Hulk, his full power unleashed,
destroys the Warlord's killers in the Gauntlet, surviving every
deadly trick they throw at him. As the crowd cheers, Amadeus orders
the Hulk back into his subconscious and confronts the Warlord,
demanding that his people be set free. The Warlord informs him that
there are five levels to the Gauntlet and orders Hulk and his clan to
depart, on pain of death. They return to their pen, exulting in the
unexpected victory....
The Warlord questions his people about
the Hulk and Lickspit shows him the portal that appeared in the sky
just before the visitor arrived. Warlord orders him to find out what
is on the other side. Lickspit meets the man who controls the portal
and asks him to send another signal, hoping to contact the Hulk's
enemies....
That night, Priestess Maeera tells Hulk
that she knows about his fear of his dual nature and warns him that
unless he gives the battle all it requires, they will all die. The
clan is visited by Elder Sharn, leader of the Desert Sea Clan. Their
champion had been defeated by the Warlord's fighters and they were
absorbed into the villain's army but now, Sharn offers them seven
charged fuel cells to power a blaster, hoping that that will help
them win the fight. But there is a spy in their midst, summoned back
to the citadel to give his report....
The next morning, Hulk appears in the
arena for the second round of the Gauntlet. His clan promises to
fight to the death should Hulk lose. His opponent enters the
ring...it is a giant fighting robot with Elder Sharn and her sons
bound to its shield....