Issue(s): Hulk #251
Published Date: Sep 80
Title: "Whatever happened to the 3-D Man?"
Credits:
Bill Mantlo - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Sal Buscema - Inker

Review/plot:
Bruce Banner gets caught stealing some old clothes (including purple pants, of course) from a suburban garbage can. The handicapped father figure turns out to Hal Chandler, AKA the civilian half of 3-D Man, and he's just pretending he doesn't know who the Hulk is. He's really a bit obsessive about it, and he eventually releases 3-D Man from his 3-D glasses. Of course, 3-D Man isn't at all in the Hulk's power level, so it's not much of a fight, and soon everyone realizes that the Hulk didn't merit the provocation anyway. It also turns out that Hal hasn't released 3-D Man after all these years because 3-D Man is his brother Chuck, and Hal went and married Chuck's girlfriend. 3-D Man returns to the glasses and says to forget he existed.

Meanwhile, Rick Jones is trying to re-establish the Teen Brigade, which is just a little stupid. 3-D Man's kid happens to get a radio signal, and tells the Hulk that Rick is looking for the Hulk. Rick and Betty are up in the mountains with Samson and 'Thunderbolt' Ross, and they've run afoul of man-monster hybrids created by Woodgod.

Blech.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 2

Chronological Placement Considerations: Banner is wandering aimlessly at the beginning of this issue (he's apparently lost all his pants since appearing in the gag in Power Man & Iron Fist 65) but from here he heads directly to Ross's mountain cabin.

References:

• 3-D Man first appeared in Marvel Premiere #35.

Cross-over: N/A

Continuity Implant? N

Reprinted In: N/A