When a City Dies!

The battle between the Hulk and Machine Man in Central City has triggered a gas line explosion, turning the north side of the city into a blazing inferno. Fire crews work tirelessly to put out the blaze. From downtown, Curtiss Jackson of the Corporation and his prisoner Trish Starr was the holocaust that has been unleashed. Although Jackson believes his two foes have destroyed each other, Machine Man actually saved both of their lives thanks to his ability to cancel gravity and using it to pull them out of the blast. The Hulk, however, was knocked out by the blast.

Taking the Hulk to a secluded area, the Machine Man uses his internal mechanisms to probe the Hulk's mind and learns that the Hulk was tricked into thinking that Machine Man had kidnapped his friend Trish Starr. Probing the Hulk's mind further, Machine Man learns of the brute's origins and the often tragic life the man-monster has lived, one filled with hurt and loss. Machine Man realizes that he and the Hulk have more in common than he would have thought. Remembering that he managed to lock into a Corporation transmission frequency, the Machine Man tracks it to Mid-State Tower, the head office for the Corporation. Machine Man then uses his mind probe to put the image of Trish in the clutches of Curtiss Jackson. The Hulk wakes in a rage and when Machine Man tries to get the Hulk to work with him, is swatted aside. Speeding after the Hulk, Machine Man puts in a call to Colonel Kragg to warn him that the Hulk is coming back to Central City. Meanwhile, Colonel Kragg has contacted Gamma Base and Clay Quartermain tells him that Hulkbuster jets are being deployed to their location. That's when Machine Man's warning comes in via the radio.

Meanwhile, the Hulk ends up smashing into Zimmerman Square Mall where a security guard foolishly tries to put him under arrest. Unphased by this, the Hulk grabs the man's gun and crushes it to powder, warning the man to stay out of his way. The Hulk then leaps onward, causing structural damage to the shopping mall. When Machine Man arrives on the scene he has to give up his pursuit of the Hulk in order to prevent the roof from collapsing on the people inside. The Hulk continues on his destructive path to the Mid-State Building as the military begins an immediate evacuation of the area. When Jackson sees that the Hulk is coming, one of his guards panics and Curtiss shoots him dead. He then takes Trish up to the roof so they can escape in a helicopter. However before they can enter the craft, the Hulk smashes into it, destroying it. Jackson pulls a gun and threatens to shoot Trish if the Hulk comes a step further. However, Machine Man arrives on the scene and crushes the gun in his hand.

When the robot recovers Trish and tries to calm the Hulk, the monster still craves revenge and begins pounding his fists on the roof of the building causing it to buckle. This causes Curtiss Jackson to fall off the edge of the building. Machine Man saves Curtiss' life and pulls both Jackson and Trish off the building. Mere moments later the Hulk's pounding causes the Corporation's headquarters to topple. After Jackson is turned over to the authorities, Machine Man goes looking for the Hulk in the rubble. Seeing that the man-monster is still in a rage, Machine Man calms him with a mesmer effect. Machine Man then uses his anti-gravity device to send the Hulk flying away from the area. With the Hulk now out of Central City, the robot collapses. When Spaulding comments how Machine Man saved them all, Fred watches as the Hulk speeds across the sky and wonders if that's true.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Machine Man, Trish Starr, Fred Sloan, Clay Quartermain, Colonel Kragg, Peter Spaulding, Corporation (Curtiss Jackson)

Continuity Notes

• Machine Man probes the Hulk's mind this issue and witnesses a number of specific images, namely:

  • The gamma bomb explosion that first created the Hulk, originally depicted in Incredible Hulk #1.

  • The Hulk's battle with the Harpy which took place in Incredible Hulk #168.

  • The death of Jarella in Incredible Hulk #205.