Incredible Hulk, The (1968 series) #350

The Thing and the Hulk have been duking it out in New York City. The Thing has just vanquished the Hulk—unaware that he’s not the real Hulk—when he comes face to face with the green-skinned, less intelligent Hulk. The Thing, who has been itching for a brawl with the Hulk for quite some time, fights the green Hulk believing him to be the genuine article. This diversion allows the real Hulk to recover.

Doctor Doom explains to the gray Hulk that the green Hulk is actually a robot of unknown origin, which he salvaged after the Eternals defeated it. Dr. Doom apologizes for miscalculating that, in his current incarnation, the weaker Hulk would never be able to increase his strength to the level needed to fight the Thing before being defeated.

This only galvanizes the Hulk, who wants another shot. By this time, the Thing has discovered the green Hulk’s true nature and has ripped it apart. The real Hulk changes his strategy for the rematch, using guerrilla-style tactics—hiding, attacking, then escaping to hide again. The Thing, while stronger, lacks the endurance and speed to keep up. The Hulk uses this pattern to gradually wear him down.

The Thing only realizes who his opponent truly is just before the Hulk delivers the knock-out punch. Dr. Doom, impressed with the Hulk’s performance, bids farewell with a promise to call on the Hulk for assistance when he retakes Latveria.

The Hulk decides to check in on the Avengers mansion before returning to Vegas, only to discover that it’s gone. He meets up with the Beast, who explains that the Avengers are being summoned for a major emergency. The Beast blackmails the Hulk into helping him, in exchange for keeping the Hulk’s survival a secret from the Avengers.