Amnesty!

Doc Samson has arrived at Gamma Base following the Hulk's televised battle against the U-Foes. There he only finds Betty Ross and the defeated U-Foes. Betty explains to Samson how Bruce Banner has full control over the Hulk. this upsets her because she was hoping to find a cure for Bruce so that they could have a normal life together. When Samson tries to empathize with Betty, she tells him that he doesn't know how she feels because she doesn't know her own feelings either. Meanwhile, Bereet is taking the Hulk and Rick to New york City aboard her Banshee Mask. There, Banner hopes to find allies who will help him petition for amnesty from the United States government now that he has the Hulk under control. This idea leave Rick Jones to wonder what sort of future he has with the Hulk now that Banner is in full control now. En route, Bereet takes the opportunity to jettison her Techno-Art devices that were destroyed in the battle with the U-Foes, including her Star Eye, which contains all the footage from her Techno-Art movies. As they take off, the mysterious employer of Jackdaw collects the ruined Techno-Art devices from space and brings them aboard his space station. Here, this mystery man hopes to use them in his ongoing scheme against the Hulk.

Arriving in New York City, the Hulk first pays a visit to the Baxter Building, headquarters to the Fantastic Four. His sudden appearance frightens both the Invisible Girl and her son Franklin, leading to a brief clash between the Hulk and the team. However, Mister Fantastic stops his teammates pointing out that Banner is now the dominant persona of the Hulk. The Hulk then asks Reed Richards for his help in his quest to get amnesty.

Sometime later in Washington, D.C., General Ross meets with the President to give his opinion on the current situation with the Hulk. When the President asks if he should pardon the Hulk, Ross refuses that as a possibility. They then turn their attention to the lawn of the White House where an assembly of the press and heroes from North America have arrived to listen to Matt Murdock to give a speech and deliver the request of amnesty for the Hulk. Suddenly, alien ships appear over the sky in Washington, putting all the heroes on alert. Bereet recognises them as the Krylorian ships that she fictionalised for her Techo-Art films about the Hulk, leaving her to wonder where they came from now that her Star Eye has been destroyed. Regardless, the Hulk leaps into battle and helps the assembled heroes destroy these invading crafts. The ships are soon destroyed before they can cause any damage to the capital, mostly thanks to the Hulk.

When the battle is over the wrecks of the alien ships suddenly disappear. Although their origin is a mystery, the response to this attack has eliminated any doubt to the claims that Bruce Banner is in full control of the Hulk. The heroes then celebrate the Hulk's victory, much to his surprise. The President and General Ross also find no reason to deny the request for a pardon. Watching from his satellite, the Leader tells his agent, Jackdaw, that everything is goign according to his plans.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Doc Samson, Bereet, General Ross, Leader, Jackdaw, U-Foes (Vector, Ironclad, Vapor, X-Ray), Sturky, Matt Murdock, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch, Thing), Franklin Richards, Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Wasp, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man), X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nigtcrawler, Sprite), Defenders (Doctor Strange, Valkyrie, Beast, Hellcat), Power Man, Iron Fist, Firebird, Red Wolf, Alpha Flight (Vindicator, Sasquatch, Snowbird, Shaman), Angel, Spider-Man, Stingray, Falcon, Machine Man, Black Panther, Jack of Hearts

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.

• Bereet mentions her techno-art films based on the Hulk. These were chronicled in Rampaging Hulk #1-9.

• The Fantastic Four are repairing their headquarters following their battle against Terrax the Tamer in Fantastic Four #243.

• The Thing makes a reference to his Aunt Petunia and how she isn't a "septuagenarian". Since the Thing first began mentioning her back in Fantastic Four #25, the Thing had led everyone to believe his Aunt was a much older woman. This story references Fantastic Four #239 when the rest of the Fantastic Four discovered that Petunia was a much younger woman.

• The President of the United States is depicted as Ronald Reagan in this story. This should be considered a topical reference relative to the date of publication per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.

• The appearances of Professor X, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, Sprite and Storm in this story happens between pages 20 and 21 of Uncanny X-Men #161.

• The Beast, Falcon, and Black Panther are depicted among the Avengers and the Angel among the X-Men. However at the time of this story none of these heroes were a member of the teams they are associated with:

  • The Beast was a past member of the Avengers, however he had recently left the team in Avengers #211 and subsequently joined the Defenders in Defenders #103.

  • The Black Panther was forced out of the Avengers in Avengers #181 by Henry Gyrich. He does not rejoin until Avengers #305.

  • Falcon had membership imposed upon him in Avengers #181, but he quit shortly thereafter in Avengers #194.

  • Although the Angel has been a long standing member of the X-Men, at the time of this story he had just recently left the group in Uncanny X-Men #148 as he disagreed with Wolverine being admitted into the group.

• Doctor Strange wonders if the Hulk will still remain a member of the Defenders. Although this group is a "non-team", the Hulk has been a founding member since Marvel Feature #1.