Incredible Hulk, The (1968 series) #392

The conflict escalates as X-Factor clashes with the Pantheon, each side believing the other to be the true threat. But the fog of war begins to lift when both teams uncover the truth: they’ve been manipulated by Farnoq Dahn, the tyrannical ruler of Trans-Sabal, who orchestrated the chaos to maintain power and eliminate opposition.

In a final act of desperation, Farnoq ties Kaos (Havok) to an atomic missile, intending to launch it as both a weapon and a spectacle of dominance. The missile is fired—but the Hulk, defying all odds and physics, intercepts it mid-flight and rescues Kaos in a breathtaking display of strength and speed.

Farnoq is ultimately captured, but in a twist of tragic irony, his people—blinded by propaganda and fear—forgive him and even worship him as a martyr and symbol of resistance. This misplaced reverence is shattered when Rick Jones, piloting one of the war robots, makes a grim decision: he kills Farnoq with a single, decisive shot.

The act is not just vengeance—it’s a statement. Rick, often the moral compass in Hulk’s world, crosses a line, leaving readers to wrestle with the cost of justice in a world where power and truth are constantly distorted.