Incredible Hulk #454: Review

Jun 1997

Peter David, Adam Kubert

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Incredible Hulk #454 Synopsis by Daniel Brett

In an attempt to escape army colonel St. Lawrence the Hulk makes his way to the Antarctic. He is soon discovered and attacked by three jets packing missles which carried specially-designed warheads which didn't explode, but instead created an energy-draining field in hopes of siphoning off enough Gamma radiation to make Hulk vulnerable. Of course this doesn't work and the Hulk is about to throw all of the missles back at St. Lawrence when a dinosaur breaks through the ice underneath the Hulk causes him and the prehistoric animal to fall to the Savage Land.

After finding the Hulk next to the dinosaur he had slaughtered the Locot decide to adopt the Hulk as their new weapon, ally, and god against their archrivals the Nowek. The Nowek who are joined by Wolverine (who arrived on the scene and volunteered himself to follow the Hulk down the tunnel into the Savage Land), Ka-Zar & his sabretooth tiger Zabu, prepare to battle the Locot the very next day . So the stage is set, the Locot and the Incredible Hulk face off against the Nowek, Ka-Zar and Wolverine.

The Nowek, under instruction from their female leader Leesha hide in the trees, preparing for a suprise attack. Wolverine attempts to warn the Nowek that the Hulk will simply plow through the trees, but it is too late. The Hulk comes crashing through the trees and oncoming arrows. Wolverine senses that the Hulk is stronger than ever, but there is something else... something hanging on him... eating away at him, inside and out... something that tells Wolverine that he's somehow vulnerable. Wolverine sees his opportunity to strike, finish the Hulk quickly. Leaping from his branch Wolverine takes one massive swipe at the Hulk's throat... After the initial surprise the Hulk realises that Wolverine no longer has adamantium claws but bone claws. He dives for Wolverine.

At this moment the battle is joined by both the Nowek and the Locot. Ka-Zar leaps from the trees and takes out a few Locot who probably think he's an easy target. They're wrong. Meanwhile the Hulk lands a punch on Wolverine, seeing that there is no way he can beat the Hulk he trys to reason with him, telling him that the Locot are just using him as a thug for hire. Hulk dives but misses Wolverine who continues along the same line of verbal attack. Hulk gets up and takes Wolverine with both hands around the neck. It's at this point Wolverine hears a Locot cry out, as the mother or father of the dinosaur Hulk had killed earlier comes to register a complaint. The dinosaur roars and the Hulk... winces. Wolverine leaps clear as the T-Rex like creature, grabs the Hulk in its jaws, shakes him like a rag doll and hurls him halfway across the Savage land. With a cry from both tribes leaders and Ka-Zar the tribes who individually could not have withstood such a beast, together quickly manage to triumph.

Later that evening both tribes feast on the beast in harmony. Leesha of the Nowek and the Locot Shaman sit reflecting how happy their people look together. The Locot Shaman tells Leesha that he has poisoned the Nowek food supply and that they will all be dead by morning, Leesha in return tells the Shaman that she has poisoned the Locot's drink supply and that they will all be dead by morning.

The story ends with Wolverine walking up behind the Hulk, congratulating him on his plan to pretend to get killed by the creature so that the tribes would unite. He gets close and slaps him on the back in a friendly gesture and turns to leave when the Hulk falls flat on his face.

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