Hello and welcome to another great installment of comic book history, in Ye Olde School Café! This time around I’ll be showcasing one of my favorite mixtures in a comic: The Hulk and the golden realm of Asgard! Many strange beasts have either entered Asgard or been birthed there, but none with the raw power of the Incredible Hulk! You know there are going to be fireworks when a beast like the Hulk meets a prideful and long-lived race such as the Asgardians! The story was originally produced in Tales to Astonish #101 (1968), and featured work by Stan Lee, Marie Severin, and a cover by Jack ‘King’ Kirby! My copy is from the reprint series, Marvel Super-Heroes #55 (1975)!
Our story begins with a little man named Bruce Banner. As he sits on a beach, a mystical hand waves over him, and he quickly changes into the Hulk! As the scene fades away, we see that Loki, god of mischief, is behind this transformation, and he wants to enrage the Hulk, and point him at Asgard like a weapon of mass destruction! Loki then mystically transports the Hulk to the Bifrost (the rainbow bridge), and right into a confrontation with Heimdall! As we all know, Heimdall is no pushover, but he lasts all of two minutes against the Hulk’s power (image below).
The Hulk then leaps right into the heart of Asgard, where he must face The Warriors Three! These three experienced fighters prove to be nothing more than a mere distraction for the Hulk, though, and he gives them a beating. Just as the Hulk is about to give them more punishment, more Asgardian troops rush to the scene. The Warriors Three tell them to stay back, and they decide to back off of the green behemoth. Loki shows up to antagonize the situation, and Hogun wants to pummel him, but cannot, as he is royalty being the son of Odin.
Loki then admits defeat, as the trick has been revealed. The Warriors Three then invite the Hulk to the palace, so they can figure out a way to get him back to Earth. As the Hulk attempts to leap over the Bottomless Chasm, Loki sees his chance for revenge and uses his mystical abilities to revert the Hulk back into Banner. As he does, Banner helplessly falls down the pit, to an unknown fate!
There is also a fantastic back-up story featuring the Submariner, as he fights the menace of Destiny (no, not the pre-cog that used to hang out with Mystique)! A beautifully illustrated tale by Gene ‘The Dean’ Colan, and Dan Adkins (image below)! See you next time!
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
