Incredible Hulk #438
Fragmented Personality
The Headshop has just broken Bruce Banner out of a military holding facility, but not before Banner -- a savage when in human form -- took the blast from a grenade head-on. They rush him to the plane where Betty is waiting for them to rendezvous. When she sees the state of her husband, Betty fears the worst. They rush Banner to the med-bay and Largo insists that they need Betty to fly them out of there. Despite the fact that her husband could be dying she climbs into the cockpit and takes off. As they take off, Matt Talbot arrives at the facility to discover that Banner has escaped. Furious, Talbot demands to know who was responsible. With the plane high in the air, Betty puts it on auto-pilot so she can check and see how Bruce is doing. Largo tells her that Bruce's head is full of shrapnel from the bomb blast and that unless he changes back into the Hulk, he is not expected to survive. Betty stands over her dying husband and begins to cry, begging for him to come back to him. Her tears have a calming effect on Bruce, allowing him to change back into the Hulk. Happy to see that Bruce is alive, Betty hugs him tightly.
Meanwhile, at the Freehold community hidden in Alberta, Canada, Jailbait and Hotshot are looking over Omnibus' lab and try to make sense of the strange experiments going on there. Jailbait can't help but notice how one of the lab mice appears to be scowling at her. Suddenly, Omnibus returns and orders them to get out of his lab. After they leave, he looks into the mirror and demands that the Leader show himself again, however, he gets no response in return. While at that the headquarters of the Headshop, tests are being run on the Hulk to see how he is doing after getting a load of shrapnel into his body. Headgear runs a scan and they learn that although the Hulk's body has healed, the shrapnel is still in his body and that the biggest pieces are in his brain. They also note that the Hulk's skin color is slightly different now. When Betty presses Bruce about his state of mind, he quickly loses his temper, but quickly catches himself. That's when Headmistress tells the Hulk that if he changes back to Bruce Banner again, he will die. When the Headshop offers to aid him as his friends, but he begins to laugh maniacally, telling them that the Hulk has no friends, only enemies. However, this suddenly gives the Hulk an idea. He remembers how the Leader once used technology to remove a bullet from his brain. The Headshop members are appalled at the idea of going to the Leader for help, since they want to get revenge against him. However, the Hulk informs them that the Leader is dead, by his own hands.
The Hulk explains that he is going to Freehold to get access to the technology. When the members of the Headshop offer to join him, the Hulk rejects the offer, having realized he is not a team player after his experiences with the Pantheon. When Thunderhead tries to push the subject, the Hulk tosses him aside. The Hulk then kisses his wife on the forehead and leaps through the roof of the complex. When the falling debris falls toward Betty, Largo uses his body to shield her. Betty is horrified that her husband leaped through the roof with no regard for her own safety, almost as though he didn't care. The Hulk lands somewhere not far away and beings cough, then laugh, he then wonders what is wrong with him. Meanwhile, at army headquarters, Matt Talbot calls Henry Gyrich to inform him of the Hulk's escape and that they need to mobilize forces to stop him. Gyrich denies this request, pointing out that the Alliance is the main priority as their attacks have got the world on edge, with world leaders pointing fingers at each other, threatening the stability of the world. Talbot, grudgingly agrees to join him on solving this crisis. Back at the Headshop, Largo asks Betty if she knew about the Leader's death. She admits that she knew, but didn't say anything because she had no other way to free her husband. When Largo asks what they should do next, Betty tearfully tells him that she doesn't know.
Meanwhile, the Hulk is leaping over Mount Rushmore when suddenly the monument explodes, knocking the Hulk off his course. He wonders who would have senselessly blow up the monument. At that same time in China, a bomb goes off at the Great Wall. The blasts are were caused by Omnibus, who has been secretly operating as the Alliance to bring the world to the brink of a nuclear war. As he cackles maniacally, Omnibus' form suddenly transforms into that of the Leader.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, Headshop (Largo, Headmistress, Deadhead, Headgear, Thunderhead), Riot Squad (Omnibus, Jailbait, Hotshot), Henry Gyrich
Continuity Notes
The Hulk mentions how the Leader once remove a bullet from his brain. That happened in Tales to Astonish #73.
The Hulk mentions how he killed the Leader, he seemingly did so in Incredible Hulk #400, forgetting the fact that (chronologically) he fought the Leader after the fact in Savage Hulk #1.
