Marvel Comics
Tales to Astonish Issue 75- “Not All My Power Can Save Me!”
Published January 1966
Story: Stan Lee
Layouts: Jack Kirby
Illustrations: Mickey Memeo
Lettering: Sam Rosen
Enjoying: That’s your job, pussycat!
The Hulk is free now, but what will he do? The Leader is dead, and the human race continues to chase down our tragic emerald hero. It doesn’t matter, and the Hulk leaps out of the villa and goes wandering the Earth as usual. No matter how hard he tries to think and form a concrete plan, he just can’t. If he could, he may as well be able to control his emotions right?
Back at the Air Force Base, General Ross and company look at Banner’s last invention before he died, the T-Gun. Nobody exactly know what it does and yet the engineers were able to complete as per the “deceased” scientist’s blueprints. Couldn’t anybody building it figure out how it works besides as a giant cannon? Betty and Major Talbot arrive, and the General tries to convince his daughter of Bruce’s treason, but she still won’t listen. She remains adamant that Banner risked his life time and time again for national defense, but Ross keeps trying to tell her otherwise.
Rick Jones is still in captivity, and tries desperately to get his phone call to the White House. His jailers laugh at him, especially as the young man thinks he’s in a regular jail cell.
At that very moment, the Hulk decides to try out the “Ultimate Machine” and hears Rick Jones calling for his White House phone call before he takes off the sphere. He dumps it and heads straight to New Mexico, all the way from somewhere in Montblanc. Despite the US military launching missiles and whatnot at him, it still doesn’t deter the Hulk from his rescue. Far away from Earth, Uatu the Watcher seizes this chance to retrieve his machine and gets it back in a manner of seconds.
The Hulk arrives in Washington D.C., right in front of the White House thanks to Rick Jones’s clarion. Unfortunately for him, the T-Gun has been transported here in record time, which is quite amazing especially when cars still have 10MPG in this era. Reed Richards or Stark Industries, what can’t you do? The T-Gun is fired, and an intense wave of light bathes all over the green-hued gargoyle. When he opens his eyes, Washington D.C. is in ruins! The Hulk realizes that there’s no way that the T-Gun could’ve caused this much damage. The T must mean Time, as it may be some kind of distant future in which he’s landed.
With his back turned, a capture device is used on him and easily breaks due to the Hulk’s strength. When he turns around, he is ambushed by an entire army decked out in riot gear and ray guns. Their leader is jubilant that the Hulk has arrived, confirming their legends.
Tales to Astonish Issue 76: “I, Against a World!”
Script: Stan Lee
Layout: Jack Kirby
Penciling: Scott Edward
Inking: Mickey Demeo
Lettering: Artie Simek
After being transported into an unfantastic future, the Hulk retaliates against an army of future-dwellers the best way he knows how, whaling on their tanks and whatnot. Their general tries to keep things under control, but his overzealous army keeps firing missiles and guns at our Green Goliath. Finally, the general decides to bring out the Captivator, which concentrates gravity in a specified army, making it hard for the Hulk to get up.
Back in the present, the Army is still looking for any signs of the Hulk on the White House Lawn. They believe the T-Gun to be some kind of disentegrator, but their commander tells them it’s not true, as Banner’s plans lacked any indication of it. The Pentagon Brass barges in and demands a report of the situation. Their leader seems to be more angry than Ross on a normal day, and gives Thunderbolt an ultimatum, as High Command wants answers. General Ross and his men return to their base to interrogate Rick Jones, for he may be the only one with any clue on what happened to the Hulk.
In the future, the Hulk is transported to a large stone fortress. One solider brags that once they enter their base, the Hulk will be theirs forever. Silly soldier, saying “once x” does anything, it’ll always be the contrary, look at the Big Zam! The goliath is taken to his cell and decides to play along for now, any getting to excited would turn him back into puny Banner, and he’s quite curious of what will happen next. Later, guards take him to King Arrkam, their leader.
In the throne room, Arrkam pleads with the Hulk to help them as the people of the future are menaced by a villain who threatens their very lives. The Hulk has had enough and attempts to leave, but the royal guards stop him. Mayhem ensues and he finally breaks out of the castle, only to find a group of “walking pillboxes,” led by the Executioner!
I’m not really a fan of these save the people of the post-apocalyptic future, but hey, it’s a serial!
