Target: ROSSSS!

 

In just about any comic that featured the incredible Hulk described as going "berserk," that would be no great stretch of the imagination for any Hulk reader, given the character's fits of rage. In addition, since that rage brings about an increase in the Hulk's strength, it doesn't come as a surprise when the level of destruction of a given area (or the punishment of a foe) becomes a scene of carnage and devastation as a result. But when a book such as What If makes such a claim, a series where the worst case scenario often becomes reality (that is, alternate reality), you can almost depend on the likelihood that even for a creature of rage such as the Hulk, things are going to get as bad as bad can get, as the Watcher will attest to in this mid-1984 issue.

Compliments to artist Bill Sienkiewicz (and his letterer) for the story's stunning cover.

Written by Peter Gillis with art by Ron Wilson, this would be the last issue of What If that the Hulk would appear in as its main character, having been featured as such in four prior issues throughout the first volume of the series. Given the Watcher's introduction, it's apparent that whatever change in the Hulk that affects his behavior to such a degree will occur at the point when Bruce Banner first transforms into the man-brute--ergo, it's fair to assume that something about the gamma bomb explosion that irradiates him is different than we remember. And that indeed turns out to be the case, as we join the doctors investigating the level of radiation exposure in not just one patient this time, but two.

In this reality, Banner failed to reach the protective trench with his young charge, Rick Jones, which leads to both of them being exposed to the detonation of the gamma bomb test. And so when Banner experiences his initial transformation that will change his life for the worse, in this reality Rick has an empathic reaction to the changes in Banner's mind as the creature who would become known as the Hulk breaks out of the facility.

All too quickly, just as it happened in our reality, the men under the command of General Ross witness the capabilities of the monster that will be named the Hulk--while our doctors discover a figurative lid being clamped down on the entire developing situation, which will unfortunately prevent their input from reaching those who are most in need of understanding just who and what the Hulk is.

Gillis has brought in Maj. Glenn Talbot--a character who for us didn't join the fold until the Hulk's second act in Tales To Astonish--somewhat earlier than his original appearance, though just as committed to his duty and to Ross.

And so we see the battle lines being drawn by these officers who are now dealing with the threat potential of a powerful, unknown intruder. But with Rick also now having a telepathic connection with the Hulk even from his sickbed, the circumstances here will change dramatically for all concerned--particularly for Ross, who is now on the path to making an enemy obsessed with his destruction, an enemy the likes of which he and the men under his command have never known.

Readers of the Hulk's first (and brief) series no doubt recall a somewhat similar connection between Rick and the Hulk explored to a certain extent--the difference being that Rick was actually able to completely take control of the Hulk, whereas in this instance we might call their connection more of an empathic/telepathic bond between the two. Thus far, Rick's mental contact with the Hulk has allowed him to discern that this being's thoughts are separate and apart from Banner's, while its anger stems from viewing the explosion of the gamma bomb as an attack against him.

It's already been made clear that the Hulk has no regard for the lives of those who want to subdue him--and as Rick "watches" helplessly, his next clash with Ross's men leaves no doubt that those who attack him will pay the price.

Yet with their mental exchange, it's clear that the Hulk has begun to trust Rick's concern for him--and so at Rick's behest, the Hulk agrees to retreat and "lay low" for awhile (which should at least keep the body count from rising).

Meanwhile, Rick's own condition doesn't appear to be improving, which brings about a turning point for Gillis's story. With Ross having locked down the medical professionals, Rick's care falls to a Private on guard--and what happens next serves to unwittingly trigger an escalation in hostilities and will lead to Ross and Talbot putting two and two together in regard to some sort of connection between the boy and the Hulk. Once again, it falls to Rick to defuse the situation--and it will be for the last time.

Unfortunately, with his back against the wall, and depriving himself of any scientific input, Ross feels bound to take advantage of the connection he's discovered in order to lure the Hulk into an ambush, no matter the lines he has to cross. Gillis staying true to Ross's flaws in regard to his perceived duty adds an amount of credibility to this story, though he and Wilson stop just short of bringing "Thunderbolt" Ross to the fore and having him bark out orders that have often given the impression of making past conflicts with the Hulk almost personal with him.

And so this time, for better or worse (and you can bank on "worse"), Ross's action crosses a line with the Hulk, as well--and in an impressive display of pages from Wilson, the Hulk that returns to the base is not only out for blood, but is laser-focused on the man responsible for inflicting hurt and suffering on the one person who has cared for him in this horrid existence he finds himself trapped in, a state of mind that becomes irreversible when he literally senses Rick's final fate.

Another nice touch of consistency by Gillis is his treatment of a group that's just out of the gate at this point in time--the Fantastic Four, whom Ross finally turns to for assistance in a situation that's clearly grown beyond the military's control. Reed Richards' frank assessment of the military's overseeing the gamma bomb test and of Bruce Banner's involvement is solidly in character--yet the scene is also a reminder that no one is yet aware that Banner and the Hulk are one and the same. (Nor have they reason to be--all anyone really knows, according to Rick, is that Banner was abducted by the Hulk and is now among the missing.)

This meeting between the FF and the Hulk will prove to be much different than how things actually played out in their own book, where the team was briefed beforehand on the Hulk by Ross and a saboteur was ultimately captured. Here, the FF are put on the front lines of a desperate and defensive struggle, left to assume the Hulk is likely "some wretch who got caught in the gamma blast." The only key factor they do know is the reason behind the Hulk's rage (which Ross has surprisingly been up front about)--but as for their tactics, they have little choice but to formulate them on the job.

Despite what we've seen so far, the FF consider themselves still in this fight and push ahead accordingly. Yet keeping in mind the What If "curse," which has been fairly consistent about putting a bullseye on heroic characters, this battle is fated to end badly for them, given that they stand in the way of the Hulk reaching his true target.

I would have expected Wilson to have made another choice with the expressions of Reed and Sue in reaction to the loss of their friends and, in Sue's case, family, rather than a portrait of stunned silence to mark the scene. In addition, the artist pivots sharply away from the remaining FF members (and Ross, surprisingly) in order to immediately bring in the world's only remaining heroic heavy hitters, two men who have yet to encounter the Hulk but whom the man-monster will also see as obstacles to his all-consuming mania for revenge.

With the death of Iron Man, the only one who effectively stands in the way of Ross meeting the same fate as Ben Grimm is Thor. (Both Gillis and Wilson have apparently closed the book on further action from Reed, presumably because he has no access to any equipment that he'd normally make use of to meet such a crisis. It would still have added a level of drama to the story to have some sense of where his head is at here.) Normally, we'd have a drawn-out battle between Thor and the Hulk to look forward to, especially given that Thor has no experience with this foe from which to draw on--but that assumption is rendered moot by the Hulk's killing rage as well as circumstances unique to Thor, which force a decision on him that requires he abandon any shred of mercy.

Thor's choice of paying tribute to the mortal body before him is likely in deference to any steadfast Hulk readers who might otherwise have walked away from this issue displeased at the treatment their hero received here. Yet it bears noting that Thor had no reason to assume this man was due a gesture of "honor" for a "sacrifice"; indeed, even Talbot and Ross, realizing the Hulk's true identity at last, ended up believing that the Hulk's actions were driven at least in part by the inherent evil at the core of Banner's nature. Thor could simply have acknowledged what appeared to be a tragic end for a mortal he knew nothing of, and left it at that.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen Ross pay the piper--not in getting his just deserts at the crushing hands of the Hulk, but perhaps through either doing the right thing for Rick in some way, or making a last-ditch effort to reach the Hulk on some level in order to save the lives of his men (or, failing that, to acknowledge his mistakes face-to-face with his foe). Whatever accountability the final panel promises will likely result in a judgment of "extenuating circumstances," followed by a reprimand and/or a demotion for Ross--while Talbot's presence at such a hearing would be mostly as a witness, since it was over his objection that Ross ordered Rick to be subjected to harsh treatment. For what it's worth, however, we know that Talbot would have demons of his own to face in regard to the Hulk.