The Incredible Hulk, Vol. 1 #279
Marvel Comics
In Collection
#189
0*
Everybody Loves a Parade, Right? - Acceptance
January 1983
Comic  Modern Age $0.60
Read It: No 32 Pages

Now that Bruce Banner has full control of the Hulk and has been granted a pardon for his past rampages, he is celebrated as a hero. A huge parade is thrown in his honor in New York City which includes superheroes from all over the world. The parade finally ends at a massive stage set up in Central Park where a congratulatory ceremony is to take place. As the Hulk and Rick Jones exit his parade vehicle, Banner notices General Ross among the soldiers there to congratulate him. Banner asks the General if this means if his animosity toward him is over. Ross replies that it is, so long as Banner maintains control of the Hulk. Not far away a newscaster tells a live audience of the events leading up to the Hulk's pardon, including his battle against the U-Foes and defending Washington D.C. from an apparent alien invasion. The Hulk mounts the stairs to the stage where he is greeted by Mister Fantastic and the Invisible Girl of the Fantastic Four as well as Captain America and Thor of the Avengers. The Mayor of New York City then awards the Hulk with the key of the city which is met with wild praise from the audience of superheroes watching. As the crowd goes wild, not everyone is happy about the Hulk's amnesty, namely Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson. As Spider-Man takes pictures from afar for the Bugle, a reporter interviews Foggy Nelson about how his partner Matt Murdock managed to get amnesty for the Hulk. Murdock is not among the crowd, but high above in his costumed identity of Daredevil so his enhanced senses don't get overwhelmed. Next a bunch of speeches are made from the superhero community. Mister Fantastic talks about Bruce Banner's scientific achievements before the gamma bomb explosion that turned him into the Hulk. Iron Man then takes the podium and talks about how the Hulk was one of the founding members of the Avengers. In the crowd are Hellcat and Doctor Strange of the Defenders, and both wonder if the Hulk will remain a part of the Defenders now that Bruce Banner is now in control of the Hulk. The Hulk takes the stage next and thanks everyone for their hospitality. Among the crowd is Rick Jones, who wishes his old friend Captain Marvel could be alive to see this. The Hulk's other former partner, Jim Wilson is also in the crowd who is proud the Hulk is having his moment, but feels sad because he believes that his friend may have forgotten about him. Next comes a surprise when the Thing carries in a massive statue of the Hulk sculpted out of Adamantium by Alicia Masters. The two long-time rivals then shake hands and the Thing admits that the Hulk was always the stronger of the two of them. Down in the crowd below, General Ross asks Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan about security in the area. Fury assures him that SHIELD agents are set up around the premises looking out for trouble. Suddenly, the Inhuman Royal Family teleports into the middle of the festivities. On behalf of Black Bolt, Crystal gives the Hulk a bouquet of flowers that were grown on the Inhumans new home on the Moon. As soon as the Inhumans depart, Thor then uses his hammer to open a portal to Asgard where many warriors have gathered on the Bifrost bridge to cheer the Hulk. Next the Sub-Mariner arrives with a conch as well as a solute from a ship of his warriors. Next the Hulk is congratulated by heroes from around the world: The Black Panther from Wakanda, the Arabian Knight from Egypt, Alpha Flight from Canada, Sunfire from Japan, Shamrock from Ireland, Defensor from South America, Sabra from Israel, the Soviet Super-Soldiers from Russia, Captain Britain, and Blitzkrieg from Germany. The last few visitors are of a cosmic level, first the Silver Surfer comes to congratulate the Hulk, who says the fact that the Hulk is free from his curse gives him hope that his will end soon as well. He is also visited by the Watcher, who presents the Hulk with a crystal containing thanks from all the alien races he has helped during his career. The Watcher then vanishes, and the press trying to document the event find their cameras apparently no longer work. Lastly, Willie Lumpkin and an army of postal workers come to deliver bags upon bags of fan mail from people congratulating the Hulk. The entire spectacle brings a tear to Bruce Banner's eyes. Above all the excitement is the alien Bereet, who is happy for the Hulk but wonders who could have created the phony Krylorian space ships that attacked Washington. While aboard his space station, the Leader gloats that this celebration is just part of his latest revenge scheme against the Hulk. Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four then closes up the ceremony. As the superhero community continue their congratulations of the Hulk, Banner spies Betty Ross in the crowd with Doc Samson. Betty then waves to Bruce before disappearing into the crowd. While the whole world embraces the Hulk, Bruce Banner still feels utterly alone without the woman he loves most by his side.
Creators
Writer Bill Mantlo
Penciller Greg LaRocque
Colorist Bob Sharen
Letterer Janice Chiang
Layouts Mark Gruenwald
Editor Al Milgrom
Editor In Chief Jim Shooter
Characters
Vision
Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon)
Jack of Hearts (Jack Hart)
Gorgon
Betty Ross
Willie Lumpkin
Triton
Falcon (Sam Wilson)
Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)
Watcher (Uatu)
Nick Fury
Darkstar (Laynia Petrovna)
Torpedo (Brock Jones)
Luna Maximoff
Vanguard
Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)
Machine Man (Aaron Stack)
Stingray (Walter Newell)
Wonder Man (Simon Williams)
Alicia Masters
Leader (Samuel Sterns)
She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
Jim Wilson
Bereet
Major Ursus
Jackdaw
Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)
Arabian Knight (Abdul Qamar)
Defensor
Sabra (Ruth Bat-Seraph)
Blitzkrieg
Storm (Ororo Munroe)
Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida)
Karnak
Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
Black Panther (T'Challa)
Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)
Shamrock (Molly Fitzgerald)
Angel (Warren Worthington III)
Captain Britain (Brian Braddock)
Lockjaw
Iron Man (Tony Stark)
Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)
Captain America (Steve Rogers)
Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski)
Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin Boltagon)
Invisible Woman (Susan Storm-Richards)
Doc Samson (Leonard Samson)
Vindicator (James MacDonald Hudson)
Valkyrie (Brunhilde)
Thaddeus E. 'Thunderbolt' Ross
Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)
Rick Jones
Hawkeye (Clint Barton)
Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)
Thor (Donald Blake)
Hellcat (Patsy Walker-Hellstrom)
Tigra (Greer Grant-Nelson)
Iron Fist (Danny Rand)
Crystal (Crystalia Amaquelin-Maximoff)
Daredevil (Matt Murdock)
Dr. Strange (Stephen Strange)
Hulk (Bruce Banner)
Beast (Henry McCoy)
Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
Wolverine (Logan / James Howlett)
Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan
Iceman (Bobby Drake)
Colossus (Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin)
Betty Ross-Banner
Nicholas 'Nick' Fury Sr.
Machine Man (X-51 / Aaron Stack)
Luna (Luna Maximoff)
Vision (Jonas)
Blitzkrieg (Franz Mittelstaedt)
Medusa (Medusalith Amaquelin-Boltagon)
Colossus (Piotr 'Peter' Nikolaievitch Rasputin)
Beast (Henry 'Hank' McCoy)
Valkyrie (Brunnhilde)
Iron Man (Anthony 'Tony' Stark)
Iron Fist (Daniel 'Danny' Rand)
Iceman (Robert 'Bobby' Drake)
Gorgon
Karnak (Karnak Mander-Azur)
Hulk (Robert Bruce Banner)
Human Torch (Jonathan 'Johnny' Storm)

Product Details
Series Group Hulk
Genre Adventure, Super-Heroes, Action
Color Color
Country USA
Language English
Release Date January 1983