Incredible Hulk #87

The INCREDIBLE Hulk #87

Date: December 2005
Title: Awakening
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Adam Kubert
Inks: John Dell/Scott Hanna/Adam Kubert
Letters: Randy Gentile

Colorist: William Muray
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover Artist: Adam Kubert

After the House of M ends and the world returns to the way it was before, Bruce wakes up in bed with Monica Rappaccini, not knowing who each other is. Monica recognizes Bruce who doesn't recognize her. She tells him her name amd but it doesn't ring a bell. As they get dressed, she tells him they had a fling in college and she went by the name "Nicky." Bruce says that he remembers and by that he means he remembers having the exact same conversation with her before (which he did in the House of M storyline). Suddenly, police break through the bedroom door, telling them they are in the mansion of the richest man in Sydney. Of course, neither Bruce nor Monica know where they are and they ask the police some questions. One of the cops calls Monica stupid and Bruce tells them they better not insult the lady. The police grab Bruce, who starts to have change pains. They put on the cuffs and they break easily as Bruce turns into the Hulk. He punches a hole in the wall, when Monica asks him to take her with him. He tells her to drop dead when suddenly he hears a voice telling him to take her with him. He sees the astral form of the old Aborigine from his House of M tribe telling him to take Monica and to come to him.

At a SHIELD base, Scorpion and other SHIELD agents observe the Hulk carrying Scorpion's mother away. They don't know how she ended up in Australia but then mention that there are SHIELD agents who aren't where they are supposed to be and a lot of other worldwide disorientation (from House of M). Scorpion asks for an airlift to go after her mother and arrest her. When offered back-up, she reasons that it will be a lot easier for her to go alone and maybe sneak up on Bruce as opposed to a huge army against the Hulk.

The Hulk takes Monica to the top of a small mountain in the Outback of Australia where the old man meets them. The old man calls Hulk "two-mind" and says that they all walked in the dreamtime but he alone knew it was a dream and remembered what happened after the "awakening." The Hulk reverts back to Bruce and says that he sorta remembers what happened. The old man tells Bruce that he has a home with his people and he still does and invites Bruce to join for a feast. Bruce asks about Monica nad the old man replies that Bruce can bring her, since she's the main course. Monica asks if that was a joke. Later at the feast, Bruce sits next to Monica, who asks if he is going to stay with them. Bruce replies that there is a simplicity in it but that he is not entitled to it. Monica tells Bruce that he isn't running towards a new life, but running away from his current life and trying to make himself into something he is not. Bruce says that all he wants is peace but Monica says Bruce wouldn't know what to do with it if he had it. Bruce starts to say a comment when suddenly he stops talking, foams at the mouth, and falls to the ground unconscious. Scorpion steps out of the shadows where Monica determines that Scorpion tapped into the gamma radiation that Bruce emits and created a gamma toxin to knock him out.

The tribe members see what happened and start to come to Bruce's rescue when Scorpion tells them to stay where they are and that Bruce will recover. She then starts to argue with her mother when the old man hits Scorpion in the head with a boomarang. She starts to get up, slightly stunned by the hit to the head, and reacts just in time as her mother tries to hit her with a stick. She is then surprised when Bruce wakes up and turns into the Hulk, still sluggish from the toxin. Scorpion hits him again in the head with a blast, maybe more toxin. The Hulk stumbles back and lands in the fire created by the tribe. The old man tells "two-mind" to let them go but the Hulk just replies that no one poisons him. The Hulk grabs some sticks from the fire while the old man asks the Hulk again not to do this but he throws the flaming sticks at Scorpion who runs and grabs her mother. Monica grabs a rock and hits Scorpion on the head. She runs away, into the flaming surrounding, and runs into two AIM agents. They have come to take her back and they followed Scorpion to find her. One of the agents asks if they should get Scorpion but Monica replies that if she is deserving of being her daughter, she will find a way to survive.

The forest catches on fire and burns out by the morning. Bruce walks around the burned trees and calls for anyone in a cave. Scorpion walks out, still alive and asks if they are going to fight some more. Scorpion asks where the Aborigines are and Bruce replies that they are gone, along with their forest. She asks is she is going to look for them but Bruce says that they liked what he could be, nobody likes what he is , not even him. Scorpion doesn't buy the whole pity me story. Bruce just says that he is being honest and that all these years he has said that everything wrong with his life is due to the Hulk but maybe he has some part in that also. He says it's time for Bruce to just be left alone and he walks away into the smoldering forest.

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