The Hulk’s spacecraft:
His allies, the Warbound, watch holograms of the Iron Man’s Illuminati, specifically those who sent the Hulk into space: Reed Richards, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Bolt. These are the four that destroyed their world, Miek announces. These are the four who must die!
But there will be others, one of them, Korg, suggests, like the yellow-haired god Thor who smashed his brothers.… Or the X-Men, who destroyed the homeworld of its people, the Brood states.
Doesn’t matter, the Hulk decides. They are all just puny humans. But they have to remember this: Because they are so small and stupid, they are scared. If the Warbound will stand with him, they will be called monsters. The humans will hunt them down to the ends of the universe! And they will kill anything and anyone they’ve ever loved.
They are Warbound, the red-skinned woman Elloe reminds him. The others all put their hands together and finally so does the Hulk.
They are interrupted and told they will arrive in three hours. Korg asks the Hulk, before they strike, are there any among the humans who might help them? Any friends? The robot’s files mentioned a few. If they are humans, comes the reply, they’re Banner’s friends… not his.
On Earth, Amadeus Cho is relieved to see Hercules and the Angel actually came. Indeed, Hercules agrees, ‘tis not every day the Prince of Power receives an email as compelling as his. He gets email? Angel asks incredulously. Yes, Hercules deadpans. Shockingly enough, he has also mastered the intricacies of the flush toilet. But the three of them met here in the wilds of Jersey on more serious matters… the boy wishes to talk of the Hulk.
Amadeus reminds the two former Champions of the instance when they wrongfully fought the Hulk, only to learn he was just trying to get his cousin into hospital. And long has he hoped to right that wrong, Hercules agrees. He grabs Amadeus and pulls him up. He looks at the boy critically. These are strange days, filled with fear and hate. Friends betray friends. Amadeus Cho says he is a friend of the Hulk. How do they know that’s true? ‘Cause he’s got all the right enemies, the boy replies with a smirk.
That moment, a SHIELD airship appears. Commander Gabe Jones addresses them, telling the heroes that they are harboring a dangerous fugitive. His name is Amadeus Cho and he’s the seventh smartest person on the planet. He’s also a sociopath who destroyed a SHIELD helicopter, endangering the lives of twelve agents. Do not believe a word he tells them!
Amadeus angrily shouts they are trying to kill him because he knows they shot the Hulk into space. Jones continues that since Cho is still a minor, they are offering him amnesty in exchange for registration and rehabilitation. Hercules and Angel are asked to stand back and let their agents collect him.
They’ll probably gas his puppy too! Amadeus continues. Warren tells him the war’s over. SHIELD doesn’t go around, executing unarmed teenagers and their dogs for the fun of--
Amadeus secretly pushes something inside his pocket, then yells to look out. His device overrides the SHIELD airship’s weapon systems and missiles are fired at the heroes. Hercules immediately reacts angrily and tears into the ship. He’s starting to hate that kid, Gabe Jones swears.
A little later, the three of them are hiding in a small town’s internet café, both Hercules and Warren wearing civies. Hercules advises Warren that he should learn the keystroke commands. Much more efficient than all that pointing and clicking. He’s got it, all right? Warren replies annoyed. Damn, he swears, looking at a report of their deeds with pictures. This is bad. Aye, as in bad meaning good, Herc replies. Herc smash.
Warren is not amused. He taps some more. Yesterday, he was a beloved millionaire philanthropist. Now he’s a traitor and fugitive who can’t get ten bucks out of any of his twelve frozen bank accounts.
Dude, chillax, Amadeus tells him. He hacked into Worthington’s banks last week and transferred six hundred million to an offshore account and don’t worry… He invested it wisely, namely into an amphibious flyer.
A little later, as they dive down in said vessel, Warren remarks sourly that he now owns a fifty million dollar Cosby M-43 amphibious flyer. And one hundred million dollar of New Mexico desert, Amadeus informs him. He explains the Hulk was born in the desert. It’s where he always returns. Last year, the government downsized the military base where Banner’s original gamma test took place. So Amadeus bought the surrounding land. They are going to create a sanctuary for the Hulk.
A sanctuary? Hercules asks. All he ever wanted is to be left alone, Amadeus clarifies. He’s starting to understand the feeling! Warren spits out angrily, getting into Amadeus’ face. He ruins his good name, steals his money and blows a hundred and fifty million of his dollars on some harebrained scheme, to build a wildlife park the Hulk? What gives him the right?
Dude, what gives you the right? Amadeus shoots back. He’s a trust fund baby. It’s not like he earned a dime of--
Suddenly, the ship comes to a cracking halt. Great, another trick! Warren moans. No, it’s a tidal wave, Amadeus replies. But it doesn’t make sense… Sure it does, Hercules replies, assuming he was looking for Atlantis. Outside are a group of armed Atlanteans…
They are led to prince Namor. Amadeus thanks him for seeing them and continues he knew that with his history with the Hulk, Namor’d be the first to help—
Namor orders him to be silent. He brought them here to listen, not to speak. Their plan, he scoffs, is utterly moronic. He’ll tell them what he told Iron Man and the others. When the Hulk returns, he’ll kill them all and no power on Earth can stop him!
Amadeus protests that he doesn’t think so. The Hulk is never the aggressor. Namor is his friend. He should know!
Namor calls him a fool. The Hulk has no friends! He’s a maniac. Beyond reason or honor. The tidal waves that rocked their ship as they approached? He didn’t cause that. The moon did. Because of unprecedented gravitational aberrations….
Princess Namor joins them, announcing there is a transmission from the surface world. It is a transmission by the Hulk, the same that is shown in New York City. He tells the world how Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr Strange and Black Bolt shot him into space… sent him to a planet called Sakaa where he could be cut… even killed. Where the emperor made him a slave and then a gladiator. They sent him to die. But he survived with his Warbound: Korg, Miek, Elloe, Brood and Hiroim. They made a world. He was the Green King. And Caiera the Oldstrong was his Queen.
But Earth’s heroes sent a bomb. Killed a million people. Now this city will fall. They have twenty-four hours to evacuate. When he returns, he wants to see Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man and Dr Strange. And if they are not here, he’ll do this to the whole stinking planet (this referring to the badly injured Black Bolt)!
In the ocean, the heroes are shocked. Namor calls them fools. He told them they were dead! But now it’s far worse. The Hulk’s ready to kill the entire planet!
He keep saying that, Amadeus protests. But the Hulk’s never killed anyone in cold… Is he blind? Namor snarls and grabs him. What is it with them and collar-grabbing? Amadeus points out.
The Hulk found a queen, Namor continues, who loved him. Loved the Hulk. And they killed her. Hercules announces that this is why the Prince of Power will stand beside the Hulk to the end. Angel asks him what he is talking about. The Hulk’s gone nuts! Herc shoves him aside.
What the heck is going on? Warren asks, confused. Mythology 101, Amadeus retorts. Hercules was driven mad by Hera, his own wife and children ended up dead. He knows how the Hulk feels.
Namor warns him. The humans may call Hercules a god, but under the seas nobody can match his strength. Except her, his cousin Namora announces as she steps between them. When he acts surprised, she angrily reminds him that she was frozen in ice for fifty years. Forgotten. These heroes don’t forget. They go to help a friend. And she will stand with them.
He cannot raise a hand against his cousin, he decides. But if she helps these humans reach the Hulk, she could bring doom upon Atlantis. So… Quickly, he damages the ship, then leaves with his guards.
Man. He really is a #$%&, Amadeus states.
The Hudson River:
Amadeus has managed to fix the ship and, accompanied by Namora, they’ve arrived to see the evacuation of the city is almost done. Where is the Hulk? Hercules asks. He should be here in five, Amadeus replies. As soon as his ship is in range, he’ll hack into the communications unit.
Wrong way, folks? Angels shouts at a group of people on a raft and in small boats. They’ve gotten turned around he tells them and offers to tow them to Jersey. They tell him to get out of the way. They know where they are going. What are they talking about? he asks. The Hulk is coming.
Yes, to heal them, one man replies. No, to rescue them, another corrects him. With him they shall ascend to the stars. Another tells them they are both nuts. He’s coming to do just one thing: Give those superpowered &%$§% exactly what they have coming to them. He’ll tear them down from their golden palaces, another laughs.
Heads up, Amadeus warns them. He needs six seconds. They don’t have six seconds, Angel urges. Dude this is alien code, Amadeus retorts. A hundred government cryptographers would take ten years to figure it out. So the fact that he’s gonna crack it in one more second…. Aw nuts, he swears as they see the Hulk jumping down from the ship and towards a being in a battle-suit. The shock impact causes waves.
Namora and Angel begin to help the people in the boats. Amadeus tries to reach the people aboard the spaceship.
Does anyone want to talk to this human? one of the Warbound asks.
Amadeus insists that they have to tell the Hulk he has friends down here. Friends? Miek asks. Amadeus insists that the Hulk helped him. He knows he is not a killer. Let him talk to him. Miek interrupts the communication. Great, Amadeus mutters the next moment as they are hit by an EMP effect.
Moments later, they crash into the pier. Two men from the boat run into the other direction. Where are they going? Angel asks them. What’s wrong with them?
The young African-American teenager angrily tells him his name is Tom Foster. His uncle was Bill Foster; those heroes blew a hole through his chest. So now he’s gonna go watch the Hulk rip Iron Man in half.
An explosion rips up the ground beneath them. Amadeus figures it’s a gas leak and tells Herc to hit the ground at a certain point. Those cracks came from the impact of Iron Man’s fight with the Hulk and they are just getting started. The heroes begin to evacuate people and save lives. Tom finally asks them to be quiet. It’s stopped.
They find the Hulk amidst the debris. Amadeus calls out to him, asking if he remembers. They met at that diner in Jackalope, New Mexico. Those dudes in black helicopters wanted him to work for them. When he said no, they killed his parents and his sister Maddy. And they were about to kill him. But the Hulk helped him. So now he is here to help him. Help him? the Hulk snarls. With his army of puny humans? He screams at him in rage.
Hercules orders Amadeus back. He steps in front of the boy when the Hulk gets ready to hit him and takes the blow. Namora tries to hold his arm back, so the Hulk tosses her into the air and into Angel.
Hercules tackles him with renewed strength. Then he makes pacifying gestures, asking him no more. In response, the Hulk hits him again. No more, Hercules asks again and again. They are here to help. He points at the crowd that has gathered. They’re all here to help. Will he let them?
