Home the Hard Way!

After his encounter with the Klklk left the peope of St. Clair with their crops ruined, the Hulk decides to help them by gathering enough lumber to give them income to feed themselves through the winter. The Hulk is hailed as a hero, however Banner points out that he wasn't always such, recalling the days when he turned into a savage whenever he changed into the Hulk. Bruce also refuses their offer to stay among them as he must return to the United States and let his friend Betty and Rick know that he is okay. As the Hulk leaps across the Canadian landscape, he spots a damanged rail bridge and that an oncoming train is on is about to cross it. Bruce tries to support the bridge but misjudges his own strength and ends up wrecking the bridge instead. When the train goes off the rails, the Hulk leaps up and pulls it to safety. However, the conductor and the passengers are unimpressed with their having their lives put at risk. This angers Bruce enough that his Hulk persona almost comes to the fore, but he controls himself and leaps away before he can be upset further.

He soon lands at the Canada/US Border where he reverts back into Bruce Banner. When he tries to cross the border he is stopped by customs agent. When he tells them he is the Hulk, they laugh at it until Bruce transforms in front of them. As they open fire, the Hulk simply walks past. One of the customs officers rushes back to his booth where he calls in the National Guard. At that moment, in New Mexico, Breet and Betty Ross arrive at the abandoned Gamma Base where they hope to cure Rick Jones of his self-inflicted radiation poisoning. However, Betty isn't sure what they can do to cure Rick without Bruce Banner with them. As they head to the main lab, they are unaware that they are being observed by a winged individual flying above the base.

Back up north, the Hulk continues on his way back to New Mexico when he is suddenly confronted by the National Guard. They order the Hulk to surrender, and although Banner makes no overt moves against them they panic and open fire. Bruce simply walks through the onslaught leaving the soldiers confused. When one of them asks the Hulk what he thinks he is doing, Bruce turns around and tells them that all he wants to do is get back home and leaps away. As the Hulk makes his way across the United States, he passes the site where not too long ago, the Hulk battled the U-Foes. The Hulk's landing awakens Ironclad, who has been trapped in the ground since the U-Foes defeat. Seeing the Hulk leaps away, Ironclad vows to get revenge.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Rick Jones, Betty Ross, Bereet, Sturky, Jackdaw, Ironclad,

Continuity Notes

• The Hulk recounts his encounter with the Klklk from last issue. This alien race is not officially named until Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5.

• Bruce Banner now has control of the Hulk and its transformations since a series of bombardments of gamma radiation between Incredible Hulk #269-272. He retains this ability until Incredible Hulk #296.

• The customs agents refer to Ronald Reagen as the President of the United States, and Pierre Trudeau as the Prime Minister of Canada. These mentions should be considered topical references per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• Betty mentions her father's mental breakdown in Incredible Hulk #234. She also refers to the late Glenn Talbot as her ex-husband. The pair were married in Incredible Hulk #156 but got divorced in Incredible Hulk #238 after months of irreconcilable differences. Gamma Base was later shut down in Incredible Hulk #256. Glenn Talbot later died battling the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #260.

• Ironclad has been trapped underground since his first encounter with the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #254.