Issue(s): Hulk #175
Cover Date: May 74
Title: "Man-brute in the Hidden Land!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas - Writer
Herb Trimpe - Penciler
Jack Abel - Inker

Review/plot:
After his battle with the Cobalt Man last issue, the Hulk comes flying in from space like a giant meteor. The Chinese army, once again depicted in "yellow menace vision" detects the meteor, but ignores it since it is headed towards a deserted section of the Himalayas. Unfortunately, that's where the Inhumans live.

Black Bolt knocks the Hulk out of the sky, and Hulk turns back into Bruce Banner.

In a bad example of Roy Thomas pop culture dialogue, Bruce Banner, a man who has lived a tortured existence either as a monster or on the run from the law, sees a rocketship built by a hidden super-powered race, and immediately thinks to ask them if they've been catching prime-time viewings of "The Starlost", which was a cult television show created by Harlan Ellison that no one on Earth has ever seen.

The Inhumans have discovered Counter-Earth. They think because Counter-Earth has no super-heroes that they might be more readily accepted there (doesn't make sense) and they have built their rocket because they may migrate there.

After giving him some clothes (with purple pants, of course)...

...they let Bruce Banner wander Attilan alone, and of course he gets picked on by some local toughs who don't like Black Bolt or humans. Banner hulks out and the Inhumans decide to get rid of him by launching him to Counter-Earth instead (there's a weird sequence where they say that the rocket's course was altered so that it will float forever through space instead of going to Counter-Earth, but then they tell us that it's going to Counter-Earth anyway).

This is the second time that people have tried to solve the problem of the Hulk by launching him into space (the first was in Hulk #3). It won't be the last.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place around the same time as FF #145-146.

References:

• The Hulk appeared at the Inhuman's Refuge previously in Hulk annual #1.
  
• Medusa is "closer than Karnak thinks" as seen in the latest issues of the Fantastic Four. That would be a reference to Fantastic Four #145 and their fight with the Cold People, also in the Himalayas.
  
• Counter-Earth was first seen in Marvel Premiere #1.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A