—Bruce BannerThen I haven't beaten my curse after all.
Appearing in "The Man Who Would Be Hulk"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- ⏴ Hulk (Bruce Banner) ⏵
- Unicorn (Mentioned)
Other Characters:
- Dr. Maxwell
- Titanium Man
- Sgt. Cortez
- Vic Martinelli (First appearance)
- Dick Martinelli (Mentioned)
- Hal (security guard)
- SWAT
Locations:
- Long Island
- Gamma Base (Mentioned)
Items:
Synopsis for "The Man Who Would Be Hulk"
Brief Synsopsis
Tony, Lang, and Sondheim restrain Banner and contact Dr. Maxwell of Gamma Base for help but he has no suggestions. Sondheim finally calms Banner to normal with sound waves and they search for a new cure. However, Banner transforms into the Hulk again and breaks out of his restraints. Iron Man evacuates the area personnel and engages the Hulk in battle ultimately knocking him unconscious by channeling all of his power into a single punch. However, Iron Man collapses from the effort, completely inert.
Detailed Synopsis
The experiment has successfully prevented Banner from physically transforming into the Hulk, but the transformation has still taken place mentally. Tony calls Gamma Base, but they confirm that both the physical and mental aspects of the Hulk's transformation have to be treated before he can be cured. Tony has Dr. Sondheim apply a headphone device to sedate the Hulk and have him transform mentally back into Banner.
In a brief interlude, an unknown figure says that he had sent the Unicorn to test Iron Man's defenses and that he intends to use this information to destroy Iron Man.
Tony and Dr. Sondheim try to figure out what they did wrong when treating Banner. Meanwhile, Stark security and military troops respond as Banner begins to transform into the Hulk, both physically and mentally. Tony realizes that the gamma radiation in Banner's system has been feeding into the device they had installed in his heart. He realizes that as the device absorbs more radiation, it will keep Banner as the Hulk instead of prevent him from transforming.
When the alarm goes off, Tony puts on his Iron Man armor and tries to negotiate with the Hulk. Hulk insists on a fight, so Iron Man lures the Hulk away from the crowded facility to a dock. Iron Man attempts to confuse the Hulk by destroying the dock underneath him and plunging him into the water. It doesn't work, and Hulk overpowers Iron Man and escapes to the air field.
Iron Man calls Rhodey to warn him to evacuate the field. The Hulk lays waste to the field, but stuns himself in an explosion. Seeing the opportunity to strike, Iron Man disables all of the safety mechanisms of his suit and concentrates all his force into a single punch, redirecting it into its arm thrust circuits, and knocking out the disoriented Hulk in the process. The Hulk is knocked into a crater, unconscious, but Iron Man falls as well.
Notes
- Vic Martinelli is mistakenly referred to as "Dick" Martinelli.
- This issue contains a letters page, "Printed Circuits". Letters are published from Bob Theissen, Elias Spanos, and Eleizabeth Holden.
- As seen on page one, this issue is Story# LF673.