I passed on this 2-parter. I believe the thought was essentially, “It’s Hulk, who cares?” Never been a big fan. After Maximum Carnage, probably happy to save the $2.50. Not a great head on that Hulk! Hulk seems outside the comfort zone of many artists. Either you draw a great Hulk, or you just kind of draw a generally bigger guy. I feel like Bags is a bit unique in that it’s just the head that’s a problem. We upon on Hulk getting off a plane.
Hulk goes leaping off into the distance, and then we find Spider-Man swinging down onto a basketball court to stop a kid from being shaken down for his lunch money. He announces that the kid has friends in high places, and given how many kids Spider-Man has taken a brief protective role for over the years, I half expected it to be someone we’ve seen before, but it’s a random encounter. Then we get the de rigeur “Spider-Man swings around while recapping” page as he heads home, talking about Maximum Carnage AND Infinity Crusade as vaguely as he can.
Meanwhile, at Aunt May’s house, she and The Parkers are enjoying their own lunch when Richard asks if May wants to go to the cemetery with him to see Ben on their wedding anniversary, which is… weird! It makes May drop a cup of coffee. In shock? Or… something else? But we cut away to Peter arriving at the doomed science demo, where a scientist is saying that their “radiation virus, when projected into this diagnosed schizophrenic’s brain, will release the repressed hatred and anger that he can’t consciously admit to himself!” Uh, doesn’t that sound like a tremendously bad thing to do? Doesn’t that sound like Hulk was exactly right? I mean, it don’t take much of a scientist to guess that “unleash negative emotions” seems bad.
Ah, yes, your virus is confused. Hate when that happens. Everyone evacuates the gallery except Doc Samson, somehow trying to hold the window together by brute force (Doc Samson seems like a real dummy), and Peter Parker, changing to Spider-Man. But the wall shatters, OBVIOUSLY, and salmon gets a belt of the virus, and…
Spidey naturally infers the virus was attracted to Samson’s gamma-irradiated blood (duh), and is now doing its job of unleashing his pent up anger (duh). Doc Samon sucks! He is also smashing expensive-looking machinery left & right. Spidey tries to web him up, but obviously, that doesn’t work too well, and he finds himself on the run.
Banner’s going to South by Southwest? I hope Otoboke Beaver is playing! Spider-Man digs himself out and asks an off-screen person where Samson went, then swings off after him. Meanwhile, a now very nervous Aunt May is looking up private detectives in the phone book. Gosh, why could that be? Meanwhile-meanwhile, The Hulk is walking through Washington Square Park when Samson comes crashing down on him.
Almost being hit by flying debris leads Spidey to the fight (if he was close enough to be hit, shouldn’t he have heard it already?), but when he arrives, he suddenly realizes there’s no way he can stop what is essentially 2 Hulks fighting. But as Samson begins to lose, obviously, Spider-Man feels Hulk is about to kill him, and jumps in.
I guess the blurb at the top of this issue’s cover changed, since “Hey, Spidey! The Incredible Hulk is in town–” doesn’t exactly promise parent drama. That’s funny. But, yeah, my young instinct was correct, totally skippable. Essentially a pretty bland Hulk comic guest-starring Spider-Man. I remember I did buy this a few years later, it wasn’t recent at all, but I was fine to miss it when it was new.