Incredible Hulk #171
Revenge!
Since hopping aboard the rescue plane that picked up Betty Talbot, the Hulk has been hiding inside a shipping crate as the plane flies back to the Hulkbuster base. The Hulk is beginning to grow impatient and is contemplating breaking out of the box right away, however overhearing Betty's voice talking to one of the soldiers convinces the Hulk to remain calm and wait for the plane to land and falls asleep.
When the plane has landed, Betty is reunited with her father General Ross, and it seems, for now, all is forgiven. One of the soldiers reporting to General Armbruster reports that the entire base is deserted which leaves Ambruster to believe that there is trouble on the base. A short while later, Bruce Banner wakes up to find himself on the mostly deserted Hulkbuster base. He quickly steals a uniform so that he can blend in better and tries to find a place to hide. As Armbruster and his men unload their plane of its weapons they are suddenly attacked by a mortar launch and are caught by surprise when they find that both the Abomination and the Rhino have taken over the base. These two easily overpower the remaining soldiers including Armbruster, Ross, and Betty and hold them prisoner in the hopes of attracting the Hulk and getting revenge.
By this time, Jim Wilson and his girlfriend Talia are on their way to the Hulkbuster base, Jim convincing Talia to meet his friends that live here, however, they are shocked to find a military blockade surrounding the base. Realizing something is up, Jim turns his truck around and drives away. That night, Bruce Banner wakes up after spending time resting in an empty bunk. He begins searching around the facility to find some food when he happens upon one of the containment rooms especially made for the Hulk and sees that Betty, Glenn and the others on the base have been locked up inside.
While he's trying to keep himself under control, Banner is grabbed from behind by the Abomination who thinks he's just another soldier. The sudden excitement triggers Banner's transformation into the Hulk. He then gets in a battle with the Abomination and the Rhino, however, Hulk is scared off when the Abomination attempts to use a laser gun on him and smashes through a wall. The Abomination stops the Rhino from going after the Hulk, stating that the brute will likely come back and they'll be prepared to deal with him then.
Elsewhere on the base, Jim and his girlfriend Talia have snuck into the area much to Talia's displeasure and they find the Hulk, who recognizes Jim as a friend. The Hulk manages to explain to them what's happened, and with some coaxing, they convince Talia to act as a decoy to trick the Abomination and Rhino into coming out of the base. When they do, the Hulk pounces on them while Jim goes down below to free their captives. Jim is about to free the others when he is told that the Abomination set the base's gamma bomb to go off in three minutes in order to destroy the entire base. Putting General Ross on the intercom, Jim is guided to the location of the bomb and manages to disarm it with only seconds to spare.
While outside, the Hulk eventually grows tired of the fight and literally walks away from it as the Rhino and Abomination charge at him, causing the two villains to violently smash into each other resulting in their defeat. With the base back under military control, General Ross extends a hand in thanks to the Hulk, and it appears as though the Hulk has finally begun to consider Ross a friend when suddenly Armbruster drops a cage on the Hulk and gasses him. Furious at Armbruster ruining possibly their only chance at making the brute their ally, Armbruster boasts that he was capable of doing the one thing that Ross has failed at all these years: Capturing the Hulk.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Abomination, Rhino, General Ross, Betty Ross, Jack Armbruster, Jim WIlson, Talia Green
Continuity Notes
Everyone thinks that Glenn Talbot was killed in the rescue mission during the events of Incredible Hulk #166 however he survived and is a prisoner. His survival is eventually discovered in Incredible Hulk #187.
The Rhino and Abomination are seeking revenge against the Hulk after their defeats at the monster's hands in Incredible Hulk #158 and #159 respectively.
