If I Kill You -- I Die!

This story follows the events of Captain Marvel #20 and 21...

The Hulk is once more bounding across the United States when he accidentally smashes into a military aircraft before slamming into the ground and creating a large crater. Emerging from the crater's epicenter is Bruce Banner. Horrified of the Hulk's actions, he vows to try and rid himself of the Hulk once and for all. Meanwhile, at Gama Base, General Ross and Glenn Talbot receive reports of the Hulk's most recent activities.

Later, Bruce learns that he is in the New Mexico near Desert State University, where he recalls his rampage at that location a few hours earlier as the Hulk and his battle with Captain Marvel. He begins to realize he failed in his mission to seek the aid of a fellow scientist to help separate Rick Jones from Mar-Vel, a mission that failed.

Traveling to the University, Banner approaches another old colleague, Dr. Raoul Stoddard, and asks him to help cure him of being the Hulk, unaware that Ross and Talbot have been tracking him since he had been spotted on the road earlier that day. Raoul agrees to help Bruce and takes him to his secret lab which is off a deserted road, losing their unknown tail.

Inside his secret lab, Raoul uses a Gammatron device on Banner that will hopefully cure him of being the Hulk. However, the experiment has an unforeseen side effect. Instead of curing Banner of being the Hulk it instead separates them into two separate entities. The Hulk, finally free of his "captor" Banner, goes on a rampage, grabbing Raoul. Banner flees the scene hoping that the Hulk will drop Stoddard and chase after him instead, escaping to a vehicle and getting outside of the lab.

The Hulk has trailed Banner by smashing through the ground in front of his car and attacking. Bruce is about to be crushed in his car when the military arrives and attacks the Hulk and carries Banner away to safety. With Banner flown to safety, the army moves in for the attack, however, the Hulk easily smashes them and continues his chase of Banner.

Banner is taken to the safety of a nearby military base, but word of the Hulk's continued following of Banner reaches them. They are too slow to act to get Bruce to safety when the Hulk attacks once more. Bruce flees and decides to go back to Raoul's lab to try and find a solution to his problem, and the Hulk naturally follows behind. When Banner arrives at Raoul's lab Stoddard agrees to strap Bruce back to the machine and re-merge the two. However, once Banner is strapped into the machine Stoddard reveals a deep rooted jealousy of Banner's fame as a scientist and intends to kill him and the Hulk.

Just then the military arrives and tries to stop Stoddard, who holds them at bay with a ray gun. Suddenly the Hulk smashes through the wall to destroy Banner. Unaware of Stoddard's plan to kill both Banner and the Hulk, he charges toward Bruce but hesitates when he notices the Gammatron device and believes that it is a weapon. When Stoddard tries to convince the Hulk to kill Banner, the Hulk merely swats him away and flees the scene, leaving the military to apprehend Stoddard and plan how they are going to stop the Hulk.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, General Ross, Major Talbot

Continuity Notes

• At this point, Bruce is unaware that Rick Jones is bonded to Captain Marvel since Captain Marvel #17.

• This marks the first time that Banner and the Hulk are split into two separate entities. This time only lasts until next issue.