Beauty and the Beast!

General Ross presents a slide show showing the Hulk in the middle of one of his rampages. After the show concludes, he assigns Bruce Banner the task of scientifically devising a means to put the Hulk down once and for all. As Bruce and Rick Jones leave, Rick points out the irony of Bruce's new vocation.

Meanwhile, a would-be conqueror known as Tyrannus monitors the affairs of Earth from a grotto deep within the planet. He is attended by a group of strange-looking minions. He watches images of Betty Ross with great interest and declares that she shall be the instrument through which he will achieve global domination.

Tyrannus assumes more conventional garb and goes to New Mexico where he introduces himself to Betty Ross as an archaeologist. He asks her to assist him in the exploration of some nearby caves. Bruce and Rick arrive at Betty's cottage, and she introduces them to Mr. Tyrannus. Bruce doesn't trust Tyrannus, but he cannot explain why. He and Rick decide to secretly follow the two into the caves.

Tyrannus takes Betty Ross deep underground in a unique vehicle designed for traversing such terrain. Sealing off a portion of the cavern behind them, Tyrannus reveals his true intentions to Miss Ross. He plans on using her as leverage against her father. He activates a video transmitter inside his vehicle and opens a channel to General Ross. He tells Ross that he has his daughter, and, if he ever expects to see her again, he will let Tyrannus conquer the United States with no opposition from the U.S. military.

As Bruce and Rick try to follow Betty's trail, they find the sealed off section of the cave. They return to Bruce's laboratory so that he can transform into the Hulk, then return to the underground caves. Breaking through the seal, he follows the caverns down towards the center of the Earth. As Rick and the Hulk reach Tyrannus' private grotto, the villain releases a powerful gas that knocks the Hulk out.

When the Hulk awakens, he finds himself dressed in gladiatorial garb and standing inside a fighting arena. Tyrannus forces the Hulk to fight or else Betty will be killed. The Hulk fights and defeats his robotic opponent, then charges the stadium. Before he can reach Tyrannus, he is felled by a paralyzer ray and rendered unconscious. The minions bring him deeper into the caves where he is now forced to labor as Tyrannus' slave. For the sake of Betty's life, the Hulk follows Tyrannus' commands.

Meanwhile, Rick Jones finds the compartment where Betty is being held captive and rescues her. They proceed to the mines and tell the Hulk that Betty is no longer in danger. The Hulk rebels and smashes through several walls until he reaches Tyrannus' personal chambers. He pushes against several columns, causing the ceiling to collapse, seemingly burying Tyrannus beneath a ton of rock. The Hulk, Rick and Betty then use one of Tyrannus' vehicles to return to the surface.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, General Ross, Rick Jones, Tyrannus, Tyrannoids

Continuity Notes

• The man who banished Tyrannus can be confirmed as Merlyn of Otherworld as confirmed in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #7.

The Hordes of General Fang!

General Ross and his soldiers get a bead on the Hulk's nearby location. He launches his new experimental iceberg rocket and encases the Hulk inside of a block of ice. The Hulk breaks free and escapes from the soldiers. He retreats to the safety of his laboratory cave where he changes back into Bruce Banner. Rick Jones arrives and helps the weakened Banner back to his cottage.

Meanwhile in the principality of Llhasa, a warlord named General Fang begins a raid against an impoverished village. The High Llama realizes that his people are defenseless against General Fang's men, so he broadcasts a plea to other nations.

Back in his secret laboratory, Bruce Banner hears a news broadcast telling of Llhasa's plight, and he realizes that such a skirmish could very well plunge the world into World War III. Determining that the Hulk is the only being powerful enough to stop General Fang, he transforms into his alter-ego. Donning heavy clothes to disguise his features, the Hulk and Rick Jones book passage on an airplane and travel to Llasa.

Playing upon the superstitious nature of the native population, the Hulk disguises himself as a Yeti to invoke fear in the opposition. General Fang's troops use a holographic projector to create the image of a dragon in the hopes that such a sight would force the Yeti-Hulk to flee. The Hulk leaps through the hologram, dispelling the image.

The soldiers then cage the Hulk inside of an electrified barrier, but Rick Jones deactivates the controls, setting the Hulk free. The Hulk then leaps into the air and destroys a group of ground to air missiles. After dispelling the troops, he captures General Fang and power-leaps away. He drops General Fang off on the island of Formosa across from the China Sea. He abandons him in the jungle, knowing that soldiers who oppose Fang's actions routinely patrol this region. The Hulk returns to Llasa, grabs Rick Jones and prepares to return home.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, General Ross, Rick Jones

Continuity Notes

• All Cold War references should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• General Ross' Iceberg Rocket was introduced in issue #4.