Superman/Hulk: "Man or Beast" 
Written by: Russ Dimino (CKent15@aol.com) 
(Crossover Story With "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman")
Lois and Clark meet "David Banner," of the old Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk T.V. 
series... and Superman goes head to head with the Hulk himself. 
_________________________________________________________________________ 
Lois Lane and Clark Kent stepped out of the office of one Dr. Peterson Bernerd 
Klein. 
"I don't believe I just saw his dead body...again." Lois said, disgusted. 
"I know," Clark nodded. "Looks like any fears we had about Lex Luthor living 
through that subway collapse were unnecessary. No one could come back from that 
condition!" 
Lois wasn't so convinced. "His body was destroyed, true," she said. "But what 
worries me the most is the fact that Asabi is still out there. He escaped before 
the collapse. Do you think there might be some way that...that...." 
"That he could transfer Luthor's spirit into another body? I'm not sure. 
Actually that's not true. I'm sure he could. The question is, would he want to, 
and more importantly, will he actually do it?" 
Lois shuddered. "I hope no-- Oh! I'm so sorry!" Lois said as she walked smack 
into STAR Labs' new janitor. 
"No, no, it's fine, really," he said, with a disarming smile. He was 40ish, with 
dark brown hair, medium height, medium build. 
Clark looked at the man, and for a moment, had the strange sense that he knew 
him from somewhere. He reached out his hand. "Hi, I'm Clark Kent, reporter for 
the Daily Planet." The man's eyes widened at the word 'reporter.' Slowly, the 
man took Clark's hand and shook it. 
"David Brent. I'm, ah, the janitor." 
"Yeah, I see that," Lois said, smiling, gesturing to the man's broom. "Uh, 
c'mon, Clark." 
As soon as they were safely out of ear shot, Lois turned to Clark. "You 
introduce yourself to the janitor?!?!" 
"I-I don't know, Lois. It's the strangest thing. I know I've seen him somewhere 
before!" 
"I'll bet," Lois said, shaking her head. "You are a strange one, Clark Kent." 
"Am I?" Clark asked, in an innocent, yet flirtatious way. 
"Yes, you are. Now, come on, let's head back to the Planet. I want to be as far 
away from Lex Luthor's body as possible!" 
Meanwhile, David propped his broom against the wall and walked down to the 
computer room. Once inside he sat down behind a large console. Then he pulled 
out a small tape recorder, set it next to the computer, and turned it on. 
"Banner Log, August 12th, 1996. I'm logging onto STAR Labs computer system. 
Stored in the data base is information that will undoubtedly be of use in 
reversing my condition. A doctor by the name of Elias Mendenhall worked with 
mind control in the past, and all of the data from his computers were 
transferred to STAR Labs after his arrest. If I could use that control on my own 
mind, I may actually be able to sanction off the primitive/aggressive right side 
of the brain, and in doing so--" 
The door opened and Dr. Klein walked in. "What in the-- David?! What are you 
doing in here?" 
David quickly turned off the recorder, jumped out of his chair and stood in 
front of the screen so Dr. Klein couldn't see. "I'm, uh... I was just cleaning 
the keyboards. And, um, polishing the monitors. You know, they can get awfully 
dusty." 
"David, you don't have clearance to be in here!" Klein said. "There are files in 
this computer system that I don't even have access to!" He walked over to 
David's console. "Let me see what you were doing." 
"No," David said. "No, please, just let me work, please!" Dr. Klein folded his 
arms. 
"David, either show me what you were doing or I'm calling security." 
David hesitated, then moved to the side. The screen read: UPLOADING...SUBJECT - 
WORK OF DR. ELIAS MENDENHALL. 
"Mendenhall? David, what were you doing looking up Elias Mendenhall?" 
"I...I can't say. Please, Dr. Klein, just--" 
"David I'm calling security." 
"No! Don't! Please!" David rushed after Klein. "You don't understand, will you 
just listen to me?!" 
Klein picked up a handset and called the front gate. "Security, I need David 
Brent escorted off the premises," he said into the phone. 
David turned and ran out of the lab and down the hallway. Dr. Klein called after 
him to stop, but no way was he going to listen. He turned a corner and ran smack 
into a very large security guard. He quickly spun around and took off down a 
different hallway.
He turned to see if the security guard was still following. As he did so, his 
foot caught on the broom that he had left in the hallway earlier. 
David tripped and fell on his face, hard. "Aaahhh!" He picked his head up off 
the ground as he felt a familiar burning inside of him. A burning that came 
whenever he experienced pain or anger. The pupils of David's eyes began to turn 
white....
______________________________________________________________________ 
Clark Kent sat behind his computer in the newsroom of the Daily Planet.
"Hmm..." He punched keys at the super-speed that only he was capable of. Every 
so often he'd glance up to make sure no one was watching him. After a minute or 
so he sighed, leaned back in his chair, and looked over at Lois Lane, his 
partner, fiancee, and the woman who in about a month would be his wife. 
Lois got up from behind her desk and joined Clark. "Something wrong?" she asked. 
"Remember that guy we ran into at STAR Labs? David Brent? There's absolutely 
nothing on him." 
"Well, Clark, he's a janitor for goodness sa--" 
"Lois I'm not just talking about police records. There isn't even so much as a 
record of birth! It's as if he doesn't exist!" 
Lois's eyes widened. "Wow," she said. "Maybe there is more to this guy than we 
thought." 
"Really," Clark nodded. Suddenly he heard the familiar sound of the alarm at 
STAR Labs. "Uh oh," he said. "Gotta fly." 
"Where?" Lois asked. 
"STAR Labs," he said. 
"Boy, you spend more time there than you do here at The Planet!" she
whispered as he ran off, knowing he'd heard her with those super ears of his. 
Clark ran out to the alley behind the Planet and spun out of his civilian 
clothes and into his Superman costume. In an instant he was in the air, and then 
at STAR Labs. As he walked in, he was met by two guards running out.
"What's going on here?" Superman asked. 
"Buh-buh-big...green...." one of the guard stammered. 
"What?" Superman asked. "What was big and green?" 
"Muh-MONSTER!" The other cried, pointing down the hall. 
"Monster?" Superman laughed. "What are you--" Suddenly Superman heard a loud 
growl. He looked up. Coming around the corner was a seven foot tall green 
creature with enormous muscles. The pupils of the creatures eyes were white. And 
it was very, very angry. 
"Oh, my..." Superman trailed off. The creature roared at Superman. 
"You're a big hulk, aren't you?" Superman decided to try and communicate with 
the creature. "Can you speak?" he asked. "Can you at least understand me?" 
The creature picked Superman up, held him over his head, and threw him clean 
through the wall. Wearily, Superman picked himself up. "With that kind of 
strength, a dose of heat vision isn't going to be fatal," he mumbled. "But I 
doubt even you can withstand this completely!" Superman opened up a wide blast 
of his heat vision on the creature. This only seemed to make him angrier. 
The creature let out a mighty roar and came at Superman again. The beast swung 
at Superman, but the man of steel dodged the creature's massive fist and punched 
the monster in the gut. 
The creature took a step back and grabbed his stomach. He let out a moan as if 
he was in pain. He had never felt pain before. No one had ever hurt him 
before.... 
The creature turned and smashed through the wall. He was outside. He ran down 
the street. 
Superman flew after the creature. "Wait!" he called. "I can't let you run 
through the streets of Metropolis!" The creature turned and hit Superman with a 
blow so hard it threw him for miles across the city. He landed with a splash in 
Metropolis' Lake Byrne. 
Superman groggily stood up and rubbed his head. "Where did that thing come 
from?" he asked himself. Superman flew back to where the creature had been, but 
found it to be...gone?! "This just gets weirder and weirder. How can a seven 
foot tall green monster just vanish into thin air?" Superman darted back into 
STAR Labs and found Dr. Klein in the computer lab, cowering under a desk. 
"Dr. Klein?" 
"Oh, ah, Superman. Hello," he said, coming out from his hiding place. 
"Dr. Klein, what was that thing? Did STAR Labs create it?" 
"Not to my knowledge! It just suddenly...appeared!" 
"And now it's gone again," Superman sighed. Then something on one of the desks 
caught his eye. There was a small tape recorder next to one of the computers. 
"Dr. Klein, what's this?" he asked. 
"It appears to be a tape recorder," the doctor said, bluntly. 
Superman rolled his eyes. "I can see that Doctor Klein, but where did it come 
from?" he asked, punching the REWIND button. 
"Well, you just picked it up off that table," he said. 
Superman shook his head. "Never mind," he said. "Let's just see what's on it."
When the tape was done rewinding a moment later, Superman pressed the button 
marked PLAY. A man's voice came from the recorder. 
"In each of us, there lives a kind of beast, made of rage," the voice said. 
"That's David!" Dr. Klein said. 
"David Brent? The janitor?" Superman asked. 
"Yes, yes!" he said. Then he put his finger to his lips, indicating Superman to 
be quiet so he could hear the rest of the tape. 
"Years ago I used science to study this beast, to bring him out of me. I used 
Gamma radiation to release him. But I used too much. Far too much. Now the beast 
is out of my control, emerging whenever anger strikes." 
Superman and Dr. Klein looked at each other. 
"My name is David Banner," the voice continued. "The world thinks I'm dead."
______________________________________________________________________ 
Superman and Dr. Klein stood staring at each other in the middle of the STAR 
Labs computer room as they listened to the voice that was coming out of the 
small tape recorder that Superman had found. The voice of a man claiming to be 
the late scientist David Banner. 
"I was looking for a way to bring out the hidden strength that all humans are 
capable of during moments of danger. But I moved too fast. I experimented on 
myself. Now I have a mutation, near the rage center of my brain, and during 
moments of anger, pain, or fear it secretes a hormone and I become a mutant 
thing, a beast, until that rage ends. The world thinks that I am dead. They also 
think that this creature inside of me is a murderer and they may someday be 
right. It's not human. Maybe it's what we were before we became human. Maybe 
it's the worst in us. I never see it. My conscious mind stops. I can't control 
it." 
"This...David Brent," Superman said, pausing the recorder. "He's really David 
Banner. The scientist, David Banner who supposedly died in that explosion years 
ago! I thought I recognized his face." 
"Yes, but more importantly," Dr. Klein said intently. "More importantly...if 
what he says is true then he IS that creature you fought! David Brent, David 
Banner, whatever his name is, he metamorphosed into a living monster!" 
"No wonder I couldn't find him after I flew back from that lake. He probably 
reverted back to normal. I have to find him before he changes again and causes 
any more destruction!" Superman handed the tape recorder to Dr. Klein.
"Here, listen to the rest of the tape. See what else you can learn and call me--
er, uh, call Clark Kent at the Planet. He'll fill me in later." 
Dr. Klein nodded. "Right." Superman flew away. Dr. Klein sat down at the desk 
and unpaused the recorder. 
"I have tremendous strength and healing," Banner's voice continued. "I can tear 
down a brick wall but I can also mend bone and flesh in hours. Sometimes 
minutes. I have seen lacerations close in seconds. Bullet wounds heal without
even a scar. And most recently, I survived my own death. As the creature I fell 
from an airborne plane that exploded and landed hard on the pavement. After my 
body had become normal again my friends, Dr. Ronald Pratt and his
wife Amy, who knew my secret, took me to the hospital. There I was pronounced 
dead. My heart had stopped. My internal organs were damaged. Many of my bones 
broken. I was dead. But I came back. My organs mended and my heart started 
again. The creature has survived death, I have survived death. I am immortal.
But to be trapped inside a creature made of rage, to become a potential
killer whenever anger strikes...that is not the kind of life I want to live. I 
must find a cure for my condition. And until I do, I must keep the beast 
caged...within myself." 
Meanwhile, Superman flew high above the city. He followed the trail of
destruction that the creature had left in it's wake. Lampposts uprooted, 
mailboxes smashed, road-signs bent. Then, just outside Needham Alley, it 
stopped. Superman took a look in the alley. No one. "This is where he must have 
changed back," Superman said to himself. "Why would the creature come here? It 
couldn't just be chance." 
He walked back out of the alley and saw that it was right behind a large 
apartment complex. Superman smiled. "The creature found it's way home. It is 
part of Banner, after all. It would know where home was." At super speed, 
Superman flew back to the Planet and changed into his Clark Kent clothes. 
As he approached his desk, Lois saw him and came over to join him. "Anything 
interesting?" she asked. 
"Get this," Clark said, picking up the phone. "David Banner? He's alive." 
"David Banner?" she asked, as Clark dialed a number. 
"Physician? Scientist? Searching for a way to unlock the hidden strength that 
all humans have?" 
"Oh right," Lois nodded. "He died, didn't he?" 
"Not exactly," he said, and then into the phone, "Yes, hello, do you have a 
tenant named David Brent?" 
"Brent?" Lois asked. "The janitor? He's David Banner?" 
Clark put a finger to his lips and shushed her. 
"Sorry. Brennan, but no Brent," said Amanda Kelly, the woman on the other line. 
Clark smiled. "Too bad. Ah, thank you anyway," he said, and hung up. 
"Clark, why are you so happy if you didn't find him?" 
"Lois, the man is presumed dead. He skips from town to town. He undoubtedly uses 
a lot of aliases. I think David Brent, David Brennan, and David Banner are all 
the same guy." 
"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Lois asked. 
"We?" Clark repeated. "Lois, this is WAY too dangerous. Dr. Banner did tap into 
that hidden strength. He becomes a monster, a giant, green, hulking monster!" 
"Sounds like Pulitzer winning material," Lois said. "No way am I missing this!"
_______________________________________________________________________ 
Clark Kent knocked on the door of apartment 451 in the apartment complex near 
Needham Alley. He and Lois Lane, who had insisted on coming, had found this to 
be the apartment of David Brennan after talking to the landlord, Amanda Kelly. 
The door opened. There stood the janitor they'd met at STAR Labs, David
Brent. But Lois and Clark both knew that his name was not David Brennan or David 
Brent. 
"David Banner?" Lois asked in awe. "Is that really you?" 
David shut the door. 
Clark looked at Lois. "Don't you think you maybe played that hand a little too 
soon?" 
Lois ignored him. "Dr. Banner, we just want to talk to you. We know why you're 
pretending to be dead." 
"Who sent you?" David asked through the door. "McGee? Do you work for the 
Register?" 
Lois and Clark exchanged glances. "The Register?" she asked. "What's that?" 
David opened the door a crack. "Leave me alone," he said. "Please, just leave me 
alone." 
"Dr. Banner, maybe we can help you," Lois offered. "We have friends at STAR 
Labs. Maybe they can find a cure for this creature you become." 
"Creature?" he asked. 
"Dr. Banner," Clark said. "Superman found your tape recorder in the computer 
lab. We know all about how you become that monster whenever your emotions get 
out of control." 
"I could say you're mistaken. That you have the wrong man." 
Lois shook her head. "You'd be losing the possibility of a cure," she told him. 
"We're your friends. We'll help you." 
"I wish I could believe that," he said. 
Clark nodded. "You can." 
David sighed. He opened the door some more, then looked at Lois and Clark very 
carefully. He smiled. "I've met a lot of people over the years. Some I could 
trust, and some I couldn't. But you two don't look like you have anything to 
hide." 
Lois smiled and Clark looked away. "C'mon. Let's get you down to STAR Labs," 
Lois said. 
A little later, David stood shirtless in a large, cylinder-shaped tank. He had 
electrodes attached to him all across his chest and two on his forehead. Lois 
and Clark stood by as Dr. Klein came back from a microscope he'd been looking 
through a moment before. "David," the doctor said. "Your DNA is irradiated with 
an incredible amount of Gamma radiation." 
"I know," David said, pressing his hands against the glass. "The machine I used 
had been modified to inject much more radiation than I'd thought. What I had 
presumed was about three hundred thousand units turned about to be almost two 
million." 
Lois raised an eyebrow. Clark let out a low whistle. Dr. Klein seemed
unsurprised. "Yes, well, I have determined that an equal amount of X-Rays may in 
fact reverse the process." 
David shook his head. "No, I've tried that before. It didn't help." 
Dr. Klein raised his hand. "I heard all about it on your audio log. You were 
exposed to the Gamma radiation for 15 seconds, correct?" 
"Yes," David nodded. 
"Same with the X-Rays?" 
David nodded again. 
"David, I think that you just weren't exposed to the X-Rays long enough," Dr. 
Klein said. "In order to counteract a dose that high you'd have to be exposed to 
the X-Rays for about a minute for it to work." 
"Do you have the equipment here that we could do that?" 
"Of course." 
"How soon can it happen?" David asked eagerly. 
"Right now, if you like," Dr. Klein said. 
"Yes, I'd like that very much," he said, beaming. Lois and Clark smiled at each 
other as Dr. Klein helped David out of the tank, removed his electrodes and gave 
him his shirt back. 
The four of them walked out of the lab and down the hallway. "The Radiology Lab 
is this way," Dr. Klein said as he led them around the corner towards the East 
Wing of the building. As they turned the corner they saw a heavyset man with 
graying hair talking to a scientist. David turned and ran behind Clark, using 
Clark as a shield of sorts to block him from the man's view. 
"Dr. Banner, what is it?" Clark whispered. 
"That man," he whispered back, pointing. "His name's Jack McGee, he's a
reporter for the National Register, the paper I mentioned earlier. He follows 
the Hulk everywhere. He must have heard about him being here this morning." 
"The Hulk?" Clark asked, confused. 
"That's what he calls the creature I become. He knows me, knows David Banner. 
He'd recognize me in a second. I can't let him see me." 
Clark looked around, and noticed a bin of spectacle-like goggles nearby. He 
grabbed a pair and gave them to Dr. Banner. 
"Here, put these on." 
David looked at the goggles. "Do you honestly think that a pair of glasses will 
keep him from recognizing me?" 
"Trust me," Clark said through clenched teeth. David put on the goggles and 
walked right past Mr. McGee without even getting a second glance. 
"Amazing!" Banner exclaimed. "Why didn't I ever think of that before?" 
They walked into the Radiology Lab and over to a large table. "Dr. Banner, if 
you could lie down on this table," Dr. Klein said, gesturing. David did so. Dr.
Klein pressed a button on a large console and some type of barrel-shaped laser 
lowered from the ceiling. Dr. Klein adjusted it to point at David. "Now hold 
still. As I said, this will last for just one minute." He walked back to the 
console and pressed a button. A timer on the wall lit up and began counting down 
from one minute. 
Suddenly, sparks flew from the console. Lights blinked on and off. "Dear God, a 
power surge!" Klein cried. A huge bolt shot out from the ray and struck Dr. 
Banner. 
Banner screamed in pain as the bolt passed though his body. He felt a burning 
inside him as his eyes turned white....
______________________________________________________________________ 
A bolt of electricity shot from the ray into David. He screamed in pain as he 
fell from the table onto the floor. His eyes turned white. His clothing began to 
tear. His body grew and changed until David Banner was no more, and the beast 
known as the Hulk stood in his place. 
"My God," Dr. Klein cried, backing away. The creature got to it's feet and let 
out a terrible roar. 
"I'll, uh, go call a security guard," Clark offered as he turned and ducked out 
of the room. A moment later, Superman flew in. The Hulk recognized Superman, and 
growled at him. 
"Easy, big guy," Clark said. "No one wants to hurt you." 
The Hulk pushed Dr. Klein out of the way, tore the console he'd been working at 
right out of the ground and threw it at Superman. Moving at super-speed, the Man 
of Steel caught the gigantic piece of machinery in his powerful arms and slowly 
lowered it to the ground. As he did, the creature ripped the X-Ray projector gun 
out of the ceiling and smashed it over Superman's head. 
"He's destroying the equipment!" Dr. Klein yelled. 
"Right along with Dr. Banner's chance for a cure," Lois sighed. 
Dr. Klein turned to Lois. "Wait a minute...maybe not!" He called to Superman. 
"Superman, there's a large radiation chamber in Radiology Two. If we can get the 
creature into it, I could set it to X-Ray and..." 
"Good idea Dr. Klein. You and Lois go get it set up while I keep this guy busy," 
he said. Lois and Dr. Klein turned to leave just as the Hulk picked up the lab 
table and broke it over Superman's head. "What's with you and smashing things?" 
Superman asked the monster. 
"Urrh?" The monster made a confused noise. 
"You," Superman said, picking up a large piece of the table. "Always smashing 
things, like this!" He cracked it against the monster's head. 
"RROOOAAARRRRR!!!!" 
"Clar--Superman, what are you doing?!" Lois asked, pausing in the doorway of the 
lab. 
"Trying to make him angry so he'll chase me. Then I can get him to follow me to 
the radiation chamb--oop!" The Hulk grabbed Superman and lifted him up. Then he 
threw Superman into the console that he'd managed to save earlier. 
"But apparently, the madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets," Superman said, 
getting up from the debris. The monster roared again. "Lois, go help Dr. Klein. 
I'll be fine with the jolly green giant, here." Lois did as Superman asked for 
once. As she left, another man came in. It was Jack McGee. 
"You," the reporter said, glaring at the monster. 
Superman turned. "Great," he thought. "Banner said this guy's been following the 
creature from the beginning. He's all I need now." Superman turned his attention 
back to the Hulk and unleashed a blast of heat vision. The creature roared. 
"What are you doing?!" McGee cried. 
"Mr. McGee," Superman said. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave. I have a plan." 
"Care to let me in on it?" 
"I'm trying to make him angry," Superman explained. "You wouldn't like him when 
he's angry." As he said this, the creature roared again and lunged at Superman. 
The two struggled for a moment as each tried to overpower the other. 
"I've seen him angry, believe me," McGee said. 
"I-uhnn-believe you-arrgh!" Superman grunted, trying to throw the creature off 
of him. He finally succeeded as he slammed Hulk into the wall. "Now leave, 
McGee! I'm strong enough to fight off the creature, but you're just an ordinary 
man!" 
The Hulk ripped a chunk out of the wall and threw it at Superman. As it flew 
toward him, Superman punched the flying chunk of wall and shattered it. 
"An 'ordinary man' becomes the Hulk. I've seen it," Jack bragged. 
"Have you?" Superman asked, curious as to how much McGee actually knew. He 
picked up one of the chunks and beaned the Hulk in the head with it. "What does 
he look like?" 
"Well, ah," McGee stammered. "His face was bandaged so I couldn't get a good 
look at it. But he had dark brown hair, medium height, medium build...." 
The Hulk ripped another computer console out of the ground and threw it at 
Superman, who dodged it at super speed and let it hit the wall. "Mister McGee," 
Superman said, figuring he'd play dumb. "I find it hard to believe that an 
'ordinary man' transforms into a seven foot tall green monster." 
"It's true, I tell you! It's absolutely true! And I intend to find out who he is 
and expose him to the world." 
"That's great," Superman said, blowing some of his super-cold freeze breath at 
the Hulk. "Assuming you don't get killed in the process." The Hulk was slowed 
down a little, but not frozen. He roared again. 
"The creature's only killed twice that we know of," McGee said. "A woman named 
Elaina Marks and a scientist named David Banner." 
Superman threw some of the busted console at the creature. "Dr. Klein
mentioned hearing about that on the tape," Superman thought, recalling.
"Elaina Marks died in the explosion that supposedly killed Dr. Banner. Jack 
McGee has always blamed the Hulk for both of their deaths." 
Then a voice came over the PA system. It was Dr. Klein. "All systems are go, 
Superman! Whenever you're ready." 
Superman fired an incredible blast of heat vision at the Hulk. The creature let 
out a deafening roar and charged at him. "McGee! Get out of the way!" Superman 
called as he ran for the door. Superman didn't have to tell him twice. Superman 
ran out of the lab with the Hulk chasing close behind. McGee followed at a safe 
distance. 
Superman led the beast down several hallways before he finally found
Radiology Two. As he ran into the lab, he glared at Dr. Klein. "Next time we do 
this, you might want to tell me where Radiology Two IS first." 
The doctor shrugged. "I'm sorry?" he offered. 
The Hulk thundered into the room and growled at Superman. Slowly, Superman 
backed into the radiation chamber. The monster followed him. Just as the 
creature was about to enter the chamber, Jack McGee burst into the lab. 
"What's going on here?" he demanded. The Hulk turned and roared at Jack, whom he 
also recognized as an enemy. He started walking towards McGee. 
Dr. Klein ran to the door and pushed McGee out. "Sorry, high radiation levels. 
You'll have to leave!" 
"But--" 
"Sorry!" He slammed the door and locked it. 
"Hey, big guy," Superman called to the Hulk. He turned at growled. Slowly he 
walked towards Superman again. As he finally entered the chamber, Superman 
darted out at super-speed. "Now, Dr. Klein!" he yelled. 
Dr. Klein hit a button and the door slammed shut. With another button, the 
chamber was flooded with X-Ray radiation. The creature was very angry at being 
tricked. It pounded on the door of the chamber and roared. Superman and Lois 
exchanged worried glances, which Dr. Klein caught. 
"Don't worry," he said. The chamber only has to hold him for a minute." 
"Good luck," Lois said. 
The Hulk continued to pound on the door. It started to give way. Superman ran to 
the door and braced himself against it. After what seemed like forever, a minute 
passed. "Time!" Klein called. Superman backed away from the door. The Hulk gave 
it one final smash and it came flying off. 
Wearily, the creature emerged from the chamber. It gave one last, weak growl at 
Superman, then collapsed onto the floor. In front of their eyes, the beast 
reverted back to Dr. David Banner. 
"Dr. Banner," Superman said, kneeling down. "Are you all right?" 
Banner got to his knees, then stood up. "Yes..." he said slowly. "I'm better 
than all right!" He touched his face. "I'm normal again! I-I can't feel his 
presence!" 
"What do you mean?" Dr. Klein asked. 
"The Hulk, the creature," he said. "I don't feel him inside of me any more! I 
don't feel that he can take control of me! I'm cured!" David hugged Dr. Klein, 
then Superman, then Lois. "Thank you, thank you all so much!" 
"Don't mention it," Superman said, smiling. 
"Where's that other man?" David asked, looking around. "Where's Clark?" 
"Uh, he probably got scared when you turned into the creature," Lois said. 
Superman nodded. "Yeah, that must be it." 
"Well you, Miss Lane, and your partner Mr. Kent, have got yourselves an
exclusive interview with the just-revealed-to-be-alive Dr. David Banner," David 
said smiling. 
"Sounds good to me," Lois said. 
"David," Dr. Klein said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to run a few tests. Maybe, 
if we worked together, we could find a way to harness the healing ability you 
had as the creature without his aggressiveness and anger. What a benifit to 
mankind that would be!" 
David nodded. "That would be perfect!" he said, shaking Dr. Klein's hand. 
"Well," Superman said. "All's well that ends well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd 
better go get Jack McGee out of here before--" 
"Let him come in," David said. 
"Huh?" Lois and Superman exclaimed in unison. 
"Now that I'm cured I see no harm in letting him know that all this time the 
true identity of the creature he's obsessed with was a man who he saw 'die.'
Kind of ironic, isn't it?" 
"Yes," Superman nodded, smiling. "It certainly is." 
THE END
----------------------
***This story is dedicated in loving memory of Bill Bixby, a man who's life and 
work I will always look up to and respect. Rest in peace, my friend.***-Russ 
Dimino.