Issue(s): Hulk #349
Cover Date: Nov 88
Title: "Warzone"
Credits:
Peter David - Writer
Jeff Purves - Penciler
Terry Austin - Inker
James DiGiovanna - Assistant Editor
Bobbie Chase - Editor

Review/plot:
At the end of Web of Spider-Man #44, Spider-Man seemed pretty sure that Mr. Fixit was the Hulk. He's not quite as convinced at the beginning of this issue, though.

The Hulk of course knows it's Spider-Man, although he's more concerned about his suit getting ruined.

While they battle...

...the Warzone guys continue to run around Las Vegas, shooting each other up and the city in the process. But we'll stick with the Hulk/Spidey fight a little longer.

They keep fighting until Charlie, the lady that hurt Marlo in the Spider-Man issue, is killed by Alpha.

Her scream breaks up the Hulk/Spidey fight, and Spider-Man tells off the Hulk, and the Hulk shows that he's not at all broken up about it.

That might have been an interesting, if very dark way to leave things, to show off this new amoral grey Hulk. But it turns out that these Warzone guys are actually cyborgs...

...and Charlie isn't even really dead. And the Hulk knew it when he saw Charlie had no blood (it might have been nice if we could have seen that too). It turns out that the cyborgs found an amulet that enhances their abilities while they were on a mission together, and now every year they have a battle to see who gets to wear it for the next year. It's not said where the amulets come from, but we'll later learn (in an aside, without any more information) that they were created by the Pantheon. I'm not all that interested in them but i'm nonetheless surprised that we never saw them again, considering their original purpose and the origins of the magic amulet aren't explained.

The Hulk does help Spider-Man with that sign, but tells him that the damage to the city might not have been so bad if Spidey hadn't gotten involved in the Warzone fighting, and then jumps off.

When the Hulk gets home, he's met by Dr. Doom.

Also in this issue, Anthony Gold, the mobster that has been bothering Michael Berengetti, is killed by his superiors for his failures.

It could be my imagination but Peter David feels a little more comfortable with his scripting here. And i'm liking the Jeff Purves/Terry Austin combination. In any event it's a nice fight between the new Hulk incarnation and Spider-Man, full of Peter David's characteristic wit, which works well for both characters.

Quality Rating: B+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Continues directly from Web of Spider-Man #44.

References:

• I said, continues directly from Web of Spider-Man #44!
  
• The Hulk was thought dead as of Hulk #345.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

The dialogue makes it clear the Warzone guys are cyborgs, not robots.

You've scanned Charlie being killed, twice.

Cyborgs, robots... next you'll tell me they're synthezoids.

I've replaced that second Warzone scan with the one i intended, which does prove that they're cyborgs since they're drinking.

That is one great-looking Dr. Doom by Purves