Hulk! #16
Masks
Bruce Banner is walking through the streets of New Orleans the evening following the evening of Mardi Gras. Seeing a discarded mask on the ground, Banner decides to pick up it up and try it on. Taking it off, it makes him think of his transformations between Banner and the Hulk. Unaware that someone is watching him, Banner is shocked when a dagger shoots across the street and striking the mask out of his hand. Banner chases after his attacker, but they manage to get away. Going back to the mask, Banner finds a note attached to the knife that was thrown at him. Reading the note, Banner is surprised that it has a veiled offer to try and help cure Banne of the Hulk, if he decides to meet with the messenger at the New Orleans airport.
The people responsible for the note are Valerie Dragon and her assistant Jannar, who have been sent by her brother Victor to recover Bruce Banner. After reporting in to her brother, Valerie and Jannar wait for Banner's arrival. Sure enough, Bruce does arrive at the meeting place and they confront him before he gives up and leaves. Valerie offers Banner the opportunity to earn all the money he could need to fund a cure for his future experiments. Piquing Banner's interest, he agrees to accompany them and board their plane and soon they take to the air. In the cockpit, Jannar and Valerie contemplate if Banner really is the Hulk. However, they have a test to make sure and make it seem as though the plane is going to crash.
In a panic, Banner suddenly transforms into the Hulk just as the plane gets caught in a mess of vines in the middle of the Florida Everglades. The Hulk knocks open the door to the plane and exits and wanders out into the swamp. As Valerie and Jannar recover from the crash, they witness as the Hulk is attacked by an alligator and beats it to death. Instead of following the Hulk, they decide to retreat back to their cabin and wait for him to revert back to Bruce Banner.
Meanwhile, at his secluded island home, Valerie's brother Victor continues an experiment on a dog. When his assistant Perkins informs him that his sister and Jannar have not reported back in his is upset because time is of the essence. After telling assistant to get out of his sight, he is disappointed to see that the dog died thanks to the injection he gave to the poor animal. Back in Florida, Valerie asks Jannar why he has come to work for her brother. He explains after his wife died, he gave up on his artwork and agreed to work for Victor for the money. Just then they are alerted of someone nearby and are surprised to see that Bruce Banner has just crawled out of the swamp right in front of their lodging.
The following morning, the trio finish the rest of their trip to Victor's massive mansion in the middle of the ocean. Once there, Drago explains to Banner that he wishes to obtain a massive fortune in Spanish gold that is trapped in a coral reef that has grown around the sunken Spanish vessel that was carrying the gold centuries earlier. Victor is certain that only the Hulk could have the strength to discreetly break through the reef and recover the gold. That reef, is the very structure that he has built his home upon. Victor offers to give half of the gold to Banner for him to use to fund research to find a cure for himself. Bruce is uncertain and tells Victor that he needs to think it over. Spotting Valeria outside on a walk, Banner decides to get an answer for himself.
So does Jannar, who asks Victor what his real scheme is, since he was the one who drew the map that Victor had shown Banner. Victor explains that Banner must die before he learns the real truth for them bringing him here. Jannar is uncertain about this after having gotten to know Banner. However, Victor needs to continue his research into the Hulk in order to further his research to advance humanity to the next stage of evolution. Meanwhile, Banner confronts Valerie about what is going on and is disturbed to discover that a lot of dogs have been recently buried on the island. Valerie refuses to divulge her brother's full plans with him.
That night, Bruce goes to sleep and mulls over the possibility of being able to direct the Hulk to carry out Victor's orders to recover the gold. The following morning, after breakfast, Victor explains to Bruce that he has already figure out a way to get the Hulk to follow orders, saying that he plans injecting Banner with a serum that will lessen the Hulk's influence. Victor takes a blood sample to prepare this serum and tells Banner to wait. However, this has all been a lie used to get a sample of Banner's blood for examination. By this point, Valerie and Jannar begin questioning Victor's motives. After Victor sends his sister to go with Bruce, he tells Jannar his whole plan: There is no gold under the reef, but one of his only successful tests with gamma radiation. He expects the creature to kill the Hulk and then plans to blow up the reef to destroy all evidence. Overhearing this Valerie rushs off to warn Bruce of the danger. Jannar, meanwhile, refuses to murder anybody even Banner. Disappointed in this, Victor leads Jannar outside and pushes him off the cliff beside his home, sending the man falling to his death.
Valerie has seen this as well, and realizes her borther has gone too far. Meanwhile, Banner decides that he is going to dive in without the "serum". Valerie tries to rush off to warn Bruce of the danger but he has already dived in. Victor orders Perkins to get the boat full of explosives. Meanwhile, Banner is below the water and a passing stingray spooks him enough to trigger a transformation into the Hulk. Dimly remembering he needs to get into the reef, the Hulk smashes his way through and comes face to face with Victor's creation, a massive octopus. Although the creature tires to consume him, the Hulk breaks off part of the reef and impales the gamma-spawned nightmare through the head, killing it. The Hulk also discovers that there are only a small number of gold coins down here. Realising he has been tricked, the Hulk swims back up to the surface.
There the Hulk grabs the boat full of explosives and throws it at Victor's home, causing it to explode on impact. Seeing his work going up in flames, Victor rushes inside to try and save it, but is soon overcome by the flames and burns alive. Furious at being used like this, the Hulk confronts Valeria and chastises her for doing this all for money. He tosses the few gold coins he recovered from the ocean into her face and tells her to choke on it before leaping away.
Recurring Characters
Hulk
