If Roy tries to take credit for creating Nightcrawler, I'll be ever so pissed.

I am unreasonably mad at a long-dead reprint title today, since I've always wanted reprints of the Hulk/Doom fight from Hulk #144, but Marvel Super-Heroes #93 reprints Hulk #142, and the next issue jumps to #145! Ugh, pain in my...Still, we mentioned this one recently, and now's as good a time as any: from 1979, Marvel Super-Heroes #78, reprinting 1970's Incredible Hulk #126, "...Where Stalks the Night-Crawler!" Written by Roy Thomas, art by Herb Trimpe.

In the previous issue, the Hulk had fought the Absorbing Man; and Bruce Banner is seemingly worn out already. Luckily, some friendly folks pick him up and take him home...because they intend to sacrifice him, for their "Undying Ones." As often happens to Bruce! Cultist "Sister Barbara" seems to be having some qualms, but lets herself be bossed about, dosing Bruce with "the Vapors of Valtorr!" Hmm, those sound familiar. The head cultist, Van Nyborg, also name-drops Dormammu and Satannish, as he launches the groggy Bruce, into another dimension, to face...the Night-Crawler?

Meanwhile--literally a meanwhile here! Doctor Strange, in his blue facemask era, has been trapped in the realm of the Undying Ones, since Sub-Mariner #22--holy cr--I mean, Shades of the Seraphim, that issue hit stands 11/11/1969; Hulk #126 was 01/13/1970. Enh, not that long, I guess; it looked longer at first glance! The Undying Ones had been unable to force Strange to let them out of that dimension; but Strange was also unable to leave himself. Van Nyborg was putting 'plan B' into effect for the Undying Ones; siccing the Hulk on the "Night-Crawler" so then the Undying Ones could use his dimension as an exit route. A couple problems, though: the beligerent Night-Crawler wasn't going to let that happen, since he seemed to have a long-standing grievance with them; and Bruce was going to let himself get killed, rather cause more terror. When Barbara stands up to Van Nyborg, that gives him an idea, and he calls an audible, punting Barbara to land with Bruce: Night-Crawler recognizes her outfit as Undying One colors, so she was an enemy. Bruce had been okay with dying, but couldn't leave the girl to it, and Hulks out.

Even so, this Night-Crawler was pretty good sized, seemingly still bigger than the Hulk; and armed with a darkness-casting "Sceptre of Shadow." Knocked off the floating rock, the Hulk is drifting helplessly in the dark, until he brushes against another floating rock, and punches it so hard it creates a massive explosion of heat and light, weakening the Night-Crawler. Before he can use his Sceptre to finish off the Hulk, Barbara gets a lucky shot in when she throws a stone infused with "light-energy" and smashes the Sceptre. He moves to threaten the girl, and the Hulk defends her, eventually unleashing a mighty hand-clap that seems to do a number on Night-Crawler's weird floating rock dimension, forcing him to transport them all to the Undying Ones' realm. Pissed, Night-Crawler tears into them, intent on taking their home to replace his own. Strange is relieved: that fight would hold things up until the stars were unaligned, and the Undying Ones wouldn't be able to make a try for earth for maybe centuries. (Or five years. Either or.)

The Hulk offers to free Strange; but Strange tells him he can't leave, without someone taking his place. To redeem herself, Barbara chooses to do so, freeing him; and Strange and the Hulk escape: it wouldn't be the last we'd see of her, though. (Would it? Poor Valkyrie's origin was always kind of murky, and multiple retcons haven't helped.) The Hulk reverts to Banner, who urges Strange to get away from him; but Strange isn't one to abandon a friend, and helps him into the Sanctum Sanctorum, where they both make a change of clothes. Strange was leaving his old home--to "walk among men--as a man!"--seemingly turning away from the realms of magic. The caption in the last panel really tries to sell it: "And so, moments later, two most unique mortals depart--perhaps nevermore to meet this side of the grave--!" Strange wouldn't be seen again until the introduction of the Defenders in Marvel Feature #1, on sale 07/27/1971! A year and a half break! 

Anyway, you might have recently seen Roy Thomas wrangling to get (co-)credit for creating Wolverine. And...yeah. Even if he had a lotta input there; geez, let's face it: Chris Claremont might not have created Wolverine, but he made him, dig?