Fall of the Hulks: Red Hulk #2

Mar 16

Mar 16 Fall of the Hulks: Red Hulk #2

The Deal

Now that the Intelligencia has control of the Cosmic Hulk, Bruce Banner is seeking new allies to help in stopping them. The Red Hulk suggests that they seek out Lyra, who he reveals is the daughter of Banner himself. This comes as a shock to Bruce Banner, who then learns that the mother of the child is Thundra, the warrior woman from the future. Red Hulk explains that it happened when the Hulk battled Thundra, she managed to get a DNA sample from him and used it to impregnate herself. The child was born into the 23rd century, a world where men and women are at war with each other. He then goes on to say that Lyra was recruited by the Intelligencia to be a member of the Frightful Four. With this information imparted, Bruce, A-Bomb and the Red Hulk go off to carry out their various tasks. As he leaves, the Red Hulk thinks about the facts that he kept from Banner, namely what he knows about Thundra.

He recounts how after she got the Hulk's DNA she attempted to return to her own time, however, the technology being used in the 23rd century was old and damaged and failed. She then sought out the Fantastic Four to try and return home, but Reed Richards was unable to succeed because he could not lock into her specific future. Thundra went back out into the world to wait for a means of getting back home, even contemplating buying the DNA sample so it could be recovered in the future. The Red Hulk learned about Thundra thanks to the data the Intelligencia collected from Project PEGASUS. When his former allies let their guard down, he read them to learn about who she was. He got to meet her sometime later when the She-Hulk came after him with the Lady Liberators. When he managed to get Thundra alone, he warned her that MODOK and the Leader were going to approach her and offer a means of getting home if she helped them with their scheme. Although he thought it was within their abilities, he doubted that they would follow through on their promises. He explains that he sided with them to save his country, but is weary of the fact that they will betray him and he will put a stop to their scheme. The Red Hulk tells Thundra to take up their offer until they betray her and then side with him.

The opportunity came when they gathered Code Red and fought X-Force. When Samson betrayed the Red Hulk, Thundra helped him escape. After, the Red Hulk told her to wait until the Intelligencia make their move on Doctor Doom but warned them that they might come after her again. When the Frightful Four came to offer Thundra a new deal, asking for her assistance in capturing Mr. Fantastic. Thundra then called Red Hulk for help and turned against the Wizard and his allies. While defending herself, Thundra is overpowered, but she is then rescued by the Red Hulk, who easily trounces the Wizard and his cronies, who retreat. When the Red Hulk asks Thundra what she is doing in the desert, the warrior woman explains that she is avoiding her daughter, whom she just learned has traveled back to this time. This is because any interaction with Lyra might create a time paradox that will jeopardize the future in which she was born. They parted ways again, and the Red Hulk went on to prevent the capture of Mr. Fantastic, only to discover that the Frightful Four recruited Lyra into their ranks. After he failed to stop this capture and the capture of Beast and Black Panther, he sought out Thundra again. By this point, the Intelligencia had gone after and taken Doctor Doom, leaving his castle empty.

Inside, they began searching for Doom's Time-Platform, but when they found it they were soon attacked by a pack of vampires. The overpower the Red Hulk while Thundra attempts to activate the time machine. However, the vampires grow strong on the Red Hulk's irradiated blood. Wanting to save her ally, Thundra uses the time machine to teleport them all to the desert where the vampires are incinerated by the sunlight. Thundra then explains to the Red Hulk that this was the same time machine her sisters used to send her back in time and that they found it in the desert. As such, she has hidden it in some rocks so that it can be found in the future. With destiny set on the right course, Thundra thanks the Red Hulk for his help, kissing him before transporting herself back to her own time. With Thundra gone, the Red Hulk covers up the Time-Platform and again leaves, unaware that A-Bomb has been secretly following him.

Recurring Characters

Red Hulk, Bruce Banner, A-Bomb, Thundra, Frightful Four (Wizard, Trapster, Klaw, Lyra), Mister Fantastic, X-Men (Cyclops, Iceman, Storm), (in flashback) X-Force (Wolverine, Archangel, Domino, Warpath, X-23), Code Red (Deadpool, Elektra, Punisher, Crimson Dynamo)

Continuity Notes

The chronology of this story happens as follows:
- Skaar defeats the Mole Man and Tyrannus and is celebrated by New York City, Incredible Hulk #605 and the flashback in the first story of Incredible Hulk #606.
- The meeting between Red Hulk, Banner and A-Bomb in this issue happens next.
- The apparent death of Thaddeus Ross and his funeral in Fall of the Hulks: Gamma #1
- The capture of Reed Richards by the Intelligencia in Hulk Vol 2 #19.
- The Beast and Black Panther are captured in Hulk Vol 2 #20.
- The capture of Doctor Doom in the first story of Incredible Hulk #606.
- Thundra and Red Hulk recover the Time-Platform from Doom's castle in this story.

Lyra was born after Thundra managed to steal the Hulk's DNA, that happened in Hulk: Raging Thunder #1.

Lyra was recruited into the Frightful Four in Incredible Hulk #605.

Mention is made how the Wizard has a habit of recruiting red-haired women into his Frightful Four. They are referring to:
- Medusa, who joined the original team in Fantastic Four #36.
- Thundra first joined the Frightful Four in Fantastic Four #129.
- More recently, Titania joined the group in Fantastic Four #326.