Hulk #11 — Nick Peron

Mar 12

Mar 12 Hulk #11

Role Reversal

Bruce Banner is being held by S.H.I.E.L.D. on murder charges for his apparent involvement in the downing of a commercial airliner that claimed the lives of over 300 people. He has been found guilty and is now awaiting the death penalty. Watching him from his cell are his allies Doc Samson and his cousin the She-Hulk who is acting as his legal council. The pair discuss how the President of the United States was looking for a guilty verdict after Banner slipped out of the hands of Colonel St. Lawrence. The testimony against Bruce is varied, with General Ross being the largest critic of Banner. However, others including Sheriff Toliver, Mister Fantastic, Captain America and Archer Leopold plead some kind of mercy. The prosecution, however, have shot holes in Leopold's testimony. But, She-Hulk is inclined to believe him because she noticed that in footage of the attack on the airliner, the "Hulk" has no ears and intends to appeal his conviction.

Doc Samson convinces Nick Fury to allow him an audience with Bruce Banner along with Archer Leopold. Since Banner hasn't turned into the Hulk since his capture, Fury agrees to allow the visit as a personal favor. When they talk to Banner, they find his pattern of speech to be strange and he talks about how he must sacrifice his life for the greater good of the many. Leopold knows exactly what's going on, but before he can explain it to Doc Samson, the floor suddenly gives way under them. They land in an underground tunnel where a mass of Hulk-like creatures grab Archer and Banner and flee. SHIELD agents are quickly deployed down the shaft, but before Doc Samson can order them to stay back these Hulks cause a cave-in by stomping their feet. Samson tells the SHIELD agents to keep back and digs through the rubble in order to follow after the strange kidnappers. Samson digs through the rubble, but soon finds that he is running out of air. Just as he breaks through to the other side he passes out due to lack of oxygen. There he is snatched up by one of the Hulks and taken down the tunnel.

Back in Banner's cell, Nick Fury assesses the situation when he suddenly gets a call from Colonel St. Lawrence. She is not impressed that SHIELD managed to lose the Hulk so soon after capturing him. Fury tells her that he intends to get Banner back and terminates the call. Deep in the tunnel, Doc Samson wakes up. He learns that these "Hulks" are actually a product of Tyrannus' swapping machines that he used to control, and later steal the powers of, the Hulk. In order to escape prosecution for crimes he did not commit under his own free well, Banner had swapped his mind with the Tyrannoid who was used to attack the commercial airliner. However, Bruce has had a change of heart and cannot condemn the Tyrannoid to death. He then uses the machine to reverse the mind swap. When Samson asks what happened to Tyrannus, he learns that the Tyrannoids used one of the machines to transform him into one of them.

Banner then decides that the curse of the Hulk should belong to nobody but him and reverses the process that has turned the Tyrannoids into Hulks. Doc Samson tries to stop him but he is too late. As Banner turns into the Hulk, he swats Samson away. As the Tyrannoids scramble from the scene, Doc Samson helps Archer to his feet and discovers that he had been tagged with a SHIELD recording device. On the surface, the entire explanation was recorded by SHIELD and it is handed to Nick Fury, who hopes to use it to have the murder charges against the Hulk overturned. While back down below the Hulk has completely lost control of his temper and smashes Samson with one of his machines. He then turns his attention to Archer Leopold, who begs the Hulk not to hurt him because they are friends. Instead of hurting Archer, the Hulk punches the wall behind him and disappears while Archer is busy cowering.

When Doc Samson recovers from the Hulk's attack, he returns to the surface, leaving the Tyrannoids under the care of Archer Leopold. With the new evidence brought to the case, the Hulk is found innocent of murder. While writing a report about this entire ordeal, Samson decides to continue his search for Bruce Banner, not as a hunter, but as a friend.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Doc Samson, Archer Leopold, Tyrannus, SHIELD (Nick Fury), She-Hulk, General Ross, Jonas Tolliver, Mister Fantastic, Captain America, Colonel St. Lawrence

Continuity Notes

Mention is made of how Colonel St. Lawrence was previously in charge of the military operation to capture the Hulk. She hunted the Hulk from Incredible Hulk #446 to Incredible Hulk #467.