mrosa (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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scans_daily2013-02-10 08:48 pm
mrosa) wrote in scans_daily2013-02-10 08:48 pm
Better death than being forever denied... THE SKY!
In the mid-eighties there was a long story in The Incredible Hulk called 'Crossroads:' in order to stop the Hulk's destructive rampage, Doctor Strange exiled the green goliath in a mystical realm where he could harm no one and, in principle, be harmed by no one. The second part didn't work out too well and the Hulk kept jumping from one bizarre world to another where he had lots of cool high fantasy and science fiction adventures. Of all the stories, there's one told in the annual #13 that is particularly dear to me:
The story starts like many did, with the Hulk venturing through one of the many portals of the crossroads. This time he chooses one that contains tropical trees and seems able to sate his hunger. Unfortunately when he tries to eat a black fruit he discovers the food in that world is toxic to him. Moments later he sees a beast picking up the fruit and then he gets really mad:
But the meat of the beast ends up being as toxic as the fruit and he starts feeling sickness and pain.
Suddenly the pain disappears and the Hulk finds out he has company:
"... but a new nightmare begins," says the caption. The Hulk hurls his back against trees to dislodge the sinister creature attached to him, but it's stuck to him. Tired, the Hulk stops:
The symbiont, or Sym, then tells him the story of his people, how his ancestors dragged themselves out of water onto land and in order to survive developed the ability to create bonds with foraging beasts. It's a neat twist in these stories that Sym isn't evil at all, he was living contently with his host until the Hulk killed him. And at the same time he helps him and even has a soothing influence on him.
Slowly Hulk and Sym become friends and he even starts talking again. As for Sym, he's discovering an unexpected pleasure to having the Hulk as a host:
But Sym's species does not appreciate their relationship:
Again I like the twist here. Sym's people aren't evil either, they just want to save his life. But Sym is determined to see the stars and the Hulk is going to help him.
They undergo a journey for weeks to the highest peak of that world, risking their lives and facing starvation.
Eventually the snowing stops and the Hulk comes out the cave to find a night filled with stars. But he also notices that Sym is no longer on his back:
Sym dies in his hands. The sorrow the Hulk feels triggers Doctor Strange's spell and he's teleported back to the crossroads.
Crossroads is one of the best Hulk stories ever told, in case you're wondering, and this for me was the highlight. As a kid I simply loved it, and I'm sure it was the first comic book ever to make me cry.
(12 pages from a 38-page story)
The story starts like many did, with the Hulk venturing through one of the many portals of the crossroads. This time he chooses one that contains tropical trees and seems able to sate his hunger. Unfortunately when he tries to eat a black fruit he discovers the food in that world is toxic to him. Moments later he sees a beast picking up the fruit and then he gets really mad:
But the meat of the beast ends up being as toxic as the fruit and he starts feeling sickness and pain.
Suddenly the pain disappears and the Hulk finds out he has company:
"... but a new nightmare begins," says the caption. The Hulk hurls his back against trees to dislodge the sinister creature attached to him, but it's stuck to him. Tired, the Hulk stops:
The symbiont, or Sym, then tells him the story of his people, how his ancestors dragged themselves out of water onto land and in order to survive developed the ability to create bonds with foraging beasts. It's a neat twist in these stories that Sym isn't evil at all, he was living contently with his host until the Hulk killed him. And at the same time he helps him and even has a soothing influence on him.
Slowly Hulk and Sym become friends and he even starts talking again. As for Sym, he's discovering an unexpected pleasure to having the Hulk as a host:
But Sym's species does not appreciate their relationship:
Again I like the twist here. Sym's people aren't evil either, they just want to save his life. But Sym is determined to see the stars and the Hulk is going to help him.
They undergo a journey for weeks to the highest peak of that world, risking their lives and facing starvation.
Eventually the snowing stops and the Hulk comes out the cave to find a night filled with stars. But he also notices that Sym is no longer on his back:
Sym dies in his hands. The sorrow the Hulk feels triggers Doctor Strange's spell and he's teleported back to the crossroads.
Crossroads is one of the best Hulk stories ever told, in case you're wondering, and this for me was the highlight. As a kid I simply loved it, and I'm sure it was the first comic book ever to make me cry.
(12 pages from a 38-page story)