Jason Doty wrote:Yes, I did mean the early Hulk 280's. Hulk's based in New York, and I believe it was printed at roughly the same time as the gap.
So, this works for the X-Men, now to work on Hulk. I know around that time Banner becomes the dominate personality and I still contend Wolverine had to be dealing with an inteligent Hulk in order to set up the challenge for Peter and inform Storm before the Hulk arrived. He also transformed at will at the end of the issue and introduced himself to Colossus after rendering him assistance.
Now the question begs. Is there a gap in the early 280's of Hulks comic to place this and at anytime did Hulk act "savage" for lack of a better description, because I do agree that Hulk's characterization sucks in this comic, and since I'm not as fimiliar with Hulk, I'll go with the concensus, but I want to exaust all possibilities before a rulling it out. Hulk's appearance here is just as important as my feelings regarding the X-Men. I wouldn't suggest just placing his appearance just anywhere.
1) "Incredible Hulk" vol. 2 #280 (February, 1983) is the aftermath of the superhero gathering of the previous issue, starting at midnight of the same day. Hulk is still in New York as already mentioned and reporters and photographers maintain a siege outside his hotel room. "They ask if the Hulk is dead. They ask if he is going to join the Avengers. They ask if he can change back and forth at will. They ask if he plans to engage in gamma ray research. They ask about building more gamma bombs. They ask about his favorite actress, pistachio, and if it is easy being green. The photographers start snapping picture after picture. The flashes blind Bruce. He swings his fist and tells them to get the blazes out of there. The news people start to run, but then they remember that the Hulk isn’t a monster anymore, and that Bruce Banner wouldn’t hurt them. Bruce asks what they want to know. He answers all the questions as best as he can." The Leader's plan in this issue is mostly to asses the differences between the Savage Hulk and the one controlled by Banner.
The X-Men did attend that gathering and the MCP places that issue , along with several other crossovers, in a gap between "Uncanny X-Men" #167 and #168. A bit too early for Lockheed to be hanging out with them. He is supposed to be hiding in Xavier Mansion at the time.
2) #281(March, 1983) is a direct continuation of #280. Hulk borrows a quinjet from the Avengers (Captain America, Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau, Hawkeye, Iron Man, She-Hulk, Thor, Wasp) to reach the Leader's space station. There Samuel finds out the big difference between the two Hulks. The old (Savage) Hulk "would have just kept smashing and smashing until his enemies lie defeated." ... Bruce can’t help thinking and analyzing. ... Banner’s reason douses the flames of his anger. ...Banner is ensuring his own destruction." He hands a humiliating defeat to the Hulk and lets him go, considering him beneath his notice.
3) In #282 (April, 1983), Hulk's hotel kicks him out because of the fight in his hotel room during #280. He moves to Avengers Mansion. There he fights with Arsenal, a robot created by Howard Stark and forgotten below the Mansion for quite a while. He manages to get angry for the first time when She-Hulk is thought to be heart. By the end of the issue Hulk and the Avengers have managed to locate the space station's current location and prepare to face the Leader again.
4) In #283 (May, 1983), Hulk and the Avengers (Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Iron Man, She-Hulk, Thor, Wasp) pay the Leader a visit. However Samuel is time traveling and the Avengers fall into a trap and are also lost in time. Only Hulk and She-Hulk remain in the present and pplan to locate the Leader.
5) In #284 (June, 1983), Hulk and She-Hulk time travel to 1944 France. They find Captain America exiled there by the Leader and having teamed-up with Bucky/James Buchanan Barnes from this time-period. The three of them then travel to 12th century Sherwood Forest where they locate Hawkeye and Iron Man. Hawkeye has joined Robin Hood's Merry Men and Iron Man the Black Duke's knights. The five that travel to Viking Age Greenland where they find Thor involved into conflict between two Viking factions. Then they six of them travel to prehistoric Earth where Leader has already defeated Captain Marvel and the Wasp, attempting to change the evolutionary history to produce Gamma-irradiated life-forms. They defeat the Leader who falls into an active volcano. Then the eight of them return to the present where the Wasp offers the Hulk a position with the Avengers.
6) In #285 (July, 1983), some time has passed and Hulk has moved to Northwind Observatory. At the time of the issue parts of it are still under construction by engineer Scott Lang (Ant-Man). Hulk has found time to start recording his memoirs.
7) In #286 (August, 1983), Hulk time travels from the Observatory to an alternate future era dominated by Kang the Conqueror's warrior philosophy. Kang himself does not appear but a recording of his voice does.
8) In #287 (September, 1983), Hulk hires a new research assistant for his Observatory, Dr. Kate Waynesboro. He does not find out yet that Kate is an undercover SHIELD agent. Her superiors at the agency are still suspicious of the Hulk and want to keep track of his level of control. (Shades of Nick Fury?). There are appearances by the Abomination and MODOK.
9) In #288 (October, 1983) MODOK allies with Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. They torture the Abomination, trying to get him to agree to another fight with the Hulk. Their last encounter ended with Emil beaten badly and reduced "a quivering mass of cowardice". The Hulk visits Dr. Bates, his dentist. He doesn't know Bates is also a SHIELD agent. (A SHIELD agent under every rock?)
10) In #289 (November, 1983), the subplots of the last few issues culminate in a battle between the Hulk and MODOK's faction of AIM.
Basically there are gaps of quite time for the Hulk between #284 and #285, #285 and #286 and #286-287. No ongoing plots between these issues. Would a crossover with the X-Men fit between either of the three little gaps?