Bullet Points (comic)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bullet Points is a Marvel comic limited series that was published in 2006 and 2007, written by J. Michael Straczynski, illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards and lettered by John Workman. The series was released under the Marvel Knights imprint and examines the consequences to the Marvel Universe when Dr. Erskine is killed before Steve Rogers is injected with the Super-Soldier Serum and Ben Parker is killed before he raises Peter Parker.
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[edit] Plot summary
The series begins on December 8, 1940. Dr. Abraham Erskine is killed by a German spy, along with MP Benjamin Parker, before the Super-Soldier Serum was to be used for Project: Rebirth.
Due to the assassination, Project: Rebirth is cancelled. The US government activates Project: Iron Man and asks Steve Rogers to participate in it. Steve accepts, and is permanently bonded to the Iron Man armor. Iron Man debuts during the Battle of Guadalcanal, going on to help win the Second World War.
Decades later, Peter Parker sneaks out of a field trip to a desert base and goes joyriding with friends in a stolen jeep. After the jeep breaks down, Peter goes off to find fuel, wandering into a test site just as a gamma bomb is detonated and recovers from the explosion in hospital. After returning home, Peter is confronted by the two friends, who accuse him of getting them into trouble. Peter becomes angry and turns into the Hulk, destroying property around him. The Hulk is confronted by the police. Aunt May recognises the Hulk as Peter and suffers a heart attack, which causes him to flee.
Peter later visits Aunt May in the hospital and says goodbye before running away, only to be confronted by Iron Man and several army troops. Peter turns into the Hulk and confronts Iron Man. After a long fight outside the hospital, the Hulk eventually kills Iron Man and flees in terror.
Meanwhile, Reed Richards, along with his co-pilots Ben Grimm, Sue Storm and Johnny Storm, launches into space in a rocket designed to collect cosmic rays. However, the rocket explodes before it can reach orbit due to sabotage, crashing back to Earth and killing Ben, Johnny and Sue. Afterwards, Reed is invited to join the spy organisation called S.H.I.E.L.D.
Years later, Bruce Banner is bitten by a radioactive spider collected from the gamma bomb test site and mutates into a half-man, half-spider creature. After going on the run for two years, Banner is captured and becomes a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent after having his mutation brought under control.
Galactus arrives on Earth alongside his herald the Silver Surfer, intending to consume the planet as he has consumed others over the millenia. The US Army and Air Force are wiped out as they confront the Surfer. Earth's superhumans attempt to stop Galactus, only to be killed or injured. The Hulk emerges from years of seclusion and attacks Galactus several times, only to be killed. The Hulk's death inspires the Surfer to attack Galactus, who eventually leaves Earth. The series ends with an epilogue at Steve Rogers and Peter Parker's gravestones.
[edit] Characters
- Iron Man (Steve Rogers): Soldier in World War II who volunteers for Project: Iron Man. Dies after attempting to subdue and arrest the Hulk.
- Hulk (Peter Parker): Teenager exposed to gamma bomb who turns into the Hulk whenever angry. Runs away after accidentally killing Iron Man. Emerges from seculsion and dies while attacking Galactus.
- Dr. Reed Richards: Government scientist working on Project: Iron Man. Becomes leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. and has an appearance very similar to Nick Fury after the crash landing of his rocket and the deaths of the co-pilots.
- Spider-Man (Bruce Banner): S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist who is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains spider-like abilities.
