Sworn To Protect Part 1

Professor Xavier admits to the Hulk that while he wouldn't have agreed to a permanent exile, he would have voted to send him away while the Illuminate searched for a cure. He admits he would have been guilty of playing god, but offers to surrender willingly. However, the Astonishing X-Men Squad, Colossus, Beast, Emma Frost, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Kitty Pryde, will not allow the Hulk to take Xavier without a fight.

Cyclops blasts Hulk with the full force of his optic blasts, but Hulk wades through the blasts and grabs his head, stopping his attack. Kitty phases Scott out of Hulk's fist. Wolverine, Beast, and Colossus attack Hulk, while Professor X drags away the injured Cyclops, telling them this is madness. Kitty then phases Hulk into the ground and merges him with it. She says she didn't like the idea of crippling a man but added that he's still dangerous, and when Colossus suggests imprisoning him somewhere, they discuss possible safe locations. Hulk bursts out of the ground unharmed and tells them to go to hell, and levels them with one of his thunderclaps.

As the X-Men begin to fall, the Stepford Cuckoos send out a telepathic distress call to X-Factor, Uncanny X-Men Squad, and Excalibur. Juggernaut, frustrated that he is an ocean away, strikes a bargain with Cyttorak that allows him to be transported immediately to the Hulk.

Meanwhile, Cyclops' X-Men are falling faster than they can be healed by Elixir. The Hulk defeats Colossus, breaking his arms, but Colossus refuses to back down, but Wolverine interrupts the battle and saves him. During their battle, Wolverine slashes Hulk across the eyes, but Hulk was expecting this. Grabbing Wolverine, Hulk bashes his head against the ground multiple times, incapacitating him. Wolverine is saved by the timely arrival of Juggernaut, but without his full powers or his armor, he is beaten. Just as Hulk thinks he has defeated all the X-Men, X-factor and the Uncanny X-Men arrive.

Recurring Characters

X-Men (Professor X, Cyclops, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Shadowcat, Colossus, Beast, Hepzibah, Warpath, Nightcrawler, Darwin), New X-Men (Hellion, Elixir, X-23, Surge, Rockslide, Mercury, Prodigy), Lockheed, Hulk, Stepford Cuckoos (Celeste, Mindee, and Phoebe Cuckoo), Pixie, Anole, Indra, Excalibur (Captain Britain, Dazzler, Juggernaut), X-Factor Investigations (Multiple Man, Siryn, Wolfsbane, M, Strong Guy)

Continuity Notes

• This story takes place between pages 20 and 23 of World War Hulk #1.

• The Hulk mentions how the Illuminati exiled him into space, that happened in Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #91.

• Xavier mentions how he has made some bad decisions in recent history. He is referring to how he made the mistake of not being able to cure the Scarlet Witch of her insanity following the events of Avengers #503, leading to the House of M (House of M #1-8) which made mutants an endangered species as well as X-Men: Deadly Genesis #1-6 where the revelation of how Xavier sent a team of young X-Men to their death years earlier was brought to life.

• The Juggernaut has been in a weakened state since he renounced his criminal past back in Uncanny X-Men #410-413.

• There has also been an ongoing feud between Hulk and Wolverine over the years, and the two have fought many times. Their battles to date, were, chronologically, in Wolverine: Origins #28, Incredible Hulk #181, Wolverine Vol 3 #50 Incredible Hulk #340, Marvel Comics Presents #55, Marvel Comics Presents #61, Marvel Fanfare Vol 2 #2, Incredible Hulk #454 - 455, Hulk #8, Wolverine Hulk #1, Wolverine Hulk #2, Hulk/Wolverine: Six Hours #4, and Incredible Hulk Vol 2 #80.