After a long time, Bruce Banner returns to the New Mexico cave lab he and Rick Jones constructed back in the early days to retain the Hulk at night. Banner hopes to find useful devices but there's nothing of value. Suddenly, a tremor knocks rocks from the roof. Banner looks refuge inside the special chamber and gets trapped. Stressed due to lack of air, he turns into the Hulk.
The man monster pounds the door but to no avail since it was built to resist his attacks. So, he starts lashing his power against the thick cave walls instead. He insists for hours without success. Banner's personality is pessimistic. But Hulk doesn't give up.
When there is almost no breathing air left, Hulk notices water entering from a newly created crack. Such strengthened him, pounding the floor hard, causing the wall to break apart, letting the lake water in. Struggling, Hulk reaches the surface to finally breath.
As the transformation takes place, Hulk reminds Banner that he cannot be defeated. And Banner realizes that the monster he is so tired of, has saved his life once again.
Also in this story (flashbacks): Rick Jones, Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Man, Wasp.
“…Even the Beast Hates!” 4/5
Writer: Jim Starlin. Art: Tom Grindberg. Letters: John Costanza.
Synopsis: The Werewolf (by Night) is running free in the Catskill
Mountains when he comes across the body of a small child, slain by a pedophile.
The next day, Werewolf’s instincts lead Jack Russell to identify the culprit in
town. Pretending to be a man with similar tastes, Jack, reminded of a man who
molested him as a child, invites him to his motel room, only to turn into the
Werewolf and pursue him through the town and the woods. The molester,
discovering what a real predator is, flees in panic, finally leaping off a
cliff. “I may be a monster but there are things even the beast hates.”
“Foul Tip” 4/5
Writer: Keith Giffen. Pencils:
Keith Giffen. Inks: Andy Smith. Letters: John Workman.
Synopsis: Hearing that
Doctor Octopus has hired A.I.M. to build him a weapon, Spider-Man invades their
hideout and beats them up, overcoming all of their devices, including a huge
robot. When he demands to know where Doc Ock is, the A.I.M. agents are confused
as they are working for Viper. Spidey realizes he got the address wrong and
departs….
(No title given) 4/5
Writer: Bob Layton. Art: Bob
Layton. Letters: John Workman.
Synopsis: The
Silver Surfer locates a desolate planet, suitable for Galactus to feed on. A warship
suddenly appears out of hyperspace and attacks the Surfer. The Surfer fights
back and confronts the lone occupant. He is Skarrzz, scout for the galactic
warlord Kallreich the Unconquerable, and his desire is for Galactus to kill him
and the Warlord both. Skarrzz was forced to serve Kallreich in exchange for the
villain’s sparing his homeworld but now the blood on his hands has become
unbearable and he wants them both to die. He hoped that the Surfer could put
off summoning his master until Kallreich had arrived. The Surfer rejects this
idea, being beyond emotions such as pity or compassion. Yet a spark of Norrin
Radd’s conscience remains in him and soon Kallreich lands on the planet—moments
before Galactus arrives. The Silver Surfer realizes that Skarrzz was a better
judge of the Surfer’s soul than he realized and that his own day of reckoning
is approaching….
Pin-Ups
Colossus by Bart Sears
(frontispiece)
Thor by Arthur Suydam
Viper and the Silver
Samurai by Mike Dringenberg
X-Men by Andrea Di Vito
and Sandu Florea
The Thing by Claudio
Castellini
Nick Fury by Lee Weeks
(back cover)