Synopsis / Summary / Plot
The Circus comes to a small town in New Mexico but that isn’t cause for joy: it’s the outfit run by the Ringmaster, who hypnotizes the audience with his top hat so his henchmen can rob them at their leisure. Later, a number of the performers, disgusted with their leader’s stingy division of the loot, walk out, leaving the Ringmaster to question the point of his existence. Meanwhile, three members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants—Blob, Pyro and Avalanche—are stuck in the desert after their recent encounter with the X-Men. They come across the circus and Blob persuades them it would make a great hideout, so they join the team. Elsewhere, Bruce Banner is working on a device to control his transformations when he is discovered by a new, gigantic Hulkbuster. The surprise causes Bruce to become the Hulk and he smashes his foe to the ground. As he leaps away, though, he is knocked from the sky by a final shot from the damaged Hulkbuster. Landing near the circus he is befriended by Danny the Dwarf, who introduces him to the other circus performers. Impressed by their acceptance of him, Hulk decides the circus is the place for him, and the Ringmaster hires him as the new strongman. Hulk joins in the performances even though he is unaware of the Ringmaster’s larcenous habits. The three Brotherhood baddies try to make off with the wagon containing the evening’s haul; when Danny spots them in the act, he summons the Hulk, who confronts the mutant menaces. Jade Jaws blows out Pyro’s flames, knocks Avalanche off his feet with a hand-clap, ad goes toe-to-toe with Blob, who can withstand the hardest blows. Hulk rips Blob and the ground up and tosses him for a loop. The mutant trio teams up to knock the Hulk miles into the desert. The vengeful Ringmaster, though, hypnotizes the rogues and turns them over to General Ross, who, unaware that the Ringmaster was the real brains behind the robbery, thanks him and accepts free circus tickets. Hulk has changed back into Bruce Banner in the desert, retaining a hazy memory of being accepted as the Hulk.