Issue(s): Marvel Team-Up #105
Cover Date: May 81
Title: "A small circle of hate! / Wolves in designer's clothing"
Credits:
Mike Barr - Writer
Carmine Infantino - Penciler
Mike Esposito - Inker
Mark Gruenwald - Assistant Editor
Denny O'Neil - Editor

Review/plot:
This is an atrocious story. The Hulk attacks Luke Cage and Iron Fist's plane in the desert just because he doesn't like planes...

...and then the duo run into a family of desert hillbillies...

...the father of which thinks Luke Cage is the Hulk and takes a plane passenger hostage to force him to move a rock so they can get at a desert spring.

The rock turns out to be too heavy for Cage to lift (which doesn't explain why he can't just punch through it), but the Hulk resurfaces again, attacking Iron Fist without provocation...

...and eventually smashes the rock.

A young girl in the hillbilly tribe shows herself to be nicer than the rest...

...and in the end Luke and Danny decide to take her with them. I'm not sure how the legalities of that work.

The hillbilly daddy also is apparently strong enough to hurt Luke with his cane, although i guess you could argue Luke is faking it due to the hostage.

The idea that Cage and Danny couldn't overpower one guy with a gun, especially while the Hulk is causing a major distraction, is unbelievable. The Hulk is written as a real monster with none of the subtleties (ha!) from his own series. And the art is pretty terrible, even allowing for Carmine Infantino's unusual style.

A back-up story has Luke and Danny back in New York and performing in a fashion show, with Colleen, Misty, and the hillbilly girl in the audience.

The models turn out to be criminals. One of them has a gun with explosive bullets, but she immediately folds when Cage calls her bluff. What did she think was going to happen? It's not like it was a secret that Luke Cage was there.

The hillbilly girl gets in on the action, but she says she learned to fight watching Colleen Wing practice. If you're going to use awful hillbilly stereotypes, at least give me a "Aww, heck, ah reckon ah could crack a little wisp of a woman in half like that any ol' day!".

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This story takes place in the American Southwest. Placing this after Dazzler #6-7. See the considerations there for more regarding the Hulk. I have Hulk's appearances in Marvel Team-Up #104, then Dazzler #6-7, then here, between Hulk #262-263.

References:

• The Hulk met Power Man & Iron Fist previously in Marvel Team-Up annual #3. They actually left on good terms in that issue, so there's no reason for the Hulk to be trying to smash Iron Fist on sight here.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A