For some reason, I thought this was going to be the Hulk vs. the Klan.

Even putting aside the dramatic flames and creepy culty types, "They fan the flames of fear!" is a heck of a tagline. So, I was kind of surprised to find I knew where this was headed instead. From 1979, Incredible Hulk #240, "...and now, El Dorado" Written by Roger Stern, pencils by Sal Buscema, inks by Joe Sinnott.

We saw Hulk #243 some time back, and this was building up to that; as a mysterious 'They' has arranged for the Hulk and his currently-unconscious, unwilling sidekick Goldbug, to arrive at the mystical city of El Dorado. The locals are surprisingly enthusiastic to see him, since they think the Hulk is there to save them; but the Hulk knows this is some kind of trap, and is losing patience waiting for it to go off.

Meanwhile, back at Gamma Base, a pilot makes a showboat of a landing in a "delta-wing" fighter, vaguely resembling a Canadian Avro Arrow. Clay Quatermain surprised to find, the pilot was the returning Betty Ross! Formerly Talbot; her divorce had gone through; and she seemed to be thriving. It's not surprising she picked up a few things growing up on an Air Force base, but she seems to have the run of the place even if daddy wasn't home: "Thunderbolt" Ross had an outburst in front of the press, and was currently under Doc Samson's care somewhere in the Rockies. Betty is somewhat at a loss, but a message arrives for her from writer Fred Sloan, who hoped to interview her for his book about the Hulk.

Back in El Dorado, the Hulk eats a massive dinner, before "They" arrive, the High Triumvirate of El Dorado. The eldest, Des, is somehow familiar to the Hulk; and the geezer guesses correctly that the Hulk wouldn't just smash an old guy. Which leaves the Hulk open to Des's gambit: with a "sight-crystal," he shows the Hulk Gamma Base, where the body of Jarella was still in a lab. Hulk calls that a lie, but knows it isn't; and Des presses on: the scientists and soldiers had her body, and could do whatever they wanted with it, and the Hulk couldn't stop them. Furious, the Hulk smashes his way outside, but in the rain can still hear Des taunting him: he didn't know where he was, or how to get back, and was absolutely helpless in this situation. This triggers something I didn't think happened until much later in the series: to flee this pain he couldn't fight, the Hulk reverts to Banner. Des does not seem surprised by this, but rather disgusted.

The next day, Banner gets some exposition from They: Des was new to the group, the other two had fought the Avengers back in Avengers #30-31. The sacred flame of El Dorado had been snuffed there, but was being rekindled--and Banner was going to be fuel for the flame! Man, I can't believe this plotline was going to run like three more issues; and the next issue box teases "The surprise return of the Hulk's oldest foe!" but that might be chronologically, not by appearances! No spoiler here, but 'Des' was not what he appeared to be...