Issue(s): Defenders #88
Cover Date: Oct 80
Title: "Lord of the whales"
Credits:
Ed Hannigan - Writer
Don Perlin - Penciler
Pablo Marcos - Inker

Review/plot:
Bruce Banner is taking a cruise on one of Kyle Richmond's boats when he's hijacked by a whale! It turns out to be the whale that the Hulk rescued previously, and it wants him to save its brethren from Soviet whalers. The Hulk happily helps, despite some misgivings from Valkyrie and Hellcat.

They even throw in a unfortunate octopus, just for fun.

(I know it's a squid. I'm making an obscure Toho films reference.)

Meanwhile, Matt Murdock tries to help end Nighthawk's legal troubles...

...but in the end they aren't successful.

One of Hannigan's better issues, as far as that goes.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Bruce Banner starts this issue on a cruise on Kyle Richmond's boat. He's wanted by the law due to the events of the 'quiet riot' in issue #86 and the scenes shown in flashback in #87. My sequence for the Hulk goes like this. After #86/87, the Hulk is found on a bridge in NYC by Iron Man (Iron Man #131-133). Banner leaves Stark Enterpises heading west for various guest appearances and appearances in his own book (She-Hulk #1, Hulk #244-250, Marvel Team-Up #97, Marvel Team-Up annual #3, Hulk #251-253, culminating in the Hulk leaving his 'friends' Rick and Betty in disgust over their treatment of him in Hulk #253. He wanders in the desert, encountering the U-Foes in Hulk #254 and deliberately avoiding Betty and General Ross in Marvel Two-In-One annual #5 along the way before deciding to head back to his other set of friends, the Defenders. He gets to NYC, and as Banner finds out that he's still wanted by the law because of his actions the last time he was in the city. So Kyle Richmond offers to send him on a cruise until things quiet down. After stopping to load up on purple pants (Power Man & Iron Fist #65), he heads out on the boat in this issue. Whew. Daredevil's appearance here (as a lawyer helping with Nighthawk's legal issues) is context free.

References:

• The Hulk previously rescued a beached whale in Defenders #75.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Was banner picking up a new supply of purple pants in Power Man & Iron Fist so he'd have a change of clothes for the cruise?

Hulk tell stupid Banner: pick up bermuda shorts, maybe something with nice floral pattern. But no! Always stupid purple pants! Graaah! Makes Hulk soooo mad!