Issue(s): Hulk #206, Hulk #207
Cover Date: Dec 76-Jan 77
Title: "A man-brute berserk!" / "Alone against the Defenders!"
Credits:
Len Wein - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Joe Staton - Inker

Review/plot:
Thunderbolt Ross calls off the pursuit of Hulk, which Doc Samson considers a break-through for the General, but i think is a little irresponsible. The Hulk winds up in New York on top of the Statue of Liberty again, and when the police attack him, he... gets a little destructive.

Hulk makes his way to Dr. Strange's house, but finds that there's a mystical barrier in place because no one is home. The Hulk decides to calmly wait outside, and the police show up but don't attack.

After a while, though one rookie cop gets nervous and shoots at the Hulk, provoking him to rampage. The Defenders show up during his rampage.

The Defenders are in an 'attack first, ask questions later' mood, which reflects their relations with the Hulk in recent Defenders issues, but is never a smart idea when dealing with the Hulk. After a drawn out battle...

...it is actually the Hulk who stops the fighting.

Dr. Strange sends his astral form to Gamma base, but confirms that Jarella is truly dead. The Hulk first rages out, but then anger becomes sadness.

At the very end he becomes truly cold and emotionless, and leaves the Defenders.

Tony Stark has provided the police with "Neutron Bazookas" that have "got fire-power enough to flatten a raging mob!" Isn't that nice of him?

Betty and Glenn continue to have problems.

Kurt Busiek writes in to issue #210 to complain about these issues, saying having the Hulk destroy the Statue of Liberty only for it to re-appear whole again without comment in some future issue is too much like DC. Marvel responds that they did comment on the rebuilding of the Statue, in Nova #5. Busiek also says that the Defenders act too irrationally and violently when confronting the Hulk.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The Fantastic Four doesn't respond to a police emergency signal because they are still in transit from Counter-Earth. Jarvis says that he'll let the Avengers know about the Hulk's rampage "as soon as they return to New York." Valkyrie is wearing her new costume, which she received in Defenders #40. These issues have been placed earlier than their published dates due to the Defenders appearance.

References:

The Hulk previously camped out on the Statue of Liberty in Hulk #142.

• The Gremilin messed with Glenn Talbot's mind in Hulk #188.
  
• Dr. Strange lost the title of Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange #19.
  
• Glenn regained his memory in Hulk #200.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

It's no Gwen Stacey matter, and not the best written, but it was really hard to read Hulk dealing with the death of a loved one. I think Hulk stopping the fight himself helped nail that part at least.

That three panel sequence where the Hulk is mourning Jarella and Valkyrie is attempting to comfort him demonstrate Sal Buscema's skill as an artist. He really packed that scene with so much tragedy and emotion.

It's just conceivable the Defenders are reacting irrationally because of the Headmen's manipulations around this time, though it would be unusual for a Marvel writer of this era to give that nod to an ongoing book in the story and not make mention. The Headmen's manipulation was supposed to make them react violently towards any popular movement not tied into their scheme, but Defenders #40 and other instances do show them responding with excess emotion.
I know Marvel doesn't quite fit together right, but you do an admirable job trying to provide a chronology. Is it safe to say the Shooter-era books fit a little more deliberately? I'd think so, especially with the lists for X-Men and Spider-Man published on the letters pages, mid-80s. (I know this is an obscure place to leave this comment, perhaps I should try it elsewhere.)

Cecil, i would agree that the stories in the 80s fit more deliberately but that comes with its own challenges. There are more specific references, and more crossovers, but that creates more dependencies that weren't always thought through, and it therefore leads to conundrums.

As you say, it's a broader topic than this entry, so i won't go into more detail, but it might make a good forum topic.