Synopsis
Incredible Hulk (1999 series) #20 synopsis by
Julio M2
Rating:
There is chaos inside Bruce Banner's head. Dozens of Hulk personas run like mice under a giant's foot shadow. But there's seems to be no escape. Meanwhile, in the outside world, the Professor struggles against his handcuffs which feed from his own power, and is unable to break free. After watching the scene for some time, Ryker leaves the control room to head for Flux's cell; Thunderbolt Ross stays in the room. Meanwhile Nick Fury, with an army of SHIELD men and vehicles, is waiting outside Area 51 pronto to give the order to strike. Ryker's men notice their presence and are about to give Riker the word. But Thunderbolt Ross grabs a gun and points it at Ryker's second in command to avoid spreading the 'bad' news.
SHIELD attacks and a war begins! Ryker while tormenting Flux, hears the bombs and thinks of one word: "Banner!". At that moment, Ross has disconnected the power to the Hulk chains and the green mammoth can now break free. With Angela Lipscombe out of danger, Doc Samson joins Nick Fury and the Hulk in searching for Ryker. But the general shows up as calm as he can be with a mad looking Flux in his back. Benny Tibbets thinks that Ryker is his father and does as the general says. First he knocks out Doc Samson and then he starts giving it to the Professor in a big way!
Meanwhile, Ross reaches the secret chamber where Ryker has an alien-like creature held captive to realize that the thing is none other than Lucy Ryker, the general's wife! She's been transformed into a grotesque macroencephalic being, living in a sphere pool. The president of the U.S. calls Ryker, he wants answers right away! But Ryker refuses to answer, he'll call him back. It's when Ross and Lucy Ryker show up on the big screens asking Ryker to surrender. Lucy asks her husband why did he lie to her, the doctors were supposed to cure her from cancer but now she's a monster and he's been doing such bad things to people. With tears in his eyes, Ryker orders an emergency ship to be enlisted and goes after Ross. When Flux doesn't hear him, he falls down turning back into Tibbets. Ryker points his gun to Ross while Lucy demands some answers. Ryker tells her that she's the only thing that matters to him and everything he tried to do was to find a cure for her. Then he escaped through a corridor and flew away on an airplane.
Even knowing that the Hulk is still pursued for crimes, Ross lets the green giant go. Once again alone, the Professor thinks about what just happened to him, while Bruce inside of his fragmented psyche, realizes that the Devil Hulk has been set free from his chains.