Jailhouse Rock

When the Hulk learns that his old college flame Susan Jacobson has been imprisoned in Fort Cheer for acts of espionage, he decides to investigate the situation, able to use the Pantheon's resources to hack into the security footage. When he shows this footage to Ulysses, he points out the inhuman treatment to the prisoners there and refuses to allow Susan to stay there an extra day. The Hulk intends to mobilize members of the Pantheon to stage a jailbreak following the funeral for Perseus. Upon learning that this facility is in Nebraska, Ulysses points out a break of this magnitude on US soil will be difficult. The Hulk also tells Ulysses that Perseus asked that they bring back her daughter, Cassiopeia and bring her back into the fold. Ulysses was never a fan of Cassie, but agrees to do what he can. They then join Ajax, Atalanta, Hector, Delphi and Achilles in the hall of the fallen to participate in the funeral for their fallen ally.

Meanwhile, in Reno, Nevada, Marlo Chandler shows her roommate Betty Banner the ring that Rick Jones gave her when he proposed. Marlo has a hard time trying to come up with a decision given Rick's association with superheroes and asks Betty what she should do. Betty that the best Marlo can do is improvise and hope for the best. While back at the Mount, the Hulk observes as members of the Pantheon, in turn, the ashes of Perseus to a statue erected in his honor. Bruce briefly wonders if he should have asked to participate, but decides against that since he likely wasn't asked because this appears to be a family affair. Soon after the funeral, the Hulk sends a holographic image of himself to Fort Cheer. It appears before Susan and Wardon Tarkington as a warning that if Susan isn't released from her imprisonment he will come and take her. When the warden calls Washington to ask for advice, he is told that Susan Jacobson will not be released as she was guilty of giving information to Israel while an agent for the CIA.

Aboard a Pantheon ship, the Hulk and his allies have listened in on this conversation. Hearing that they refuse to free Susan, Bruce has Hector cut all the lines of communication. The Hulk and Ulysses then jump out of the ship and smash into the prison. The guards are there to try and stop the pair, but the Hulk is too powerful for them as they force their way to Susan's cell. In the security control room, the warden is losing his mind over how easily his prison is being broken into. When he learns that there are only two invaders he because to freak out even more. When he sees that one of the intruders is the Hulk himself, he orders a delta alert. En route to Susan's cell, the Hulk sees some massive doors about to be closed. As he charges at the doors he thinks about his relationship with Susan: how they met in college, her complaints about his lack of intimacy, and how she broke up with him after he tried to force himself upon her. He builds up enough rage to smash through these massive doors that were supposedly strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast.

However, when they get to Susan's cell they discover that she has been moved elsewhere. Just then, they are contacted by Hector who warns them that SHIELD has arrived to try and stop their prison break. Leading this mission is Nick Fury himself, who has come after learning that both the Hulk and the Pantheon are involved. Fury then activates a sonic disruption device that incapacitates both the Hulk and Ulysses. He orders them to surrender or the device will eventually scramble their brains.

While back in Reno, Marlo returns to Rick with her answer: Yes, she will marry him.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Marlo Chandler, Pantheon (Ulysses, Ajax, Atalanta, Achilles, Delphi, Hector), Susan Jacobson, SHIELD (Nick Fury)

Continuity Notes

• When Betty cautiously opens the fridge she says she wants to avoid "surprises". She is referring to the events of Incredible Hulk #400 when Agamemnon projected his holographic image into her freezer.

• Marlo mentions the period in which she dated the Hulk during his Joe Fixit period. This lasted from Incredible Hulk #347-358.

Out of the Fire

August 1965

Ulysses and Walter Charles have been dispatched to the Watts district of Los Angeles which is in the middle of a riot is in progress in protest to the shooting of an unarmed African-American boy in Harlem, New York earlier that week. The pair have been sent to recover someone the Pantheon is looking for. They're a little troubled because not long did Agememnon tell them that they would arrive prior to the riots, but also because Achilles would have been a better back-up for Ulysses because of his invulnerability.

In the middle of the violence and chaos is an overturned car belonging to the Taylor family. With his parents trapped inside, young Nathan Taylor is told by his father to run and get help. As the boy tries to scramble away, the family vehicle explodes killing his parents instantly. Nathan screams out for his mother and father and is found by Ulysses and Walter. Thanks to the powers the boy has thanks to being part of the Pantheon bloodline, he can feel it when his parents died in the explosion. Blaming Walter and Ulysses for not saving them the boy lashes out by hitting Charles. With no other choice, Walter knocks the boy out, but before they can slip away they find themselves in the path of the angry mob that has been running riot throughout the slums of Watts.

Recurring Characters

Walter Charles, Ulysses, Nathan Taylor

Continuity Notes

• Because the members of the Pantheon was mostly immortal this story does indeed take place in the year 1965. The only effect the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616 has is on the length of time between this story and the start of the Modern Age.