Bruce Banner is Super Super Serious!

Dear Ones, as I've been alluding to, the Barnetts are going through a heck of a year.  I may be out of pocket for some time as we deal with a medical situation.  I'm sure I will return at some point, but I have no clue when.  Please check back every so often.

But before I shuffle off stage right, let's catch up on the Hulk.

First, there was the Glob:

I know what you're thinking, and both the Man-Thing and the Swamp Thing were two years away.  Since he looks like a mashup between the two characters, one wonders if he wasn't an inspiration for them.

But he wasn't that great.  Here we see his origin:

In other words, he was Flint "Sandman" Marko who hid in a swamp instead of a pile of sand.  NEXT!

The next issue was a big improvement, because it had the Hulk fighting the Fantastic Four.  Well, it was more like he swatted Reed, Sue and Johnny like gnats while having to exert some effort in dealing with Ben.

And I believe it resolved a long ongoing debate among Marvel fans:

Of course it's common knowledge now that the Hulk is out of Ben's league in the sheer strength department, but there were fans that strongly argued the opposite up to that point.  

Anyway, at the next issue we learn that a formula developed by Reed and Bruce Banner gave Hulk the ability toooo: 

But although he was now in control of the transformations and Bruce Banner's brain maintained control of the Hulk, Bruce made a vow:

And he's super-serious:

Until the first time someone asks him to do it:

Ooooookay.  Once you start making qualified exceptions to your vow, your vow doesn't mean so much any more.  But okay.

Well, that vow lasted half an issue.

But then we learn that Bruce is not in control so much as he might have thought:

Which causes him to make a vow:

Yeah, when I get back we'll see how long that lasts.

Your good thoughts are appreciated for the Barnetts, my friends!  I'll post when I can!