Jarella died in the fateful pages of Incredible Hulk #205. While the Hulk was battling the Crypto-Man in the streets of Santa Fe, New Mexico, she sacrificed herself to save a kid from a collapsing wall. She took the brunt and died soon after. But what if such an incident did not fatally hurt her? It’s what Uatu, the Watcher, is about to reveal to us.
As Jarella prepares to jump and push the kid away from the falling bricks, she notices that the image of the boy flickers. Such confuses her, halting for a few seconds, enough time for the debris to fall over the minor. Or was he a holographic image, after all?
Meanwhile, Hulk destroys the Crypto-Man, and the power feedback does similarly to the lab and the robot’s controller (again, as in Hulk #205). In the lab, a strange looking horned idol remains. Jarella alerts the Hulk about the boy, but he finds nothing under the rubble.
Jarella is happy with the Hulk, but she misses K’ai, a world she may never see again. Fortunately, Henry Pym, AKA the Ant-Man, brings Jarella back to her homeworld. And Hulk goes with the woman he loves. They depart from Gamma Base. Surprisingly, Hulk’s last words are for Thunderbolt Ross: “Hulk did not hate you... Really.”
After stopping in several micro universes during their journey, they reach Jarella’s planet. Bruce Banner regains control over the Hulk’s form (thanks to the enchantment of wizards Torla, Holi, and Moli in Hulk #140). Seeing both are back makes the citizens happy. They get married a few days later.
A tentacled monster attacks Jarella in her sleep. Hulk smashes it and follows his trail to a catacomb where a warlock had sacrificed a woman to the Dark Gods. An immense idol like the one in the Santa Fe lab was the mute witness. Hulk turns it to pieces. The warlock turns to ashes.
Later, strange events ravage K’ai. The dead rise, buildings get covered by fungoid, strange machines attack people. Jarella asks the defenders of the realm, Cnerla, Hrond, Ythaer, Vidias, and Glunno, to aid the Hulk in neutralizing the problem.
Torla theorizes the source could be mount Wol Ulrai, the heart of all darkness. Hulk leaves solo, but the defenders of the realm follow him.
From the base of mount Wol Ulrai, the spawn of the Dark Gods, an army of monsters, emerges. Hulk and his aids attack. Jarella joins the fight.
After battling for a while, the foul enemy vanishes as a strange creature comes out of a cave: Lord Visis’ zombie-like remains. He became a spokesperson for the Dark Gods.
Visis reveals that the Dark Gods tried killing Jarella using the illusion of a boy in danger. The evil ones require the Hulk to stay out of K’ai. With Jarella dead, he would never return. Since their plan failed, and Hulk is here, he must die. Visis commands a copy of the green goliath’s savage self (last seen in Hulk #156) to attack. And he assaults Jarella!
By letting his rage run free, Banner defeats the Hulk copy. The fight outcome brings the mountain down, burying Visis and a few demons along. Finally, Hulk stands defiantly as the protector of K’ai, and its people should the Dark Gods strike again.
Also in this story: Betty Ross, Glenn Talbot, Clay Quartermain.
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