Warbound, Part 1

As the recovery effort in New York continues following the end of World War Hulk, Kate Waynesboro and a team of SHIELD agents search the sewers of the city for the members of the Hulk's Warbound who managed to escape from captivity. Their search gets the team in danger as alligators in the sewers try to attack them. However, Korg and No-Name were hiding below the water and he comes up to fight off the creatures. As they fight off the gators, they grab the humans and carry them to safety, disarming Kate along the way. Their presence also alerts some strange robots that have also been following them. Soon, Korg and No-Name to take Kate to where they have been keeping Elloe Kaifi since she was injured. Although Elloe tells her comrades to leave her behind, but they refuse to abandon her. They are quickly found by SHIELD agents, which Hiroim scatters by using the Old Power. However, the strange robots find the aliens as well, one of them blasts Hiroim with a teleportation beam that sends him away. Thinking that this is some kind of SHIELD trick, the Warbound grab Kate and leap into the teleportation beam.

They rematerialize in the middle of a desert, but Hiroim is nowhere to be seen. No-Name blames Kate for this situation, but the SHIELD agent points out that her organization does not have such technology. She then pushes the Brood aside so she can give Elloe medical attention. Suddenly, they are confronted by American soldiers who point out that they are in a restricted area. Recognizing the Warbound as the Hulk's allies the soldiers open fire. Not far away in an abandoned lab facility, Hiroim has been attached to a machine by a mysterious entity that claims to be his friend. With the device Hiroim is strapped into, his apparent benefactor uses it to utilize the Old Power. This causes massive amounts of gamma energy to start cropping out of the ground. As SHIELD helicarrier race to the scene, Korg is able to track the tremors to the facility where Hirohim is being kept. When they pull Hiroim from the machines, it still doesn't stop them from doing their jobs. Suddenly, the energy shoots out of the ground creating a massive dome around the area, cutting off SHIELD from Kate and the others.

The Warbound are welcome to Gammaworld by the man responsible for creating it: The Leader.

Recurring Characters

Warbound (Korg, Elloe Kaifi, No-Name of Brood, Hiroim), Kate Waynesboro, SHIELD, Leader, Thing, Goliath, Luke Cage

Continuity Notes

• This story takes place after World War Hulk: Aftersmash #1. That is the story where Elloe was seriously wounded.

• Mention is made of Kate Waynsboro's past association with the Hulk. She worked as his assistant and the pair briefly dated between Incredible Hulk #287-300.

Tales of the Warbound Part 1

Dum Dum Dugan has elected Kate Waynsboro to track down the escaped members of the Warbound. In order to get a better idea of who she is up against, Dugan takes her to the Negative Zone prison to question Miek, the only member of the Hulk's alien allies who was captured. The Sakaaran native is being held in medical stasis to recover from his energy. She demands that the insectoid tell her any weaknesses that each of the Warbound may have. First, she wants to know more about Elloe Kaifi, as they believe she has a conscience that they could use against her.

Miek relates a story about Elloe from when she was a child on Sakaar, living among the oligarchs of their society. One day, Elloe freed a native slave, telling it that she was helping free it. The bug used it's "chemming" ability to track down his hive. However, when the slave is reunited with his people, Elloe summoned soldiers who took them prisoner. Elloe was later commended for her help.

Concluding his story, Miek tells Kate that she might betray the Warbound, but it won't be because of her conscience.

Recurring Characters

Elloe Kaifi, SHIELD (Dum Dum Dugan, Kaye Waynesboro), Miek

Continuity Notes

• The man who appears to be Dum Dum Dugan here is not the real Dugan, but a Skrull spy, as revealed in Secret Invasion #1.