World War Hulk: Front Line #4

Mar 13

Mar 13 World War Hulk: Front Line #4

Embedded: Behind Enemy Lines Part 4

In bed with her boyfriend Danny Granville, Sally Floyd can't help but ask why he has a black eye. He tells her that he got in a fight with a rock, and the rock won. The following morning, her fellow reporter Ben Urich reports in and tells her that he is joining a flock of humans going to Madison Square Garden, which the Hulk has converted into an arena. As Urich moves through the crowd of people, he notes that these are not locals, but thrill-seekers who have sneaked into Manhattan to witness the carnage. Elsewhere in the city, Sally takes the time to check on her parents. Her mother still thinks it is too early for Sally to have moved in with her boyfriend Danny. As the two talk about how dangerous the situation is, Sally promises that she is still dry even though there are no Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for her to go to. She then lets her mother go and enters a bar to get a drink.

There the bartender gives her a drink that has been paid for by another patron. This patron turns out to be Daily Bugle owner J. Jonah Jameson. Getting down to business, Jameson explains that he has come to her because he doesn't need the competition that the Front Line brings and offers to buy the paper. She refuses to sell and points out how successful the Front Line is becoming. Having had enough of Jameson, Sally decides to go elsewhere. As she gets up to leave, Jonah warns her that she is making a mistake. She turns to him and reminds Jameson that she is an alcoholic, and big mistakes are the only kind she knows how to make.

While back at the arena, Ben Urich is in the stand among the other arena-goers witnessing as the Hulk and his Warbound pit zoo animals against creatures that they have brought to Earth from Sakaar. He is appalled by the bloodlust from the other members of the audience by this display of animal cruelty. As Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, and Tony Stark are being dragged out to fight, Ben has a conversation with the man sitting next to him, who is a fight fan. Hearing the man obsess over the gory details of the previous fight disturb the veteran reporter even more. He then watches as the four members of the Illuminati battle for their lives against a Devil Corker. He gets to thinking about the invasion the Hulk brought upon them and notes that this alien civilization brought a culture of barbarism to this world. Seeing how he is surrounded for people crying out for blood, Urich realizes that they haven't been overrun because you can't be overrun if you are exactly like your invaders.

Recurring Characters

Ben Urich, Sally Floyd, Danny Granville, J. Jonah Jameson, Hulk, Illuminati (“Black Bolt”, Doctor Strange, Tony Stark)

Continuity Notes

This story takes place during the events of World War Hulk #4.
The man who appears to be Black Bolt in this story is actually a Skrull spy, as revealed in Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3.

Costume Division: Death of an Android Part 3

Detective Danny Granville is investigating the alleged murder of the Warbound's Arch-E with Korg. However, time is of the essence as he has only hours to solve mysterious death or his life will become forfeit. Tracking the robot's final movements through Manhattan, the pair discovered a security tape and are now reviewing it to see if it will reveal what happened. The footage shows Arch-E examining the deli where they found the security tape, however, the robot is speaking in an alien language. Danny asks Korg what the robot is saying, but at first, the alien refuses to divulge that classified information. Growing frustrated with Korg, Danny threatens to hit the alien even if the rock-like being would respond in kind. Korg gives in, however, and divulges that Arch-E was assigned to observe humanity but not to interfere. Suddenly, Danny gets a call from his captain who tells him they have located a witness. Hearing what his superior has to say, Danny then asks Korg what the specific orders he gave the robot. Korg explains that he told Arch-E to speak, but not engage with the humans, and that he was only supposed to kill in self-defense and to not to defend humans from themselves.

Ten minutes later, the two unlikely partners find themselves back at the scene of Arch-E's demise. There he tells Korg that the witness is being brought out to their location. Danny then goes over the chain of events leading up to the robot's destruction. He retraces Arch-E's movements from the deli, where Korg reminded him of his mission, before coming out into the street where he was destroyed. He then points out that the crime scene indicates that the blast radius around the robot was from his power core discharging. Danny has deduced that the robot actually blew himself up and identifies the direction the robot was looking in as it happened.

Seeing a bunch of looted televisions discarded on the sidewalk in front of the store they came from, Danny suddenly realizes what happened and begins to laugh. Korg demands to know what is so funny and Danny's composes himself enough to tell Korg that he is responsible for killing Arch-E.