Incredible Hulk #427
Six Months Later
In the Florida town of Sunville, young Billy Templeton is walking down the street minding his own business when he is approached by the vehicle of a man calling himself Old Albert. He asks the kid for directions, telling the boy that he needs to deliver puppies. When the boy is excited to hear about the puppies, Albert manages to snatch the boy off the street and speed off. Not far away a woman named Emma Standish has got caught in a serious car accident. As people gawk at the situation, Max Christiansen arrives with his tow truck. His new employee a bandaged man named Bob Danner rushes out to save Emma just as her car begins catching fire and carries her to safety just as the car explodes. As the police arrive on the scene, they ask Max where his partner went. Max explains that Bob left, because he's the shy type. "Bob" of course, is the Hulk, who has been trying to keep a low profile since escaping from SHIELD custody.
His wife Betty has been a librarian while she recovers from her injuries. She finds a young boy named Skip Templeton trying to read Fredrick Werthham's "Seduction of the Innocent" and learns he finds that it isn't very interesting. Suddenly, Skip's mother comes bursting into the library looking for her son and asks if his brother Billy is with him. She is worried because Billy hadn't returned home from school and breaks down crying when she learns that Billy is not at the library at all. Later, near Sunville, Old Albert rows a boat out to into the middle of the swamp and dumps a bundle carrying a young body inside. He begins to cry, his tears drawing the Man-Thing out to him. Back at Max's garage, Max warns the Hulk about compromising the low profile he and Betty have been trying to maintain. Still, he congratulates the Hulk for saving Emma's life and tells him to go home.
At the "Danner" home, the police decide to pay the newcomers a visit to Betty to ask her about her husband, who they suspect kidnapped Billy Templeton. Elsewhere, the Hulk blows off some steam by destroying an abandoned house. While at Old Albert's house, he struggles in vain to put his foot into the small shoe of his last victim. As he begins to cry once more, the Man-Thing enters his cabin and approaches him. Back at the Danner home, Bruce returns to his wife to learn about the missing Billy Templeton and how "Bob Danner" is seen as a possible suspect. Watching the news, they learn that this recent disappearance is similar to a string of child murders in the area and that the police and the FBI are now involved. With troubles Bruce, since this could greatly compromise the low profile they are trying to maintain. When Bruce suggests that they relocate again, Betty refuses because she wants to have some kind of normalcy in her life. When the Hulk asks what they could do to keep it, for the time being, Betty suggests that Bruce go out and find the killer.
Meanwhile, in the swamp, Skip is out looking for his brother as he blames himself for the disappearance of his sibling. Falling into the muck, Skip is pulled out of the water by a man who appears to be a police officer. Unknown to the boy, this is Old Albert, the same man who abducted his little brother. While back at the Danner house, Betty is visited by Largo, the chief of police in Sunville. He has come to ask some questions to Betty's husband, especially after reports of a massive man lurking in the swamps. When Betty tells him that he is leaping into the Everglades under is own power, Chief Largo thinks she is hiding something. However, Betty was telling the truth, as the Hulk arrives in the swamps in his own leaps and begins looking for the missing Templeton boy. In Albert's house, Skip is being fed a story about how the "officer" is off duty and lives in the swamp. Skip is suspicious and quickly realizes that this "cop" is lying and that he is in serious trouble when he spots one of his brother's sneakers in the corner of the house. Skip them frantically digs through his bag and pulls out a gun and points it at Albert. Although the boy shoots he only wound the child killer, and the fear from the boy draws in the Man-Thing.
Elsewhere in the world, Rick Jones and Marlo Chandler are still on their honeymoon. They haven't left their hotel room and after a marathon of passion, Rick takes a moment to puts out a "do not disturb" knocker on the door handle.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Marlo Jones, Man-Thing, Max Christiensen, Chief Largo
Continuity Notes
This story states that the events of this tale happen six months after last issue. However, the Earth-616 universe operates on a Sliding Timescale in that four years’ worth of publications are condensed into a single year of time of the so-called modern age of the Marvel Universe. Due to such compression, the six month time period described herein the narrative would not fit the Sliding Timescale. As such, the length of time that has passed could be measured in days or weeks after compression depending on reader interpretation.
