Leader and his Humanoid army defeat Wolverine and remove the
unconscious Hulk to his secret lab. X-Factor (Havok, Polaris, Wild Child)
rushes to the scene, along with General Thunderbolt Ross, whom Logan accuses of
experimenting on Hulk. The X-Men (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast) arrive and there
is a friendly meeting between Scott and Alex, despite being on opposite sides
of the X-Factor controversy….
General Ross gives a brief summary of Hulk’s career, stressing
his threat to national security; Logan still insists on rescuing him. Ross
reveals there was a tracking device implanted in the Hulk, ordering them to
bring back Hulk. The two X-teams head out, Logan and Havok bickering along the
way….
Leader returns to his base, keeping the Hulk sedated while
offering a precis of his own history. His big scheme is to employ a series of
satellites he has launched to release specific amounts of gamma radiation on
the populaces of major cities and offer the cure in exchange for submitting to
his will. He needs Bruce Banner’s brain to calculate the exact amounts of
radiation and to gain his cooperation, he has induced a delusion in Banner’s
brain where he was never the Hulk, hailed as a hero for saving Rick Jones,
respected for his achievements, and married to Betty Ross, living happily ever
after. And then the good guys come crashing through the wall and battle the
Humanoids. Jean and Polaris mentally attack the Leader, which brings down all
the Humanoids but the villain makes it out an escape hatch. Jean then enters
Bruce Banner’s mind to tell him that his life is all a fantasy created by the
Leader. Bruce recognizes this is true and watches as his perfect family
crumbles away before him. His mind back in the real world, he hurries to
reprogram the Leader’s satellites but the stress of the operation turns him
into the Hulk. Beast jumps in and finishes the job based on his observation of
Bruce’s work. X-Factor tries to capture Hulk but the big green guy leaps away
as Wolverine stops the trio from pursuing him. The X-Men support Logan and
there is a debate over whether Hulk is a menace that needs to be captured or a
lonely monster who just wants to be left alone. Havok decides they are right
and X-Factor stands down….
They give an edited report of the adventure to General Ross
and the X-Men are allowed to depart….