Incredible Hulk #89

The INCREDIBLE Hulk #89

Date: February 2006
Title: Peace in our Time Part 2
Writer: Daniel Way
Penciler: Ken Cha
Inks: Ken Cha
Letters: Randy Gentile

Colorist: William Murai
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Cover Artist: Brandon Peterson

The issue opens with three jets caryying a small pod with the Hulk in it and release it into space.

The day before, Bruce lands at an oil tanker along with Mark. Nick tells Bruce that he is a hard mand to find and even harder to approach. Bruce tells Nick that he doesn't like the way that Nick does things to which Nick replies that he doesn't like Bruce. Bruce then reminds him that even with that, he is asking Bruce a favor. Nick just looks at him and then tells Bruce how SHIELD became aware of a Hydra space station where they thought Hydra was conducting experiments with a new artificial intelligence system but when they went up to investigate, they found out that the space station was the experiment. The entire space station was a weapon that was designed to target and detonate nuclear weapons anywhere on the planet. Bruce asks how they could have built it without being noticed. Nick explains that Hydra didn't build it, it built itself. An undercover Hydra agent snuck the A.I. circuitry and schematics about a Russian space capsule and when the capsule was launched and in orbit, the A.I. took over. The Russians would just assume that there was a mechanical failure and forget about it while the AI system was actually rebuilding itself into the weapon. Bruce asks about a power source and Nick shows Bruce the sun.

Bruce wonders how the weapon could store that much energy and after a quick explanaition from Nick, Bruce learns that the weapon can convert solar energy into atomic energy and store it at a sub-atomic level. Bruce figures this can change the world but Nick reminds him it could just blow the world up.

Bruce asks why the thing is still up there and why it wasn’t destroyed years ago. Nick replies that they have already tried twice. He explains how that the space station has been programmed to avoid detection and that if the weapon is discovered, the A.I. unleashes a preemptive strike so that even if you destroy the weapon, you lose. The two times they tried to destroy the weapon, they had to pull back, the last time was April 25, 1986, when Chernobyl had a meltdown. Bruce says that he will do what he can and requests all the data plus some computers and lab equipment. Nick says he doesn’t need another guy working on a computer but rather he needs Bruce to go smash it.

Cut back to the Hulk, with an oxygen mask on, in the pod, floating in space.

Nick explains that the plan is to dump the Hulk out in space with some more junk and that the weapon will try to salvage the junk to see if it can use it. Since the Hulk is organic, the A.I. system won’t recognize the Hulk as a threat and won’t go into attack mode. Once the Hulk is close enough, he strikes and does what he does best. Bruce starts to backstep his offer to help. Nick tells him he can think about in a room and reminds him of all the millions of people that could die from a nuclear holocaust. After being in the room for awhile, Bruce tells Nick he will do it. Later, the Hulk is standing near the hatch of the pod with the mask on. Nick tells him that the mask is equipped with a radio so they can be in contact the whole time and that once the mission is complete, they will send up a shuttle to bring him back. He gives him a dossier showing the layout of the weapon and where the brains of the A.I. system is that needs to be destroyed.

Back in the pod in space, the Hulk looks out the window and sees a metallic claw coming his way. The claw breaks through the pod walls and grabs the Hulk, pulling him out of the pod. The claw pulls the Hulk back to the weapon where the Hulk sees multiple SHIELD insignias on the weapon and thinks back to how Fury told him it was a Hydra weapon which was a lie. The Hulk yells Fury’s name!

Return to Main Page