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 creature to ever walk the Earth !

The Incredible Hulk!

Incredible Hulk #463

I'm comin' home!

By Ralph L Angelo Jr.

THOOM!

The Hulk lands with a thunderous roar of sand , dirt and power. His knees flex to absorb the impact, before rebounding again, and launching him back towards the stratosphere. The green juggernaut covers miles in each leap, at speeds almost approaching the supersonic. Again and again The Hulk lands and leaps away, causing almost Earthquake-like tremors with his passing.

"This is what I get for letting that space jockey drop me off*. I end up in freakin' China, and have to leap my way back home. If anywhere can be truly called home. I have to get out of this country as fast as possible. I'm sure the Chinese would love to get their hands on the mind of Bruce Banner , boy nuclear genius. Yeah right, like I would let 'em."

*See last issue for what 'ol greenskin is talking about.

Minutes turn into an hour, as leap after Sky spanning leap bring the Hulk closer and closer to the waiting ocean, when suddenly he's hears a high pitched whine and turns just in time to see

"A missile? They gotta be kid-"

Barrroooom!

The Missile impacts the Hulk, throwing him from the sky, to the ground below.

Kroom!

The green Skinned Goliath lands in a heap, and is immediately on his feet, unhurt, or even fazed by the attack, as two Mig jets soar by over head.

"Okay, you guys wanna play rough, we can do that too." He bellows as he leaps upwards towards the jets as they circle back. "Gotta time this right." he thinks aloud as he nears his targets, and then he cocks his shoulder and lands an awe-inspiring haymaker through the fuselage of the first Mig, tearing through its titanium hull like it was paper! Instantly the pilot ejects, as the Hulk begins to fall groundward. The second jet begins to fire machine gun shells the length of a tall mans forearm at the Hulk. They are completely ignored, as the Hulk again hits the ground and leaps skywards at the remaining plane.

The pilot screams in almost abject terror into his radio, as he banks his plane so sharply that it almost flips over, narrowly avoiding the Hulks outstretched fists ! The Green skinned Goliath once more impacts the Earth, and rebounds towards the heavens, as the pilot continues to pepper him with bullets, all to no avail! Again the pilot narrowly avoids the Hulks lunging hands, but this time that's not enough.

Even as he begins to arc Earthward, the Hulk brings both his hands together in a savage and powerful slap of hands that creates hurricane force wind, snapping the plane suddenly from its flight! The second pilot ejects as the out of control plane begins a nose dive. The Hulk watches the two parachutes touch down safely and for a moment considers going after the pilots and squashing them like bugs. But then he remembers that's his savage side talking, and not the real Hulk, not Robert Bruce Banner.

With no more pursuit in sight, he continues heading west, towards the ocean.

Several uneventful hours later, The Hulk makes a hundred mile leap into the ocean.

"I knew this was comin', and I wasn't lookin' forward to gettin' wet. But I guess there's no way around it."

He begins to swim, his powerful muscles moving him through the water faster then any being alive, this side of the Sub-Mariner!

"I wonder what Betty's doing?" He grumbles aloud as each arm pounds through the surf powerfully, and each leg kicks with the force to level skyscrapers!

Thousands of miles away, Betty Banner stares at a newspaper half heartedly. "Where is he? Is he even alive anymore? He's got to be." She thinks, "Nothings killed him yet, and I doubt anything ever will, at least at this point. They always say there's someone bigger and tougher around the next corner, but in all these years, we've never seen it. The Hulks always come out on top, no matter who he's fought. I guess Bruce became a force of nature all those years ago. That's the only way I can explain it."

A knock at the door, and Betty stands to look through the peep hole, before smiling and opening the door.

"Jen, you're all packed?"

The sensational She-Hulk smiles back at her friend Betty, as luggage hangs from her hands. "Hi Betty, I just wanted to say good-bye. I'm on my way back to New York. Look, don't worry about Bruce. Whatever took him away from here two months ago can't have killed him.* We both know that's just about impossible. Keep your chin up, and if I hear anything, I'll let you know, I promise, okay? Scouts honor?"

*see ish #460

Betty hugs her friend before speaking, as a tear drips down her cheek. "Thanks Jen, you've been a brick through all of this. I don't know what I would've done without you this past month or so, and I'll let you know if I hear anything as well."

"Okay, cousin. Now get some rest. Bruce will be back, you'll see..." The two women embrace once again, and then with a wave, the She-Hulk steps into a waiting cab and drives away.

Betty slowly shuts the door to her home. "OUR home." she corrects herself as she sits back on the couch and picks up the TV remote, shoving the newspaper to the floor, and not caring less as she does it. She bought this house three weeks ago, wanting to get back to Arizona, and away from Manhattan. She loved this part of the country . Being an army brat , she saw a lot of the country , heck, and even the world at times. But nothing ever felt like home as much as this state did. "And Sedona is the most beautiful part of it." She ads.

In New York, Rick Jones walked out of the plush red elevators doors, and approached the thin, pretty secretary seated before the big twin doors. "Hi, my names..."

"Rick Jones. She finishes, "I know who you are Mr Jones, as do just about everyone here. We all have to know our super-hero's... "

"B-but , I'm no super-hero." He interjects

"And as I was going to say before you interrupted, and their sidekicks. And you're the most famous sidekick of all. The Hulk, Captain America, The Avengers, Captain Mar-Vell, even that Space Knight, Rom was your friend . You've made most of the big guns your buddies. Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure, I think ." Rick answers , noticeably uncomfortable.

"What's it like? "

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"What's it like being the worlds greatest sidekick? You must have some thought on it, right? Is it sort of like always being a bridesmaid, and never a bride?"

"Wow, I never thought of it that way, to be honest. What's your name anyway? "

"Candy, Candy DeAngelis. " The girl primps her mass of blonde hair as she speaks.

Rick extends his hand and when she extends her own as if to shake his, he takes her hand and kisses it on the back.

"Enchanted to meet you Candy. But the question remains, which is sweeter, the lady or the confectionary?"

"Oh puh-lease!" a voice behind him almost laughs, causing him to bolt upright and turn towards the sound he only knows to well.

"Marlo?" He asks almost surprised, and a little embarrassed.

"Man, you are so full of corn, I'm surprised your head hasn't popped and been buttered." She laughs as she hugs her husband.

"Candy, ignore him, he gets this way when someone wants to talk to him about his super-hero past. His head just inflates."

Both women laugh, as Rick looks on a little red faced, when a fourth person enters the small hallway from the inner office, a man who smiles and extends his hand towards Rick immediately. "Mr Jones, my name is Jupiter Brightson, and I'd like to make an off to you..."

Japan... This island of brave souls has fought everything from giant fire breathing monsters to alien invaders in its proud and ancient history. But it's never had to fight the Hulk! And the Hulk would like to keep it that way!

He leaps and bounds over the island nation, as quickly as he can, avoiding all population centers, and staying low enough to be (Hopefully) invisible on radar.

"Another few miles and I'm back to the ocean. Then just a long swim ta Hawaii, and I can get a nights rest somewhere, as Banner. That's the good thing about controllin' these changes now. I can turn my Hulkish good looks on and off real fast-like. Whatever the Surfer did to me seems to give me control again over the change. Which is damn good.. I'm glad that purple skinned look he gave me faded. Last thing I need is yet another skin color" *

*See last issue.

Suddenly a blast of nuclear heat fries the air ahead of the Hulk, causing him to dive sideways, trying to control his leap as best as possible, as he crashes to the ground out of control. Instantly he's up and staring in the direction the blast came from, knowing already who the perpetrator was .

"Sunfire." is all he says as he eyes the garishly clad man who floats before him with his hands on his hips.

"Hold monster! You will surrender yourself to my authority, and then allow yourself be placed into Japanese custody, immediately."

"Ha, haha, bwahahahahahaha!!" The Hulk laughs, almost doubling over, while Sunfire fumes indignantly.

"You dare to laugh at me? ME?"

"Hey kid, don't get ahead of yourself. I'm just headin' home, and crossin' your country was the easiest way to do it. So don't get your shorts in a knot, let me by, and we can all go our own way without any incident, deal?"

"No! No 'deal' , monster! You WILL surrender, or I will force you to come with me. The choice is yours to make."

"Always the hard way." The Hulk grumbles as he leaps skywards, with a speed so stunning that the young Japanese hero barely has time to react, and then the Hulk is upon him, grabbing him in a bear hug, and crashing to the ground with him wrapped in his arms.

Fa-TOOM!

"Unngghhh!!! Get away from me, you monster!" Sunfire shouts as he tries to blast the Hulk away with his solar energy powers!

Za-Kam!

The Hulk drops back a few steps but then simply stamps the ground hard, setting off a tremor that snaps Sunfire into the air again, forcing him to land hard to the ground in an undignified heap.

"I told ya kid, I'm goin' home and while I don't wanna hurt you, I'm not lettin' you stop me."

The Hulk leaps away, leaving a stunned and confused Sunfire staring after him.

"Good, the kid's not following me." He thinks, "Another few minutes, and I'll be back in the water, swimming for the Good 'ol US of A. I wonder if the Avengers would spring for a plane ticket home? It's the least they can do after all the times I saved their bacon over the years. Especially after they kicked me out all those years ago."

He takes another leap skywards, and as he does, suddenly he finds himself floating upwards, ever higher, far higher then his leap would have taken him.

"Hhhhmmm, I'm being held and lifted upwards by some kind of tractor beam, I'd surmise. Who is it now, I wonder?"

He stares skywards, as the cloud cover splits and a gleaming ship is revealed .

"Great," He grumbles, The Helicarrier. SHIELD. Just what I need."

A minute later and the Hulk's standing on a hanger deck with Nick Fury approaching, ever present cigar hanging out of his mouth as usual.

"Hey Banner, that is you in there, right?"

"Yes Nick, it is me. If it wasn't, I'd be tearing this place apart right now. To what do I owe the honor of your company, THIS TIME?" he raises his voice slightly at the end, just to let Fury know he's annoyed.

"Relax jade jaws, I just need a favor, and I'll give ya one in return."

"What kinda favor?" The Hulk asks through narrowed eyes.

"I need ya ta test out someone for me. I figger if he can withstand you, he can handle what I need 'im for."

"And what do I get in return?" The Hulk asks suspiciously.

"A free ride back to the mainland. How's Arizona fit you these days?"

"As good a place as any , I suppose. Okay Nicky, I'll do one more for ya. Then we're even."

"Fair enough."Fury answers as he extends his hand, and the Hulk takes it, smiling.*

*To see where the Hulk is headed, go on over to Captain Marvel # 97.

"Geeze." Fury murmurs as they walk away, him rubbing his hand. "Still eating yer Wheaties huh?"

The Hulk just smiles again and continues walking.

The next morning, Betty Banner opens her door to retrieve her newspaper. She sits down on her couch and opens the front page and smiles. The headline reads ' Green skinned monster attacks Chinese air force, then seen again on Japan. Is the Hulk back?'

And Betty Banner smiles...

Next: Settling Down.

There you have it, gang. My first full issue of the Incredible Hulk. I have lots of things planned here, so let me know what you think so far.

Gamma-Grams C/O CptMarvell@aol.com