Incredible Hulk #373
Mending Fences
Deep inside the mind of Bruce Banner, the gray Hulk attempts to force his savage green counterpart back behind the door where the creature has been confined for months. However, the green Hulk does not want to go peacefully, but despite the resistance, the gray Hulk manages to lock the green one up. The gray Hulk then calls out for Bruce Banner, wondering how his alter-ego could let the green Hulk free. When he gets no response from Bruce, the gray Hulk he realises that it has got to involve Bruce's wife Betty, as there is no other reason why Bruce would allow himself to get that angry. In the real world, Bruce and Betty continue their heartfelt reunion, remarking on how miraculous it is. Suddenly, security from the train station interrupt, demanding to know why Betty pulled the emergency cord on the train and got out. Not wanting to be detained, Bruce and Betty make a run for it. Spotting a man on a motorcycle, Bruce tosses the man off and tells Betty to get on. When Betty questions Bruce's ability to drive a motorcycle, Bruce tells her that Rick taught him how once. As they speed off, Betty is impressed how quickly he took to riding a motorcycle and tells Bruce that Rick would be proud of him.
Elsewhere, Rick Jones has problems of his own, he is being chased by some authorities and guard dogs. Springing down an alley, Rick manages to get away from his pursuers by hopping a fence.
Back in Connecticut, the police arrive on the scene of the Hulk's battle with Prometheus and are unsure what to make of it. FBI agents then arrive on the scene and are shown a strange thing: the shed skin of Bruce Banner when he transformed into the green Hulk for the first time in a month. They are so enraptured in the evidence they barely notice Bruce Banner zipping by on the motorcycle with Betty. Soon, the couple is back at the convent where Betty has spent the last while living. They are given sanctuary by Sister Mercy who is introduced to Bruce. When Banner explains how he somehow survived the gamma bomb blast, he tells them that the Hulk managed to maintain control for months. When Betty asks what the Hulk was up to during those months, Bruce pretends like he doesn't remember. This doesn't matter to Betty who vows that she and Bruce won't be separated ever again. No sooner is this said does someone outside order Bruce Banner to surrender. Looking outside, they are surprised to find soldiers have set up around the convent. Sister Mercy finds this intrusion to be rude and storms outside. She then begins berating the commanding officer, telling him that Bruce Banner has found sanctuary in her convent and demands that the soldiers leave. When the commander balks at this, Sister Mercy learns that he is Catholic and plays on his Christian guilt, making him feel bad for coming unannounced and terrorizing a house of God. Sister Mercy is interrupted by Doc Samson, whose Jewish background makes him quite immune to Sister Mercy's guilt trip. He then tries to explain to the nun that Bruce Banner must be turned over to them.
By this point, the sun has begun to set and Bruce transforms into the gray Hulk. When Samson notices this, he warns the soldiers and FBI agents that the Hulk should be loose soon. However, one of the FBI agents points out their reports were that the Hulk was green and savage again. This suddenly makes Doc Samson realize that Bruce Banner suffers from multiple personalities. Everyone is too distracted to notice the Hulk climb out from a manhole and pick up a tank, which he throws at Samson. The soldiers then begin firing, causing Sister Mercy and Betty (inside) to duck for cover as bullets being to fly. The Hulk then leaps up and down, causing enough of a shake to send the soldiers tumbling. One of the troops manages to toss a grenade at the Hulk. Surprisingly the Hulk catches it in his mouth, but he fears that the grenade will cause serious damage if it goes off in his mouth and spits it out before it can explode. Pretending that the blast blinded him, Hulk lures Doc Samson close enough to knock him around. While the two battle it out, Samson begs the Hulk to surrender as he needs help, but the gamma-spawned brute is not willing to listen. The Hulk then knocks out Samson, leaps to the convent to get Betty. Before they leave, Betty apologizes to Sister Mercy for all the damage done, but she is forgiven. The Hulk then picks up Betty and they leap away.
Away from any danger, the Hulk and Betty talk about his survival. The Hulk tries to justify his continued survival by likening himself to a monster movie or alcoholism. When Betty asks the Hulk what he had been up to for all the months he was presumed dead, the Hulk tells her that it is none of her business. Betty explains that she doesn't hate him and tells the Hulk that he is afraid of his feelings for her. She tells the Hulk that they will need to learn to live with each other since she plans on being there for Bruce. The Hulk quips about how that could possibly be possible as there is not a twelve-step program for gamma-spawned creatures. This causes Betty to laugh as she starts to picture the Hulk and his various foes sitting on folding chairs talking in a circle. This causes the Hulk to laugh as well and the pair begin to laugh.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Doc Samson, Skrulls
Continuity Notes
Grey Hulk makes a reference to Lou Ferrigno, the actor who portrayed Hulk in the TV series The Incredible Hulk. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
This story has many references to the current state of Bruce Banner's transformations into the Hulk. Some explanation:
Bruce was seemingly cured of his transformations into the green Hulk in Incredible Hulk #325, although he began intermittent changes into the gray Hulk. However, after willingly bombarding himself with gamma rays in Incredible Hulk #331 led to nightly transformations into the gray Hulk.
The Hulk was seemingly killed in a gamma bomb blast in Incredible Hulk #345, in reality, he was pulled to the realm of K'ai where a spell was cast that kept the Hulk in full control of Banner's body for three months, as seen in Incredible Hulk #351-352, although this spell eventually wore off.
The green Hulk made a return last issue after Bruce freed him from a mental block in Incredible Hulk #371.
