Retelling the last pages of the previous issue, Bruce Banner looks on as the Man-Beast - possessing the body of US President Rex Carpenter, orders the execution of Adam Warlock. Before firing the fatal energy weapon, the prisoner cries out, “High Evolutionary!” Why have you abandoned me?!”.
Warlock’s body transforms into a cocoon and Banner into the Hulk, who rampages! Carpenter/Man-Beast calls his guards to stop the Hulk, claiming that he is in league with the “aliens” (New-Men). The guards shoot at Hulk with no effect. The Man-Beast’s aides attack Hulk (who can see their true forms, everyone else sees them as regular humans). Hulk beats them away, grabs Warlock’s cocoon and leaps away.
Man-Beast is confident that Warlock is dead, so he can finally resume his plan of conquering Counter-Earth, with the First Earth to follow.
The Hulk lands in the Virginia countryside and, speaking to the cocoon, informs Warlock it is safe to come out. But there is no response. Hulk realizes the Man-Beast was right, Warlock is gone. Porcupinus and his team take Warlock into a cave; the Hulk follows and they all mourn Warlock.
The next day, Man-Beast pays a visit to Astrella Carpenter, the President’s sister, in the cell where they have confined the real President. He sheds his visage of Rex, stating, “From this day forth, the Man-Beast strikes openly!”
The villain summons his human military commanders and orders them to war. After mobilizing, the Man-Beast presses the button to activate his nuclear arsenal, only to discover that the military people have disengaged the button. Man-Beast threatens their lives as Hulk and the New-Men attack!
Man-Beast fires the Hulk with a mental bolt of Hate Force, but the green giant eventually shrugs it off. So the wicked one uses his Hate Force to bring the ceiling down on Hulk.
Meanwhile, Ben Vincent and June Volper sneak into the White House, having heard the commotion from outside, and follow an “Animal-Man”, one of the Man-Beast goons, who is going to the dungeon to carry out Man-Beast’s contingency plan - to kill Rex Carpenter! As he enters the cell, Ben knocks him out with a steel pipe. Ben and June assist the President and his sister escape.
Meanwhile, in the cave, the cocoon shines in a bluish light...
Back at the White House, Hulk survived the ceiling collapse and is punching the Man-Beast in the face. After destroying lots-o-stuff, he lifts Man-Beast in his head and is ready to smash him to the ground. Miraculously, Warlock enters and asks the Hulk to halt.
Far more powerful than before, Warlock devolves all the Animal Men to their original forms, including Man-Beast, who turns into a wolf.
Warlock proclaims, “[Man-Beast] will remain thus only as long as man recognizes the beast within himself. Should man forget -- should fail to recognize and battle the evil within himself -- with the intellect he has been given -- the Man-Beast shall live again!”
Warlock declares he will now assist other worlds where the Man-Beast has not been acknowledged and conquered, and he flies away into the stars.
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