Home Is Where the Hurt Is

Along the New York City shoreline a pair of mobsters are about to kill are about to execute a man named Louie the Lip. Their job is interrupted by the arrival of the Hulk, who crawls out of the water. When the mobsters try to shoot the Hulk, they only succeed in angering the brute who lunges at them. When they try to escape in their car, the Hulk picks it up and tosses it into the water. When Louie tries to make an offer to help the Hulk, the annoyed man-monster picks up the crook and tosses him into the water after his would-be assassins.

Meanwhile, aboard the SHIELD Helicarrier, the agents continue to search for the creature that emerged from a pod they recovered from the ocean floor. As they do so, Gaffer, Clay Quartermain, and Gaffer wait for word that the creature has been found. Soon they learn that the creature is in the control core of the ship. When Gaffer tries to bypass the circuits into the control room he receives a serious shock. The creature then turns around to face the men interrupting its work and introduces itself as the Bi-Beast.

Back in the city, an increasingly sullen Hulk wanders around the waterfront once more wondering why people always hound him. He is found by Rick Jones who managed to track the Hulk down. By this point, the Hulk has calmed down enough to trigger a reversion back to Bruce Banner. Banner is happy to see that Jim has found him and brought him fresh clothing. While onboard the Helicarrier, SHIELD agents try in vein to blast open the door to the control room with a laser. When General Ross demands to know who the Bi-Beast is and what it wants, the creature decides to indulge him and explain itself. It recounts how it was the creation of the Bird-People in their floating city. However, this is not the original Bi-Beast, but a duplicate that was created as a back-up should the original be destroyed. It explains how the original Bi-Beast clashed with the Hulk, the Harpie and MODOK and his AIM minions, a battle that led to its destruction and the destruction of the floating city. The Bi-Beast explains that while the original was destroyed, it survived in the escape pod which was eventually found in the ocean. with all the scientific knowledge of the people that created Bi-Beast, it explains that it has taken full control of the helicarrier and intends to use it to destroy all life on Earth. As a show of force, the Bi-Beast takes control of the laser the SHIELD agents are using to blast through the door and uses it to scatter them. In the aftermath of this, General Ross has come up with an idea to stop the Bi-Beast....

While on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, April Sommers argues with Kroptokin the Magician who demands his possessions back even though April kept them in lieu of back rent that he owed before getting evicted. Seeing Banner outside after he forced them out of his apartment because he was sick sets Sommers into another frenzy as she demands answers from Banner. Before Bruce can begin to explain himself, he is suddenly caught up in a SHIELD tractor beam and is pulled aboard the helicarrier. By the time Banner is aboard he has transformed into the Hulk once again. Furious at being captured, the Hulk becomes even more enraged when he sees General Ross. Playing this to his advantage, Ross leads the Hulk on a chase, slowly luring him to the door outside of the control room the Bi-Beast is using. Escaping through a trap door, Ross tricks the Hulk into smashing his way outside the room the Bi-Beast is working from. The Hulk and Bi-Beast recognize each other. Before the Hulk can attack this new foe, the Bi-Beast activates a laser battery. Although the lasers will not be able to cut through the Hulk's hide, the Bi-Beast is confident that his opponent will die when the lasers bring his blood to a boil.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Bi-Beast, General Ross, SHIELD (Clay Quartermain, Gaffer), Jim Wilson, April Sommers, Kroptotkin the Great

Continuity Notes

• The Bi-Beast states that his creators, the Bird-People had died. This was believed to be the case during the events of Sub-Mariner #26. In reality, the Red Raven faked his own death and the death of his people as revealed years later in Nova (vol 3) #4-5.

• The Bi-Beast also recounts the battle between the Hulk and its predecessor from back in Incredible Hulk #169.

• Kroptokin was evicted for not paying his rent for a number of months. As explained in Incredible Hulk #208, the magician was evicted allowing Banner to move into his old apartment, which still contained Kroptokin's possessions.