Skaar: Son of Hulk

With the news of Skaar's battle with the military and Fantastic Four, the world at large believes that he has perished in the battle. Watching the news reports regarding the skirmish is HAMMER director Norman Osborn. His assistant, Victoria Hand, reports that there haven't been any Hulk sightings since and that Kate Waynesboro and the Warbound have managed to evade their scientists and fled Gammaworld. Osborn decides not to put out an arrest order, but tells Victoria to find them and track them in the event that they know something that he does not. Elsewhere, Kaye Waynesboro is using the Old Power to try and track down the Son of Hulk. When recounting the battle, the Warbound ask her if Skaar is truly dead. She tells them yes, and no.

In the town of Dayton, Ohio, Skaar has reverted from his Hulk form into that of a young child. Out of the woods he carries a dead coyote that was shot by some soldiers and buries it. He sheds a tear for the creature but his mourning is interrupted when he is hit in the back of the head with a rock. Turning around he sees two children who are curious as to who the strange boy is and who he killed. He tells them almost everyone, but there is still one left. As he walks through the forest the children follow and he tells them about how he couldn't stop this being from killing everything it touched because it kept him crammed deep down inside. They stop on the edge of a rock face where the children warn them that they are not allowed to play there. When Skaar offers the boy the chance to hold his spear, the kid reaches out for it and loses his footing. Although Skaar tries to save the boy, his shirt rips and he continues to fall. A horrified Skaar laments over this happening again.

... He thinks back to the moment when he was being forced off Sakaar by his mother through a portal to Earth. As he fought to stay there, he witness as Galactus arrived to consume the planet. As Caiera held off the world devourer, the Silver Surfer assisted refugees into the Shadow People's Stone Ships to get them off planet. The Surfer calls out to Caiera to join them, but she cannot as there are still many ships planet wide that she needs to power to get people to safety. Suddenly, Galactus grabs her and crushes her body in his hand...

Later, the little girl runs to the town of Shakesville where some local police officers spot her. Seeing Skaar not far behind her and believe him to be a threat because of his spear. While the girl tried to explain that Skaar isn't the threat, she is accidentally knocked out. The two officers then begin tasering Skaar, causing his mind to drift back again...

... He remembers as his mother's last words to him as she was being clutched by Galactus. She tells him to remember this moment and how he tried to give him a choice. However, he was not made to save things, only to destroy...

... When Skaar's mind snaps back to the present, he finds himself handcuffed and being led into the back of a squad car. However, the other officer discovers that Skaar was actually pulling the injured boy in an improvised mess. When the officer accidentally causes the boy pain while checking his leg, this angers Skaar enough to transform into his Hulk form. The moment he does, his father emerges from the desert sands of Monument Valley, sending the return of his son.

Back in Ohio, Skaar's transformation has frightened the police officers and as they flee he tosses their squad car at them. Before he can go further, he is confronted by Kate Waynesboro and the Warbound. Kate tells Skaar not to turn back on his progress, having felt his trials and tribulations through the Old Power. Although Skaar believes that it is too late for salvation, the Warbound consider him one of their own and that he can prove himself to be a hero when everyone else sees him as a monster. When he asks about his father, Korg explains how Hulk returned to Earth to avenge the seeming destruction of Sakaar but had he knew that Skaar still lived he would have never left. Korg gets close enough for Skaar to break his arm and he strikes the alien back. He tells them he doesn't care about what happened after his father left, he just wants to know how to kill him.

Suddenly, the ground begins to shake as the Hulk leaps to their location. As the Hulk heavily lands in front of them, Kate Waynesboro provides a simple explanation on the subject of killing the Hulk: you don't.

Recurring Characters

Skaar, Warbound (Kate Waynesboro, Korg, Elloe Kaifi, No-Name of Brood), Hulk, Norman Osborm, Victoria Hand, (in flashback) Galactus, Caiera Oldstrong, Silver Surfer, Hiro-Kala

Continuity Notes

• Kate Waynesboro and the Warbound had escaped from Gammaworld, a domed area that they had been confined in since World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound #5.

• Sakaar was devastated in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #105, the Hulk and his Warbound sought revenge in World War Hulk #1-5.