Warbound, Part 5

Then:

In the Negative Zone Prison, Kaye Waynesboro had finished interrogating Miek to learn the weaknesses of his former allies the Warbound. At the conclusion of this meeting, Miek reveals that he has been "chemming" her the whole time and studying her own. He reveals that he knows that she actually wishes to help them. He also reveals that he now knows her past history with the Hulk. That during a period when Bruce Banner had control over the Hulk she was sent by SHIELD to spy on him as his lab assistant. However, they two fell in love and shared a relationship until the Hulk went savage again. When she tried to stop him, he knocked her aside. He states that he knows what it is like to feel the Hulk's wrath, however, unlike her he stood by him to the very end. He then mockingly tells her to take her broken soul to the Warbound, as he cannot think of a better way to destroy them.

Now:

The Warbound have just discovered that they need to keep the dome around Gammaworld intact because the humans trapped within have been mutated to the point where they need it to live. However, while it was temporarily down, it allowed the United States Army to send in robotic drones to destroy the Warbound, who they blame for the disaster. Kate gets onto her radio and tries to order them to cancel the order. The Leader, the real man responsible, points out to the Warbound that they have been sent to destroy Hiorim because the military learned that it is his Old Power keeping the dome active. He tells them that it was Kate who transmitted the information out of the dome. This angers Elloe Kaifi, who threatens to kill Kate, while the Leader goads her on. Kate insists that she sent off the transmission before she knew that the people trapped inside the dome needed it to survive. However, Hiroim stays Elloe's hand, pointing out that the robots have stopped, Kate's orders having got through to her superiors.

The Leader hardly thinks this is much fun and hacks into the robots computer systems and reactivates them. Hiroim leaps into stop the robots, igoring Kate's warnings that they are built to absorb and redirect his Old Power. With his own power redirected back at him, Hiroim and Korg are forced to defend the people from being eradicated by its energies. Meanwhile, Kate can infect the robots with the same nano-technology she used earlier to destroy the Leader's weapons. Elloe and Brood take the device and implant it in one of the robots to destroy them all. When the Leader tries to stop them, Kate leaps in and attacks him. With the robots now destroyed, Hiroim discovers that channeling the Old Power for so long has started breaking down his body. Suddenly, the Horde comes at them with an army of Leader controlled humans, which also includes Kate, following its lead.

As the Warbound try to get through the humans, Hiroim uses his powers one more time to bowl them all over. This gives Elloe a chance to impale the Leader with a pole, snapping everyone free from his control. However, the Leader uses this pole as a lightning rod to pull down energy from the gamma dome and into his body, mutating him into a massive form. Hiroim leaps into battle, but his body begins to break apart as he uses more power, which continues to feed the dome, which likewise feeds the Leader. However, Hiroim channels his power in such a way he draws energy from the Earth itself and uses it to rebuild his body in a massive form that towers over the Leader. Hiroim uses his massive power to sap the Leader of his power and crumbles to the ground, dead. Although the Leader has survived, he has been reverted back to his normal size. However, as the Warbound wonder how the dome remains active, the severed hand of Hiroim opens up to reveal that he transferred the Old Power to Kate.

The Leader activates a series of defenses to try and destroy her, but she easily dispatches them. With his death imminent, the Leader realizes that there is no winning this battle and teleports away. With the battle over, the Warbound welcomes Kate as one of their own and they take a moment to mourn the loss of Hiroim. The locals, however, are less than happy about their current situation and are about to attack the Warbound. Suddenly, a massive plant creature erupts from the ground threatening their lives. Taking command, Kate orders the Warbound to help protect the people from this new menace.

Recurring Characters

Warbound (Kate Waynesboro, Korg, Elloe Kaifi, No-Name of Brood, Hiroim), Leader, Horde, Miek

Continuity Notes

• Miek recounts Kate Waynesboro's relationship with Bruce Banner which lasted from Incredible Hulk #287 to 300.