Bruce Banner is wandering the countryside in California, trying to make sense of his whereabouts. His ruined wedding with Betty Ross consumes his thoughts (it happened in Incredible Hulk #124), and cannot see a strange-looking ship that spies on him.
Banner stumbles onto a lonely road, and a man called Sam Sterns picks him up. Sterns appears as confused about his surroundings as Banner. 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 takes 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 planned his retreat to his former self to confuse Banner. And when he discovered who could defeat the Hulk, the Leader's 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.
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 cable, careful not to touch the live end, and fries the Glob with a million volts of electricity. The jolt causes the beast to fall down to a building below, where someone catches him in an explosion triggered by the experimental dynamos housed within.
The explosion sends the Hulk flying miles away, leaving him stunned but unhurt, while the Leader, who has observed the battle, reflects on yet another defeat.
After being blown to pieces, the Glob animates itself and travels toward a central location to reunite.
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