sonotadream

Fantastic Four (1961) #25-26 - Stan Lee/Jack Kirby

A brief interlude to check on Marvel’s other team.

Things are hectic in the Baxter building, as Reed tries to force the Thing to drink his latest formula. The Thing resists because he doesn’t want to turn back into Ben Grimm permanently - he has a girlfriend now and she likes him this way.

The others retort she likes in any way, but Ben is stubborn. He’ll wait for Reed to find a formula that allows him to change back between forms.

Alicia arrives then, with the newspaper. She’s hoping someone will read it to her, since there’s been breaking news. It’s just a contrived way to tell the reader that Captain America has replaced the Hulk in the Avengers, and now the Hulk is on the loose.

Speaking of, the Hulk is making his way to “Bob” Banner’s lab cave, where he smashes all the scientific instruments. Hulk is strong, he doesn’t need science. After finding a news clipping about being replaced in the team, he decides he doesn’t need the Avengers either and goes to New York to confront them.

He misses them, as they’re travelling in the opposite direction, following the Hulk’s trail of destruction.

In New York, only the Fantastic Four can stop the Hulk. Reed is out of the fight, sick; Johnny gets concussed and has to stay in the hospital; Sue tries to protect him with an invisible shield, but the strain it’s too much and she faints.

That leaves the Thing as the last man standing and it’s clobbering time.

Unfortunately, the Hulk it’s too strong, despite the Thing's best efforts, and the Hulk disappears into the subway tunnel. He's still fixated in fighting the Avengers, so he makes his way to the Mansion to catch them by surprise.

It works, and the close. quarters make fighting the Hulk even more difficult. Rick tries to talk him down, but it backfires. The Hulk is more incensed at Rick for betraying him, and kidnaps the teenager, escaping by making a hole in the wall of the Mansion. The Wasp follows and inconveniences him by getting inside his ear.

The distraction is enough for Captain America to land a good hit, but not for Rick to get away - he’s convinced the Hulk would never hurt him.

The Fantastic Four, newly recuperated from their ailments, arrive. You'd think the Hulk would be unable to resist both teams at once, but all they do is get in each other's way.

The Hulk climbs a building in construction, dragging Rick with him as if he’s King Kong, and the FF and the Avengers agree to work together. The tram work doesn't really improve, and, in the end, Ant-Man's ants save the day by swarming the Hulk and driving him into the Hudson.

At the last moment, Rick shoves a gamma capsule into the Hulk's mouth and it’s Banner who ends up floating down the river.

Captain America takes Rick under his wing - he knows how hard it is to lose a partner.

Random stuff

The Hulk travels fast by jumping very high.

Don’t worry about the destruction caused by the Thing/Hulk fight; it’s a condemned neighbourhood anyway. Never mind the time the Thing uses a suspension cable from the Washington Bridge to restrain the Hulk.

Captain America is well acquainted with both the Hulk and the Human Torch for someone who came out of the ice two days ago.

It's funny that everyone's go to, top tier martial art is judo - it doesn't carry that kind of cultural cachet these days.