Trouble Times Two!

Following Steve Englehart's departure from Incredible Hulk, there was a small circle of writers in 1974 who pitched in for the nine issues published before Len Wein would begin his extended run: Chris Claremont, Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas... and Tony Isabella, whose list of comics assignments in the '70s is like taking a tour through the plethora of new titles which Marvel was churning out during the early part of that decade in the hopes that a few would catch on with readers. By the time of his work on Hulk, Isabella had been with the company for about two years, originally hired to manage the reprints used in the company's new UK comics line and then floating as writer among a number of titles through the '70s and into the '80s.

Isabella contributed to two of these nine issues--in one, sharing the credits with both Thomas and Conway, while the other was his own baby, a tale six issues earlier which featured the apparent teaming of two of Marvel's mightiest powerhouses.

Col. Armbruster, sir--you said a mouthful.

The last we saw of the Juggernaut, he was closing out the seven-issue series in Amazing Adventures starring the Beast, desperately trying to escape the dimensional exile which Eternity had cast him into; but in the climax of his battle with the Beast, he unfortunately found that escape was no longer an option.

As for the Hulk, having saved those present on Hulkbuster Base from the dual threat of the Rhino and the Abomination, he finds that thanks are in short supply--because while his long-standing enemy, Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross, offers his hand to him in sincere gratitude, the base's new commander, Col. John Armbruster, erases in one stroke what could have been a turning point in the life of the Hulk.

In both dialog and narrative, Isabella demonstrates a real feel for the book, as well as an adeptness at handling the characters that longtime Hulk artist Herb Trimpe provides to move the story along. With the Hulk captured, there's ample opportunity for character interaction, with Armbruster first getting an earful from Ross on what the General considers a major blunder on his part.

Even less "G.I." but equally blunt is the tongue-lashing Armbruster receives from scientist Peter Corbeau, whose visit Ross has arranged through White House channels--a timely arrival to be sure, since, in the interim, the Hulk has awakened from his gas-induced slumber and begun to vent his rage on his imprisonment. And even for those stationed on a base specially designed to contain him, the Hulk's efforts at winning his freedom are cause for alarm.

"Our tax dollars at work" is probably one of the first phrases to come to mind at the thought of this base continuing to store and use gas that's past its expiration date, which means that it could eventually be ineffective against the installation's primary target when it's really needed (which, given it's the Hulk we're talking about, is probably going to be the case every time). Combined with the fact that the Hulk often leaves the base's cells in shambles, we can be reasonably sure a few eyebrows are being raised with members of the Appropriations Committee.

At any rate, Corbeau suggests a new approach to handle the immediate problem. (And if you read closely, Isabella--either coincidentally or by design--teases us with one word which gives a nod back to the entity which started this ball rolling for the Juggernaut in the first place.)

Corbeau, the creator of Starcore, an observatory in proximity to the sun, has obviously been hiding his light under a bushel if he's been dreaming up dimensional transportation specs in his spare time. But since he's decided to implement this device (which is still in the experimental stage, mind you) on the Hulk, let's have a look at how this man is about to make a bad situation worse.

The Juggernaut doesn't look or act like a decrepit old man at death's door, does he? It turns out the "consciousness" of the dimension he was exiled to didn't care to have the Juggernaut around any more than we do--and so in exchange for the mystic powers he gained when the X-Men trapped him in the crimson cosmos of Cytorrak, his youth was restored and he found himself in the path of Corbeau's beam. At least Corbeau can chalk one up in the win column, since his machine was a success--even though he's swapped the Hulk for a truly evil menace who is just as formidable a powerhouse as the one now floating around in an alien dimension losing what's left of his mind.

And it gets better. Thanks to the Hulk's weakening of the cell wall, the Juggernaut is on the verge of breaking free, and Corbeau's solution seems like the right idea at the time: use the transporter again, this time to get rid of the Juggernaut. But Corbeau's luck runs out when the machine experiences feedback and explodes--and since the dimension's consciousness probably doesn't want the Hulk in its domain any more than it did the Juggernaut, this is where the bad situation, already worse, becomes downright unsalvageable for those at Hulkbuster Base.

As expected, the Juggernaut and the Hulk, uneasy allies at best, nevertheless mutually turn their combined might against their overstressed cell--and soon enough, Armbruster and his men are waging a near-hopeless battle against two of the most powerful beings on the planet.

However, the two remain together only as long as it takes for them to break through the lines of their resistance and make their exit--with the Hulk, now free and his enemies' weapons crushed, leaping away, unmindful of and uninterested in whatever plans the Juggernaut may have for joining forces and wreaking havoc on the world.

But we'll find that the Hulk and the Juggernaut haven't veered too far away from each other, when we come across a family of lost tourists who crashed their vehicle due to the shock of seeing the nearby form of the Juggernaut. But while the Juggernaut decides to vent his rage on those who have unwittingly crossed his path, they're fortunate that at least one of this pair of brutes has their backs.

Despite the fact that the Hulk fights back, neither Trimpe nor Isabella really allow him to cut loose in this battle, though they apparently feel differently about the Juggernaut. It's one of the few times that I've seen the Hulk virtually "keep his cool" during a fight (and that's saying something, given the foe he's facing)--getting in his licks but little more, not really giving as good as he gets. Even in the final panels, despite Isabella's narrative of how angry the Hulk has become, the Hulk's interest in both the Juggernaut and the battle seems to wane by the moment--and when it's over, judging by his reaction it doesn't appear as if his foe was worth the bother.

Kudos to the Juggernaut, though, at wanting to pick up where they left off--and many thanks to the X-Men, for taking Round Two off the table.  For now.

Regrettably, we're deprived of the opportunity of seeing Armbruster face the music regarding his botched handling of the Hulk--a rite of passage any new commander of Hulkbuster Base should experience to the fullest.

NEXT:

Round Two! (And then some!)

Incredible Hulk #172 Script: Tony Isabella Pencils: Herb Trimpe Inks: Jack Abel Letterer: Alan Kupperberg