Incredible Hulk #121
Within the Swamp There Stirs a Glob!
On his continued quest to find peace and acceptance, the Hulk ends up bounding into the state of Florida, where he manages to jump right into the middle of a missile testing range. The soldiers operating a rocket test identify the Hulk and set a self destruct sequence on the missile they are testing, with the resulting explosion causing the Hulk to land in a nearby swamp. En route from Costa Salvador, General Ross and Glen Talbot receive word on the Hulk's recent siting and Ross orders his troops to fly him to Florida.
Meanwhile, the Hulk revives and begins wandering the swamp. In his travels, he comes across a government owned shack that has been boarded up. Unable to read the warnings of danger printed on the side of the building, the furious Hulk smashes open the shack and finds barrels of toxic waste. Not knowing what the containers are for, the Hulk angrily smashes them and knocks them into the nearby swamp and departs. The waste barrels, through some twist of fate, causes the birth of a giant muck monster to rise from the murky swamp, the creature eventually called the Glob.
While General Ross, hearing that the Hulk has been traipsing through the Florida Everglades, has his soldiers keep tabs on him as a direct confrontation would be impossible in the dense swamp. Ross then lands his command plane and has Glenn and Betty get a motel room. Elsewhere, the Glob continues his wanderings and begins half-remembering his previous life. He vaguely remembers that he is an escaped convict who managed to break out of prison and escape into the swamp. Evading capture, this convict would end up getting caught in quicksand and sinking to his death.
The army confronts the Hulk as he is exiting the swamps, and there is a battle between the green giant and the military. As the battle rages, the Glob stumbles to the motel where Glenn and Betty are staying. Believing that Betty is a woman from his past life, the Glob captures the girl, easily swatting away the attacking Talbot, and escapes back into the swamp. Glen revives quickly and rushes to General Ross, who had just lost the Hulk in the swamp once more, and tells his commanding officer what has just happened.
Deep in the swamp, the Hulk notices the Glob making off with Betty, and recognizes her as the girl who never harasses him. The Hulk attacks the Glob and during the fight the Glob is knocked into quicksand again. In its final moments the Glob hands Betty to the Hulk before it sinks into an ironic ending. When the military shows up, the Hulk leaves Betty behind and flees the scene. Later the Hulk realizes that the Glob was probably no different from him, and the Hulk mourns the creature's end and considers it a friend.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Betty Ross, General Ross, Major Talbot, Glob
Continuity Notes
The Glob's origins are expanded upon in Giant-Size Man-Thing #1.
Although the Glob seemingly perishes in this story, it is reconstituted in Incredible Hulk #129.
