Incredible Hulk #199
..And SHIELD Shall Follow!
Following his battle with the Collector, the Hulk finds himself in Citrusville, Florida where the population approach the creature with interest. This causes the Hulk to become angry and demand that people leave him alone. His presence in the town attracts the attention of Gamma Base's SHIELD liaison Clay Quartermain who convinces Nick Fury to allow him to use SHIELD weapons to capture the Hulk before he can get away again.
Flying out to Florida, the opening salvo is made when Doc Samson jumps from a SHIELD chopper and attacks the Hulk directly. As the Hulk is distracted, the helicopters use neuro-clamps to bind the Hulk. However before they can pump anesthetic into the Hulk's system, the brute breaks free crashing into the nearby swamp. Samson rejoins the others and they continue on to capture the Hulk.
Back at Gamma Base, Betty Talbot visits with her catatonic husband Glenn. Betty is wracked with guilt over his marital transgressions with Doc Samson while Glenn has been in his current conditions and asks her oblivious husband to forgive him.
Back in Florida, the SHIELD unit sent to capture the Hulk decide to try another tactic on the Hulk, a paralysis gas. However, the Hulk's titanic leaps keep them from getting close enough to use it. Doc Samson decides to go against orders and catch up with the Hulk one more time in order to keep him in one spot so that they can use the gas on the green giant.
As Samson battles the Hulk, Quartermain and his SHIELD unit get up close with the gas ready. Unable to break off his fight with the Hulk for fear the brute might escape, Samson orders them to gas him as well as the Hulk in order to capture them. Although Quartermain has reservations, unsure how the gas might effect Samson, he orders his men to fire. The gas manages to knock out both Samson and the Hulk, and they are gathered up and taken to a transport to be taken back to Gamma Base.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, General Ross, Betty Ross, Major Talbot, Doc Samson, SHIELD (Clay Quartermain, Nick Fury)
Continuity Notes
The narrative of this story mentions various events that happened in the town of Citrusville during the course of Fear Vol 1 and Man-Thing Vol 1 including:
The scourge of the Mad Viking from Man-Thing #16-18.
The arrival of Wundarr in Fear #17.
The attack by Thog the Neither-Spawn from Fear #11.
The Hulk recalls his first and most recent battles with Doc Samson which happened in Incredible Hulk #141 and 193 respectively.
The narrative of this story state that Gamma Base has been newly reconstructed. This was following damage sustained to it in Incredible Hulk #186.
The drama between Betty and her husband Glenn is complicated, and is as follows:
Betty has been romantically interested in Bruce Banner since Incredible Hulk #1.
However, she briefly pursued a relationship with Doc Samson from Incredible Hulk #141-147 when he eventually lost his powers.
She eventually gave up on Banner when she learned he loved another woman named Jarella in Incredible Hulk #150, which drove her closer to Talbot who had been romantically interested in her since they first met in Tales to Astonish #61.
Betty and Glenn eventually got married in Incredible Hulk #158.
Recently, Glenn was put into a catatonic state when being rescued from Russia in Incredible Hulk #188.
Betty has been conflicted over her past feelings for Samson since Incredible Hulk #197.
Glenn is ultimately cured next issue.
