Havoc at the Heart of the Atom

Shrinking down in size to sub-microscopic sizes, the Hulk finds himself passing through into the Microverse and after a seeming eternity of falling, he finds himself in a lush forest on a viridian planet. When he is suddenly attacked by a pair of Warthos, the Hulk realizes that he is on the world of K'ai, home of Jarella, the warrior queen that he loves. The Hulk easily dispatches the two Warthos and then begins looking for Jarella and his people.

Back on Earth, Glenn Talbot has made a full recovery from the brain surgery that helped reawaken his mind. However, the danger is not over as they believe that the Hulk still exists within an atom inside his brain. Despite the protests from Betty, his wife, Talbot leaves with Doc Samson to have surgery done to remove this piece of matter from his brain lest the Hulk return to normal size and explode out of his head.

At that moment, the Hulk has found Jarella who is about to be launched from a catapult by her own people who believe that they are appeasing the so-called Mountain God. Furious to see his love in danger, the Hulk leaps and catches Jarella in mid-air. The Hulk then attacks Jarella's people until the area is stricken by an earthquake. Jarella tells the Hulk to help her people and he closes up a slip in the earth that opened up by the quake. When Hulk tries to attack her people, Jarella merely asks that he bring her somewhere safe, and the Hulk complies. Out of danger, Jarella explains that her world has been plagued by earthquakes since the Hulk's last visit and the people have come to believe that this is the wraith of the Mountain God who has demanded they sacrifice her in order to appease him.

The two have a brief romantic respite but it is soon interrupted by yet another earthquake. The Hulk decides to do something about it and prepares to leave to face the Mountain God. Jarella convinces the Hulk to allow her to accompany him and the pair venture up the mountain where they come upon a massive castle carved into the mountain. Smuggling themselves inside, the Hulk and Jarella find themselves face-to-face with the so-called Mountain God, a massive green-skinned humanoid. The Hulk refuses to cower in fear at this apparent god and battles the massive being. During the course of the battle, the Hulk damages to the "Mountain God" revealing it to be nothing more than a massive robot. Furious at this deception, the green-skinned brute smashes the Mountain God into pieces.

Suspecting that someone built this robot, the Hulk and Jarella enter the next room where the Hulk is stunned by a blast from his old foe, Psyklop, the mastermind behind this plot.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Jarella, Psyklop, Betty Ross, Doc Samson, Major Talbot

Continuity Notes

• The narrative of this story states that Jarella's world and the Microverse exists within atoms. However, this is not an accurate explanation. In fact, it is later stated in Fantastic Four #282 that the Microverse does not exist inside atoms, but is in another dimension that is only accessed by the process of shrinking small enough to breach the dimensional barrier.

• Multiple mentions are made to the Hulk's last two visits to Jarella's world in Incredible Hulk #140 and 156.

• Glenn Talbot has just recovered from a catatonic state in Incredible Hulk #200 which was imposed upon him issues early in Incredible Hulk #188.

• Jarella mentions that the spell that allows the Hulk to understand her people is still in effect. This spell is somewhat more complex than that. It was first cast in Incredible Hulk #140, and it not only allowed the Hulk to understand the langauge of the people of K'ai, but it also gave the Hulk the mind of Bruce Banner. The spell was later altered in Incredible Hulk #156, allowing the Hulk's savage persona come forward during a battle with the evil Visis.