contains a telescoping robot. The purpose of the robot is to take over the control of the Orion Missile as it's being tested near New York. A robot? A robot!? Why? Wouldn't some sort of computer be more efficient? I mean is there really any reason the device that is to take control of the Orion Missile has to be mobile? I mean, other than so that the Hulk will have something to fight.

The robot and the unnamed Commie are successful in diverting the missile. So, in #85, the Hulk makes one his patented high jumps and latches onto the side of the rocket. For some reason, landing on the rocket causes the Hulk to relax and become Bruce Banner again. I don't know about anyone else, but if I were Bruce Banner and I suddenly found myself hanging on to the side of missile about to slam onto the surface of the Earth, I'd be the Hulk again in a matter of seconds. There is no way I'd remain calm during all that.

Fortunately, in #86, Banner manages to crawl along the face of the rocket, and of course, alter its course. I'm surprised he's able to hang onto the rocket. It's gotta be falling at a rate that's near Mach speed. Not to mention that the metal skin of that missile is probably very hot.

As the rocket nears the ground, Banner reverts to being the Hulk again. As I've already said, No, I'd've been the Hulk within two seconds of seeing where I was.

BTW, the Orion Missile is one of Banner's creations. His last one before turning into the Hulk. I thought the T-Gun was his last project?

Okay, I'm convinced. General Ross is a moron. In #86 of Tales to Astonish, one of the Leader's Humanoids is found. Supposedly, it's a Hulk Killer Humanoid. Ross orders the Humanoid activated - without insuring that they can deactivate it should it run amok. Not smart. Not smart at all.

In #88, the Hulk has just defeated the Hulk Killer Humanoid. He's being heralded as a hero. The press is taking his picture. Boomerang is nearby. He decides to destroy the Hulk by making him go on a rampage. (Huh?) So he throws an explosive disc behind the Hulk as a photographer takes the Greenskin Goliath's picture. Amazingly, we're supposed to believe that the explosion from the disc is indistiguishable from a camera's flash. I personally don't remember camera's making that much noise in the '60s when they took pictures. And a flashbulb going off and an explosion do not look the same. How could no one else around the Hulk not notice the explosion?

Incidentally, Boomerang is the first villain to surreptitiously antagonize the Hulk to discredit him.

In #87, the Hulk has longish hair. In #88, it's much shorter. In the former issue, the hair is shaggier. In the latter, it's kind of like a fade or a bowl haircut. The hair lays well above the Hulk's ears. Of course, this is because #87 was drawn by John Buscema and #88 by Gil Kane. Very drastic difference.

The Hulk meets the Stranger in #89. The Stranger, who has been observing the Earth from several light years away, decides that the human race is unfit to rule the Earth. So he wants to reduce the planet's population and start things all over again - his way. He decides to make the Hulk the instrument he will use to wipe out the bulk of mankind. The Stranger, in addition to being one of the most insufferably arrogant characters in the Marvel Universe, is also one of the most powerful. His powers are almost godlike. So, why does he need the Hulk to his work? Can't the Stranger do this himself? Heck, no violence is necessary. Just introduce into the human population, a highly infectious, incurable disease and let nature take its course.

In Tales to Astonish #90, a Commie spy uses one of Banner's Gamma ray machines to gain superpowers. He becomes the Abomination. After whopping up on the Hulk, the Abomination notices Ross and his men. He realizes that they may fire rockets and other weapons at him. The Abomination thinks it's not a good idea to hang around, as he doesn't know if he could survive such an attack. Urm, here's a hint, if you can beat up the Hulk...you can probably take anything he can and not sweat it. Just a guess.

At the beginning of #91, Stan Lee describes the Abomination as the result of a "freak Gamma ray accident." What accident? The guy deliberately exposed himself to Gamma rays!

Going back a bit...

Benn - Which is older, the Roman Empire or the legend of King Arthur?

Which version of Arthur?

I believe the legends of the Round Table were written (or rewritten from older legends) around the time of the Crusades.

In the 10th Century there was a 'General' Arthur who led the Celts in fighting the invading Angles, Saxons & Jutes. (Tales of his exploits were woven into later Arthurian myths.)

Earlier than that it would seem that Arthur (or some variation of the name) was a Celtic God. IIRC in one of Joseph Campbell's PBS specials on myth he mentioned a Roman tablet mentioning that Artehe (Arthur) had married Artemis.

Of course the Romans did conquer Briton so links between Roman & Arthurian legend are not unheard of.

Trike - Benn, have you come across the issue of Hulk where Stan Lee gave Banner's first name as "Bob" throughout?
I heard that happened in an issue of Fantastic Four, not Hulk.

The reason I was wondering about King Arthur and the Roman Empire co-existing, is because Tyrannus dresses in a Roman style costume, but says he was exiled beneath the surface of the Earth by Merlin the Magician.

"Trike - Benn, have you come across the issue of Hulk where Stan Lee gave Banner's first name as "Bob" throughout?
I heard that happened in an issue of Fantastic Four, not Hulk." - KAM

Then that'd probably Fantastic Four #25. I haven't read that one yet.

I just ran a Google search on "Bob Banner" and "Hulk" to see if I could track it down. It's look like you're right about FF #25.

But, according to this site, it also happened in Avengers No. 3 -- and Stan refers to Banner as both Bruce and Bob in the same issue! I happen to have a reprint of it. On the next to last page, after changing from the Hulk, Banner says, "I-I've become Bruce Banner again!" But the style of lettering on "Bruce Banner" is more slanted than the rest of the words in the balloon -- heck, the rest of the words in the book. It looks like it was fixed.

A little research reveals that The Avengers #3, published in January of 1964, predates Fanastic Four #25, published in April of 1964.

"I happen to have a reprint of it. On the next to last page, after changing from the Hulk, Banner says, "I-I've become Bruce Banner again!" But the style of lettering on "Bruce Banner" is more slanted than the rest of the words in the balloon -- heck, the rest of the words in the book. It looks like it was fixed." - Trike


Marvel, incidentally, and as I've noted elsewhere, is in the habit of correcting such errors. Artistic errors are allowed to stand.

The reason I was wondering about King Arthur and the Roman Empire co-existing, is because Tyrannus dresses in a Roman style costume, but says he was exiled beneath the surface of the Earth by Merlin the Magician.

Just because Tyrannus wears a Roman-style costume doesn't necesarily mean he was a Roman. He could have been someone who admired the Roman style of dress.

As for Merlin, well, some legends indicate that Merlin aged backwards & was going backwards in time.

Mythologically the Merlin stories were believed to have been based on an earlier mythical magician.

In West Coast Avengers storyline (by Steve Engleheart) some Avenegrs had a faulty time machine that only went back, one of the Avengers suggested contacting Merlin the Magician to send them forward, to which someone else said that there is more than one character in the past who used the name Merlin the Magician (thereby anti-nitting contradictory stories about Merlin).

Yeah, Peter David used that point in is King Arthur-in-New York novel Knight Life, in which Merlin appeared as a little boy. (Btw, the sequel, One Knight Only is coming out soon.)

Points well taken, KAM. Thanks for the possible explanation.

Moved the posts about future Hulk movies to Hulk projects, under Movies/Cartoons/TV Shows/Games/etc. Based on Comic Books in the Comic Books Gutter.

Deleted some other posts.

OK.

I was reading Superhero Comics Of The Golden Age and reading about the second character called Green Mask (first appeared August, 1944, in Green Mask, Fox Features Syndicate).

When little Johnny Green gets mad he turns into the adult-sized Green Mask. After fighting the crooks he gets tired and reverts to being Johnny Green.

Hmmm... why does scenario sound familiar?

The cover of The Incredible Hulk #102 says, "The world's most powerful mortal... in his own full-length magazine at last--"
What were The Incredible Hulk's #1-6 then, chopped liver?

Incredible Hulk #1
Hulk comes across Igor & Igor says, "You will not live to report Igor to the security police!"
You, Igor, will not last very long as a spy if you keep naming yourself while commiting criminal acts. What if someone had been outside the door & heard you.
Which is stupider, Igor or the people running Army security?

Johnny Storm, the Human Torch!

Excelsior!

Okay, but who was stup¡d enough to put Johnny in charge of Army security?

:-p

;-)

General Ross?

Excelsior!

Best Hulk/Thing battle: the one in FF#something and Hulk #350. The stronger Thing vs. the weaker, but smarter, Hulk.

But I haven't read them all, and none since that one.

One of the more interesting ones I remember reading was the one in Giant-Size Superstars #1. I'm not sure if Gerry Conway or Roy Thomas was the writer, but Rich Buckler was the artist. (Which is a bit of a drawback.) But in the story, somehow the mind of Ben Grimm was put into the Hulk's body and vice versa. Thus "the Thing" was able to beat the snot out of "the Hulk" because the mind of the Hulk's was used to wielding more strength, whereas Ben Grimm wasn't used to handling that strong of a body. Or something like that. It's been a couple of decades or more since I've even seen that comic. Hmm. Another one I might have to pick up again.

Hulk smash puny humans!

Incredible Hulk #178

If I were a Christian, I'd be very offended by this story arc. In this arc, the Hulk journeys to Counter-Earth. There he encounters Adam Warlock, who's doing his best Jesus Christ impersonation. Right down to being crucified and then resurrecting in front of his disciples. As it is, it's a very heavy-handed and asinine story. And just on that basis, I find it a very offensive tale.

The origin of Counter-Earth (the original origin of Counter-Earth) appeared in Marvel Premiere #1. From what I gather in that issue, the High Evolutionary created C-E by "evolving" the world out of a chunk of Earth. C-E was made to be a veritable Garden of Eden, until another of the HE's creations, the Man-Beast, decides to play Lucifer and cause the downfall of Counter-Earth man by introducing "sin" in the world. I should also mention that the HE stopped evolving C-E when it evolved to a point parallel with Earth at the time Marvel Premiere #1 was published. Here's the thing, if C-E did not have the evils, the wars, murders, rapes, thefts, etc. that Earth has been plagued with until the Man-Beast showed up, how is it that one of the natives of C-E speaks of covering the war in Cambodia back in '68? (Hulk #178 was published in 1974 or thereabout.)

"Hulk smash!"

Banished To Outer Space The Incredible Hulk #3 Reprinted in Giant-Size Defenders #1
Rick is leading the Hulk to a rocket, glad that he's faster than the slow-moving Hulk. However as he's riding up to the rocket we see Hulk hanging onto the elevator. Apparently not that much slower. Of course when the elevator stops Rick is able to get out, put his jacket in the capsule & duck away out of site before Hulk shows up.

Hulk gets into the capsule the door closes & seconds later the rocket blasts off. Apparently General "Thunderbolt" Ross doesn't care for the safety of Rick Jones as he is still on the gantry.
Surprisingly Rick survives without a single scorched hair.

The external shape of the Hulk's cell at the end of the story appears different from the external shape at the beginning.

Rick is outside the cell, but the steel ramrod is nowhere to be seen.

On a rare and recent trip to the States, I brought back several of my old books, including Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee. I used to love the cover because it was painted and I could imagine what the heroes looked like in real life.

Some Hulk #1 nits. The Hulk has been re-coloured green here, although the grey remains on the reprinted cover. Stan Lee acknowledges this in the introduction.

Did it reeeeaally never occur to anyone in 1962 America not to let a Russian guy named Igor work on a top secret military base where they're developing a new bomb?

Before the detonation, Igor walks around with free reign, albeit without access to the secret of gamma rays since Banner doesn't tell anyone that. But later that night when looking for the Hulk, one of the soldiers says, 'Look, Captain! It's Igor, the spy we've been searching for!' They'd been searching for him? There's no evidence of that elsewhere in the story. And how did they know we has a spy? Okay he let the bomb detonate, but 'spy' isn't the word I'd use to call someone who did that. And since he was in Banner's lab trying to get the formula, wouldn't that have been a pretty good place to look?

Banner to Igor: 'I'll talk to you later, Igor. You know how I detest men who think with their fists.' Yes, it's so unsophisticated compared to designing and constructing the 'most awsome weapon ever created by man--the incredible G-Bomb!'

Now let's talk about that famous detonation. Bruce goes out to save Rick Jones and his harmonica. (And incidentally, if 'the guys' dared Jones to drive onto the site, shouldn't at least one of them be there as a witness? Or are they just going to take his word for it afterwards?) Anyway, Banner tells Igor to delay the countdown while he runs out. Now seeing as how he already doesn't get along with Igor, couldn't he have at least told some other people as well? You know, all you have to do is speak a little louder. And can't Banner just like, I don't know, push a button or something to delay it?

And if Banner is the only one who knows the secret of the gamma ray, is killing him really the best way for Igor to get it?

Igor says that all he has to do is to keep his finger off the 'hold' button. But three frames later, he's pushing the 'fire' button.

Well anyway, Banner goes out and pushes Jones into a ditch. The last words of pre-gamma infected Banner are: 'There! You're safe! And now I'll -- AHHH'. Now as ridiculous as I find it that putting someone in a ditch can save them from a gamma bomb explosion while someone two feet away can get the full blast, I can't really argue with it since Jones does walk away unscathed. But how was Banner going to finish that sentence? Presumably it would have been something like, 'And now I'll get back to the bunker.' So why couldn't he have just taken Jones with him? (And if he wasn't going to finish the sentence that way, then what was his plan?)

For that matter, why didn't Banner jump into the ditch himself if it's so safe? Maybe that was his plan, but would you really announce it aloud like that? (Actually yes, if Stan Lee is writing your dialogue.)

So was Rick's car destroyed in the explosion?

Apart from being green/grey, the Hulk is surprisingly handsome in this issue.

But how come Banner needs glasses and the Hulk doesn't?

And in the early stories when he turns into the Hulk, shouldn't the guy be like totally exhausted from sleep deprivation? When this became the norm again in the early Peter David stories, the Hulk used to drink a lot of alcohol so Banner would sleep all day, or make sure Banner would get put in jail, etc.

So when the fourth person is told to give the message to the Gargoyle, he goes outside his door and calls out, 'The Gargoyle! The most feared man in all of Asia!!' First of all, when is 'the' ever used vocatively? When you were a student, did you ever raise your hand and say, 'The teacher! The teacher!'? Second of all, addressing someone first by name and then with an appositive phrase just cracks me up. ('The teacher! The most repsected person in our classroom!!' 'Yes, Johnny?')

Igor must have sent very precise coordinate to the Gargoyle since he manages to land at the exact location where Banner changes into the Hulk.

Benn: No explanation is given for the change in skin pigmentation.
In the story, no. Here Stan Lee explains it as the grey was the original design but the results looked terrible in print and not at all how he'd imagined it.

Should be: And in the early stories when he turns into the Hulk at night, shouldn't the guy be like totally exhausted from sleep deprivation?

I've forgotten which 'Tales to Astonish' issue it was (somewhere around or within the Leader stories you've mentioned, or thereabouts) ,but I believe the Chameleon (or some other spy) was trying to steal something off the base, i.e., a secret Banner formula, weapon prototype, etc., etc.). But I do vividly recall Rick Jones being kidnapped, and having his hands then tied to his side, was led down a ladder into some underground tunnel, either literally or figuratively at gunpoint.
I'm still scratching my head as to how Rick climbed down a ladder with his arms tied up.

Oops, my mistake. After perusing my spotty comics collection, I found that the Rick Jones scene I mentioned was from Fantastic Four vs. Hulk issue (mine is a reprint, I don't know the issue number). Karl Kort was the spy, not the chamelion. Just about all the Gamma Base stories from those early years tent to blend together as one in my mind!

tent=tend...one more oops of many!

Okay, this has always irritated me a bit. The Boomerang/Hulk stories feature the first Secret Empire. It overlaps a bit with the Sub-Mariner stories in the same mag which feature Number One trying to brainwash Subby. However, when we first meet Number One in that issue, he laments that the Hulk destroyed his organization. When did that happen? The Empire sent out Boomerang, who failed. Then, Number Seven eliminated the rest of the high council besides Number One, although there seems to be some other guys left. How does the rest of the Empire collapse and what happens to Number Seven? I believe an issue of Strange Tales crossed over at this time featuring SHIELD fighting the Empire, which I do not have, but it apparently was confusing enough for more than one reader to write in.

Ever hear the theme from the 1960's HULK cartoon?

What kind of word is "unglamourays"?

1966 HULK

There are various transcriptions of that word. un-glamourous is one. I listened to it just a month or so ago and couldn't figure it out. I googled it to no avail. Unglamourate?

Its "unglamorous" said with a bad accent in an attempt to rhyme "gamma rays".

Incidentally, I've never seen the '66 Hulk series. PLEASE tell me that woman's annoying voice isn't heavily featured!

But 'unglamourous' means dull and unexciting, hardly an appropriate word for the Hulk, especially as: 1) it doesn't rhyme; 2) you can't understand it because the singer twists it; and 3) no one in the target audience would know the word anyway (though since they use it wrong, that's rather in their favour).

RE: Merat...only in the opening credits.

Well, the shrill woman DOES sing it over his hulking green mug, so I guess they thought "unglamorous" meant the opposite of glamorous, as in "charmingly or fascinatingly attractive".

May as well post the themes for the rest of the series.

Captain America: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpufNT8I-SU&feature=related

Sorry, but this website has an idiotic rule about links, so I have to do these one at a time.

Thor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q631uZ6DQzg&feature=related

Iron Man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wn4iYoMcAA&feature=related

Submariner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWeaHkxXwE&feature=related

And this one for the whole series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V67P40Jzg30&feature=related
I've never heard this one before youtube. I think the visuals are recently made, though culled from the shows.

Head Exec: "Ok, boys, how should we describe our heroes for the theme song? How should we bring in the kids?"

Experienced Exec: "Well, it should rhyme, we always do that and it seems to work."

Ted Raimi-esque Exec: "What about 'hulky-sulky-bulky'?"

Experienced Exec: "You aren't trying Ted, we need things that will bring the kids in."

Ted Raimi-esque Exec: "What about 'exotic-neurotic-aquatic?'"

Experienced Exec: "You know what, Ted, just stop talking, ok?"

Head Exec: "No, no, I LIKE it! Go with that! Ted, you are a genius!"

Ted Raimi-esque Exec: "Thanks, Sam!.... By the way, mom called."

I just finished reading Peter David's legendary run on the Hulk.

First things first...Peter David is unquestionably the best writer to work the Hulk. There's a couple of reasons for this:

1. PAD had his characters change. And it made sense. During the David run, Hulk becomes Joe Fixit, Hulk becomes green and smart, Hulk leads the Pantheon, Rick Jones marries Marlo Chandler, plus numerous other important events. And it all flows naturally. The Pantheon subplot, while initially baffling, feels comfortably part of the Hulk mythos and then PAD blows it apart, but it's logical, connects with previously established information, and while disappointing because we liked the characters, makes sense.

And compare it to what happened before! Prior to PAD, there was the baffling "Crossroads" plotline with the Completely Savage Hulk who didn't think at all, followed by the Banner and Hulk as two separate people plotline. While some good stories came from that, it seemed to be avoiding the point, which was Banner and the Hulk as one. PAD brought the series back to its roots.

2. PAD, for the most part, resisted Mad Libs plotting. What I mean by this is the plot in which ____ (Abomination, Leader, Absorbing Man) breaks out of jail and does _____. Certainly PAD used the recurring Hulk villains; no great author wouldn't. But they're used sparingly and with intelligence: the Abomination's love for his ex-wife becomes a plot point, the Leader only appears during some MAJOR storylines, and we really lack the banal, "Goofy Guest Villain" pops up storylines that become annoyingly obvious after PAD leaves. Villains are used because they match the storyline, not because we just haven't seen them in a while (with a few exceptions which I'll touch on in a sec).

3. He pushed the envelope. Peter's Hulk, especially Joe Fixit but also later, is not a particularly likeable dude. He's kind of a rogue, has a big ego, and when he fights with other heroes, it's not one of those "big misunderstanding" things, it's usually because he has a legitimate beef. But this isn't artificial attitude; it all makes sense and PAD uses some psychology to back it up. Bingo bango.

What are some of the problems during the run? The art has trouble finding a consistent feel; I personally like the early '90s feel the most. A pity Romita Jr., who had to work with the okay but continuity illiterate Paul Jenkins, couldn't have started earlier. Peter's occasional "humor" issues are mixed bags (this is usually where he brought in established supervillains, so it's a little disappointing to see the Hulk's only two battles with the Rhino be in a jokey Christmas story and a jokey baseball story). I also think the overall storyline is hampered by too many crossovers in the mid '90s, but PAD can hardly be blamed for that (and it's not actually not THAT pesky when you compare it to other comics).

Anyway, the run gets a little muddled at the very end, thanks to the Heroes Reborn dealy-o that separated Banner and the Hulk or whatever, and it is galling that PAD effectively leaves the Hulk on the cusp of a big storyline that is effective if elliptic (Betty's death). It is more so because of the ill-fated work of Joe Casey and John Byrne as follow-ups:

Casey is not THAT BAD in retrospect, but after David's brilliantly plotted out run, Casey's little mediocre stuff with the Circus of Crime and whatnot is really sort of dull. Byrne is an interesting dude; after trampling all over Hulk continuity in an annual early in his run (did you know that Igor was a Skrull?), he begins the new volume of the Hulk with an okay one-issue plot that is stretched out to like six issues (it's the Tyrannus mind-controlling Hulk and it goes on FOREVER!).

Finally, Byrne is out and Jenkins is in. Jenkins isn't that bad. He knows how to tell a story and can tell it pretty well. But his lack of attention to continuity has always been his M.O. and when you add it all up, the Hulk takes a nosedive after PAD leaves.

Me, I always liked how the art during David's run was consistently not only good, but better than good, with four back-to-back-to-back-to-back artists that for me, were above average, and in at least two cases, became superstars: Todd McFarlane. Jeff Purves. Dale Keown. Gary Frank. It's not often that you have four art runs by artists with completely different styles, but whom you think are all awesome and capture the look of the Hulk dead-on.

Only when Angel Medina took over did the art slide downhill for me, as he gives everyone these use rectangular faces with giant chins, doesn't understand where the eye socket goes, doesn't know how to use cross hatching effectively, and of course, at times drew Betty like a hooker. It bounced back a bit when Adam Kubert took over, but Kubert's art was adequate at best.

Yeah, I should have clarified--I LOVED Purves and Keown, and while McFarlane is overrated, did draw a darn fine Hulk. Frank was just so-so in my opinion, and Medina absolutely sucked. Kubert was okay...I always felt he drew messy which was an improvement over Medina's insanity.

The grey Hulk storyline, especially up to Ground Zero and before the Joe Fix-It story (which isn't horrible or anything but gets a little pedestrian) is one of my favourite comic book storylines ever, with the grey Hulk my favourite characterisation. The weaker but smarter Hulk vs the then-stronger Thing was brilliant, and the scene where Betty reveals her pregnancy to him was a whole different kind of brilliant.

You want to know what really is a bad Hulk, though? Try Butch Jones' tenure, in which apparently the big idea was "What if the Hulk appeared like for 1-2 pages a month?" The result: basically a warmed-over version of the TV show, in which Banner got involved in crazy adventures and then he would turn into the Hulk and smash the uninteresting no-name bad guys. Except each story would take like three, four issues. The best I can say is that the art is okay.

Whoops: Bruce Jones. And let's just say that as his tenure goes on, one literally wants to go read some John Byrne Hulks. At least Byrne featured the Incredible Hulk in a comic called The Incredible Hulk. (If you're having trouble remembering Jones' tenure, his was when the covers of the issues were usually used to communicate a joke rather than the actual storyline, like a cover parody of Apocalypse Now)

Heaven Is A Very Small Place.

the Hulk is wandering through a desert, when he sees what appears to be a small town appear in front of him. He enters the town, and see that no one there runs in fear of him.

The Hulk says that he likes this town, and wishes to stay there. However, just as it mysteriously appeared, the town vanishes. And the poor Hulk cries out in anguish "COME BACK!"

I wonder what that town was?

I wonder what that town was?

Bedford Falls? ;)

"Hulk smash greedy banker!" ;-)

Aren't pretty much all cities that "mysteriously disappear" in fiction a Brigadoon knock-off?