The Hulk hurtled through the air like a meteor streaking towards the Earth. He landed with an earthquake-inducing boom that rattled windows for miles about and set off a series of small tremors that continued late into the day.
The Emerald Giant crawled from the crater, shrouded by clouds of debris, and roared his anger to the heavens.
This was not the Professor, in whom all of Britain had placed its trust.
This was not Jox Fixit, either, the rough-around-the-edges but basically good Hulk who had once called Las Vegas his home.
This was the Savage Hulk, free after far too long.
He furrowed his heavy brow, staring off in the distance, squinting through the smoke. Braddock Manor lay ahead and though his primitive mind could barely remember the full details, he knew that an enemy was there -- an enemy who had threatened all that the Hulk held dear.
Hulk... You need to go and find the Maestro. Don't lose track.
The Hulk slapped at his own face, as if trying to drive away irritating flies. It did nothing to silence the voice in his head, though, the one that had propelled him forward ever since leaving Avalon. "Hrrr," the monster rumbled, moving forward. He hated this voice, so confident and sure, that had taken up residence in his mind. It reminded him of puny little Banner, using big words to try and impress the Hulk. "Hulk will smash you, Voice-Man. You just wait."
The behemoth picked up speed as he ran, his heavy footprints leaving large holes in his wake. He roared as he ran, the sound scaring away birds in large clouds that escaped skyward.
A figure emerged from the Manor, standing just as broad as the Hulk himself. His skin glinted silver in the sunlight and the being held up a hand as the Hulk approached. "Stop," he said, in a soft voice that nevertheless carried far.
The Hulk slowed for a moment but then renewed his progress. The voice in his head nudged him forward and the gamma-spawned monster gave in to its urging, eager to be done with this. He slammed hard into the figure blocking his path, knocking them straight through the Manor and out the other side. They landed atop one another near a shady grove, the Hulk growling like a rabid dog as he rained blows down upon his enemy. Each impact would have been enough to shatter the side of a tank, but the green-skinned figure with whom the Hulk was grappling merely laughed as the assault continued. The Hulk's foe flexed his own mighty muscles and delivered a roundhouse that sent the Hulk flying away him, landing in a heap some feet away.
The Maestro rose, dusting himself off. His new Overhulk body was barely dented from the Hulk's blows and the few signs of wear and tear that it did exhibit were being repaired by the nanobots within the shell, powered by the ambient Gamma Radiation given off by the Hulk. "This is an unexpected surprise, Bruce. I had prepared for a more... philosophical... debate."
The Hulk stood up, shaking his head to ward off the buzzing that had begun in his skull. The buzzing drowned out the rantings of the Voice, though, and the Hulk was grateful for that at least. He grabbed the base of a nearby tree and pulled, uprooting it easily. "Hulk is going to smash you. Hulk is going to kill you!"
"Astounding," the Maestro said. "To think that this monosyllabic brute before me is a variation on myself... What has led you back to this state, Bruce? Tell me."
"Not Bruce!" the Hulk bellowed. "Banner is gone! Now is only Hulk!" He punctuated his remarks with a powerful stamp of his foot, nearly knocking the Maestro from his feet.
"Hmm... Well, that only makes my work easier, I suppose. Tell me, Hulk, do you feel lightheaded? More than usual, I mean. If I recall correctly, you're never exactly steadfast in your grip upon reality when you're like this...."
Damnit, Bruce! Stop tuning me out! He's obviously got a trap going! A tra--
"Shut up, stupid Voice Man!" The Hulk staggered somewhat, surprising himself. He did feel a bit muddled in the head, like he was so very sleepy... "What Maestro do to Hulk?"
"What any kind-hearted soul should have done years ago, Bruce. I'm putting you out of your misery."
The Hulk gasped for air, but it was the worst thing he could have done. Invisible, but hanging all about him, was a powerful narcotic gas... one that the Maestro's new robotic form was immune to. The Hulk made several clumsy attempts to lunge at the Maestro before falling face-first in the dirt.
"It worked, Mastermind." The Maestro strode over to the Hulk and stared down at him, shaking his head. "The bastard never stood a chance."
A holographic figure winked into view, hovering just behind the Maestro. Though he wore the face and shape of a prim and proper British butler, he was nothing of the sort. The super-computer known as the Mastermind arranged his holographic face into a smile. "And now what, m'lord?"
The Maestro grunted. "Now we get me out of this shell... and back where I belong."
"Another fine mess you've gotten yourself into."
Dane Whitman, the Lord of the Lake, tried to avoid letting his chagrin show... but he failed miserably. He'd never been one of those tough guys who could hide his emotions behind a facade of cool. He was an open book, for all the world to see. "What do you want, Betsy?"
Captain Britain stood at the edge of the shore, arms crossed. "I'd like to know why two Hulks are demolishing my home."
"Shouldn't you be off stopping them?" he asked, turning to face her. He couldn't help noticing that she was beautiful today, so stern and proud. She reminded him of Crystal in a way, but with far more of a sexual edge to her than the Inhuman ever possessed.
"That should be your job, you sodding little bastard. At what point exactly did you lose the plot over this one, Dane? Before or after you killed the Lady of the Lake?"
"She chose this path, damnit!" Dane forced himself back to calm, noticing that the waters were reflecting the tempestuous nature of his mood. Large waves lapped at his feet as he hovered above the water. "I was trying to help the Hulk. He--"
"Looks like you did a wonderful job of it."
"Shut up, please. As I was saying, he came to me and asked for help in locating the Maestro, a timelost variant of himself. I managed that one just fine, as you can see. But he also wanted me to remove the part of him that grew into the Maestro... I assumed it would be the savage, violent part of his personality, but I was wrong."
"Obviously. So you decided to just set him loose on my house? Bloody amazing."
"I didn't just 'set him loose.' I elected to do something to make up for my mistake -- I made him a Warrior of Avalon and gave him a Quest."
Captain Britain stepped into the air, using her mystic bodysuit to fly close to her former teammate. "What does that mean? He was already a Pendragon...."
"Yes... but he lost that when he lost his sanity. You're not a Pendragon for life, you know. The Green chooses who it wants to and empowers them for as long as they are needed. When he reverted to a beast, he lost the blessings of the Green. I decided to make an exception for him, the same kind of exception that's been made time and again... I gave him a specific Quest. As long as he's on the Quest, he's got the blessings of the Pendragon within him. He can journey to Avalon, he heals quicker than normal and his strength and agility are increased. When the Quest is over, we'll worry about what to do next."
"You destroyed him, Dane." Betsy jabbed a finger into Dane's chest. "And you've just unleashed a monster, to boot. I hope you can live with yourself."
Dane gripped her hand, surprising them both at the way the sudden contact seemed to electrify them. "I'm going to fix this. Give me time."
"And what about the Manor? Should I trust you to take care of that, too?"
"Yes. I've made some mistakes, Betsy... but I'm still the same guy who helped found the current Pendragons. That should count for something, shouldn't it? Trust me."
They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before Betsy nodded. "Don't screw this up, Dane."
"Betty...? Can you hear me, girl? Wake up this instant! This is your father speaking to you!"
"She's not a cadet, General. She's your daughter."
"Don't lecture me, young woman!" General Ross stood up straight, narrowing his eyes at the woman who stood on the other side of his daughter's bed. The greenish tint that had marred Betty's beauty since her "death" was gone, leaving her looking vital and alive. "I want to make sure she's hale and hearty -- and there's no reason for her loafing about! She's been sleeping for far too long!"
Shevaun Haldane rolled her eyes. She was dressed in her Dark Angel armor, having just retrieved the spirit of the General's daughter from the Realm of the Just Dead. It had been lurking there, caught in a transitional state of half-life for many long months and Shevaun had her doubts about how well Betty's spirit had endured. "She should be waking up any second. It takes a bit of time for the magic to take effect."
"Harumph." Ross puffed away on his cigar, beginning to pace. "Magic spells. Gamma-spawned monstrosities. My life has become fodder for hippies and dreamers."
"Nothing... wrong... with a little... dreaming... is there, daddy?"
Ross stopped in mid-step, his eyes growing wide. He swallowed audibly before speaking, his gruff voice full of emotion. "Betty?"
Shevaun stepped aside as the General knelt beside his daughter, who was sitting up in bed. Betty Ross Banner looked pale and thin -- lingering side-effects from the Gamma Poisoning which had caused her to waste away -- but she also looked far better than her father had seen her in some time. He embraced her strongly, not caring that it was a crack in his usual emotional armor.
"Daddy," Betty whispered, holding him tight. She had never seen him so emotional and it touched her deeply. "Where's Bruce?"
Ross stiffened slightly, pulling back. He gripped his daughter's hands in his own. "Honey, you have to be strong."
Betty's eyes reflected a flurry of emotions and Shevaun watched this exchange closely. It would be so easy for Ross to claim that his son-in-law was dead, forcing his daughter back into his arms. But Ross knew that Dark Angel was watching... and what was more, he'd given his word not to stand in the way of his daughter's happiness.
"Is something wrong with Bruce?" Betty asked.
"He's safe, from what I hear... but he's lost to you. And only God knows how long he'll be away...."
The Hulk woke from his slumber, with a pounding in his head. The Voice was there, too, urging him to move. "Shut up," the Hulk mumbled angrily, starting to rise but finding himself strapped down with heavy iron bands. He moved his head from side to side, examining the laboratory in which he was being held prisoner. It lay a mile or so beneath Braddock Manor, with machinery that seemed more magical than scientific at times.
The Maestro, flanked by the holographic form of the Mastermind, stood nearby. "Sleeping beauty awakes. Did your slumber leave you refreshed, Bruce?"
"Not Bruce," the Hulk whispered. "Banner's dead."
The Maestro moved forward, staring down into the eyes that were so similar to his own. "I wonder if that could be true... I doubt it. The Hulk and Bruce Banner are one and the same. The only difference -- as our old friend Leonard would say -- is in your mind." He reached out caressed the Hulk's cheek, in a gesture so full of gentleness that even the savage creature before him lay still. "We have suffered so very much, you and I. Lying, deceitful women... and the ever-present cruelty of mankind. I envy you, if you have indeed found ignorance, for in that you shall gain bliss."
The Hulk roared, straining against his bonds.
"Your strength is being sapped, Hulk... This body of mine is powered by ambient Gamma Radiation -- energy which you give off in spades." The Maestro looked down at his silver-tinted hand. "I suppose I should give more thought to just staying in this form, but I can't bear it. I desire flesh, Hulk, with all the pleasures that are a part of that."
"The transference can begin soon," Mastermind declared, watching them. "And my own repairs are proceeding apace. I will soon be operating at 60% capacity."
"Hulk not like this... Hulk want to be free!"
"Yes," the Maestro agreed. "I imagine you do. But all your torment will soon be over... because I'm going to place my mind in your body. And you... you will cease to be." The villain turned towards the sentient computer and nodded. "Activate the transference machine. Suck his essence from this shell, so that I might inhabit it!"
The Mastermind nodded, mentally activating the next phase of the operation. A product of Otherworld technology, this device could siphon off a being's mental energies, leaving him a barren waste. It was quite painful, making it a useful tool for torture and punishment.
The Hulk felt his mind being ripped apart. "Nnngh!" he bellowed, straining to make words but finding himself only capable of incoherent rantings. He snapped at the air, spittle flying from his mouth.
Hulk. Stop fighting it. Let him drain you dry....
"You... raaaagh... you want Hulk to die!"
The Maestro nodded slowly. "Yes. I do."
The Hulk writhed, ignoring the Maestro. He cared only about the pain he was feeling and the ever-present voice in his head.
You have to trust me.
"You want Hulk to die, like puny Banner. You want to kill Hulk so that Joe can come out."
The Maestro turned away from the Hulk, unable to make sense out of the Hulk's mumblings any longer. He was anxious to be free of the robotic form he wore... and once he was clothed in his proper body -- or something close to it -- he could renew his campaign of conquest. It was all he had... the subjugation of others. It gave him purpose and healed his wounds, or so he liked to believe.
Hulk, I don't want Joe to come out. I don't know know who Joe is -- but I do know this: You're a servant of Avalon and no machine can change that. You want to stop the Maestro, don't you?
"Nnngh... Yes!"
Then. Stop. Fighting.
The Hulk gritted his teeth for a moment, torn between his natural impulse to resist and the growing sense that perhaps the Voice could help him. He thrashed once more and then gave in... gave in to the pain and the ever-encroaching darkness.
The Maestro sat down in the far corner, staring mutely at the dying creature on the table. He'd long ago given up any hope of finding salvation for his own soul and he certainly held no hope for the thing before him... but even so, he felt a twinge of sadness. There was still so much before this Hulk. And who could say it couldn't be changed?
"I could," the Maestro whispered. "I can't forget that. No matter how things might seem to be different, in the end it's always the same. Betrayal. Hatred. Fear."
"Something seems to be wrong...."
The Maestro looked up at Mastermind, whose holographic face was distorted in an expression of fear. "What is it?"
"The transference -- it's shooting far beyond the expected energy norms. There's a whole spectrum there that shouldn't be...."
The Maestro rose quickly, shoving the Mastermind aside and staring at the readouts. What he saw defied description... until he realized what was happening. During his slow rise to power in his own time, he'd occasionally had battles with beings whose energy spectrums matched these... "It's the power of the Pendragon. He's releasing it all at once, giving it up."
"Do you wish me to sever the connection?"
The Maestro paused only for a second, but it was a moment too long... for in the next instant, the transference machine exploded in a shower of sparks and flame. Thick clouds of smoke filled the laboratory...
And the roar of a wounded beast filled the air.
The Hulk was free -- and even though he was still weakened, he was gaining in strength as his fury mounted. "Maestro! Hulk will smash you! Hulk will rip you in half! Hulk will kill you!"
The Maestro saw the emerald form of the Hulk hurtle forth from the smoke. The impact of their meeting sent both backwards, destroying the delicate machinery behind them. Mastermind squawked out a protest, but it was a moot point. He buzzed out of existence once again, his projector damaged.
The Maestro backhanded the Hulk so hard that blood flew. "You're not my equal, Hulk. I'm stronger than you right now."
"Hulk is strongest one there is!" he answered, clasping both fists together and driving them hard into the Maestro's metallic skull. "No more puny Banner! No more Voice! There is only HULK!"
The Maestro reeled from the blow, astonished that he had felt it at all. He shoved the Hulk away, amazed at what he knew must be happening -- the Hulk's anger grew exponentially in proportion to his anger... and that rate of progression was exceeding the amount that his robotic form was absorbing.
The Hulk pressed the attack, pulling up a large bench and slamming it into the Maestro's side. The two behemoths came at each other again and again, exchanging blows that rattled the walls. Blood and spittle dripped from their chins, but neither gave any quarter. For the Maestro, it felt that he was facing his own past -- and now had the opportunity to destroy it. For the Hulk, it was only an enemy... one more in a long line of beings who wanted to hurt him.
The Hulk grabbed hold of the Maestro's robotic skull and began applying as much pressure as possible, hoping to end the battle. "Hulk will destroy you... Then Hulk will be alone."
"You'll never be alone, Hulk. Not until you've lain waste to the entire world!" The Maestro struggled against his past self, desperately trying to absorb enough Gamma Radiation to resist the attack. "You're never going to be free! Never!"
"Hulk will be free! Hulk will never be hounded again, not by you or by puny Banner! Never again!"
The Maestro felt his senses grow disconnected as the Hulk's pressure began to force the metal inward. "No... I won't be bodiless again! We can work together -- We can--"
The Overhulk's head came off with a sickening crunch, shattering into a thousand pieces. The lumbering robot fell forward to the floor and the Hulk stood over him, panting and bleeding. The Voice was silenced and he felt tired... so very tired.
Molly.
Thoughts of her came to his mind and he thought of going to her... finding her. She liked Hulk, would care for him.
"No," he whispered. "She likes smart Hulk. Hulk is dumb now."
Can you hear me, pal?
The Hulk grimaced, but it wasn't the Voice this time. It was Joe.
"What do you want? No lies!"
You got that right. Lies are for dames and the government. We need to get out of here, though. Braddock Manor, remember? As in 'Betsy Braddock?' We need to skedaddle.
The Hulk stumbled up the stairs, peering out across the landscape. "Skedaddle where?"
Anywhere you want to go, pal. The world's our oyster....
Next Issue: "The Color of My Madness" is a one-issue tale, as the Hulk continues to flee from all he once knew and his old friends begin to take up arms to find him.
Author's Notes
This issue wraps up our opening arc and leaves the Hulk in a new (for the Pendragons Universe anyway) status quo. He's pissed. He's savage. And there's no Bruce Banner around to keep him under control.
Look for the Savage Hulk to encounter new foes and travel throughout Great Britain over the next few issues -- and there's a big payoff coming at the eend of all this, as we will reveal an all-new (and possibly final) Hulk persona.
We've got a letter from Robert Rock this time around, so let's get right to it:
I just read your Hulk #3. I really liked it. We both share a fondness for PAD's run on the character and that really showed in this issue. How great was it to see the Pantheon make an appearance? What great (mostly untapped) potential for stories with that group.
My one small problem, the Professor personality should have put more thought into the consequences of having Dane try to fix him.
I'm really looking forward to the next issue.
Thanks for writing in, Robert. Yeah, I love all the PAD stuff from his lengthy run on the Hulk and, as you've seen, I'm making ample use of the toys he left behind. My stuff isn't nearly as good as his, of course, but it's fun for me -- and hopefully for you, too. Sorry that the Professor's lapse in judgment didn't sit well with you -- I assume that the Maestro stuff hits very close to home for him and might make him a bit less cautious than usual.
Keep In Touch,
Barry
