Death Match

While trying to get away from his pursuers, the Hulk has found himself tracked down by Wolverine, who has come to try and take the gamma-spawned monster down as a favor to SHIELD. Although greatly weakened because of his bone claws, Wolverine gets the advantage by stabbing them into the Hulk's eyes, blinding the monster. The Hulk still knocks Wolverine aside and is so angry by this attack that he causes the cliff they are standing on to collapse with a single blow. At the bottom of the hillside, the Hulk rages on because he still can't see. Wolverine tries to go in for another attack, but the Hulk breaks off the claws on one hand and tosses him into a nearby tree. As he recovers, Wolverine regrets doing this favor for Dum Dum Dugan instead of returning home after his adventure with Alpha Flight.

Before Wolverine can put down the Hulk, the gamma-spawned monster hears some nearby campers and stumbles onto their site. Wolverine's attempts to get the Hulk to leave the area fails and the monster slams into the campers van, causing it to explode. Wolverine discovers that he has been gored by some of the broken glass from the exploding van. As he mends his wound, the Hulk heads toward the campers. When Wolverine tries to call the brute back, the Hulk tells him that he is tired of his tricks. While deep below in Subterranea, the Tyrannoids inform their master that they have located the Hulk once again. As Tyrannus praises these machines, he pauses to wonder who could have created devices that were specifically made to track the Hulk, let alone leave them for him to find. Back on the surface, the Hulk has grabbed one of the campers and threatens to kill the girl unless Wolverine surrenders. With no other choice, Wolverine allows the Hulk to grab hold of him. The man-monster tosses the girl away, and with one arm pinned, Wolverine has no choice but to stab the claws of his free hand into the Hulk's groin. Shouting with pain, the Hulk tosses Wolverine far away. Elsewhere, Apocalypse shows his newest agent, Death, images of the Hulk as his now and as he was as his agent War. The eternal mutant tells Death that the Hulk was a failure and must be destroyed no matter what. Meanwhile, Wolverine crashes into the side of a rail bridge. When the Hulk smashes into it, he takes it out. It's at this moment that Tyrannus tries to take control of the Hulk but can't understand why he can't see. Making the Hulk slam his fists into the ground, Tyrannus knocks Wolverine aside allowing the Hulk to escape.

The Hulk lands in a nearby town, landing onto an electronics store that is tuned to some "man on the street" opinions about the Hulk. When Wolverine catches up to the Hulk, the brute's eyes have fully healed. Wolverine lures the Hulk to a nearby mine. Inside, he tricks the Hulk into punching a wall that releases a pocket of gas that knocks the Hulk out, causing him to revert back into Bruce Banner. When Banner wakes up, Wolverine asks him what's going on. Bruce explains that his entire world has been destroyed, starting with the death of his wife and the loss of his family. When Wolverine brings up the Hulk's latest rampages, he gives Banner one chance to give him a reason not to kill him right then and there. Bruce explains how recently his foe Tyrannus has managed to take control of him while he is the Hulk. Believing Banner's word, Wolverine cuts Banner loose and wishes him the best on his path of redeeming.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, “Wolverine”, Tyrannus, Apocalypse, Death, Fred Sloan, SHIELD (Dum Dum Dugan)

Continuity Notes

• The man who appears to be Wolverine here is actually a Skrull impostor. This was eventually revealed in Uncanny X-Men #375. How the impostor took Wolverine's place was depicted in Wolverine (vol. 2) #145. The real Wolverine does appear in this story, as Apocalypse's Horseman Death, which, again is explained in Uncanny X-Men #375.

• The Skrull impostor of Wolverine attacks the Hulk with bone claws. This is because at some time prior to this story the real Wolverine had the Adamantium removed from his body by Magneto back in X-Men (vol. 2) #25. Wolverine's Adamantium claws and skeleton are restored in Wolverine (vol. 2) #145.

• "Wolverine" recounts his recent mission with Alpha Flight which occurred in Wolverine (vol. 2) #142-143.

• Apocalypse briefly enthralled the Hulk and made him into the Horseman War back in Incredible Hulk #456-457.

• Bruce Banner mentions the death of his wife Betty Ross. Betty seemingly died in Incredible Hulk #466. She will turn up alive again in Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #62.

• There has been an ongoing feud between Hulk and Wolverine over the years, and the two have fought many times. Their battles to date, were, chronologically, in Wolverine: Origins #28, Incredible Hulk #181, Wolverine (vol. 3) #50, Incredible Hulk #340, Marvel Comics Presents #55, Marvel Comics Presents #61, Marvel Fanfare (vol. 2) #2, and Incredible Hulk #454-455.