In March 1962, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby combine forces again and The Incredible Hulk #1 hit the newsstands. A combination of a Marvel Monster and a super-hero in a long-form serial story-telling style. Dr Bruce Banner saves teenager Rick Jones from the G-bomb and is bathed in the full force of the mysterious gamma rays!
Now, at nightfall, an incredible transformation occurs, changing mild-mannered Bruce Banner into a grey-skinned hulking behemoth with low intelligence and even lower social graces.
The story kind of meanders this way and that at a pretty leisurely pace, introducing a couple other characters in General “Thunderbolt” Ross and his daughter Betsy Ross as they variously search Bruce and the Hulk. Meanwhile Rick Jones is the only character who knows that Bruce and the Hulk are one and the same.
There’s also a “red” spy named Igor (yep) who tries to steal the secrets of the G-Bomb and alerts soviet enemies of the Hulk. The Hulk is then pursued by “The Gargoyle”, an ugly scientist from the Soviet Union who ultimately captures him and travels with them back to Communist soil.
Ultimately the Gargoyle discovers Hulk and Banner are one, and pleads with Bruce to cure him of his ugliness. Bruce says he can do it by radiation (does this guy not know any other scientific tricks?), but the Gargoyle would lose his brilliant mind. The Gargoyle chooses beauty over brains and takes a blast of radiation in the face which acts like the most amazing skin peel revealing a (somewhat handsome man). As Bruce and Rick flee the Soviet Union, the man once known as the Gargoyle then destroys the lab and himself… finally dying … a man. *sniff*
The concept is great (though there are a few kinks and rough edges), the artwork is pretty good, but the story is just ok. I think it takes a few more issues before the character really begins to shine. Looking forward to that green skin!