HULK #9-10 (1999-2000)

SHIELD hires Thing to contain and capture Hulk.

Thing/Hulk fights are always enjoyable, even when Hulk is mind-controlled (by Tyrannus) and therefore isn’t at full power. Once he shakes off Tyrannus’ influence, he simply leaves the fight.

At the beginning of the issue, Hulk rescues an old miner from a cave-in. The old man is with Hulk for the entire story, including after Hulk leaves the scene of the fight and goes underground to hide. Near Tyrannus’ underground base, the miner drinks from a stream and suddenly becomes young. He has drunk from the fountain of youth, and Tyrannus isn’t happy about it because he wants those waters all for himself.

It’s at this point, we learn that Tyrannus’ goal is to sap Hulk’s strength–but the old/young man foils the plan before Tyrannus is halfway through.

Tyrannus puts the weakened Hulk and the miner behind bars, where the miner unionizes the Moloids, and gets them to trick Tyrannus, giving Hulk all his power back.

Hulk reverts to Banner form, and Nick Fury shows up and arrests him.

So…We’re finally done with Tyrannus’ mind control–and it went on for 8 issues before this, making it a fairly quick resolution. And although SHIELD hired Thing, turns out they didn’t need him after all.

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