Crusher Creel AKA the
Absorbing Man has been hired by
They Who Wield Power to murder the
Hulk. Note: Creel isn't the first super villain They have approached for their secret agenda. They helped the Orb (in
Marvel Team-Up #15) and Stegron (in
Team-Up #20) fight Spider-Man, and instigated the revolt of Lava Men (in
Team-Up #26) against Thor and the Human Torch.
Unaware of the upcoming danger, Bruce Banner is happily making breakfast for himself at his newly rented place in New York City. He is convinced to strip the Hulk out of his life once and for all and wants to start a-new by finding a modest job. Model April Sommers, who runs the building, lends him the paper's help wanted ads. Bruce walks the streets but gets rejected everywhere. April calls a friend and Bruce is hired at a construction site. In gratitude, he promises April to take her to a restaurant with his first paycheck. Something seems to be building between these two.
Guided by "They", Creel finds Banner and follows him.
While Banner is hard at work near the top of the 15-floor building under construction, Creel gets a hold of a crane and uses it to raise himself up. When he sees Banner, Creel demands him to turn into the Hulk and attacks Banner when he rejects becoming his green alter ego. But Bruce accidentally loses balance and does not fall to his death thanks to changing into Hulk in mid-air.
The man-monster believes Creel had pushed him and their battle follows. The Absorbing Man gets the upper hand and after trading some blows, starts syphoning the Hulk's strength. But the behemoth known as Jade Jaws pounds the building so hard that it causes it to collapse! During their fall, Creel touches a piece of glass, making him fragile and exploding into hundreds of pieces. And Hulk is buried under many tons of rubble, but he eventually comes out. Those called simply They watched the fight from an undisclosed location and speak of new upcoming battles awaiting the Hulk.
Hulk walks to an alley and falls to sleep. As he turns into Banner, a dark figure is watching him.
Meanwhile, in Gamma Base, the unknown man who came out of the desert has woken up, but he does not remember his name. Glenn Talbot and Betty Ross amicably decide to split. And Jim Wilson, still on the road, hitchhikes his way ever closer to New York.
Also, in this story: Thunderbolt Ross, Clay Quartermain.