Synopsis / Summary / Plot
Loki, trapped within Franklin Richards’ pseudo-world tries to contact Dr. Strange outside for help but before he can give any details, he is stopped by Ashema of the Celestials. Franklin tries to warn his parents of the coming disaster but, since they have no son in this universe, they are understandably confused. Ashema takes Franklin back to the real world an again presses on him the urgency of the choice: which world will perish? Franklin is repulsed at the Celestial’s cold heartedness and runs away. In New York a dying Hulk is confronted by Hercules and the Thunderbolts intent on capturing him for the Army; in the pocket universe, the new Hulk is battling Thor, but the increasing heat in that world is causing upheavals that prompt the Thunder God to abandon the fight and rescue the helpless. Reed Richards discovers that two fireballs are on a collision course with Earth and, from something Franklin said, thinks the Celestials are involved.
Meanwhile, Dr. Strange has pieced together Loki’s clues and recovered the blue ball containing the pocket universe and heads of to confront the Hulk with it. In Central Park from the real world, Hulk’s rage has transformed a rainstorm into a deluge; Spider-Man arrives and tries to subdue the Green Giant but Dr. Strange arrives with the blue ball, which absorbs Hulk and Spidey into it. Hulk comes face-to-face with his new counterpart: “Hulk will smash!”