While most know the Hulk as a giant green ball of rage, many don’t realize that he was originally a different color. The original intention was for the Hulk to be grey, but due to some inking errors, he ended up as the Emerald Avenger fans know and love. However, the idea of different coloured Hulks was eventually worked into the canon, each representing a different side of Banner’s psyche. With this came the return of Grey Hulk, and while weaker than his green version, he maintained much more of his Banner side in this transformation, keeping him cool, collected, and more intelligent than his more savage green counterpart.

The issue opens with Rick Jones at a children’s hospital attempting to break up some bullying, and, in an effort to teach a lesson, begins to tell the story of how the Hulk ended up going toe-to-toe with Santa (well, kind of). His tale opens with the infamous supervillain Rhino, having a terrible holiday season — lonely, starving, and miserable, not even able to talk to other homeless people without scaring them off. As supervillains do, Rhino decides to rob a bank to try and cure some of his woes, but his plan is quickly scrapped when he discovers that the Hulk is in town (knowing the Hulk would stop any crimes he attempted). With no options, Rhino sees a Salvation Army Santa collecting money for charity, and that’s when he has an idea. Rhino knocks the man out cold and steals his outfit, planning to pretend to collect money for charity… only to take it for himself. The Santa outfit provides a hilarious, yet somewhat clever disguise, as the Rhino can’t remove his costume underneath and the hat provides cover for his large horn.

The Rhino instantly finds himself grabbed by the manager of the shopping mall — not because he has been found out, but to replace the mall Santa who has somehow injured himself. In a tender twist, the children screaming and jumping with joy as they see Rhino enter warms his heart, since it’s the first time he actually feels appreciated. Unfortunately, his love of the new job doesn’t last long, and as more and more kids ask for more and more things (specifically action figures of superheroes that beat Rhino up on the regular) Rhino loses his cool and explodes on the children.

Bad timing, since Bruce Banner overhears the commotion in the mall, before running off to the bathroom as it is close to sunset (the original trigger of his transformations, before anger). Thus the stage is set for the fight of the century. The Incredible Hulk vs. a shopping mall Santa, who just happens to be a supervillain.

When the children finally reveal the mall Santa to actually be Rhino, he loses it on the kids and begins to attack them, but luckily Grey Hulk is there to step in. A massive fight ensues, smashing throughout the entire mall, until eventually they land in front of a small girl. The girl breaks down crying asking why Santa is hurting someone and doing something so mean. When she begins to doubt if Santa is even real at all, both the Hulk and Rhino seem to have a change of heart, shifting their focus on preserving this little girl’s christmas spirit. In the end, Rhino begrudgingly returns to his post as mall Santa, now with a giant Grey Hulk elf by his side.

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