File:Incredible Hulk Vol 1 189 001.jpg

Description
Hulk emerges from the big explosion of the previous issue, still in Soviet territory. Hulk wanders off and eventually comes across a puny human singing by a stream. Enchanted by the singing, he befriends the singer, a local girl named Katrina. Hulk discovers Katrina is blind. Hulk mistakenly shot by Katrina's family. Katrina quells the Hulk's temper before any fight ensued. Her family realize that the Hulk was not one of those who torment us. Katrina's grandfather, Doctor Palkov, even suggests that the Hulk might be able to help them against the Dark Ones. They return to their small village. Palkov brings Hulk back to his laboratory and reveals that he has been trying to find a cure for Katrina's blindness. Hulk describes Palkov as a friend upon hearing this. Hulk sleeps in Palkov's laboratory but was disturbed by the arrival of little shadows moving in the dark. These little men are pale, mole-like creatures with no apparent speech. Hulk smashes. Hulk follows the retreating darklings into a cave where he was ambushed by more of the darklings. They subdued him by spraying unknown gas. Hulk wakes up and finds himself face to face with the Mole Man, who explains how he escaped their previous encounter alive. The Mole Man reveals that Doctor Palkov had indeed found a cure for blindness, derived from a unique flora that bloom in the region only once in a hundred years. The Mole Man now has this cure with him and plans to use it on himself instead of the intended recipient, Katrina. Hulk breaks free from his confinement. Hulk grabs the syringe containing the cure. Hulk fights against a whole army of the Mole Man's slaves. Hulk breaks a beam to use as a weapon but it was the main support beam of the structure. A cave-in resulted. Outside, Katrina's family had followed the Hulk's track to the outside of the cave but can proceed no further. They assume Hulk is dead but Hulk then emerges from the ruins. Hulk gives cure to Doctor Palkov. Katrina is cured but instead of seeing Hulk for who he is, she visualize a fantasy image of a rugged, good-looking normal man. But Hulk sees the false image reflected in her eyes when she hugs him. Hulk abruptly leaves the village there and then. Hulk had looked into Katrina's eyes and Hulk had seen a man there and Hulk is only a monster. Parting shot is of a teary Hulk.