Issue(s): Tales To Astonish #101
Cover Date: Mar 68

Hulk
Title: "Where walk the immortals!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Marie Severin - Penciler
Frank Giacoia - Inker

Sub-Mariner
Title: "...And evil shall beckon!"
Credits:
Archie Goodwin - Writer
Gene Colan - Penciler
Dan Adkins - Inker

Review/plot:
Bruce Banner is sleeping on an island beach after his fight with the Sub-Mariner when he is transformed back into the Hulk and transported to the Asgardian Rainbow Bridge by Loki.

Loki has "feared regal Odin would discover the Thunder God's peril -- and hasten to aid him!", so he is
bringing the Hulk to Asgard in order to distract Odin.

After stomping Heimdall, the Hulk heads to Asgard and finds himself up against the Warriors Three.

I think this is their first appearance in the modern Marvel Universe, having previously appeared only in Tales of Asgard. The Warriors realize that the Hulk is not a bad guy, and stop the hordes of Asgard from attacking him. The Warriors attempt to take the Hulk to see an oracle, but Loki turns the Hulk back into Banner as he is leaping across a chasm.

Meanwhile, Namor, also sleeping after his battle with the Hulk, sees visions of a wacky old man.

He heads to Antarctica, as if by instinct, and fights an animated statue...

...before confronting the old man in his visions.

While that's going on, Atlanteans are in exodus, their home having been destroyed.

This is the last issue of Tales To Astonish. This book will become The Incredible Hulk beginning next issue (retaining the current numbering), and Namor will share space with Iron Man for the sole issue of Iron Man & Sub-Mariner before both characters both get their own full length books as well.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 4 - first Serpent Crown & Paul Destine

Chronological Placement Considerations: Loki's plot to bring Hulk to Asgard is to ensure that Odin is distracted and not paying attention to a depowered Thor getting thrashed, fitting this nicely in the gap I've created between Thor #150 & 151. The Hulk story continues directly in Hulk #102. The Namor story continues directly in

References:

• Namor first starting having visions when he chased the Plunderer in Tales To Astonish #95. At least, so Namor says here. I think my reprint may have been missing that scene.
  
• Atlantis was destroyed by a combination of attacks by the Plunderer and a US Submarine in Tales To Astonish #97.
  
• Namor redeemed himself in the eyes of his people when he seemingly died preventing a ship from exploding near the rest of the Atlantean armada in Tales To Astonish #98. Atlantis was damaged in that story.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Super-Heroes #55

I remember reading this before the Warriors 3 popped up in Thor Essentials and went 'who the heck are these three weirdos!?'

The Warriors Three had also appeared in Thor Annual#2 so I think that there was their first present day appearance. I liked the Hulk in Asgard story. (I have a theory that the Hulk is the most widely traveled Marvel character). I also liked the Sub-Mariner story from here, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner#1 and Sub-Mariner#1 which finally explained Namor's amnesia.

Educated guesses are about all that can be hazarded - and there are a helluva lot more educated guesses than my own - but in terms of raw miles traveled, The Hulk being the Marvel Universe's most traveled character could be true - assuming you don't count beings like Galactus. After all Banner regularly spends the downtime between issues as his greener, meaner alter-ego, a form in which he can and often does travel miles with ease. On top of which he's been to multiple different planets over the years. Though of course he's not the only character to have done so and there's a difference between number of places visited and miles traveled as well I suppose. Dr. Strange has been in like a zillion different dimensions, how would that count?