I'll Take Manhattan

This story continues from Onslaught Marvel Universe #1...

Following the destruction of Onslaught, the United States Army has been called to New York City to contain the Hulk, who has been unconscious since the powerful entity was destroyed. Overseeing the operation is Colonel St. Lawrence who has the Hulk's body airlifted out of Central Park. As the Hulk is being pulled out, the brute suddenly has a nightmare about his battle with Onslaught, a battle that ended with Bruce Banner and the Hulk being separated and Banner sacrificing his life with Earth's mightiest heroes to destroy the creature. Thrown into a rage, the Hulk fights himself free from his bonds. At the risk of falling to the city below, the Hulk grabs the rope that was suspending him from the helicopter. As the Hulk struggles for purchase, a soldier shoots him. It's a lucky shot that makes the Hulk let go and sends him crashing down into the ruined city below.

Meanwhile, back at a Pantheon safe-house, Paris and Atalanta monitor Janis Jones from the security monitors. As Janis grabs her things, they are unconcerned about her escaping because their scans reveal that she had no superhuman powers and her staff appears to be an ordinary stick. However, they are surprised when the staff is able to blast the door to her room right open. Janis tries to sneak out through a locker room where she is spotted by a Pantheon staffer taking a shower. When Atalanta tries to stop Janis, she takes the man hostage and uses him as a shield allowing her to slip away before Atalanta can stop her.

Back in Times Square, that Hulk's radiation levels continue to climb. As such the military is forced to wear hazmat suits and attempt to contain him in a radiation-proof cage. The Hulk smashes the cage. His body continues to give off more deadly radiation and an increase in mass. Wracked with pain, the Hulk claws at his face, he rips off a chunk of skin from his face. Seeing this, one of the soldiers becomes violently ill and tears of his helmet so he can throw up. Instead, he is flash-fried by the radiation being given off by the Hulk. As the pain and body mass continues to grow, the Hulk leaps away. Watching the fragmented news reports from her home, Betty Banner packs a bag and leaves to try and catch up with her husband. While back at the Pantheon safehouse, Janis continues to flee from Atalanta. When she gets clear she wonders for a moment if this complex is one of the many ones that saved the last humans of her future world when she runs into Ajax. Janis leaps over the massive simpleton, leaving him open to Atalanta's arrows. While Atalanta is busy checking to see if Ajax is okay, Janis manages to slip out through a ventilation shaft.

Back in New York City, the Hulk's radiation continues to rage out of control. However, the gamma-spawned monster is so wracked with pain he cannot move any further. This allows the military manages to drop the containment unit on the Hulk. But, much to their surprise, the Hulk's radiation levels are so hot that the unit melts, covering the Hulk's body in the metal. With the creature finally contained, Colonel St. Lawrence begins to plan what to do with the Hulk next. At that moment along a lonley stretch of road, Janis Jones spots a passing van and flags it down. She is greeted by the hippies on board who welcome her to join them on their ride to New York where they intend to pray for Earth's fallen heroes. Janis agrees to accompany them and is introduced to them all, particularly a man named Alex, who prefers to go by the name Wild Man.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, Janis Jones, Colonel St. Lawrence, Pantheon (Paris, Ajax, Atalanta), Wildman

Continuity Notes

• Earth's heroes apparently sacrificed their lives stopping Onslaught in Onslaught Marvel Universe #1. In addition, the battle caused the separation between the Hulk and Bruce Banner. In reality, Earth's heroes (and Banner) were transported to a pocket dimension created by Franklin Richards. These heroes were eventually brought back to Earth and Banner merged back with the Hulk in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4.