Incredible Hulk #604

Mar 10

Mar 10 Incredible Hulk #604

Quality Time

Gammaworld, New Mexico, Bruce's is training Skaar and teaching him about teamwork -- with football. It involves him and Skaar against Korg and Kate Waynesboro. However, Rick Jones/A-Bomb tackles the former. As the three continue to tackle each other, Kate has a little talk with Bruce, pointing out that he's free of the Hulk and close to bonding with his own son. They both teleport into a sewer, right beneath one of the Leader's labs. Bruce hacks into the computer and discovers a file on his deceased ex-wife, Betty Ross.

Then suddenly, he is attacked by Betty, in the form of the Harpy. He is blasted up top, the scene noticed by Skaar, Rick and Korg. Skaar's first thought is to throw a rock at Bruce, knocking him away from Harpy. He then tackles her, using his Old power to strangle her. Bruce shoots him with an Old power taser. However, it is discovered that Harpy is not Betty, but Marlo Chandler, Rick's wife. Rick embraces his wife and jumps away for "privacy".

Back down in the leader's lab, Kate comes face-to-face with the Leader himself, or more accurately a holographic projection. Already he has started the self-destruct. He promises that he will kill her one day after she pays as his next test subject. She teleports out before the lab is destroyed and tells Bruce about her encounter with the Leader. He guesses that the Leader has some big plan up his sleeve, so he deactivation his wireless blockade that prevents H.A.M.M.E.R. from finding them; Kate gives him a kiss on the lips. Then suddenly, there is an alarm on Banner's iPod, alerting him to the fact that the Mole Man is attacking New York, with only the Fantastic Four being only able to fight him.

Continuity Notes

Bruce Banner mentions a number of tragic things that happened to those he cared about:
- The death of Caiera in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #105
- Rick Jones being turned into A-Bomb. He was first seen in this form in Hulk Vol 2 #1. How Rick was transformed was revealed in Fall of the Hulks: Red Hulk #3.
- The death of Betty Ross, who seemingly died of radiation poisoning in Incredible Hulk #466. Banner and the others are unaware that she has been recently resurrected by the Intelligencia in Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1.
- Jarella died in Incredible Hulk #205.
- Lastly, he mentions his failed relationship with Kate Waynesboro, which lasted from Incredible Hulk #287-296.

Kate mentions her rescue from HAMMER, this happened in Dark Reign: The List - Hulk #1.

She also mentions seeing Skaar in his child form in Skaar: Son of Hulk #11.

The images of the Leader in his lab were taken from Tales to Astonish #62, World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound #3, and Incredible Hulk #398.

There are multiple references to the time that Betty Ross was turned into the Harpy. This happened in Incredible Hulk #168.

Kate believed that the Leader was dying as he claimed in World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound #2. However, he was cured of his condition as revealed in Hulk Vol 2 #23.

Recurring Characters

Bruce Banner, Skaar, A-Bomb, Kate Waynesboro, Korg, Harpy, Leader, Mole Man, Fantastic Four (Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing)

Clash of Furies

Profiles are listed for the surviving members of Gamma Corps: Black. Rana Philips had abused prisoners in Aquiria before shooting her superior officer who supposedly ordered the abuse and was formerly engaged to her before leaving her for another MP in their company. The other was Erin Cicero, who had post-traumatic stress syndrome from being the sole survivor of an ambush in Symkaria. She became confused over who was the enemy and killed her family as a result. The judgment for such crimes was death.

In the present, Lyra is fighting Aberration, who is still angry over her ex-fiancee's betrayal and threatened to crush Boudicca if she takes one more step. Lyra responds by smashing the ground beneath her, before slamming Aberration into a gas station, causing and explosion. When the smoke clears, Aberration walks out, having expanded in mass. Lyra retrieves Boudicca and asks what's happening. Boudicca explains that when Aberration gained Abomination's DNA, the process worked like a super-cancer. Since she destroyed her original flesh in the explosion, it has all been replaced by tumor-like cells. Origins Corporation won't perfect the process until 2026. An enraged Aberration then begins thrashing Lyra around, blaming General Ryker for using her. She uses on of her extra hands to grab Lyra by the throat, demanding her power. Lyra retorts that she had the power and could've said no, before using a lamp post to hit her in the brain, killing Aberration.

Unfortunately, Axon demands that Lyra give her her gamma sight or she'll kill everyone in town.