Hulk (Vol. 2) #51 — Nick Peron

Mar 16

Mar 16 Hulk (Vol. 2) #51

Haunted Hulk (Part 2)

Raio Kodo's Forgiven has come to the castle of the Moksha Sect located in the Pyrenees. They meet with a seer who tells them of the future, he warns them of a great battle with the Red Hulk at the Penance Pool, the one thing that can truly make these reformed vampires truly forgiven. Inka asks why the seer summoned them, but the emaciated vampire warns that the Red Hulk is approaching and they need to meet their destiny. As the Forgiven depart for the Penance Pool, the elderly vampire remarks that the deal was made by another in exchange for more visions.

Meanwhile, the Red Hulk leaps across France, still haunted by the shades of the soldiers who died during his career in the Air Force. He has been directed here by the astral form of Doctor Strange who has informed him of the Penance Pool and its ability to permanently banish the spirits that haunt him, however, Strange doesn't believe it will stop the spirit responsible for this curse. Finding the cave entrance to the pool, Strange tells the Red Hulk that he will know he is headed in the right direction because the shades will continue to try and torment him. He also warns that there will be something guarding the pool. With that, Strange needs to meditate on something important and pulls back his astral form. The Red Hulk continues pressing forward past the piles of bones when suddenly a skull begins to scream. This summons a hideous creature that emerges and attacks him with its tendrils.

Not far away, Nighteyes of the Forgiven has picked up the Red Hulk's trail. The rest of the Forgiven follow after her and consider how they can defeat this Hulk, especially after their experience with his green counterpart. When they arrive at the entrance to the cave, they discover that the Red Hulk has killed its guardian and pressed on. Inka pauses to wonder why the Red Hulk is seeking the pool himself, thinking that perhaps he is seeking absolution as well. Not far away, the Red Hulk is haunted by a shade posing as Will Krugauer that accuses him of allowing him to die. Furious, the Red Hulk begins smashing his way through the tunnel to try and get to the pool and end his torment. That's when he is suddenly attacked by the Forgiven. At first, he thinks his attackers are ghosts. This gives him a disadvantage when Quickshot tricks him into leaping into the air, making him a ready target for Raizo, who slashes the Red Hulk with his sword. Witnessing the vampires attacking their victim, the shades also begin attacking the Red Hulk as well. Overwhelmed, the Red Hulk is then bitten by the members of the Forgiven, who are not trying to drink his blood but to cause him to bleed out. However, the Red Hulk isn't going down without completing his mission. He fights off the vampires and rushes past the shades.

When he arrives at the pool, he attempts to dive in but is attacked by Raizo Kodo. When the two plunge into the waters, they both find themselves cured: the Red Hulk of the shades haunting and Raizo of his bloodlust. As the Red Hulk surfaces, he realizes that Raizo and his people were not ghosts. Realizing that they were tricked into trying to stop the Red Hulk, Kodo thanks him for leading them to the Penance Pool and says that should he ever need a favor, the Forgiven will be by his side. After the vampires have departed, Doctor Strange returns to inform Ross that he has found a solution to his problem. He then shows him an illusion of Morbius the Living Vampire and his Legion of Monsters.