Vicious Cycle

A young boy named Jeffey asks his father to tell him the story of the monster again. Although his father is irritable and tired he agrees to tell the story again. He recalls how he was a corporal working security at the gamma bomb test. On the day of the big test, he recalls how Bruce Banner came to their checkpoint on the way to get a boy away from the bomb test. Although the soldiers refused to let him by, Banner pushed through anyway. Soon there was a massive blast. He recalls how Banner survived the blast only to turn into a gray-skinned monster. Jeffey's father remembers his encounter with the creature he later dubbed the Hulk, how the creature looked sad.

Jeffey's dad finished his story but Jeffey has a lot of questions about the Hulk. Jeffey's father becomes frustrated and threatens to strike the boy. However, he stops himself at the last minute, realizing what he is doing. He then suggests that he and his son watch some television.

Recurring Characters

Hulk

Continuity Notes

• This story recaps some of the events of Incredible Hulk #1.

As Old as the Hills

This story continues from Avengers Annual #20…

Cut off from the waters from the Fountain of Youth because the Deviants have taken over Subterranea, Tyrannus is now afraid that he is getting old. He demands that he and the Mole Man would try and get the Fountain back from the Deviants. They suggest using the Hulk, utilizing a tried and true method of getting the gamma-spawned monster into their domain: kidnapping someone close to them. The Mole Man suggests that they kidnap the Hulk's sidekick Rick Jones since he has been in the news a lot.

Meanwhile, on the surface at a Reno health club, Marlo Chandler is teaching an aerobics class with her roommate Betty Banner in attendance. After their session, they go to the sauna where the two women talk about the amount of upkeep that women have to do to keep looking young. Later they bump into the health club's owner, Mr. Sweeney. Who makes a joke about how he is a retired intergalactic bounty hunter. While at Rick's apartment, the Hulk is playing with a bunch of action figures modeled after various super-heroes and villains. Although he is unimpressed that his own action figure comes with a rock as an accessory. Rick asks the Hulk if he wants to tag along when he meets up with Marlo and Betty, but the Hulk is uninterested given the current friction between the two of them. Rick picks the women up just as they are leaving a hair salon. They are impressed with the '57 Chevy he is driving. Suddenly, the Mole Man tears out of the ground in an earth borer. Rick speeds away, but the Mole Man is able to catch up with them. The Mole Man and his Moloids capture both Rick and Betty, leaving Marlo behind to tell the Hulk that his friend and wife are his prisoners.

By the time Marlo gets to Rick's apartment, she witnesses the Hulk leaping off someplace to think. However, when she yells at him to come back he hears her and turns around. She then fills in the Hulk on what's going on. Elsewhere in Subterranea, the Deviant leader known as Brutus has learned of Tyrannus' plot to use the Hulk to get back the Fountain of Youth and orders his minions to set up a suitable trap, including his bodyguard Gort. Meanwhile, Rick and Betty are taken to Tyrannus who explains his plans, and they mock him for being so vain. While not far away, the Hulk is searching for the tunnels for his friends when he spots the obvious markers left out for him. He is intercepted by the Mole Man and his Moloids and is told why he has been lured into Subterranea. Back in Tyrannus' throne room, the villain gives into Rick and Betty's demands to see how hideous he is. Tyrannus removes the hood from his face revealing that he's hardly aged at all.

Meanwhile, the Hulk arrives at the Fountain of Youth to find Brutus and his minions waiting for him. He is suddenly attacked by Gort. While Rick and Betty talk about a possible solution to help Tyrannus in covering up his age. Back at the Fountain, the Hulk manages to slay Gort and gathers some of the water in a canteen. He then slaps his hands together causing a cave-in, burying the Deviants and the Fountain of Youth. By the time the Hulk returns to Tyrannus, Betty has convinced him to use make-up to cover up his age so he doesn't have to always rely on the Fountain of Youth to hide the ravages of aging. However, in a cruel jest, the Hulk empties the canteen on the floor when he is given Rick and Betty back and laughs when Tyrannus tries lapping the water off the floor. Betty is unimpressed with how her husband handled the situation, questioning why he had to be so cruel after they gave Tyrannus what he wanted. While back in his domain, Tyrannus boasts that his youth has been restored, despite the embarrassing way he got it back. Suddenly, he begins to choke and keels over, seemingly dead, as Brutus seemingly poisoned the water.

… This story continues in Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #1.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Marlo Chandler, Mole Man, Tyrannus, Brutus

Mean Joe

A contest promotion comic where the Hulk meets the winners, a bunch of kids, members of the Homecomers baseball team, give the Hulk some "Popsi" brand soda after a busy day of beating up supervillains.

Recurring Characters

Hulk

Hero Worship

Rick Jones is making an appearance at a comic book convention in a small town in New Mexico to promote his book, Sidekick. During a Q & A period, Rick answers a question about the contributions of Teen Brigade during his early adventures by someone who is clearly bitter about Rick's newfound fame.

In the audience is a young man James and his friend Brenda. James gets Rick to sign his copy of Sidekick but chokes up when it comes to talking Jones. Later, they spot Rick in the parking lot and try to talk to approach him and talk some more. However, James spots someone trying to run Rick over and pushes him out of the way.

In thanks for saving his life, Rick takes James and Brenda out for ice cream. However, it soon becomes clear to Rick that this kid is obsessed with him and quickly cuts out on them. James, not taking the hint, tries to follow after Rick so he can give him his phone number. In the parking lot, the person who tried to run Rick down tries again. This time, Rick is ready for him and forces himself into the car and fights with his would-be killer. The man tries to get away, but James and Brenda toss paint cans at him distracting him long enough for Rick to tackle him.

As it turns out, the man trying to kill Rick was the disgruntled man from the convention and a Tom Smith, a former member of Teen Brigade. He explains that he tried to run Rick down because he was upset that Rick became famous and he did not. Rick tells Tom that he was not responsible for Tom's life not going the way he wanted and he is soon taken away by the police. Later, Rick thanks James and Brenda for helping again. When James thinks that Rick is taking him on as a sidekick, Rick corrects him quickly, telling the boy that he is smart enough to make a life for himself instead of trying to latch on as Rick's sidekick.

Recurring Characters

Rick Jones

Continuity Notes

• Rick states that the Teen Brigade used ham radios to help him out in his early adventures. The technology used by the Teen Brigade should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616. For example, while Teen Brigade used ham radios in Avengers #1 a more modern telling of that story in Avengers: The Origin depicts the group as a team of computer hackers.

Not to the Swift

In the city of Los Angeles, a young man named Luis Lopez is being chased by the supervillains Blacklash and Ringer. They are surprised that the youth is somehow able to run faster than their jeep. However, Luis runs into their ally a man called Barrier. This scene is observed by the Agamemnon at the Pantheon's headquarters the Mount. He tells Ulysses and Achilles to interfere with these villains from recruiting this youth.

Meanwhile, the three villains are joined by their leader, Justin Hammer. Hammer offers to hire on Luis as one of his super-powered enforcers. This sales pitch is interrupted by Ulysses and Achilles who warn the boy that a deal with Justin Hammer will land him in jail. While the two members of the Pantheon battle it out with Hammer's men, Luis uses his super-speed to put on the Thunderbolt suit that Hammer offered to him. Although Justin Hammer manages to get away, his super-powered thugs are easily defeated. Luis tells the two members of the Pantheon that he is going to use his powers for good.

Recurring Characters

Thunderbolt, Pantheon (Agememnon, Ulysses, Achilles) Justin Hammer, Blacklash, Ringer