Robert Bruce Banner. A brilliant scientist forever driven by both an introverted nature and a quest for knowledge. A man who hid his every anger and rage his entire life behind horn rim glasses, and the latest scientific journal. But that rage was alive, and seething. Forever Seeking an escape. And finally that rage and anger was given form and substance by a freak accident, caused by Banners own deadly experiment. Now in times of peril, the meek and mild mannered scientist is transformed into seven feet, one thousand pounds of raging fury! The strongest, most powerful creature to ever walk the Earth !

The Incredible Hulk!

Hulk #465

Raging Forces of nature

By Ralph L Angelo Jr

Outside 'The dancing Sombrero' exotic dance club on the outskirts of Sedona , Arizona, a huge shadowed figure in a stolen trench coat and hat pulled down low over his features stares and mumbles to himself angrily. "Soon, he'll pay for what he did to me. Very, very soon."

Inside , dancers bump and grind, giving patrons the sinful fantasies of their hearts warped desires. A new waitress makes the rounds between tables. A small, shapely, brown haired woman with a quick smile , but a professional "Hands off" demeanor. Betty Banner may not like her new job all that much, and she knows she's not going to be doing this for long, but the money it'll bring in until Bruce can get back on his feet should be more then enough to keep them fed for a few weeks.

At A table nearby, Robert Bruce Banner watches his wife cautiously as he sips a club soda. "I hate this, I really do, But she seems to be taking care of herself. And with what I learned yesterday, she won't have to do this for more then a few more days" He sighs as he sips his soda. As he watches Betty, his mind drifts back a few hours to a phone conversation he had with Tony Stark.

"Tony, it's Bruce. I'm back. How are you?"

"Bruce ! What happened? Betty told us you disappeared after a skirmish with the Leader. "

"I did. I was somehow transported to the heart of an interstellar war. Then after that I ended up somehow walking on the Sun. The Silver Surfer saved me from that fate."

"Walking on the Sun. Bruce? You know that's impossible, don't you?"

"Yes Tony, I'm aware. Believe me my friend, I know my quantum physics The Sun is a ball of exploding , burning gasses, that should have no surface. Let alone that the Hulk could survive there in that environment."

"So what do you think really happened?"

"Tony, I just don't know."

"Well, anytime you want to come back to work, you're welcome. I know you're out in Arizona now, and I have a branch in Flagstaff. Shouldn't be to much of a problem for you to get there."

"No, I don't think it will be, but I have another question. Over the years, I've served with the Avengers, actually , along with you, I was one of the original Avengers."

"Yes you were, no one can deny that."

"Okay, well here's my question, and I feel very funny even asking it. Actually, I feel downright lousy about it."

"Bruce, don't worry about it. What ever it is, I'm sure I can help you out. The world owes the Hulk that much at least. You've been one of the unsung heroes for years. Heck, you've been branded a villain for to many years by those that didn't understand your...affliction. Now what is it you need? Just spit it out."

"Tony, don't the Avengers get a stipend?"

A hand plops down on Bruce Banners shoulder. Bruce stares at the hand, that of a black man, and a big hand at that. Bruce's eyes follow up the arm to the bald , smiling face attached to that arm.

"Yes?" Is all Bruce says, slightly annoyed.

"I'm with the crowd control here, my friend. What you'd call a bouncer. I noticed you staring at our new waitress all night long. You have a problem with that lady? Maybe you should finish your drink and move along. We like to protect our girls here."

Bruce laughs slightly, "Oh, no. You misunderstand, I'm her husband. I just wanted to make sure she was safe."

"You got proof o' that buddy?"

"Proof? What , you think I carry a marriage license with me wherever I go?" He stands as he speaks, looking up at the big mans face, a hoop earing hung from the left ear of the muscular bouncer, making him for all the world like Mr Clean.

"Don't get wise Mister. Lets go take a walk outside and discuss this."

Bruce pulls out of the guys grip and faces him. "Look, you don't believe me, go ask Betty. She'll tell you."

"Okay that does it Mister. Her names Liz, not Betty. Get outside now." He grabs Bruce by the collar and drags him towards the door, before Bruce stops him by grabbing a doorway, and he spins facing the man .

"Last chance, my friend. Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

The Bouncer looks the other way and laughs as he grabs Bruce roughly and shoves him towards the door. "What you gonna do shorty? Kick me in the shins?"

And suddenly he can't move Bruce anymore. In fact, his hand seems to have moved up above his own head, where he had Bruce by the collar. He turns back towards the smaller man and looks where his face had been a moment before, only to see a massive chest, a massive green chest.

"Something like that, 'shorty'." snarls a powerful deep voice.

"Oh shoot..." The bouncer moans. You're th-"

"That's right little man, say it. Hulk, I'm the Hulk."

Bruce quietly removes the mans fingers from the tatters of his shirt, as the bouncer trembles noticeably .

"I-I'm sorry, Mr Hulk. I-I had no idea. If Liz is your wife-"

"Betty. Her name is Betty. Liz is short for Elizabeth. As is Betty. Now you ruined my night out, and embarrassed my wife. How am I supposed to feel about this?"

"Uh hopefully forgiving?" The man smiles weakly .

All faces in the bar are locked on the doorway, as Betty shakes her head angrily and sets her tray down. All sound has stopped. Even the jukebox has been turned off. As Betty angrily walks toward the incendiary looking tableau .

"Robert Bruce Banner, let him go immediately!" She growls in a low voice only she, Bruce and the bouncer can hear. "Tommy, go sit down. Let me talk to him alone a minute."

"O-okay Mrs Hulk." the man answers , almost crying as he walks away shakily. The Hulk and Betty walk outside.

"Bruce, what are you doing? He's just a worker here."

"An overzealous one, Betts. If I wasn't the Hulk, and that was someone elses husband who couldn't prove who he was, this neanderthal would have pounded the poor guy into the pavement just for kicks. Now he'll think twice before doing that. And I didn't even have to raise a finger to get my point across. Sometimes Intimidation does work wonders."

"Go home Bruce, while I go inside and see if I have a job left. I'll see you later"

"Okay Betty. I'll see you at home."

She walks back into the bar, angry at the bouncer, and at her husband, but mostly at herself. When suddenly the outside wall explodes furiously with a loud cacophony of sound. Everyone runs screaming as two huge, green bodies smash through the bar like with an atomic bombs fury ! Immediately Betty recognizes who it is !

'The Abomination? Here? And he's attacking Bruce, yet again!' " Everyone run!" She shouts almost mindlessly.

Cut to Far beneath the earths surface. Small , strange creatures with large eyes scurry about, as a blonde, regal, handsome man orders them cruelly. "Hurry you fools, soon all the power of the ancients will be in my grasp. Soon the surface world will know to fear me ! Even the Incredible Hulk will grovel before the might of Tyrannus !" And the sub-terreaneans work all that much more harder for their master!

Bra-KOOM!

The outer wall of the bar shatters, as The Hulk kicks the Abomination through it, like unto a missile fired from a launcher!

"What are you doing here, Abomination? Why are you attacking me? Last I saw you , you were living underneath New York's streets."

The Abomination grunts as The Hulk leaps through the wall and towards the already returning , rampaging horror. "You mean living in the sewers like a rat, don't you , Banner? Like an animal of the basest kind? Is that what I am Banner? An animal? I am a man! I had a wife, a child. I had what every man wants. And I lost them all, because of you ! Now I will take everything from you that I lost, and make you feel my agony , my pain!"

The Hulk leaps into the Abomination in mid air, both throwing mighty punches at the other! The impact shatters windows for a mile around !

Tha-BOOM!

"Never Abomination! You'll never touch my family! I swear I-I'll Smash you first ! Hulk WILL smash !"

Ta-BLAM!!

The Hulks roundhouse right sends the Abomination hurtling through the air, to destroy a ramshackle gas station across the street from where the battle originated !

Ba-FROOM! The gas station ignites immediately in an explosion that sends everyone to their backsides. Everyone that is, except the Hulk!

Suddenly a figures flies from the flames, tackling the Hulk and smashing him to the ground, while still aflame itself !

"You WILL pay for what you did to me, Hulk! I will have my revenge for my lost life !"

"You... idiot...Blonsky...No... one did this to...you... but...yourself!"

The Hulk backhands the Abomination off of him, savagely.

Throom!

"You've no one to blame but yourself, Abomination. Everything you've done in life has been your own fault. Every failure , your own!"

"Never !" Shouts the enraged behemoth, as he slams his foot to the sandy pavement, sending an earthquake-like wave through the streets, knocking the Hulk skywards, and scattering everyone else like tenpins.

"All you people GET OUT OF HERE ! " The Hulk roars to everyone on the street. "You've made a big mistake, Abomination. Fine , you want to act like a monster, I'll treat you like one. You're going down Mr. You're going to be smashed . Hulk WILL smash!"

The Hulk roars his anger and indignation, giving into the darker side of his nature, all the while, from deep withing the raging man beasts heart, Bruce Banner prays he can regain control when the time comes!

"Now Hulk smash you like bug, ugly monster! Hulk remembers you! Hulk beat you many times before ! Now Hulk will smash you again! RAAAARRRRRR!!!"

Hulk leaps at his adversary, as the powerful Abomination meets him in the air once more, again the ground rumbles and quakes violently as they both impact it with frightening power!

Miles distant in Gamma base, Thunderbolt Ross hurries to a command center, where seismic activity is measured. When he sees the numbers being registered in front of the young Privates eyes on the screen, he angrily shakes his head and says three words. "Blast. He's back." Then he stalks away, muttering.

Near Sedona...

The Abomination pins the Hulk to the ground, and repeatedly hammers at him with his free right arm !

"Die Banner, Why don't you die?"

"Hulk cannot be killed, ugly man, and Hulk is not Banner! Hulk is HULK ! And Hulk is strongest one there is!"

As if in punctuation, The Hulk back fists the Abomination away ,

Ta-KOOM!

Then the Hulk straddles his downed foe, and immediately begins to pound him relentlessly! One atomic pile driver-like fist after another decimates his enemy, so fast they almost blur with fury!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Ba-BOOM!

The Hulks Last blow collapses the earth beneath their bodies, both monsters disappearing from sight, as the ground finally gives way from the torture it had to endure the past few minutes! With an almost human scream of agony, the Earth swallows them both up whole !

Sha-WUMP!

And then all is silent, save for the pounding of Betty Banners heart in her ears, as her husband is once more seemingly stolen from her by an implacable foe! Behind her, a small town burns out of control, plumes of flame and smoke reach into the star lit night, as people run, scattering fearfully once again from the terror of the inhuman monster known as the Hulk!

Need we say it? To be HULKinued !!!

Radioactive Rumblings

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