Incredible Hulk & the Human Torch: From the Marvel Vault #1

[Col_Fury]

Incredible Hulk & the Human Torch: From the Marvel Vault #1

APPEARANCES:
Hulk (Bruce Banner), Human Torch (Johnny Storm), Mr. Fantastic, Wizard, Taylor Linnik (1st), Cassie Linnik (1st), Frank & Bob (both policemen, see NOTE)

SYNOPSIS:
Human Torch stops some bank robbers then returns to the Baxter Building where he accidentally ruins one of Reed's experiments. At Experimental Energy Labs, Linnik argues with his wife Cassie before he secretly meets with the Wizard. Linnik and Wizard are working on EXEL's magnetic energy converter. Linnik feels he needs Wizard's genius to finish the project and Wizard hopes to use it to further his nefarious plans. At a diner, Bruce Banner reads about the magnetic energy converter. The diner cook kicks Bruce out for smelling bad. Angered, he turns into the Hulk and destroys the diner. He eventually runs into the forest, falls asleep and reverts to Banner. Human Torch arrives at EXEL, which upsets the Wizard. The EXEL scientists are frustrated that Johnny came instead of the expected Mr. Fantastic, until Johnny impresses them with his knowledge of gyroscopes. Meanwhile, Bruce tries to visit EXEL, but the security officer tries to run him off and accidentally knocks Bruce into the electric fence. He turns into the Hulk and goes on a rampage. Cassie is able to calm him down, but the Human Torch angers him again. Human Torch uses his flame to suck the oxygen away from the Hulk, making him pass out. Wizard uses the newly completed magnetic energy converter to attack the Torch. Realizing he can't defeat the empowered Wizard, Torch tricks the Hulk into destroying the magnetic energy converter.

NOTE:
Frank, a policeman, once apprehended a Skrull who had taken the form of a cow. Frank is a beat cop and the officer that appeared in FF 2 was a police chief, so I doubt this is the same guy. But I thought it was worth pointing out.

According to the intro, this was originally commissioned to be a Marvel Team-Up inventory story, drawn “about 25 years earlier” than 2011. The last issue of Marvel Team-Up is dated February 1985, so we’re probably looking at sometime in 1984 when this story was being drawn.

Reed and Johnny are in their classic Fantastic Four suits with black collars and the Baxter Building appears. The Baxter Building was shot into space in FF 278 and the Fantastic Four started wearing suits with white collars in FF 256, so sometime before that, which now means we’re looking at comics from 1983.

The Hulk is in his classic “dumb bastard” status quo, and Bruce Banner is wandering around homeless and is noted as not having showered in weeks. Hulk #269 starts a line of events that leads to Banner’s mind taking control of Hulk’s body. By the time Hulk is stupid again the FF are in their white collar suits. So sometime before Hulk #269, BUT, Bruce is living with Betty Ross and has a fancy lab in Hulk #269, so he’s not homeless at this point. Rick Jones re-forms the Teen Brigade in Hulk #260 (and eventually finds Hulk), which is continued from Hulk #258-259, so sometime before that. Hulk #254 ends with Hulk in the American Southwest and Hulk #255 starts with Hulk in New York, which leads in to a globe-trotting series of issues that lead into Hulk #258. For Hulk, it looks like between Hulk #254-255 is the best spot for a homeless and not bathed for weeks Banner and stupid Hulk. So comics from early 1981, then.

Hulk #255 was published the same month as Fantastic Four #226, and Hulk’s and the FF’s chronologies line up right after M/TIO@ 5. Yay!

Some placement suggestions:

HULK/DR. ROBERT BRUCE BANNER
…
M/TIO@ 5
H2 254
*M/VAULT: H&HT 1
H2 255
…

HUMAN TORCH II/JOHNNY STORM
…
M/TIO@ 5
*M/VAULT: H&HT 1
FF 228
…

MR. FANTASTIC/REED RICHARDS
…
M/TIO@ 5
*M/VAULT: H&HT 1
FF 228
M/TIO 75
ASM 215
…

WIZARD/BENTLEY WITTMAN
…
FF 218
*M/VAULT: H&HT 1
ASM 213
ASM 214
ASM 215
…