Hurray For Hulk

In retaliation for the Thunderbolt's attack on him, the Hulk has come to Los Angeles to attack the city, starting with the sign on the Hollywood hills. The gamma-spawned brute breaks and re-words the sign so that it reads "Hulk" instead of "Hollywood". As the military and LAPD arrive on the scene, the Hulk takes a lull on the violence Janis Jones demands that they talk about how the Hulk collapsed after their battle with the Thunderbolts, however, the Hulk isn't interested in talking about it. Their argument is suddenly interrupted when the military sends up helicopters to attack the Hulk. At that moment at Los Angeles International Airport, Alex Wildman arrives posing as a man named Aaron Goldfarb and picks up a limo that was reserved for the man. Once they are far enough away from LAX, Wildman knocks out the limo driver intent on finding the Hulk. Wildman believes that the only way he can stop the voices in his head is to kill the Hulk.

Meanwhile, in Arizona, Citizen V is being questioned by the press over the Thunderbolt's failed attempt to capture the Hulk. After answering the reporter's questions, the leader of the Thunderbolts is approached by Colonel St. Lawrence. She is a little surprised that Citizen V somehow knows who she is, as though they have met before. When she questions why the Thunderbolts attacked the Hulk unannounced, she begins to question what the group's motivations are. Citizen V retorts by asking her what does anybody want?

Back in Hollywood, the Hulk has relocated to Universal Studios Hollywood where he attacks one of the attractions causing the amusement park patrons to flee. Once again, Janis once again brings up the Hulk's health, but he continues to rebuff her questions until he suddenly collapses. The Hulk still doesn't understand because he is stronger than ever before. Suddenly, they are interrupted by Alex Wildman, who has dressed up in tattered clothing and slippers and has painted his face. Calling himself the Wild Man, he challenges the Hulk to a battle. Janis tries to blast this new attacker, but Wild Man easily survives the blast and incapacitates her. The Hulk then attacks Wild Man, who is able to match the Hulk's strength and disorientated the brute with energy blasts. Wild Man explains that somehow, he and the Hulk are connected, and in order to quiet the voices in his head, the Wild Man must destroy the Hulk.

The two continue to battle it out across the amusement park as the police and military arrive. With the odds stacked against him, the Hulk demands that he wants more, but doesn't explain more of what, he doesn't explain. Suddenly, the Hulk is caught in a beam of light and disappears. No sooner than the Hulk disappears, Wild Man realizes that the voices in his head are gone and that he is cured. Elsewhere in the park, Janis recovers from the Wild Man's attack and is discovered by another gamma-spawned being who remembers her, but that she died in Maestro's future. When Janis asks who this newcomer is, he tells her that he is the Hulk.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Janis Jones, Wildman, Colonel St. Lawrence, Wildman, Citizen V, Hulk-9722

Continuity Notes

• Part of this story takes place at Universal Studios Hollywood, specifically in the middle of the King Kong Encounter and Terminator 2 3-D: Battle Across Time attractions. These should be considered topical references as neither attraction are in operation at this theme park. Specifically, the King Kong Encounter was destroyed in a fire in 2010 and the Terminator 2 attraction ceased operations in 2012.

• The Thunderbolt's motives are questioned and Colonel St. Lawrence thinks she may have met Citizen V before. Unknown to anyone at the time, the Thunderbolts are really the Masters of Evil in disguise and their leader is really Baron Zemo, as explained in Thunderbolts #1. This is all part of a complex scheme to take over the world by posing as superheroes. This plot is foiled in Thunderbolts #11-12.

• This other Hulk comes from the alternate reality of Earth-9722 as revealed in Incredible Hulk #453.

A Little Leeway

Having come to Los Angeles to hunt for demons, Doctor Strange found himself battling them in another dimension. With the battle over, Strange finds himself painfully returned back to the Earth dimension. Upon his return, Strange notices energies coming from the Orb of Agamotto, the likes of which he has never seen before. He senses something like an artificial dimension. As he probes these energies suddenly two spheres of the energy emerge from the Orb, one blue, one green. Sensing the two orbs are intertwined somehow, the Doctor uses his magical powers to guide them to their source. Doctor Strange follows after the orbs as they lead him to the location of the Hulk's battle with Wild Man. Suddenly, the green orb ensnares the Hulk and Strange uses his powers to carry them away.

While trying to make sense of what is going on, Strange is surprised when the Hulk breaks free from the sphere containing him and falls to the ground. The Hulk is knocked out by the fall and is suddenly ensnared in the blue orb. Flying down to try and free the Hulk, Doctor Strange discovers that his magic cannot penetrate the field. He then tries to enter it with his astral form. However, instead of passing through the object to get to the Hulk, Doctor Strange finds himself sent through a dimensional vortex where he sees images of members of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers who were thought to have been killed during the battle with Onslaught.

At the end of the vortex, Doctor Strange finds himself in the dimension where the energy came from. There another version of the Hulk is on a rampage and as the brute smashes nearby buildings, Doctor Strange is shocked to discover his ectoplasmic form has substance in this dimension. Before the Hulk can smash Doctor Strange, he is pulled aside by Mister Fantastic. Strange is shocked to see the Fantastic Four alive and well, but they do not remember him. Using his magic to contain this other Hulk, Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to confirm that they are the beings from his home dimension. However, when he tries to talk to them, none of the members of the Fantastic Four recognize who he is. Confused and angered by Strange's mystical probing, the Human Torch attacks, breaking the Doctor's connection. Strange then tries to scan this other Hulk and is shocked to discover that this Hulk is really Bruce Banner and that he is connected to the Hulk back in his home dimension and that this connection threatens to unravel both dimensions.

However, before Doctor Strange can do more, he is distracted by the sudden arrival of Iron Man. While back home, the Hulk wakes up and breaks free from the sphere, shunting Doctor Strange's spirit back to his body. When Doctor Strange explains that the Hulk is becoming stronger thanks to the energies of that dimension and eventually his body won't be able to handle the strain and die. The Hulk is glad this will be the outcome and leaps away before the Doctor can explain that the world is also in grave danger as well.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Hulk (Banner), Doctor Strange, Wildman, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), Iron Man

Continuity Notes

• At the time of this story the members of the Avengers and Fantastic Four, as well as Bruce Banner (separated from the Hulk) were believed to have been killed battling Onslaught back in Onslaught Marvel Universe #1. In reality, they were saved by Franklin Richards who delivered them into a pocket dimension. There they have been reliving "reborn" lives as seen in Fantastic Four (vol. 2) #1-13, Iron Man (vol. 2) #1-13, Captain America (vol. 2) #1-13 and Avengers (vol. 2) #1-13. Hence why nobody recognizes Doctor Strange here. They will ultimately be returned to Earth (and Banner re-merged with the Hulk), saving both worlds in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4.

• The Bruce Banner who ended up in Franklin's Counter-Earth was also transformed into a Hulk, as seen in Iron Man (vol. 2) #1.