In this episode:
Mike and Ed discuss the alien invasion. Is it a coincidence that an alien invasion has happened so close to the advent of human super powers? Did something the Fantastic Four do alert aliens to our presence? We also wonder why it was Bruce Banner who came to humankind’s rescue and not Reed Richards and his super powered crew.
In this issue:
Bruce Banner and his teenage sidekick Rick Jones think they have one problem on their hands: Banner turns into an angry, marauding Hulk at night. They figure out the best way to deal with the Hulk is to lock Banner in an underground cell before he can transform into the personification of his id.
It turns out they have a second problem. The alien race known as the Toad Men kidnap Banner for some unknown reason. Unfortunately for them, he transforms into the Hulk on their ship, who fights the aliens and defeats them. The U.S. military then shoots the alien ship down, causing it to crash to Earth. The incredible, and indestructible, Hulk is the only one to survive, although he transforms back to Banner on Earth and is arrested by the military for treason on the assumption he was helping the aliens.
Undeterred, the Toad Men begin their invasion of earth. Their fleet of ships blankets the sky, and their leader issues an ultimatum on Earth’s airwaves: Surrender, or we will destroy your planet with our magnetic powers. In a show of tremendous force, the aliens knock the moon out of its orbit, causing the seas to rise and buildings to crumble. Eternally unreasonable General Ross refuses to surrender. [Side note: it is unclear how Ross is the world’s decision maker.]
Meanwhile, Banner transforms into the Hulk while in captivity and escapes. He reverts to Banner the next morning. Banner then defeats the aliens by using his “gamma ray” gun to reverse the polarity of their magnetic powers, which returns the moon to its orbit and sends the entire alien fleet “spinning across space, out of control forever”. Banner is hailed as a hero, and for good reason, for it was not the Hulk and his brute force that saved the day, but rather Banner and his big brain (and even bigger gamma ray gun).
Assumed before the next episode:
Banner is now a world famous and beloved scientist for saving the planet from the alien invasion.
This episode takes place:
After the brief period of worldwide devastation caused by the Toad Men, after Banner has saved the world with his gamma ray gun, and while Banner is enjoying life as the saviour of mankind.
Episode 12: And now - Alien invasion! (Incredible Hulk #2) -- July 1962