Incredible Hulk #275
Megalith!
Having returned to New Mexico after his time in space and in Canada, Bruce Banner looks forward to telling Rick and Betty that he now has full control over his Hulk form. However, when he arrives at his secret lab, Banner finds no trace of either of his friends. He notices readings coming off the Gamma Ray Projector and notes that someone had used it recently to emit a massive dose of radiation. Suddenly, Bruce remembers how Rick Jones rushed into the lab during the Hulk's battle with the Hulk-Hunters and deduces that Rick exposed himself to radiation in order to create another Hulk. However, because gamma radiation affects everyone differently, Bruce fears the worst. Transforming back into the Hulk, Banner begins searching for Betty and Rick, hoping that he is not too late.
At Gamma Base, Bruce's worst fears are a reality as Betty and the alien Bereet head toward the abandoned lab to try to find a way to cure Rick from radiation poisoning. Rick has survived so far thanks to Bereet's Life Support Spider, which keeps him from teetering over the brink. When Betty questions how they are able to move unrestricted access to the abandoned base. Bereet explains that her techno-art creation Sturky has consumed all the defenses on the base. As they try to find a machine to cure Rick, they are completely oblivious to the fact that they are not alone. A costumed woman with flying abilities called Jackdaw has also come to the facility to gather equipment for her master to use against the Hulk. She accesses the a sealed off research lab where all the decommissioned weapons are being stored. There she finds the massive battle robot called the Megalith.
Meanwhile, the Hulk arrives at Gamma Base, correctly deducing that Betty and Rick would come here. He finds them inside the main lab, and ignoring the presence of Bereet he tends to Rick. Rick tells him that he wanted to become the Hulk not willing to deprive the world of a Hulk especially after his friend Captain Marvel recently died. After gathering all the equipment he needs, Banner reverts back to human form and is about to administer a cure for Rick when suddenly the whole building begins to shake. Changing back into the Hulk, Bruce goes back outside to see what the cause is and comes face to face with the Megalith. Although Jackdaw has the upper hand to begin with, the Hulk gains the advantage as all his blows are transferred over to Jackdaw's control unit. She is forced to sever her connection to the Meaglith when the Hulk starts ripping apart. Having collected what she needs for her master anyway, Jackdaw takes to the sky and escapes unseen.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Hulk goes back into the lab to try and cure Rick. Meanwhile, at Utrecht Industries, Ironclad has been waiting for his teammates to return since he freed himself from the ground. He is not disappointed as he is soon joined by Vector, Vapor, and X-Ray. Vector tells his teammates that their first order of business is for the U-Foes to get revenge against the Hulk.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Bereet, Jackdaw, U-Foes (Vector, Ironclad, Vapor, X-Ray), Sturky
Continuity Notes
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.
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.
Bereet mentions how she made techno-art movies about the Hulk and his friends. These were chronicled in Rampaging Hulk #1-9. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2 ascribes these events to Earth-7711.
Jackdaws master is revealed to be the Leader in Incredible Hulk #278. The Leader likely got access to a Gamma Base security card during the period he took over Gamma Base in Incredible Hulk #223.
Rick mentions the recent death of Captain Marvel which happened in Marvel Graphic Novel #1.
The U-Foes were defeated due to their over-exposure to cosmic rays in Incredible Hulk #254. X-Ray and Ironclad's survivals were revealed in Incredible Hulk #273 and 274 respectively. How Vector and Vapor survived is revealed in Incredible Hulk #277.
