Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #87

Mar 11

Mar 11 Incredible Hulk (Vol. 2) #87

Awakening

Bruce Banner wakes up and is shocked to discover that he is in a strange bed with AIM's leader Monica Rappaccini. She reminds him that she knows who he is as they had a brief fling in university. Bruce has a sense of deja vu as he thinks he had this conversation before, but the two can't quite recall, nor how they got in this room. Suddenly, Australian authorities come bursting into the room and order them to surrender as they are trespassing in the home of the most wealthy man in Australia. When they try to arrest the pair, Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk and bats the creatures away. When Monica asks the Hulk to take her with him he refuses at first. Suddenly, he is contacted by Gateway who tells him to bring Monica with him. The Hulk is apprehensive but agrees to do so if it will shut the man up. With the vision gone, the Hulk picks up Rappaccini and leaps away. The Hulk and Monica are unaware that their departure is being observed by agents of SHIELD. Wondering what her mother is up to, the Scorpion decides to investigate what is going on. When the SHIELD agents offer to send a team with her, the Scorpion refuses to preferring to sneak in and try to deal with the Hulk when he turns back into Banner.

Later, on top of a butte, the Hulk and Monica are greeted by Gateway who tries to tell explain the reality warp that they have both awoken from. While the Hulk isn't interested, he reverts back to Bruce Banner who dimly recalls meeting Gateway previously, but can't recall. The Aborigine then invites them both back to his village, at least for the night, despite Bruce's reservations. That night, Bruce and Monica enjoy the feast they have been invited to. Banner debates staying among the people here, but Monica points out that as someone who once developed weapons for the military, he doesn't know what he would do if he found peace. Suddenly, Bruce is knocked out by Scorpion. This doesn't sit well with the locals who demand that the young girl leave. Banner tries to recover from the toxins in his body by changing into the Hulk, but he is still dazed enough that the Scorpion hits him with another dose. The Hulk then stumbles into a vat of hot oil. Angrily, the Hulk tosses flaming logs at the Scorpion, who tries to escape with her mother as a prisoner. With the forest catching on fire, Monica manages to grab a rock and knock out her daughter. Rappaccini is then found by AIM operatives who have tracked her down and help her escape.

The fire then rages out of control until dawn leaving nothing left of the village. The following morning, Bruce Banner looks for survivors and finds the Scorpion, who managed to find cover in a nearby cave. When the Scorpion asks Bruce if he is going to look for the tribe that invited him to their home. Bruce decides that he won't, that opportunity past and he should just accept the fact that he will be what the Hulk has always wanted: to be alone.