Hulk: Issue by Issue: The Incredible Hulk #4
The Incredible Hulk #4, Nov 1962
by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
"The Monster and the Machine!" and
"Mongu! Gladiator from Space!"
"The Monster and the Machine!"
- Betty's angsting over a framed 8x10 of Bruce.
- I'm curious: where did she get this picture? Her and Bruce don't have any sort of acknowledged romance going on, so I'm sure he didn't give it to her. She must have filched it from his government file or something. Does that make her a sketchy borderline stalker?
- Gen Ross is testing his latest plan to catch the Hulk: shooting the Hulk with an icing gun.
- I shudder to think of the wasted tax dollars.
- Betty is worried about Bruce being missing (he's been trapped as the Hulk since last ish) and suggests her father seek Rick Jones for answers about Bruce and the Hulk.
- Okay, isn't that a bit like what Ross did last issue?
- Rick and Hulk are at Rick's cabin, Rick worrying about their current predicament, when a group of soldiers surround the cabin.
- Rick tells Hulk to scram. Afterwards one of the soldiers thinks: "I could have sworn I saw some sort of figure go flying by! Better not mention it to anyone, they'll think I've flipped!"
- This soldier must be new to the 616 Marvel Universe.
- Betty and Gen Ross try to get Rick to tell them anything he knows about Bruce and/or the Hulk. Ross's approach is to scream and threaten. Betty appeals that they could help Bruce if he's in trouble. No use, Rick ain't talking.
- Meanwhile the Hulk is too far to be in mental contact with Rick, and has a few adventures.
- First he saves a bus that has broken down on railroad tracks by pushing it out of the way. The narration reads, "Somewhere, deep within the monster's brain, a tiny spark of Bruce Banner comes to life!" so I'm assuming that was the Bruce part urging the saving of the bus.
- He then crashes a movie set, including asking for food at the catering table. Poor Hulk, he's just hungry!
- When men try to surround and capture the Hulk, he smashes his hands together and creates a sonic boom, knocking them out.
- Eventually he hears the call of Rick Jones and rescues Rick -- scooping him out of the back of a military jeep, mid-leap.
- The two return to Bruce's secret cave. Apparently Bruce has a lab there, and in it a gamma machine that he had been working on to reverse the Hulk-outs. Rick is wary of using it, fearing he could make a mistake.
- Rick appeals to the Hulk, asking if he should take the chance.
- Hulk responds, "...Try...Rick!"
- What a great scene!
- Rick blasts the Hulk and the machine works! Unfortunately Rick leaves it on for (he thinks anyway) too long, because Bruce is pretty weak afterwards.
- Bruce is glad to be himself again, but, proving that you can be a genius and a total hubristic idiot at the same time laments, "But I can't remain helpless this way! There's too much to be done! If only -- if only I could have the Hulk's strength -- and my own brain!"
- *head-desk*
- I'm not sure if this is Blind Scientific Ambition or a Self-Image Issue at work here. Probably both. Damnit Bruce.
- So, yeah, he tweaks the machine and turns himself into the Hulk with his own mind intact, and sets it up so he can change back.
- "With my brain, and the Hulk's strength, I can do anything!"
- Huuubbbrrriiissssss!!!
- Rick is already thinking that, despite having his own mind, Bruce-as-Hulk sounds "fiercer" and "dangerous."
- Bruce-as-Hulk experiments with his newfound powers, rescuing a family from a fire.
- Later Rick is glad to have Bruce back to normal ("That Hulk was beginnin' to even scare me!")
- The story ends Bruce and Rick each with their private thoughts, Bruce noting that the Hulk is still a "raging goliath" he has to fight to control but not wanting to worry Rick, and Ricking thinking, "I know you're worried! I know the Hulk is still a problem" but that he'll stick it through with Bruce.
- I love that Rick is smarter than the adults around him think that he is. And not in some gimmicky over-the-top way. Just typical underrated teenager smart.
"Mongu! Gladiator from Space!"
- While Bruce is smoking his pipe and doing some mad science in his cave with Rick, a Space Gladiator announcing himself as Mongu lands in a local park and demands "Earth's mightiest mortal" meet him at the Grand Canyon to do battle. Unless Mongu is defeated, his fellow warrior-aliens with invade Earth.
- God this is so Silver Age
- I love Rick's reaction: "Wow, was that cat for real??"
- Bruce figures the Hulk is Earth's best chance and transforms.
- More signs of Rick's wariness of Bruce's control over the Hulk, as Hulk says, "Don't just stand there, kid! Get moving! I may need you!" "S-sure Hulk! Sure!"
- Punked! Turns out Mongu was just a commie trick to capture the Hulk.
- When Rick notes the heavy artillery the enemy soldiers are packing, Hulk tells him "Shut your yap" and that he's going to "pulverize" these guys.
- He promply makes good on his word. In one great sequence, Bruce-as-Hulk catches a grenade in his hand, clenches his fist and painlessly allows the grenade to go off in his hand.
- In the end, Hulk ties the soldiers up by their belts and hooks them onto their own getaway helicopter, sending them off to "Voldka-Land" (his words).
- Bruce intentionally changes into the Hulk is definately getting sketch. He may be in some form of control but his entire personality changes. And I don't think he's as in control as he thinks....