Bruce Banner is wandering the country side in California trying to make sense of his whereabouts. His thoughts are consumed by his ruined wedding with
Betty Ross (
Incredible Hulk #124), and fails to see a strange looking ship that spies on him.
Banner stumbles onto a lonely road where he is picked up by a man called Sam Sterns who appears as confused as Banner about his surroundings. The only thing he's sure of is that he must go to Los Angeles.
Another 270 miles later, the duo arrives in the City of Angels where they find shelter, a new set of clothes for Bruce, and a hot meal. But, before they can eat, Sam complains of a sudden headache and rushes out of the diner. Bruce follows on his heels, but Sam is nowhere to be seen.
However, the readers are privy to an astonishing transformation that begins to take place shortly in a nearby alley where Sam Sterns reverts to his alter ego, the Leader!
Remembering his origin and defeats at the hands of the Hulk, the Leader relates the tale of how he secretly observed Banner (at the beginning of this story), and formulated his retreat to his former self to confuse Banner. And when he discovered who could defeat the Hulk, the Leader subconscious triggered the change.
Returning to the Florida Everglades via his sky ship, the Leader uses his incredible mental powers to re-animate the
Glob (last seen in
Incredible Hulk #121), and induces the creature to set out cross country to destroy their mutual foe. During the week it takes the Glob to traipse across the United States, Banner has taken refuge in the sewers of LA. But the loneliness has taken its toll, he longs to visit Betty, which was the reason he traveled to Los Angeles in the first place.
Making a raft from refuse, he sets sail down the sewers until he spies a paper. Though days old, he learns a monster has been making its way across the country. Banner correctly deduces it's the Glob just as the monster attacks him, causing to become the Hulk.
During their slug fest, the Hulk takes pity on the other misanthrope and vows not to hurt the Glob. The muck beast has made no such promises to itself and continues the fight which leads the Hulk to an electrical tower. Climbing it up, he snaps one of the cables, careful not to touch the live end, and fries the Glob with a million volts of electricity. The jolt sends the beast falling down to a building below where he is caught in an explosion detonated by the experimental dynamos housed within.
The Hulk is sent flying miles away, stunned but unhurt, by the explosion while the Leader, who has observed the battle, ruminates over yet another defeat.
The Glob has been literally blown to pieces, but they are seen beginning to animate themselves and travel toward a central location to reunite.