"Fr. Sylvester Mumbi baptized 42 new members in Zambia at the Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Mongu, Western Province. This is the first Orthodox Church in the area and the people have warmly welcomed the Orthodox Faith." [source]
Please pray for those newly received to the Church
Alright so in the last issue I stated how it felt like the early Hulk comics felt like two separate issues trying to be combined into one. Well in this issue they actually make two separate story lines and combine it into one comic. Anyway let's begin.
We start in Bruce Banner's lab with Rick Jones and the Hulk. Rick Jones is trying to turn the Hulk back to Bruce Banner via a machine. Recently it's been pretty hard on Bruce changing back and forth between the Hulk and himself. We then cut to Betty Ross who is starting to figure out the there is a connection between Rick Jones, Bruce Banner, and the Hulk. I really appreciate that they had Betty realize this. She then races to her father General Ross. Who is testing a new missile on a Hulk dummy. She then tells her father what she's discovered and he happily agrees to get a hold of Rick Jones so that he can defeat the Hulk.
We then cut to several soldiers outside Banner's cabin ready to capture Rick Jones and possibly Banner. Rick tells the Hulk to flee, since the Hulk is still under Rick's mind control somehow. Then Rick is captured and questioned by General Ross and Betty. The Hulk on the other hand wrecks some havoc through the city, as well as a Hollywood production, and then the production crew tries to stop him. Hulk uses his super clap for the first time and escapes the assailants. He then finds the army jeep holding Rick and easily rescues him by leaping away into the wilderness.
We then finally cut back to the beginning of the comic with Rick trying to return the Hulk to Bruce Banner. He does so with the machine, and Bruce is left very weak after the ordeal. In which case he tells Rick that he can't be weak. So he straps himself back into the machine and turns back into the Hulk, but this time the Hulk has the mind of Bruce Banner. I wouldn't really say if this is smart Hulk, id say this is more like Bruce in Hulk's body. Anyway this new Hulk form goes to save a family in a burning house but they end up shooting at him, and we find out that this version of Hulk, or Banner, although having Banner's mind and mannerisms gets angry very easily. After this Hulk and Rick return home and the Bruce returns to his normal form and the two rest. That's all for this half of the story now on to the next half.
Alright in the second half of this issue an Alien known as Mongu descends onto earth. He calls out for a challenger and Bruce Banner and Rick Jones just so happen to be watching Bruce then takes the form of the Hulk yet again and goes to face this new foe. Hulk and Rick descend on the alien known as Mongu as they are surrounded by Russian soldiers. We then find out that Mongu is actually a mech suit piloted by a Russian named Boris Monguski. The Hulk easily fights off the Russian soldiers, destroying their ships and the Mongu suit. He the. Captures them by tying them together with all of their belts. Then as the U.S. Military surrounds the Russian soldiers we see Hulk return to the form of Bruce Banner
Alright so I really like that they split these stories into two for this issue. I feel like it really helped with the pacing of both. Though it looks like in the next issue that this will not continue. Oh well on to the character analysis.
The Hulk, technically the Hulk's personality was absent in the issue, since he was either under Rick's mind control, or it was Bruce Banners mind in the Hulk's body, but not in a smart Hulk kind of way. Though I like to think everytime Bruce got angry it was the Hulk trying to regain control. I hope he does because it's a shame not having him, I miss the big green guy.
Bruce Banner, I really enjoyed him in this issue. I also understand where he's getting at with him not being as strong as the Hulk and wanting to be. So he has Rick turn him back but in a change of fate he takes on the Hulk's form but his mind and personality stay the same. I think as long as the trope continues I will be doing the Hulk and Bruce Banner as one single entity until the personalities split.
Rick Jones has grown so much in the past few comics, he was an annoying kid to a pretty decent sidekick. I can't wait to see how he continues to grow and develop over time.
Betty Ross got so much needed character development in this issue, albeit only briefly. I adore the fact that she's the one to realize the connection between Hulk, Rick Jones, and Bruce Banner, and that Rick Jones is the connecting link between the other two. I can't wait to see more growth from her.
General Ross, I love this character I love his pure hatred and determination for wanting to capture the Hulk, and that he comes up with the most cartoonish ways to capture him, like an ice missile. So far the best reoccurring antagonist. General Ross you have my heart.
Mongu, or Boris Monguski, yes I realize that technically this isn't a true antagonist or character, and that he also calls in the Russian Military to help him fight the Hulk. I just love that Russia invented this whole mech suit to trick the Hulk into fighting them. I love it.
Alright so that looks like the end for this comic, next issue we see the Hulk go up against a figure known as Tyrannus. Until next time true believers, Excelsior!
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The Incredible Hulk Volume 1 Issue 3
In the previous issue The Hulk and Bruce Banner battled Toad Men from space. Well in this one a certai
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So I have recently decided to go about and read Marvel Comics in some form of chronological order. ( I'll leave a link to the website I'm us
Here are some illustrations I made for card battle game Marvel: War of Heroes. #Marvel #DeNa #drawing #digitalart #2D #illustration #comicart #card #battle #WarOfHeroes #splashart #denystsiperkoart #mongu #BorisMonguski