The Incredible Hulk

With his foot caught in a bear trap, Bruce Banner is in the sights of a hunter who has confused him for Bigfoot. However, the stress of being caught in said trap has triggered a transformation into the Hulk. This is fortuitous as the hunter fires off a shot, which harmlessly bounces off the Hulk's bulletproof hide. Furious none-the-less, the Hulk rips free of the bear trap and throws it at the hunter, striking him in the chest, knocking him out instantly.

Soon the Hulk hears music coming from a nearby cabin, and while the Hulk finds its soothing tones drawing him in, he quickly realises that it will calm him enough to cause a reversion back into Bruce Banner. Furious at this, the Hulk smashes into the cabin and finds a Native American man playing the flute. He becomes furious that this man would calm him enough to change him back into Banner and threatens to smash him. However, the music has drawn another beast to the scene, the Susquatch who attacks the Hulk for striking at the man who summoned it.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Passing Cloud, Susqatch

The Black Knight

In the middle of their journey into Otherworld, the Black Knight, Captain Britain, the Walker, and Moondog are suddenly attacked by the deadly Iron Ogre. When the heroes try to fight the creature, it easily fends off Captain Britain. When the Black Knight tries to smite the monster with his sword. However, the Ogre knocks the mystic blade from the Knight's hand and then shatters it to pieces. This sudden turn of events shocks the Black Knight who believes that he is doomed without his enchanted weapon. The Walker then tries to cast a spell with his enchanted walking stick, but the Iron Ogre snatches this from the mystic's hand and breaks it in half.

Captain Britain then dives onto their foe and as the two struggle, Moondog is able to piece the Ogre's hide by striking him in the armpit with an arrow. The Ogre dies instantly and falls face first into the fire they have set. With the battle over, Moondog warns them that the danger has not passed and with their weapons nearly depleted they must be incredibly careful. The Elf, howver, believes that despite this setback they can still win the day.

Recurring Characters

Black Knight, Captain Britain, Walker, Moondog, Iron Ogre

Continuity Notes

• Although the Ebony Blade is broken here, it is eventually repaired in Hulk Comic #60.

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Nick Fury and his agents Dum Dum Dugan and the Countess, along with their ally Nasar al Din, have followed agents of Sept into the Sahara Desert. When their foes disappeared, Fury believes that they are walking into a trap. In order to send a message out to their enemies, they fire a missile from their dune buggy ahead of them to see what it will stir up. They then hop off their vehicle to scout things out, but soon find themselves trapped in a nearly indestructible sphere that was hiding in the desert sand. While they try in vain to break free, a baloon suddenly inflates that takes the sphere up into the sky. Watching this from his hideout is Sept's field commander Abdul Kazir, who is confident that this will spell the end of Nick Fury.

Soon the captured agents approach Septs secret lair as a massive panel in the desert floor opens to reveal it. Seeking to get out, Fury attempts to use his particle-beam blaster to get them out. While it fails to shatter the sphere, it melts a hole in it allowing Nasar to shoot the balloon carrying them with his musket. With the sphere safely on the ground, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents manage to break themselves free. Suddenly VTOL jets emerge from the opening in the desert and begins attacking them. Fury then orders his agents to dive into the hole so they can take the battle directly to Sept.

Recurring Characters

SHIELD (Nick Fury, Dum Dum Dugan, Countess Valentina), Nasar al Din, Sept (Abdul Kazir)

Continuity Notes

• Dum Dum Dugan's appearance here is complicated as he's not in the flesh. He was mortally wounded decades ago as revealed in Original Sins #5. He has since been operating in sophisticated LMD bodies as revealed in New Avengers (vol. 4) #17.

Night-Raven

At the offices of The Sentinel newspaper, the chief assigns his crime reporter Scoop Daly to find out what he can learn about the mysterious vigilante known as the Night Raven. Accepting the assignment Daly goes to a shady part of town and checks into the Hotel Riviera. In his shoddy hotel room, Scoop then preps his camera to snap a photo of the mysterious vigilante, confident that he will be able to succeed in his assignment.

Later that evening, Scoop is walking the streets when he suddenly gets lost and is attacked by a mugger who holds him at knife point. Before he can be stabbed, the mugger is sent fleeing by the sudden arrival of a police car. As the officers streak by with guns blazing, Scoop makes the futile effort of trying to stop them for help, but the drive onward, ignoring him. Suddenly a massive bird with a face that resembles the mark of the masked man he has been hired to find appears in the sky. Pleading to be left alone, Scoop is grabbed by the bird and flown high above the city. Screaming, Daly wakes up to find out that the entire ordeal has been nothing more than a terrible nightmare.

However, the screaming hasn't stopped and he realizes that someone is screaming in the lobby downstairs. Sneaking to the stairs, Scoop witnesses a robbery in progress and begins setting up his camera for an exclusive photo. As he begins focusing the lens, he witnesses the Night Raven enter the room and becomes even more excited for what will happen next.

Recurring Characters

Night-Raven, Scoops Daly