| "World War Hulk" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Cover of World War Hulk 1 (Aug 2007).Art by David Finch. |
|||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
| Publication date | July 2007 – January 2008 | ||
| Genre | Crossover | ||
|
|||
| Main character(s) | Hulk Warbound the Avengers Sentry |
||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | Greg Pak | ||
| Penciller(s) | John Romita, Jr. | ||
| Inker(s) | Klaus Janson | ||
| Colorist(s) | Christina Strain | ||
"World War Hulk" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self titled limited series and various other titles published by Marvel Comics in 2007, featuring the Hulk.[1]
The series consists of five main issues titled World War Hulk, with Greg Pak as writer and John Romita, Jr. as penciller, and three other limited series: World War Hulk: Front Line, World War Hulk: Gamma Corps, and World War Hulk: X-Men. It also ran through several other Marvel comics series.
The plot is the culmination of a series of events that began with the Hulk being tricked into space by the Illuminati and a life model decoy of Nick Fury, the Hulk's subsequent exile seen in Planet Hulk and his imminent return to Earth to seek revenge on the Illuminati.
Contents |
The story, a crossover throughout various series, began in the one-shot World War Hulk Prologue: World Breaker (May 2007), written by Peter David and penciled by Sean Phillips, Al Rio, and Lee Weeks. Marvel followed this with Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #106-110 and World War Hulk: Frontline #1-6[2] as parallel stories following the impact of the Hulk's return on various characters. The crossover extended into regular issues of Avengers: The Initiative, Ghost Rider, Heroes for Hire, Irredeemable Ant-Man, The Punisher War Journal, and Iron Man, as well as a miniseries starring the Hulk and the X-Men and a newly created group, the Gamma Corps.[3] The stories ran from summer through fall, beginning in issues cover-dated July 2007.[4] Initially scheduled to end in October, Marvel announced through the October 10 Diamond Dateline retail newsletter that the final titles in the crossover would be delayed until mid to late November.[5]
After Illuminati banished Hulk from Earth,[6] the spacecraft they used explodes and kills Hulk's pregnant wife, Caiera.[7] Blaming the Illuminati for her death, Hulk returns to Earth for revenge with his allies the Warbound:Hiroim, Korg, Elloe Kaifi, Miek, No-Name the Brood, Arch-E-5912, and Mung.
Stopping at the moon, the Hulk defeats a skrull impersonating[8] Inhuman king Black Bolt. The Hulk proceeds to Manhattan, New York where he demands the presence of the Avengers and that the city be evacuated.[9]
He travels to the home of the X-Men, where Professor X, absent from the decision to send the Hulk off-planet, admits he would have agreed with the decision. The Hulk defeats several teams of X-Men,[10] and the Juggernaut, but leaves after learning of M-Day, believing that Xavier has suffered enough.[11]
The Hulk returns to Manhattan and battles the superhuman-operative team Gamma Corps[12] and Ghost Rider.[13] Hulk defeats Iron Man, destroying Stark Tower in the process.[14] The Hulk and his Warbound next defeat the New Avengers, the Mighty Avengers, Doc Samson and the Fantastic Four. The Hulk attaches "obedience disks" to the defeated, imprisoned superheroes, preventing them from using their powers.[15]
After a brief battle involving Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Namora, and Angel, the Hulk defeats General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross and a U.S. Army force.[15] The Hulk then encounters Doctor Strange, who mystically merges with a powerful old enemy, Zom.[16] Hulk defeats the Zom-possessed Dr. Strange, causing the demonic entity to flee.[17]
An imprisoned Tony Stark (Iron Man) communicates with S.H.I.E.L.D., revealing an emergency plan to engulf Manhattan in the Negative Zone, thereby annihilating the Hulk and all other positive matter on the island, should the heroes fail.[18]
The Hulk and the Warbound transform Madison Square Garden into a gladiatorial arena.[16] Meanwhile, he repels an assassination attempt from Scorpion,[19] and a confrontation with the Initiative.[20]
Following speeches from human supporters of Hulk, the Hulk arranges for Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Mister Fantastic to fight a tentacled alien and later battle each other to the death, as a cheering audience watches.[21] The Hulk declares his intention was for "justice and not murder", and nobody had to or would die. He plans to destroy New York City and leave the Avengers to their shame.
The Sentry arrives and attacks the Hulk, leading to a prolonged battle that exhausts them both. They revert to their human forms, and Bruce Banner defeats Robert Reynolds. Angered by the Hulk's mercy and transformation, Warbound member Miek reveals the explosion that started this war was not caused by the Illuminati, and that he chose not to prevent it. Banner transforms back into Hulk and attacks Miek. Overwhelmed with rage, Hulk unwillingly begins to release energy that threatens Earth. At Hulk's request, Stark activates a series of weaponized satellites that open fire on the Hulk, leaving him in his Bruce Banner form, unconscious.[22]
S.H.I.E.L.D. later imprisons Banner in a facility three miles underground, with the other Warbound members having been taken into U.S. military custody.
A continuation of both "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" began in May 2009. A special stand alone prologue and Skaar: Son of Hulk #11 will see the beginning of "Planet Skaar" an arc which is intended to bring Skaar directly into the middle of the Marvel Universe. Following the return of the Silver Savage (the Silver Surfer) in issue #7 events begin to spiral that forces Skaar to not only abandon Sakaar but to head towards Earth. Already revealed by series writer Greg Pak is that Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards, will not be amused with the arrival of another Hulk-like being and that the meeting between father and son may not be very pleasant for the Hulk.
In the 2010 "World War Hulks" storyline, it is revealed that the satellites used to revert Hulk back to Banner at the end of "World War Hulk" siphoned off the gamma radiation from his body, in order to collect it for the cathexis ray later used to create the Red Hulk.[23]
For the 2009 What If series, there was a What If? World War Hulk one-shot which examines two alternatives to the storyline:[24]
In the last issue, the Earth-Z version of Hulk became infected while on the moon, the rest of the Warbound being devoured by the zombie Inhumans (The Hulk eating Elloe Kaifi when the infection takes control of him). Instead of seeking revenge on the Avengers and Earth, he returned to Earth to satisfy his hunger, and in turn, infects the version of the Sentry that was responsible for the outbreak in the first place. This Hulk goes on to join Spider-Man's team of New Avengers when the Sentry turns against him.
In Chris Giarrusso's Mini Marvels comics, a World War Hulk three-story series had been written.
World War Hulk #1 was at the top of the Diamond Comic Distributors' sales chart for June 2007, selling an estimated 178,302 copies.[25] When the first issue sold out, Marvel announced a second printing would have a variant cover by John Romita, Jr.[26]