Synopsis
The story opens in the inn of a small village in southern France. Bruce, Rick, and Bereet are discussing the Krylorian conspiracy when a young orphan, Spirou, interrupts. He says the Americans must have come to see the monster but that he would meet it first and swings a broom in a sword-like fashion. The innkeeper yells at Spirou for not working. Rick is about to do something about the mistreatment but Bruce stops him, saying it's not their concern. After Bruce and company leave for their rooms, Spirou sobs to himself that he knows the monster is real because he saw him at a distance and wants the monster to be his friend because he has no friends. Some distance away, Spirou's "monster"--a giant robot called a Ferronaut controlled by the Metal Master-- smashes through the forest. The Metal Master is aiding the Krylorians in their invasion and goes to speak with them again, leaving the Ferronaut dormant. The Krylorian commander and the Metal Master argue, with the commander telling Metal Master not to forget who is in charge. Metal Master melts the metallic trim of the Krylorian commander's uniform and departs, saying that once their enterprise is completed, they will see who rules what. The next morning, Bruce leaves his room and sees the inkeeper slap Spirou. Bruce transforms into the Hulk and attacks the innkeeper. The noise gets the Metal Master's attention some miles away and he goes to investigate. Rick and Bereet also run to investigate and tind the Hulk battling the Ferronaut. The Hulk finds that any damage he inflicts is immediately fixed and wonders about it, unaware of the Metal Master high overhead. Rick grabs Spirou who was running towards the battle. Spirou says he wants the good monster to know they are friends and to help against the bad monster. Rick spots the Metal Master as the Hulk futilely battles the Ferronaut. Bereet pulls out a cardiac-retarder from her spatial distorter but the Metal Master easily destroys the metallic construct. She pulls out a few more items which the Metal Master destroys but he is intrigued by the spatial distorter and wants it for himself. The Metal Master turns his power on the spatial distorter and Bereet struggles with him mentally. The stress causes the distorter to begin increasing in size and, according to Bereet, will swallow the entire universe if they don't stop it! Rick and Bereet find themselves inside the distorter and Bereet says it has returned to normal but they could be trapped inside it for a "million enternities". Time does not flow inside the distorter as it does outside. Rick asks about the Hulk and Metal Master and Bereet tells him they are inside the distorter as well. Rick and Bereet are attacked by another of Bereet's techno-art creations. Rick throws a piece of debris at the thing and destroys it-- matter is sometimes unstable within tangible time, Bereet says. Outside the distorter, Spirou picks up the distorter and carries it back to the village to show it to the police inspector. The innkeeper snatches it from the child and threatens to burn it. The inspector takes it from the innkeeper and leaves with Spirou begging him not to steal it from him. Back inside, the Hulk battles several of the techno-art creations while elsewhere the Metal Master is practicing his control of them. Rick and Bereet watch, helpless. Sturky, the small techno-art creation which Bereet keeps as a pet (and appears with her in several issues of Incredible Hulk), bites Rick and Rick's yell alerts the Metal Master. Outside once more, a vegetable cart is sent out of control outside the police hq. It distracts the inspector long enough for Spirou to grab the spatial distorter. The gendarmes give chase. As Metal Master uses the techno-art to attack Rick and Bereet, he is suddenly struck by an almost invisibly fast projectile that he cannot control. It turns out to be the Hulk and the Metal Master summons the Ferronaut to battle the Hulk once more. Bereet tries to regain control of Sturky while outside Spirou is hiding and holding the bag, praying for it to help him find his monster friend. The addition of the child's psychic energy is enough for Bereet to regain control of Sturky. Sturky, a matter converter, turns the rest of the techno-art into non-metals, leaving the Metal Master unable to affect them. The Hulk, meanwhile, is on the receiving end of his battle with the Ferronaut. Rick asks if Sturky can convert non-Krylorian matter and Sturky takes off towards the battle. Enraged at the loss of the techno-art, the Metal Master puts more energy into the Ferronaut, including his own life force. The Hulk becomes more and more enraged at the abuse he's taking and strikes the Ferronaut with such force, the Ferronaut is shattered and Metal Master's psychic power backlashes on him. The backlash frisson from Metal Master hits Sturky with psychic shrapnel, killing him. Sturky's death causes an explosive chain reaction that tosses the heroes and the villain out of the distorter. Metal Master tries to attack but finds his powers are negated somehow. Hulk tosses Metal Master away. Spirou hugs the Hulk, who decides hugging is better than smashing, while Bereet laments the loss of so many of her creations.