Waiting to X-Hale

After the Hulk fell unconscious in the Savage Land, Wolverine quickly brings him to the Xavier Institute for help. His arrival comes to a shock to Cannonball who is surprised to see the Hulk slumped over Wolverine's shoulder. Logan pushes past Cannonball and drags the Hulk into the mansion. When Cyclops notices the Hulk is in the home of the X-Men, he begins to worry that the gamma-spawned brute will wreck their home. This also causes great concern from both Storm and Cable when they learn that the Hulk is in their home. Although Wolverine reassures them that the Hulk won't wreck their home, Storm still puts in a call to Forge at X-Factor's headquarters in Virginia and asks him to create a weapon that can help them deal with the Hulk if he gets out of control.

Meanwhile in New York City, Betty Banner finishes her book about the Hulk, the final page about her last encounter with the Hulk in which he acted as if he never seen her in his life. Reading over this last page, Betty begins to cry once again. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door and it turns out to be Peter Gyrich. Betty isn't interested in anything he has to say since she has so much work left to do to get her book published. However, Gyrich says it is important and has to do with her father. Betty doesn't understand until Gyrich shows her a picture. Seeing it, she grimly tells Gyrich that this better not be a joke or she'll see that he bruns in Hell. Peter tells her that he believe that fate has been well attended to.

Meanwhile, the Hulk is having a nightmare in a massive cemetery, crying out that what he saw isn't true and begins smashing the ground. While in the waking world, the X-Men are trying to revive the Hulk. As they do so, Wolverine argues against Cyclops and Cable's insistence that the Hulk should be restrained before he wakes up. His protests go unheeded and they restrain the gamma-spawned monster. When the Hulk wakes up, Cable tries to talk sense into him, but the Hulk is too angry and breaks free from his restraints. At that moment in Orlando, Florida, some beat officers see Janis Jones waiting at the side of the road. When one of the officers recognizes her as being on site during the time the Hulk took over Key Duck, they try to take her into custody. Just as she finishes knocking out the two cops, Rick Jones arrives. Janis hops into her would-be grandfather's convertible and tells her that they need to get going. Back in Westchester County, the Hulk tries to fight his way out of the X-Mansion. His progress is impeded by the optic blasts of Cyclops, but when it the Hulk proves too powerful to be stopped by them, Cable tries to probe his mind. Remembering that Cable had been in his mind before sends Hulk into an even larger rage. The Hulk slams his hands together knocking the three X-Men off their feet. Wolverine tries to explain to the Hulk they are trying to help, pointing out that he could have easily killed the Hulk while he was unconscious.

The Hulk doesn't care and storms out into what he thinks is the outdoors. The Hulk finds himself surrounded by friendly animals that beging to calm him. When he suddenly feels sleepy, the Hulk realizes that this is a trap and leaps up into the sky. The Hulk's deduction is correct as he was actually lured into the Danger Room which the X-Men used to try and convince the Hulk he is outside. It's at this time that Forge arrives with the weapon he devised to contain the Hulk. Suddenly, the Hulk smashes through the ceiling of the Danger Room and breaks through to the main floor of the mansion. When Forge pulls out the weapon he invented, the Hulk recognizes it as the one that the Maestro attempted to use against him in the future. Before the weapon can be used, Pheonix returns from shopping and uses her telekinetic powers to force his eyes shut. When the Hulk charges instead of standing down, Forge fires the gun, but before the blast can strike the Hulk he is suddenly teleported away to points unknown.

Elsewhere, Betty Banner arrives at an office and is shocked to discover that her father, Thaddeus Ross, is alive and well. General Ross asks his daughter if she's just going to stand there or give him a hug. While somewhere else, the Hulk finds himself brought before the eternal mutant known as Apocalypse. The ageless mutant tells the Hulk that he intends to use the gamma-spawned brute to give the world exactly what it deserves.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, Rick Jones, Janis Jones, X-Men (Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine, Storm, Cannonball), Cable, Forge, General Ross, Henry Gyrich, Apocalypse

Continuity Notes

• This story takes place before the Operation: Zero Tolerance event. See Cable #45-47, Generation X #27-31, Uncanny X-Men #346, Wolverine (vol. 2) #115-118, X-Force #68-70, X-Man #30, X-Men (vol. 2) #65-70, and X-Men Unlimited #16

• The events that the Hulk cannot believe to be are true is the revelation that he was responsible for the death of his father Brian Banner. This fact was revealed in Incredible Hulk #-1.

• Cable probed the Hulk's mind back in Cable #34 and Incredible Hulk #444.

• The Hulk recognizes the gun that Forge has created as the same one the Maestro used against him in Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect #2.

• The Hulk remembers Jean Grey's attempts to use her telekinetic powers to shut his eyes as she previously used it against him in Incredible Hulk #336.

• Betty's surprise at seeing her father alive is because as far as she knew he had died back in Incredible Hulk #330. Unknown to her he was revived and became a mindless thrall of the Leader as explained in Incredible Hulk #400 where he was seemingly killed yet again. His sudden resurrection and restoration of his mind is explained in more detail in Incredible Hulk #464.

• There has also 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 last issue.

• Wolverine and Hulk next meet in Wolverine (vol. 2) #145 and Hulk #8.

Continuity Errors

• The Hulk still thinks that Jean Grey is a member of X-Factor in this story; however, he knows the contrary, particularly since in recent history he saw Jean fighting alongside the X-Men in Onslaught Marvel Universe #1.