Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #54
Welcome to Entropy
The Hulk has been lured to the town of Entropy by Home Base where he comes face-to-face with his longtime foe the Abomination. His foe sarcastically introduces the Hulk to his wife Nadia Dornova, knowing already that the two have been intimate together. He then punches the Hulk sending him flying into the debris of the town. Meanwhile, Agent Baxter has decided to sell the disc carrying the identity of Mr. Blue to Home Base. He meets with Agent Kelly. Prepared for a double-cross, Baxter begins negotiating the deal. Back in Entropy, the Abomination is surprised to see that the Hulk is already bleeding. The Hulk explains that he has undergone some changes recently, and that Abomination wouldn't understand. However, the Abomination isn't interested in hearing them and begins pounding on the Hulk for leaving him shackled at Desert Base watching footage of him saying goodbye to his wife for months on end. Nadia intervenes, telling him that he is being manipulated by Home Base to battle the Hulk and that she had been working for them. She then tells Emil that he deserved his imprisonment for killing Betty Ross, Banner's wife. She then tells him that when she heard the news that he was imprisoned she celebrated and took a different man into her bed every night. This angers the Abomination that he strikes his wife, knocking her out.
Seeing this, the Hulk gets back up and strikes his foe in the face so hard he draws blood. While high above, a helicopter belonging to Home Base arrives on the scene. Meanwhile, Mr. Baxter exchanges the disc for his payoff. As Agent Kelly inserts the disc into his car video player, Baxter is killed in a car bomb explosion. Kelly and his master look over the video, revealing the identity of the mysterious Mr. Blue, and whom they are posing as within their organization. Back in Entropy, the Hulk continues to battle the Abomination. As they fight, the Hulk explains that through meditation there has been a blending of minds between the Hulk and Bruce Banner, and he fears that soon there will be no difference between the two minds. His greatest fear is the Hulk gaining the power to shake the very world on its foundation. To prevent this, the Hulk pleads to the Abomination to join him in fighting against Home Base. Suddenly, the Hulk reverts back into Bruce Banner, leaving the Abomination to think that his foe is now vulnerable. Before he can destroy his enemy, Banner gets up and strikes the Abomination. Thanks to the fact that he can now channel the Hulk's strength in his human form, the blow sends the Abomination flying into the debris of the town. While above, the agents of Home Base try to get a clear shot on Banner.
As the battle rages on, the leader of Home Base meets with some of his operatives to inform them that the mysterious Mr. Blue has infiltrated their organization as S-3. When he learns that she and S-2 are still at Desert Base, he orders his men to go there and eliminate her, immediately. At that moment, S-3 wakes up to find her partner dead. Staunching her wounds, she then gets to a laptop where she tries contacting Bruce Banner from his laptop. She warns him to stay away from Entropy because it is a trap, unaware that she is too late. Meanwhile, Banner has changed back into the Hulk to continue his brawl with the Abomination. High above, the agents of Home Base try to get a clear shot, but updrafts keep their chopper from holding position long enough. Agent S-3 then calls Home Base to inform them of the situation and asks for immediate pick-up and medical assistance. The operatives tell her that they are on their way and hang up on her, leaving her to wonder why. Before she can figure it out, Agent S-3 passes out from blood loss.
Back in Entropy, the Abomination brings up what it was like killing Betty Ross, leading the Hulk to lose his temper. The Hulk then beats the Abomination into unconsciousness then throws his body at the Home Base helicopter, destroying it before the agents on board can take their shot. In the aftermath of the battle, Bruce and Nadia return to her diner. There, Bruce is happy to be back in human form, mentioning that he was dangerously close to becoming the Hulk forever. Nadia kisses him goodbye, and asks him if he ever ends up in New York, Bruce tells her that you never know and walks off into the desert. Meanwhile, back at Desert Base, the two operatives for Home Base arrive and find what appears to be the body of S-3. However, her face is a ruined mess. To make sure she is dead, they pump bullets into the body before leaving. However, the body they shot was not the double agent known as Mr. Blue, who was hiding in plain site, pretending to be a victim of their assault on Desert Base.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Nadia Dornova, Abomination, Home Base (The Leader, Agents S-2, 3, 4, 5, and Baxter)
Continuity Notes
Agent S-3 is actually Betty Ross operating undercover. Betty had died of radiation poisoning in Incredible Hulk #466. Her survival is revealed in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #62. Betty was resurrected thanks to the machinations of the Intelligencia as seen in Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1. However, her appearances here are all part of a reality warp created by Nightmare as revealed in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #81.
