Tales to Astonish #78
The Prince and the Puppet!
The Sub-Mariner has come to stop a deep sea drilling operation led by Henry Pym that has been causing underwater earthquakes in Atlantis. US military soldiers have been stationed on the platform now have their guns trained on the prince of Atlantis. When a soldier tries to shoot Namor, Pym spoils the soldiers aim making the shot hit a gas tank causing a fire. While the Sub-Mariner is forced back by the flames, Pym, his lover Janet van Dyne and the soldiers try desperately to put the fire out.
Monitoring this from his secret base is the Puppet Master who takes this opportunity to create a doll that will allow him to take control of the Sub-Mariner again. He takes control just as the Sub-Mariner is about to get into fisticuffs with Pym, making Namor suddenly stop and head toward New York. Henry attempts to follow after him but the flames block his path. Pym then orders Janet to change into the Wasp and she heads toward New York to try and catch up with Namor.
Meanwhile, Namor has arrived at the Puppet Master's lair and he orders the Sub-Mariner to go out and steal more money from a nearby bank before he uses his new slave to exact revenge against his foes. After knocking out a bored security guard, Namor attempts to break open the bank fault. However he has been weakened from being out of the water too long and starts a small fire so that the fire sprinklers turn on. With renewed strength, Namor rips the bank vault off it's hinges and grabs a number of bonds. When the Puppet Master realizes that Namor didn't steal cash money, he sends the Sub-Mariner back to get it.
Upon his arrival back at the scene of the crime he finds that the military has been called in and they surround him with guns raised. The Puppet Master orders Namor to battle them to the death or die trying.
Recurring Characters
Sub-Mariner, Henry Pym, Janet Van Dyne, Puppet Master
Continuity Notes
The Wasp's voyage to get help is chronicled in Avengers #26.
The Puppet Master previously enthralled the Sub-Mariner in Fantastic Four #14.
The Hulk Must Die!
Having been returned to his own time, the Hulk is quickly spotted once again by the military, which renews its mission to capture the Hulk. In order to aid in their efforts, Glenn Talbot enlists the aid of Banner's replacement Konrad Zaxon.
As Talbot works to try and contain the Hulk so that Zaxon can find a means of destroying the brute, Rick Jones reveals the secret of the Hulk's identity to Betty Ross. Meanwhile, Zaxon has less than honorable intentions for capturing the Hulk. He has devised a scheme to use the Hulk's body to power his weapons in a bid to take over the entire world.
With the Hulk trapped in a trench that has an anti-matter force field keeping him prisoner, Zaxon dons a suit of armor and a weapon which will siphon the "organic energy" from the Hulk's body. Zaxon shuts off the anti-matter barrier keeping the Hulk at bay. As the Hulk climbs out of his prison, he is instantly blasted by Zaxon's weapon.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Major Talbot, Konrad Zaxon
