Incredible Hulk, The (1968 series) #307

Hulk’s uncontrollable rage jeopardizes Klaatu’s capture. The oarsmen of the Andromeda attempt to restrain him, but their efforts are futile. When Hulk strikes the vessel, Xenon’s harpoon misses its mark, and the colossal prey—alerted—vanishes into the void.

To pacify the behemoth, Captain Cybor brings forth the Puffball Collective, hoping its presence will soothe Hulk’s fury. Upon seeing his companion, Hulk utters a single word—“friend”—the first spoken in his primal state. Moved yet cautious, Xenon encases the Puffball in a force field, allowing it to traverse the worlds safely.

Klaatu is sighted once more. Xenon launches three harpoons, striking the cosmic giant. But Klaatu retaliates, smashing the Andromeda with a devastating blow. The vessel crumbles. Hulk rescues the Puffball, but the oarsmen perish in the wreckage.

As Cybor and Xenon lie dying, they witness Hulk perform an act of unexpected grace—removing the harpoons from Klaatu’s back, sparing the energy-eater. Klaatu absorbs the planet’s energy and vanishes into the cosmos.

Hulk and the Puffball return to the Crossroads, leaving behind the ruins of a doomed hunt and the echoes of a mercy that defied expectation.

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