Tuesday, March 8, 2016

In Which the Hulk Fights the U.S. and Soviet Military in the Same Mini-Story. That's What 12 Cents Got You Back Then.


Did you think we'd miss the Hulk story just because we spent our time yesterday looking at the Giant-Man story from Tales to Astonish #65?  Well, that's a fair question, but no.

Again with the Leader's humanoids:


But that's a swerve, my friends! We're back to fighting the military:


Did I ever tell you about the time when I was much younger and I took a career aptitude test?  Do you know what they said I would be happy doing?  Military Chaplain.  True story.  In retrospect, I can see why that would have been an awesome career for me.  But I was way too young and too nervous to make that kind of career commitment.  Once you join the military, they aren't so much on the "takesies backsies."

And I don't think I would have done well back then.  Had the sarge told me "Then you better make sure your insurance is all paid up," I would have retorted, "What if it isn't all paid up?"  I used to have a bit of a mouth on me back in the day.  It's hard to believe now, I know.

Anyway, Banner ends up in the hands of the Soviets, who shove him in a tiny box until he agrees to work for them:


And then we see, for what I think is the first time, Banner becomes the Hulk on purpose:


Any Hulk fans got any info to the contrary?  Up to this point, he had changed at sunset and then later when he had an adrenaline surge, but I'm thinking this was the first time he deliberately went for it:



I also think this issue is the first time we see the thunderclap:




Am I totally wrong?  Maybe I'm just wishful thinking here, but I think this issue had these "firsts."

And then this happens: 



Sooooo... Hulk doesn't change back when he's stressed out about having a disintegrating beam shot his way, nor does he change when he calms down upon receiving aid.  I'm starting to think the changes are just for writer convenience and really don't follow any rules at all.  We'll see where it goes.

Meanwhile, someone explain this:


What on earth were these?  The Google gave me nothing.  I had never heard of them before but now that I have, I simply cannot go through life not knowing more about what they are.  Anyone?  Anyone?

5 comments:

Cflmaior said...

I highly suspect that the "monsters" were kin to the Sea Monkeys.

Steve W. said...

The clues in that ad lead me to conclude that they were Venus Flytraps.

Mythell said...

From the Wikipedia page about Harold von Braunhut (inventor of Sea Monkeys, X-Ray Specs, etc.):

"Amazing Hair-Raising Monsters - a card with a printed monster that would grow "hair" (mineral crystals, actually) when water was added"

Meh. I was hoping it was some form of chia pets.

Adam Barnett said...

Disappointing waste of a 1960's dollar, Mythell, but thanks for solving the mystery!

Bengt said...

Sometime back in the original run Banner used a gamma ray machine voluntarily on himself to transform himself into the Hulk, in order to fight enemies like General Fang and Mongu if I remember correctly.