Incredible Hulk #263
I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet, and the Sky Come Tumbling Down!
The Hulk is making his way through Los Angeles in a torrential downpour. He almost get struck by a police car because the officer driving can barely see out in the rain. The Hulk smashes the squad car, sending the officer fleeing. Suddenly, there is an earthquake that causes the freeway to crumble. As the Hulk falls down below the over pass, he looks up and sees a familiar hoodded figure emerging from the ground and he decides to follow it.
Meanwhile, after hearing that the Hulk is in California, Rick Jones and Betty Ross have taken a plane to LA to try and find him. Despite the storm, the plane manages to land at Los Angeles International Airport. However, it is attacked by the mutant terrorist known as Avalanche, causing the plane to crack up. Avalanche intends to hold the entire state of California ransom, threatening to use his mutant powers on San Andreas Fault if his demands are not met. As the authorities arrive on the scene, Rick Jones helps lead the people out of the plane, but when he tries to contact the Avengers on his wrist communicator, Avalanche knocks the boy out.
Meanwhile, the mysterious being leads the Hulk to the airport where he confronts Avalanche. The hooded man introduces himself as Landslide, one of the Mole Man's outcasts. He explains that Avalanche's scheme also threatens to destroy his master's domain and so he was sent up to the surface to stop him. The Hulk stands by confused on what to do until he sees Betty and Rick in danger, and that Rick has been injured. The gamma-spawned monster then lashes out at both of the costumed beings. Only Avalanche fights back, but when he can't keep the Hulk at bay, he tries to crash another landing airplane. The Hulk instinctively leaps into the path of the plane, stopping it from cracking up on the runway with his herculean strength.
Fearing the Hulk was burried under the rubble, Rick and Betty are happy to see when the Hulk pulls himself out of the rubble and resume the battle. By this point, Avalanche has learned Landslide's weakness, pulling off his hood to expose his light-sensitive eyes. But, the Hulk intervenes and resumes his battle against the evil mutant. As the battle rages, the Hulk resists Avalanche's mutant powers when he turns them on the Hulk's body. He then grabs Avalanche's hands, causing his powers to feedback, shattering all the bones in his hands. In the aftermath of the battle the LAPD tries to apprehend the Hulk, but he leaps away with Rick and Betty in his arms. In the confusion, Landslide also manages to slip away and return to Subterranea. While elsewhere, the battle was witnessed by a shadowy figure who orders his minion, the Night-Flyer, to prepare to bring him the Hulk.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Avalanche, Outcasts (Landslide, Digger, Boulder, Water Witch), Mole Man, Kala, Night Flyer, Corruptor
Continuity Notes
Avalanche mentions how he was a member of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who were defeated at the hands of the X-Men. This occurred in X-Men #141-142.
The Hulk recounts his encounter with Landslide and the other Outcasts in Marvel Treasury Edition #25.
When the Night-Flyer was last seen in Captain America #214, he was incinerated and reduced to ash. As revealed next issue, the Corruptor managed to resurrect the Night Flier, but no explanation is provided as to how he managed to do this.
