The Savage World of Sakaar

En route to Prophet Rock to meet his destiny, Skaar and his allies stop in the TWisted Wood to camp for the night. As Skaar tries to eat a Wildebot, the others complain about Skaar needing to be more civilized if he is going to save the remaining tribes of Sakaar. However, Yenrag doesn't believe that the Son of Hulk will ever be one of them. Old Sam points out that if it wasn't for Skaar, they would not have survived their most recent brush with Axeman Bone. Yanrag admits that the brute has been helpful but none of them truly understand the full strength of their enemy, so he tells them the story of Axeman Bone...

Years ago, the child that would become their savage foe was born. The birth was complicated, killing the mother. The tribal elders decreed that the child was a monster, even though he is an Imperial Prime. This would be considered a blessing under normal circumstances, but under the reign of Angmo I, times are very different and so the child was chained up in a dungeon where he was kept secret for years. A decade later, a villager let slip that they had a Prime, and the king responded by sending ships to wipe out the village with Deathfire Bombs. But, instead of killing their target, they only freed Axeman Bone. Emerging from the dungeon he watched as soldiers came and tried to wipe out the rest of the village. Furious, Bone slew the soldiers. In the aftermath of the slaughter Axeman Bone was hailed as a hero. This didn't last long as the vengeful Prime slaughtered all the remaining adults in the village and left, leaving only the children behind. Yenrang then recalls his first encounter with Axeman Bone some ten years later. He and the Emperor were hunting a Harrowbeast in Upper Vandro. Ambushed by the creature, they were saved thanks to the intervention of Axeman Bone. The Emperor was impressed that the long lost Prime saved his life, however, Axeman Bone only saved the king so he could have the pleasure of killing him himself. Yenrang witnesses as the Emperor of Sakaar faced Axeman Bone and was decapitated in battle. Yenrang concludes his tale, satisfied that the stronger Skaar gets, the happier he will be.

However, the others are concerned that Skaar might turn out to be as much a tyrant as Axeman Bone. Old Sam does not agree, reminding them that he is half-Shadow Person and that his mother was an Oldstrong. The elder Shadow believes that Skaar can heal their damaged planet. Princess Omaka, however, isn't quite convinced of the prophecy. Old Sam retorts that he may have just been a cook among his people, he knew all of the stories and he tells the other the legends of his people.

Ten thousand years ago, the planet Sakaar was already a dying world when the Shadow People first came in their great Stone Ships. There they found a world in dire need of the Old Power and used it to heal the planet, turning it into a paradise. The legends state that the original Shadow Priests became the stone heads found at the Monument of Kama Va'al. He believes that Shadow Priests must continue this tradition all over the universe.

Princess Omaka wonders what this all has to do with Caiera the Oldstrong, the Warbound Shadow of the Red King, and the mother of Skaar. She relates to an encounter seven years prior just after she received her first battle arms. With Angmo-Asan in charge, Omaka believed that the empire that his father built would crumble. Although her loyal subjects are unprepared to go to war against the Red King, she points out that thanks to his war with the Filians, Axeman Bone -- his greatest warrior -- is away and therefore vulnerable. While the others proteset, Princess Omaka insists on facing the King, not concerned about the possibility of battling Caiera the Oldstrong. Going to the castle, she announces herself to the Red King. Angmo-Asan decides to make a lesson out of the Princess and sends Caiera down to battle her. Princess Omaka tries to get the Oldstrong on her side, recounting how she was enslaved by the Red King years ago and forced to be his protector. However, Caiera refuses to stand down. Thinking the warrior was still tagged with an Obedience Disk, Omaka tries to use a Control Staff to subdue her foe. She soon learns, to her regret, that Caiera hasn't worn one in over twenty-five years since the Shadow Pact was signed. She was easily defeated, and the damaged caused by the battle claimed the lives of over a thousand people.

Hearing this, Old Sam, points out that she went into that battle without the proper information and that is why she failed. Still, he points out that the proper wielding of the Old Power requires balance, and he is certain the Skaar will have that balance, just like his father did. Omaka then reminds him that the Hulk destroyed everything he touched, including the plants that grew from his blood have turned savage and crave living flesh. Old Sam offers a different perspective, reminding them of the Spike War and how the old king had helped win the war and send the Spikes to the Broken Moon. However, this was not the right course of action as the Spikes needed to return to the stars. When they were unleashed upon Sakaar again, it was the Hulk who learned this and sustained them with his own blood until they were able to return the aliens to space. Old Sam then begins a tale of his own, telling of the moment that he saw in Skaar the heritage of his father.

It was some time prior to Skaar joining their band. He and his hybrid friends were hunting when the Son of Hulk was suddenly ambushed by some Shadow Priests. He soon awoke bound in a cave and became angry when the Priests started to slaughter any of the hybrids that came looking for their master. Seeing Skaar as a threat they marked and consecrated him before attempting to kill the savage so that they can save him from himself. However, Skaar managed to break free and slew the Shadow Priests. He then carried out the dead hybrid to the others waiting outside. Old Sam witnessed as Skaar and his creatures mourned the loss of one of their own before leaving. This convinced Old Sam that Skaar has a great destiny ahead of him.

It's by this point that Skaar notices the vines around them have started to go into a frenzy, eating their pack lizards. Princess Omaka blames Skaar for having the blood of his father in his veins. They soon realize that the vines want to feed off of Skaar's blood and nothing else. Surprisingly, as Skarr walks through the tangle of vines, the only attack him, drawing his blood while leaving the others safe to pass. On the other side they are shocked to see the spiky vines change back into the seemingly harmless Eleha'al plants they were before. However, Skaar shows them that it is all a ruse of a massive plant creature trying to eat them all. Skaar slays the carnivorous plant and tells those that in this savage new world the only rule to follow is this: if it bites, kill it.

Recurring Characters

Skaar, Princess Omaka, Yenrang, Old Sam, Kram, Caira Oldstrong (spirit), Axeman Bone, (in flashback) Angmo I, Red King Angmo-Asan, Ronan Kaifi

Continuity Notes

• The story of Caiera's enslavement at the hands of the Red King was first depicted in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #98.

• Princess Omaka states that the Hulk destroyed their world. This is a stretch, it was actually Miek who sabotaged the ship that brough Hulk to Sakaar in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #105, as revealed in World War Hulk #5.

• The war with the Spikes were chronicled in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #98-104.