Iron Man #131 – Hulk is Where the Heart Is released by Marvel on February 1, 1980
Iron Man #131 Cover Art
Bob Layton has done a number of variations of the cover to Iron Man #131 over the years. One the original versions featured on the bottom right was rejected by Layton himself, who realized that he “didn’t want Iron Man to look like a total wimp against the Hulk,” according to a post on his web site. Layton did a fantastic re-imagining of the cover in 2011 featuring a more heroic pose for Iron Man and adding Captain America and Thor in the background. Gerry Turnbull did the colors on this piece that resides in the collection of Brian Cassner.
Tony Stark and Bethany Cabe find themselves trapped in gridlock traffic caused by the incredible Hulk on the Long Island Expressway. The green goliath is sitting peacefully on the road eating apples and bananas from an overturned truck and ignoring the police presence growing around him. The police engage the Hulk and Iron Man intervenes in an unsuccessful attempt to diffuse the situation. A bazooka round shot by the police misses the Hulk and almost knocks an RV off of an overpass, but the jade giant saves the day. A young boy who was in the RV thanks the Hulk and engages him in play with his Micronauts action figures, which calms down the Hulk and transforms him back into Bruce Banner. Realizing the carnage he has created, Banner begs Iron Man to “Help me! Stop me! Or…Kill Me!” before he passes out. Iron Man brings Banner back to his lab where as Tony Stark he works tirelessly alongside Banner and Scott Lang to develop a way to prevent Banner’s transformation into the Hulk.
They develop a device to regulate Banner’s heartbeat no matter how aggravated he becomes, which remarkably seems to be successful. As they celebrate their achievement, the police arrive to take Banner into custody. Banner flees, but is caught in a police grenade explosion, emerging from the smoke and dust not as Hulk but as Banner! Continued next issue in The Incredible Banner?!?
Title: Hulk Is Where The Heart Is!
Cover: Bob Layton
Plot: David Michelinie, Bob Layton
Script: David Michelinie
Penciler: Jerry Bingham
Inker: Bob Layton
Colorist: Ben Sean
Letterer: Diana Albers
Editor: Roger Stern
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
Cover Price: $0.40
Cover Date: February 1980
Release Date: November 1979
Publisher: Marvel
