Incredible Hulk #601

Mar 10

Mar 10 Incredible Hulk #601

Banner's Back

Bruce Banner is on a subway. In the same car, a young boy is fooling around. His father is annoyed that he isn't clamming up while he is sleeping and slapped him. Banner attempts to stand up for the kid, only to be pushed back. Getting up, Banner warns the man that he hacked his cell phone already and knows everything about him -- including that he cheats on his income taxes. He warns the man, Douglas Allen Berenstein, to not hit his kid again or he'll know.

When Banner exits the subway station in Times Square he finds quite the welcoming party: the Fantastic Four, X-Men, the New and Mighty Avengers and the U.S. military. Banner and Mr. Fantastic catch up on a few things, as they enter the Baxter Building, including about how the Illuminati shot the Hulk into space and returned with a vengeance. The latter debriefs his friend about his son, Skaar. Just then, a miniaturized ship pops out of Banner's nose, carrying Hank Pym, Beast, Amadeus Cho, and T'Challa, who had entered his body when he exited the station. They tell him that he is clean of gamma radiation and reintroduction of radiation only caused cell death; in short, there's no way the Hulk will return. However, Banner says that the Hulk will return, no matter what science says. He also reveals that he already knows about Skaar and the real reason he came the Manhattan was to get the Hulk's armor and weapons. He then teleports out, using a reverse-engineered version of the Leader's device.

Twenty-three hours later, in the Mojave Desert, Banner checks in on Douglas and his son, to make sure that everything is normal. He then heads into a cave, where there's a big rumble. Skaar hops a great distance till he finds where Banner, only to discover that he's not the Hulk, but actually in a suit of armor. The armor was built to even withstand gamma radiation; not even the Hulk himself could crack it. Therefore, Skaar switches to his stone form and cracks it open. He tries beating Banner around, trying to bring out the Hulk, but Banner is protected by shields feeding off his Old and gamma powers. He then tells Skaar that he is not ready to face the Hulk, who will kill him, because Skaar destroyed Sakaar, thus killing Caiera the Oldstrong all over again. However, he will teach him to kill the Hulk when the time comes. He then hacks a H.A.M.M.E.R. satellite, blowing up the Juggernaut's mobile home, just as he is reading a newspaper about Skaar.

Recurring Characters

Bruce Banner, Mister Fantastic, Beast, Amadeus Cho, Skaar, Juggernaut, Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), New Avengers (Captain America, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Luke Cage), Mighty Avengers (Wasp, Stature, Wasp), Colossus

Continuity Notes

The Hulk's exile in space (Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #91-105) and his subsequent war on New York City (World War Hulk #1-5) are recounted in this story.

Mr. Fantastic points out to Bruce Banner that he is lucky that Norman Osborn is out of town. Osborn became a hero after killing the leader of the Secret Invasion in Secret Invasion #8. He took over as director of SHIELD, renaming it HAMMER.

The battle between the Hulk and Skaar is also recounted here. Their conflict was in Planet Skaar Prologue #1 and Skaar: Son of Hulk #11-12.

Bruce Banner states that he had been away from Earth for an entire year before the Hulk came back from Sakaar. However, per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, the length of time between Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #92 and this story would be measured in months, making that time less than a year. One could presume that time on Sakaar ran faster than it did on Earth.

Banner points out that Tony Stark is not around. That's because Tony is on the run from the law since Norman Osborn took over SHIELD, as seen in Invincible Iron Man Vol 2 #8.

Banner's prediction that the Hulk will return comes true, as seen in Incredible Hulk #610.

The armor Banner is wearing to fight Skaar was the same suit that Banner designed in Tales to Astonish #60-61.

Bruce Banner mentions that he killed his own father. This was revealed in Incredible Hulk #-1.

Clash of Furies

Lyra demands to Director Little Sky as to the whereabouts of Jennifer Walters, the first She-Hulk. Sky tells her that Walters is a freelance operative for A.R.M.O.R. and is not under their jurisdiction. However, Agent Alexander Erde informs her that he tracked Walters to Death Valley. While taking a Shock Carrier, Lyra confides in Erde on how lonely she is and sees Walters as her only true friend. Erde says that many people in A.R.M.O.R. would care for her. Their conversation then leads into a kiss. However, their moment is interrupted when a woman bleeding electricity brings their craft down.

With Erde injured, Lyra commands Boudicca to called H.A.M.M.E.R. for rescue, but their communications are being jammed. Boudicca also detects three female individuals approaching them, containing DNA barcoded by the Origins Corporation. Each one, Aberration, Axon and Morass bears the DNA of the Hulk's foes, Abomination, Zzzax, and Glob, who have been sent by Norman Osborn to apprehend her. Lyra attempts to charge at them, only to be constricted by Morass. Axon then absorbs the bioenergy of Erde, rendering him a husk. Enraged, Lyra swears that they are all dead. Meanwhile, Gamma Corps: Black is ordered by General Ryker to bring Lyra back for genetic harvest.