Robotic giant Harpies are released from Gamma Base to track
down the Hulk….
Iceman and Angel of the X-Men are sitting in a San Francisco
coffee shop, enjoying their newfound popularity with the public. Then they are
called back to X-Men HQ at Greymalkin Industries where Cyclops explains to the
assembled mutant heroes that a powerful force has been detected in the area and
while they are gathered, a giant shockwave hits the San Andreas Fault, rocking
the entire West Coast. The X-Men swing into action being heroes. Emma Frost
detects feelings of rage near the Golden Gate Bridge; Wolverine notices a
familiar smell. Cyclops dispatches Angel and Iceman to see what it is. They
head out…and run into the Hulk who leaps into the distance. Considering
themselves Hulk’s friends, they intend to ask for an explanation and follow the
Gamma trail to Monument Valley where they detect two radiation signatures and
two sets of footprints (Hulk battled Red Hulk here). They follow the smaller
set….
Bruce Banner is attacked by the robotic Harpies and turns
into the Hulk but he recognizes the Harpies as having the face of his beloved
Betty. When the two X-Men arrive and ice over a Harpy, Hulk sees this as
attacking Betty and he goes after Iceman. It takes a while to convince Hulk
that he is being tricked by the enemy but when it gets through his head he
smashes another Harpy to bits. Iceman is shattered by a Harpy and Warren loses
his temper and takes on his Archangel form and tears the last Harpy to pieces.
Bobby melts and flows together again to be good as new and the two young guys
ask Hulk why he was in San Francisco and he tells them about Red Hulk. Hulk
takes off and the guys head back to base none the wiser….
“Smash Hit!”
Writer: Alex Zalben. Pencils: Joyce Chin. Inks: Vicente
Cifuentes. Colors: Andrew Crossley. Letters: Ed Dukeshire.
Synopsis: Bruce Banner sits in a San Francisco club on
Open-Mic Night, figuring the place will be empty. Alison “Dazzler” Blaire shows
up unexpectedly to practice for the next night’s concert and launches into a
bouncy dance number. She drags Bruce onto the floor and he lets himself go for
once and they dance together. She tells him he’s a great dancer, tosses him a
ticket for her concert, and leaves. He tries to give the ticket to the
bartender but the man talks him into attending….
The next night, the bartender has made sure Bruce is at the
concert. Dazzler brings him up on stage and gets close to him for a romantic
picture to be on the internet. But the photographers’ flashes force the Hulk
out and he wrecks the place. She tries to get him to calm down once she has
used up her light powers but he leaves….
The next morning, Bruce Banner wakes up in a park, determined
to never let himself relax—though he is overjoyed that someone thought he could
dance….