Hulked-Out Heroes

This story continues from World War Hulks #1...

While the Red Hulk faces off against the Hulked Out Heroes, Hulkpool leaves the Hellcarrier with Hydra Bob on a mission to destroy Deadpool. To this end, Hulkpool decides to use a time machine to go back in time to kill his past self. They go to the former dwelling of Thundra where a Time-Platform has been hidden away. When they arrive, Hydra Bob begins tries to convince Hulkpool about the flaw in his plan, but the brute doesn't want to listen. Bob then tries to figure out the controls and tries to send Hulkpool back in time to a period prior to his transformation by gamma radiation.

However, something goes wrong and Hulkpool finds himself transported back in time to the 1700s during the period when the Thing took on the role of Blackbeard. Hulkpool quickly forgets his mission as he suddenly becomes interested in becoming a pirate. The Thing makes him part of the crew when Hulkpool claps his hands together with sufficient knock away a waterspout. Not far away, from a rowboat, Mr. Fantastic and the Human Torch spot Hulkpool and wonder who he is. When the Thing spots his teammates, Hulkpool doesn't want them to interfere with their pirating and uses his massive lungs to blow on the sails, sending them speeding away. Hulkpool and the Thing become fast friends and spend the next few months plundering all across the Atlantic. Eventually, a British vessel arrives with a mystic who summons up a leviathan from the ocean's depths to attack the pair. Monitoring this from the present, Hydra Bob tries to transport.

Instead of being brought to the right time, both Hulkpool, the Thing, and the leviathan are teleported to prehistory. They appear in front of Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy. Devil Dinosaur bites the leviathan's tentacle, freeing its two captives. When Hulkpool suggests they help the pair out when suddenly an army of primates come out of the jungle to help Devil and Moon-Boy. While they slay the monster, Thing asks Hulkpool how he got his powers and how he could get back to his own time. Hulkpool calls out to Hydra Bob and asks him to send them home. Suddenly a time portal opens up and Bob's head pops through it. He is confused because the Time Platform still says that he is sending Hulkpool to the present when this is clearly not the case. Bob decides to try again and teleports the two away. This entire scene is watched by the primitive humans who begin worshiping Bob like a god.

In the year 1873, the Avenger known as Hawkeye has decided to stay in this era and spends time with the Two-Gun Kid. As they talk about why Hawkeye has decided to stay in the Old West, they are interrupted when the time portal opens again dumping Hulkpool, the Thing, Devil Dinosaur, Moon-Boy, and a group of primates. Devil Dinosaur tries to eat Two-Hun Kid's horse, prompting the cowboy to try shooting the creature. While Hulkpool tries to rein in Devil Dinosaur, the Thing stands in the way of the Two-Gun Kid's shots. Eventually, Moon-Boy manages to leap off Devil Dinosaur and land on the horse in order to stop his ally from eating it. By this point, Bob thinks he has figured out the time machine and attempts to send everyone back to their proper times. Although it appears everyone else is sent back to their own time, Hulkpool ends up finding himself teleported onto a field of ice. Suddenly, Captain America runs into Hulkpool while trying to rescue his partner Bucky. Hulkpool quickly realizes he is in the year 1945 and Cap's partner Bucky is holding onto a missile as it flies off into the sky and he needs to be rescued. Hulkpool promises Captain America that he will save the boy...

Recurring Characters

Deadpool, AIM Bob, Red Hulk, Thor, Thing

Continuity Notes

• Hulkpool ends up in various points in Marvel history:

  • The year 1717 when the Thing was posing as Blackbeard. This originally happened in Fantastic Four #5.

  • The pre-history of Moon-Boy and Devil Dinosaur which was first seen in Devil Dinosaur #1.

  • Hawkeye is in the Old West following the battle with Kang in that era circa Avengers #142-143. He decided to stay in the past in Avengers #147.

  • Lastly, Hulkpool visits 1945 on the day when Bucky was seemingly killed. The original version of this story was first depicted in Avengers #4. The reason why this version is different (Bucky being on a missile instead of an explosive drone).