World War Hulk #5
World War Hulk Part 5
The Hulk has forced Mr. Fantastic and Tony Stark to fight to the death in his make-shift arena in Madison Square Gardens. When Mr. Fantastic wins against Stark, the Hulk gives the order for Richards to kill his friend. Not willing to do so, Reed now is in a battle of wills with the Obedience Disk that controls him. As Reed pleads to the Hulk to stop this, the gamma-spawned warrior explains that this is a fitting punishment, as he still blames the Illuminati for destroying the Crown City of Sakaar. Reed tries to explain that they didn't set off any explosions, but these fall on deaf ears. However, what is supposed to be a deathblow lands inches away from Tony's head. The Hulk then explains that he is not here to murder them, just get justice by showing everyone who the Illuminati truly are. He then tells the audience that he will destroy all of Manhattan and then leave the heroes to their shame. Reed warns the Hulk one last time to surrender or else. When the Hulk questions what they can do if he doesn't, the Sentry suddenly slams through the Warbound's Stone Ship.
The Sentry then slams into the Hulk sending the pair crashing out of the Gardens and into a nearby building. When the Hulk tells the Sentry to stand down, the hero refuses as he is looking forward to hitting someone with his full strength. He hits the Hulk as hard as he can, but the brute is still standing. The Hulk then tells the others to watch as he and the Sentry begin to pummel each other across the city. After a few blows, the Sentry begins unleashing the full fury of his power, the strength of a million exploding sons. Watching this with horror, General Ross accuses the heroes of replacing one monster with another. With the Hulk pinned down from a whirlwind of energy emanating from the Sentry's body, Earth's heroes begin to scramble to do something about the pending doom that might crack the world in two. With the Stone Ship out of commission, Tony Stark can now access the defense satellite network above the Earth and begins hacking into them. The Hulk then leaps up and pounds into the Sentry. The two trade blows as they slowly lower to the ground and the pair beat each other so badly that they both revert to normal human form. Robert Reynolds thanks Bruce Banner for stopping him and collapses on the ground.
As everyone stands shocked, Miek cannot believe that the Hulk turned into something so puny and tries to attack Banner with a spear to force a transformation back into the Hulk. Seeing this sneak attack, Rick Jones pushes Bruce aside, taking the spear for himself. Seeing his oldest friend getting seriously wounded is all that it takes to make Banner turn into the Hulk again. However, this time he turns his rage toward the Warbound. He fights past his allies and begins beating on Miek. During his thrashing, Miek reveals a shocking revelation: That there was no bomb on the SHIELD transport that brought the Hulk to Sakaar. During the final days of Crown City, Miek spotted some loyalists to the Red King load a damaged warp core into the ship. Not liking the fact that the Hulk was at peace, Miek allowed them to set it off, which led to the explosion. Miek goes on to say that he has been trying to increase the Hulk's rage so that he can become the World Breaker that he is destined to become. Hearing all of this causes the Hulk's rage to reach critical levels, threatening to destroy the entire world. With moments left to spare, Tony Stark risks his life to act as a target for a concentration of beams from the defense satellites orbiting the Earth. Within a split second, these beams strike the Hulk who is seemingly disintegrated by the powerful blast of energy. His final memories are of his queen, Ceira, who he believes to be joining.
However, as the smoke clears from the crater, the gathered heroes see the battered body of Bruce Banner laying in it, alive and well. With the battle over, Bruce Banner is contained and taken into SHIELD custody. The Warbound is shackled and taken away as well, while Rick Jone is taken to the hospital. Banner is taken to a secret base out in the Mojave Desert where he finally rests.
Meanwhile, on the distant planet of Sakaar, in the molten lava pools that used to be Crown City, something emerges from the inferno, something big and green.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Warbound (Miek, Korg, Elloe Kaifi, No-Name of Brood, Hiroim), Rick Jones, Illuminati (Mister Fantastic, "Black Bolt" Doctor Strange, Iron Man), New Avengers (Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, "Spider-Woman"), Mighty Avengers (Ms. Marvel, Sentry, Wonder Man, Ares), Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman, Human Torch, Thing), She-Hulk, General Ross, Doc Samson, Skarr, Caiera Oldstrong
Continuity Notes
This story happens concurrently with Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #111 and World War Hulk: Front Line #5-6.
The depiction of George W. Bush as President of the United States in this story should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616.
The characters who appear to be Spider-Woman and Black Bolt are actually Skrull impostors, as revealed in Secret Invasion #1 and Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3.
It is later revealed in Incredible Hulk #600 that MODOK was partially responsible for the Hulk's downfall in this story and that the facility that he is locked into is a front for AIM.
