Hulk #1
The Gathering Storm
Now
Emma Tolliver is sitting at home, when she hears the wail of Tornado sirens begins as her Dad, Jonas Tolliver bursts in and picks up her daughter. He rushes her to the storm cellar as a truck crashes into the roof of the house, all the while calling for Bruce. She runs off and the Truck explodes in front of Emma....
A Few Days Prior
Bruce Banner is on a bus traveling to Kansas City when he decides to stay in the town they've stopped in. Taking residence in the house of an old lady, he dreams of the Hulk destroying the town and wakes up to find the town has in fact been destroyed by the Hulk. Feeling guilty he helps the cleanup effort along with FEMA and Sheriff Jonas offers to give him a room for time being for his hard work. While the Sheriff goes into town Bruce looks after Emma but begins to feel funny and passes out. As Jonas meets with FEMA they detect a Gamma signal originating from Jonas' house.
Now
... Emma is all right and on the other side of a wall of flame, her dad tells her to go and find protection from the fire. She rushes to the barn to rescue the horses, just as the Hulk crashes through the roof of the barn.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Jonas Tolliver, Emma Tollilver
Continuity Notes
The Gathering Storm
Bruce Banner's lack of control can be attributed to the machinations of Tyrannus as revealed in Hulk #3.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Hulk (But Were Afraid to Ask!)
Nick Fury has summoned John Byrne and Ron Garney, the current producer of the Hulk books for Marvel Comics, so he can give them the straight deal on Bruce Banner, the tortured soul that has become the Hulk.
He reiterates the Hulk's origins, how Bruce Banner was developing a gamma bomb for the military. Spotting young Rick Jones out near the bomb, he rushed out to save the youth. He managed to push Rick into a protective trench but was caught in the gamma blast himself. Banner miraculously survived, however when the sun went down that night he turned into a gray man-monster later dubbed the Hulk. He also mentions how the Hulk changed green shortly thereafter and was looked after by Rick Jones, who felt he owed the Hulk for saving his life.
Fury also talks about the Hulk's early battles with the Sub-Mariner, the Avengers, and the Thing. Fury also speaks of the Hulk's many foes, as well as his allies Doc Samson and the She-Hulk. He talks about all the times the Hulk cured himself only to willingly become the Hulk again. In addition, he speaks of the time, recently, that Banner had full control of the Hulk's body yet was still considered an outlaw. Now that Bruce Banner has turned himself in after being accused of deliberately killing three hundred and sixty people, Fury wants the two comic book creators to tell all of the good that the Hulk has done in the hopes of saving his life.
Recurring Characters
SHIELD (Nick Fury), John Byrne, Bruce Banner
Continuity Notes
The appearance of John Byrne and Ron Garney here are exempt from the topical reference rules of the Sliding Timescale of the Earth-616 universe. This is because Marvel Comics creators all exist in the modern age and are all living in their relative prime.
Nick Fury recounts the events leading to the birth of the Hulk as seen in Incredible Hulk #1. However, in this recounting, Betty Ross is depicted as though she was part of a gamma bomb project as opposed to merely being the General's daughter. This was an attempt by John Byrne to retcon some of the origins of various characters, particularly the Hulk and Spider-Man. This depiction is in line with the Hulk origin told in Incredible Hulk Annual 1999. However, these retcons were ultimately abandoned and delegated to an alternate reality of Earth-9992.
Fury also mentions how the Hulk started off gray and turned green, this was first depicted in Incredible Hulk #2, the use of the Gamma Ray Projector began in Incredible Hulk #3.
The scene of the Thing and the Avengers fighting the Hulk was taken from Fantastic Four #25.
The Hulk's first battles with the Sub-Mariner and Thor happened in Avengers #3.
Fury mentions the various times that Bruce Banner had cured himself of the Hulk and at least once instance where he willingly cursed himself again. Of the many times the Hulk was cured it was only in Incredible Hulk #141 that Banner willingly mutated himself for selfish purposes.
Fury also mentions the most recent time that Banner took control of the Hulk's body. This happened allegedly in Incredible Hulk #377 when Doc Samson seemingly merged all of Banner’s personalities into one unified being. However, Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #12 reveals that the “Professor” Hulk was just another part of Banner’s fractured psyche.
