Battleground: Berkeley!

Fred Sloan has brought the Hulk to a rooming house in Berkley, California, and is shocked to learn that one of the tenants -- Trish Starr -- has a past affiliation with the gamma-spawned man-monster. Trish explains of her very complicated life involving the super-hero community starting with the time that Ant-Man saved her life from her insane uncle Egghead. How she discovered that her former boyfriend, Kyle Richmond, as a costumed hero known as Nighthawk, and her association with the Defenders after she lost her arm in a car bomb explosion set off by her uncle. Lastly, she explains her encounter with the Hulk, when she was possessed by the mystic known as Shazanna and was saved by the Defenders. With the explanations out of the way, Trish takes Fed and the Hulk in to meet the rest of the tenants who are shocked to find the Hulk in their home.

Meanwhile, at Gamma Base, the hero formerly known as Marvel Man recounts his encounter with the Hulk in San Francisco to Clay Quartermain and Senator Hawk. After finishing his recounting, the hero tells them that after the failure of SHIELD's Super-Agent program he managed to get a security job at Project PEGASUS. Before leaving, he tells them that his new codename, Quasar. After Quasar's departure, Senator Hawk asks why Doc Samson wasn't present, but Quartermain isn't sure. Samson is actually in the room where General Ross is recovering from his mental breakdown. He wonders what could have triggered said breakdown when General Ross begins to speak. Ross offers a one word explanation, the name of his daughter: Betty. At that moment, Betty and her estranged husband Glenn Talbot are having dinner in New Mexico. The two once more talk about the big decision that they are marking. Glenn has his reservations, but Betty tells him that what they are doing is for the best. After kissing Glenn on the cheek, Betty retires to her hotel room.

Back in California, the borders that share a home with Trish Starr are unsure how to deal with the arrival of the Hulk in their home. They are also not happy with the fact that he is eating all of their food. Fred tries to convince them that the Hulk is not a threat as long as they don't anger him. However, the Hulk overhears all their talking and begins to lash out. It takes both Trish and Fred to calm the Hulk back down again. As they bring the Hulk to a room for sleep they remark on how angry the Hulk is an how a reversion back to Bruce Banner won't be happening anytime soon. They also remark how their friends are no longer living up the anti-establishment ideals that they all grew up with and wonder if their generation squandered the decades since they became "free thinkers". As they talk about this, one of their housemates goes to a nearby payphone. Seeking to earn some extra money he puts a call in to an informant for the Corporation.

This information reports the location of the Hulk back to Curtiss Jackson who decides to use this news to try and eliminate two thorns in his side: The Hulk and the Machine Man. That night, agents of the Corporation attack the rooming house. With one of their number disguised as Machine Man, they manage to kidnap Trish. Immobilizing the Hulk with paralysis gas, they tell the brute that if he wants Trish back to meet "Machine Man" at an address in Central City. After the Corporation thugs leave, the effects of the gas wears off, and the Hulk lashes out, vowing to rescue Trish from the man he believes to be Machine Man.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Trish Starr, Doc Samson, Fred Sloan, Quasar, Clay Quartermain, General Ross, Major Talbot, Betty Ross, Lt. Perrywinkle, Senator Hawk, Corporation (Curtiss Jackson)

Continuity Notes

• Trish Starr mentions her past run-ins with the super-hero community as follows:

  • The time that Ant-Man rescued her from Egghead happened in Marvel Feature #5

  • She uncovered Nighthawk's double identity in Defenders #21.

  • The car bomb that cost Trish her arm happened in Giant-Size Defenders #4.

  • Lastly her possession by Shazanna happened in Defenders #41.

• In this issue, Wendell Vaughn changes his codename from Marvel Man to Quasar because he was made fun over his old name last issue.

• Quasar also mentions the downfall of the SHIELD Super-Agent program, which failed because it was infiltrated by members of the Corporation, as revealed in Captain America #230.

• Quasar's began working for Project PEGASUS in Marvel Two-In-One #53, he eventually resigned during the events of Marvel Team-Up Annual #5.

• Mention is made of General Ross' breakdown, that happened in Incredible Hulk #229.

• Glenn and Betty Talbot got married in Incredible Hulk #168. Their marriage became problematic during a time when Glenn was in a catatonic state from Incredible Hulk #188-200. Glenn later decided that they needed to separate in Incredible Hulk #212 in order to sort out his marraige.

• There are numerous mentions about how Fred Sloan, Trish Starr and their friends all lived through the Free Speech Movement and, more generally, the 60s and 70s. As these are characters who exist in the Modern Age these should all be considered topical references relative to the date of publication as per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• Curtiss Jackson mentions his previous battle with the Hulk which happened in Incredible Hulk #232-233, and his clash with Machine Man in Machine Man #8.