Dr. Charlene McGowan heads to a Shadow Base safe house to
think about how to save the world from all the recent madness….
At Coney Island, the Hulk is taking a beating from longtime
frenemy the Thing, largely because in his emaciated state he doesn’t have the
strength he was famous for. Ben is confused and contacts Reed Richards to
assure him and Sue that Hulk is “contained.” Hulk pleads with Thing to stop
hitting him but Ben is finally getting in the punishment he has always thought
Hulk deserved. Then Hulk quickly changes back to the human form of Joe Fixit
and Thing is unable to pull his punch and ends up breaking Joe’s arms. Joe yells
at Ben that Hulk in his present state is only a child then uses Hulk’s new
morphing capabilities to fix the broken arms….
The guys go to a deserted diner for hot dogs and conversation.
Joe explains how the Hulk/Banner arrangement was working up until the Leader
invaded Hulk’s mind and was really the one responsible for the disaster at
Georgeville. Thing offers to help but Joe points out that the one time Thing
died he went “upstairs” not “downstairs” and so Ben can’t help him. Ben
reminisces about the experience of meeting God and how it led him back to his Jewish
faith. Ben recounts the story of Job and its lesson that God and life are too
big for us to understand. He gives Joe his number and asks him to call if he
needs help….
At the deserted Shadow Base G, the transporter comes into
operation and the twisted, green thing that looks like Rick Jones emerges….