#65 

Summoned by Major Talbot last issue, the Army arrives at Astra Isle and interrupts the Hulk’s battle with the Leader’s Humanoids. The Hulk tumbles into the ocean and changes back to Bruce Banner. Banner is picked up by a Soviet submarine and carried to an Iron Curtain country. Major Talbot learns of this and is convinced Banner has defected to his Communist masters. The Leader who had been remotely viewing the battle becomes even more convinced that the Hulk is a product of gamma ray radiation like himself and becomes more determined to make him an ally. Behind the Iron Curtain Banner is locked in solitary for refusing to work for the Commies like other captive scientists are being forced to do. He turns into the Hulk and smashes up the Commie base and befriends one of the former captive scientists who wants the Hulk to continue his battle against the Commie tyrants. A Commie tank task force is ordered to the deserted base to destroy the Hulk.
Mike Thibodeaux had the splash page to this story at the San Diego Con a few years after I bought his earlier stories. I can’t remember the price but I couldn’t afford it. It’s a nice Hulk battling the Humanoids page. In the comic book the Humanoids legs are mistakenly colored purple like the Hulk’s pants. A few years ago I saw this splash page on the internet with an asking price of several thousand dollars. I’m sorry now I didn’t make more effort to raise the money when Mike had it and was theoretically affordable. I did manage to buy a few pages from this story from Mike in Hollywood for #30.00 each, but only average ones with no battle scenes. Page 3 is one of the pages he sold me. Panel 5 of that page shows Banner swimming underwater and Mike said he liked the way Ditko drew his arms and legs twisting around.

The Commie base commander kills the Hulk’s scientist friend and the Hulk finishes wrecking the base in retaliation. He smashes up some Commie aircraft and sees the Commie tank task force on its way to the base to destroy him and goes to meet it to finish extracting revenge for his friend’s death. Back in the USA Major Talbot volunteers to go behind the Iron Curtain and try to capture Banner. His real reason for wanting to go is get absolute proof that Banner is a traitor to discredit Banner and give him a better chance to win over Betty Ross’s affections. The Leader learns from the Chameleon that Banner is behind the Iron Curtain but the Leader decides to do nothing and bide his time.
I have one nice action original art page from this story showing the Hulk tearing up the Commie base. I don’t remember if it came from Thibodeaux or Dispoto. In the 1980s a mail order art dealer sent me a postcard with a photo of the original art to the last page of this story. His price was $100.00. Not a bad price but I didn’t like the page enough to pay that much. Another mistake.

The Hulk attacks the Commie tank column sent to defeat him and destroys it. He later turns back into Bruce Banner and is captured by a band of Mongolian bandits. The bandit leader sends word to the USA they are holding Banner for ransom. General Ross dispatches Major Talbot to Mongolia to rescue Banner to stand trial for treason. Talbot arrives in Mongolia and frees Banner. They are chased by the bandits and fall off a ledge to what looks like certain death. I have one page of original art, probably from Dispoto, showing the Hulk destroying the Commie tanks with a shock wave caused by clapping his hands. I was disappointed by this idiotic plot device when I first read this story in the 1960s. Even an 11 year old kid knows that nobody, not even the Hulk, probably not even Superman could smash tanks with just a shock wave caused by clapping his hands. I visited Metropolis Collectibles in New York City in 2012 and they had the cover to this #67 issue framed up on their wall. Their asking price is about $60,000.

After falling off a ledge along with Major Talbot in last panel of the previous issue, Banner changes into the Hulk and saves himself and Major Talbot. He leaves Talbot in Mongolia and returns to the USA. When he changes back to Banner he is arrested for treason but freed on orders from President Johnson who knows that Banner and the Hulk are the same man. Talbot returns from Mongolia and goes with Banner back to Astra Isle to finish testing the Absorbatron. But, again a horde of the Leader’s Humanoids who are trying to steal the Absorbatron attack the Hulk and knock him out with sleep gas. The Leader travels to Astra Isle to take possession of the Absorbatron and the Hulk.
Jack Kirby takes over from Steve Ditko starting with this issue.

The Leader returns to his underground hideout in New Mexico and keeps the Hulk under sedation with gas. The Hulk changes back to Banner and sends out a radio signal that the Army and Rick Jones both receive and everybody heads for the Leader’s headquarters. Banner changes back to the Hulk and wrecks the Leader’s headquarters and the Absorabtron. The Leader escapes but still is still intrigued by the mystery of the Hulk and still wants to make him an ally. General Ross, Major Tablot with Army troops arrive along with Rick Jones. The troops shoot at the Hulk but he has changed back to Banner by then and Banner is found apparently dead from the bullet in his head.

While General Ross and Major Talbot are exploring the Leader’s hideout Rick Jones steals Banner’s body and takes him to Banner’s hideout in the nearby caves where Banner has gamma ray equipment that he formerly used for changing to the Hulk and back. Jones figures if he can turn Banner back into the Hulk it might save his life by making him immune to the bullet in his head. The plan not only works but also gives the Hulk the intelligence of Bruce Banner. The Hulk tells Rick he can only live as long as he remains the Hulk. If he should ever revert back to Banner the bullet in his head will kill him. Meanwhile the Leader reports to his Commie clients that while he can’t deliver the Absorbatron they wanted, he has a better offer: a 500 foot tall Humanoid. The Commies are interested but to want to test it first, so the Leader sends the giant Humanoid to destroy the nearby military base commanded by General Ross. Hulk returns to the base with Rick Jones and attacks the giant Humanoid while the Air Force readies its big Sunday Punch rocket to destroy it.
There’s a nice dramatic scene for a few panels where the Hulk with Banner’s intelligence is listening outside Betty Ross’s window while Major Talbot is still trying to convince her that Banner was a traitor. Betty still insists he wasn’t a traitor and she still loves him. This is the first issue of Tales To Astonish I bought new at the store. I remember liking the new Sub-Mariner lead feature and liking the Hulk story even more which started me off collecting this title from then on. I jumped on board at just the right time as the Hulk storyline was building up to what for me became and still is today one of my favorite Marvel stories: the Leader sending the Hulk to the Watcher’s home planet to steal his Ultimate Machine in Tales To Astonish #73 and #74.

The Hulk is continuing his battle with the giant Humanoid when Rick Jones arrives to warn him that the Sunday Punch rocket is on its way to obliterate the Humanoid. The Hulk grabs Rick and leaps away to escape before the rocket explodes. After the Humanoid is knocked out the Leader destroys his creation by remote control. The Hulk and Rick take head for refuge in Banner’s secret cave with his gamma ray equipment but are spotted by General Ross who is heading up an armored column with enough might to capture or kill the Hulk. The Army lays siege to cave with artillery and the Hulk has to decide to surrender or die. But, the Leader sends a holographic projection of himself to cave and offers to rescue the Hulk if he will agree to join forces with him.
Mickey Demeo takes over from Jack Kirby with this issue. We had a treehouse in our backyard like many boys did back in the 1960s. I vaguely remember reading this issue up in the treehouse and being impressed with the exciting splash page to this issue that shows an excited Rick Jones warning the Hulk about the incoming rocket with the giant Humanoid looming in the background. In 2011 at the Baltimore Comic Con Beschara Maalouf had page 3 of the original art to this story for about $3,000. I had paid Beschara $3,200 for a much better page 9 from #73 a year earlier. This page 3 from #71 has no villains, machinery or battle action; just the Hulk and Rick Jones falling through the air and I didn’t think it was worth the asking price so I passed on it. It’s not likely I will ever see this #3 page again and if I do the price will probably be higher, but you can’t have everything. Better to save your money and buy what you really want.

With the Army bombarding Bruce Banner’s cave with the Hulk trapped inside the Leader’s holographic image renews his offer to rescue the Hulk if he will join forces with the Leader. The Hulk refuses until the Army’s artillery destroys Banner’s gamma ray equipment. Without the equipment, the Hulk will eventually change back to Banner which will kill him with the bullet still lodged in his head. Hoping the Leader will have some gamma ray equipment, the Hulk agrees to join the Leader. The Leader’s image vanishes and next the Hulk is teleported to the Leader’s base in Rome, Italy. The Hulk looks around the Leader’s base but objects to helping the Leader conquer the world. The Leader puts him to sleep with gas. The Hulk awakens later but feels himself changing back to Bruce Banner which will kill him instantly.
Some nice artwork here on page 4 and 5 of the Hulk being teleported to the Leader’s base and the Leader’s Humanoids whom the Hulk says he has met “a few times before.” One day the original art to these pages will surface and I hope I can raise the money to make a play for them.

The Hulk is only seconds away from turning back to Bruce Banner and certain death from the bullet in Banner’s brain. But the Leader unknowingly saves his life by standing next to him which allows the Leader’s own gamma ray force to prevent the Hulk from changing back to Banner. While the Hulk is still unconscious the Leader finds the bullet in his brain and removes it. When the Hulk wakes up the Leader informs him that he removed the bullet. The Hulk to repay the debt finally agrees to serve the Leader. The Leader puts the Hulk through some strength tests to make certain he can carry out a vital mission for the Leader. The Hulk passes the tests and the Leader tells him what the Leader wants him to do. The Leader explains that he has been remotely viewing the home planet of the all powerful alien Watcher. He wants to transport the Hulk there to steal one of the Watcher’s scientific artifacts. The Leader teleports the Hulk via thought waves to the Watcher’s planet. The Hulk finds the artifact, the Ultimate Machine which contains all of the Watcher’s accumulated knowledge. The Hulk asks the Leader telepathically why he did’nt come get it himself since the Watcher couldn’t stop him due to his oath not to interfere with others. The Hulk gets his answer when another alien also appears on the spot intent on stealing the Ultimate Machine and punches out the Hulk.
I really love this story. The Watcher is one of my favorite Marvel characters and there are lots of nice panels showing the Watcher and his home planet. The idea of the Leader using the Hulk to visit the Watcher’s planet and steal his best gadget still charms me to this day. I only have one original art page from this fantastic story, page 9 with a large panel showing the Hulk exploring and admiring the Watcher’s collection of treasures. Maybe someday I can run down some more.

The Hulk battles the powerful alien who has been sent by his home planet to steal the Watcher’s Ultimate Machine. The Watcher can’t interfere but to protect his scientific treasures from being damaged he transports the two combatants to a remote part of his planet. The Hulk defeats his opponent and the Watcher returns the Hulk back to his presence. The Leader telepathically orders the Hulk to complete his mission and take hold of the Ultimate Machine. The Watcher stands by while the Leader teleports the Hulk back to Earth with the Ultimate Machine. Back in the Leader’s headquarters the Leader seizes the Ultimate Machine, a glowing yellow globe that contains all the Watcher’s knowledge and places it over his head. He is sure the knowledge added to his own intelligence will give him enough power to conquer the world. But the vast amount of knowledge contained in the Watcher’s device is to much even for the Leader’s oversized brain and the information flow to his brain kills him. He topples over dead at the Hulk’s feet.
Bob Powell takes over from Mickey Demeo on this issue. I remember reading this story and was mildly shocked at the death of the Leader. Marvel frequently arranged to have their defeated villains somehow disappear mysteriously at the end of the story leaving you in doubt as to what happened to them. It was unusual to have one of them die in front of you and even have the hero of the story pronounce him dead. Of course the Leader wasn’t really dead. He returned a few years later in the Hulk’s own title in the 1970s.

The Hulk leaves the Leader for dead in his Rome base and departs with the Ultimate Machine for the USA. He stops in the Alps to rest and still having Bruce Banner’s intelligence he grows curious about the Ultimate Machine. He places it on his head like the Leader did. His brain catches fire with all the information pouring into his brain and he pulls it off before it can kill him like it did the Leader. But while he had the Ultimate Machine on his head the Hulk hears an urgent cry for help from Rick Jones (courtesy of the Watcher) and so the Hulk abandons the Ultimate Machine and continues on his journey back to the USA to help Rick. With no one interested in his Ultimate Machine now, the Watcher retrieves it.
So ends the long storyline of the Leader trying for several issues to recruit the Hulk and the wonderfully imaginative climax of sending the Hulk to the Watcher’s home planet to steal the Ultimate Machine. I haven’t read or heard much over the years of what other fans think of this 15 issue run of Hulk stories from Tales To Astonish but I’ve always thought it was one of the highlights of Marvel’s output in the 1960s. I guess I shouldn’t beat that drum to loudly, it might drive up the cost of the original art and I still hope to get some more.