World War Hulk #1

Main cover by David Finch, alternate covers by John Romita Jr. and Michael Turner.

Greg Pak writes this limited series while continuing as scribe for Incredible Hulk. This easily-defeated Black Bolt is actually the 1st appearance of a Skrull imposter, as revealed in Secret Invasion: Inhumans #3 in a flashback which happens between the Silent War mini-series and here. Bob Reynolds is living in a Vermont farmhouse. He's insecure and doing things only when Reed Richards or Tony Stark ask him to. But RR and TS persuade him to unleash the Sentry for Hulk's sake. In publishing terms the 2nd Sentry series has only just finished, but he's also in the middle of the Mighty Avengers 1st storyline #1-6, and has just appeared in Silent War. In Marvel Chronology Project terms his 2nd series was before Civil War, and he's just finished the 2nd (delayed) MAv storyline #7-11 and then Silent War. Sentry's state of mind probably makes most sense if he's suffering from his wife being killed and resurrected in MAv#6, the MAV#1-6 story moves directly into the MAv#7-11 story. Be that as it may Sentry will keep out of the action until WWH#5. Dr Strange's astral form offers the help the New Avengers. Stark offers them full pardons (but only if they register after the war). We see Luke Cage and Spider-Man from NAv. Ms Marvel and Wonder Man of MAv. Plus Doc Samson and She-Hulk. Shulkie's restored powers are explained in Avengers: Initiative #4. Rick Jones sees what's happening. He'll try to intervene next issue. Iron Man says he's injected Hulk with nanobots (SPIN tech from Avengers: Initiative) to suppress his powers. They don't work, and AvIn#4 will tell us why. The thing atop Avengers Tower is Sentry's Watchtower, and it slices its way down the middle of the tower (without bringing the tower itself down).

Tie-ins:- IRON MAN #19 This parallels this issue from IM's perspective. We see more of Tony Stark's tactics before the big fight. AVENGERS: INITIATIVE #4 (p7-17) The trainees help with crowd control and witness Iron Man's defeat. WWH: FRONT LINE #1 Ben Urich and Sally Floyd cover the events of WWH#1 for Front Line. Korg has the job of overseeing the peaceful occupation of Manhattan. Det Danny Granville is told to work with him to solve the murder of robot ARCH-E-5912. WWH: FRONT LINE #2/2-3/2 Danny and Korg examine the crime scene. Korg won't accept any theory other than humans killed the robot. He tells Danny that the Judicial Servitude he has agreed to means that if they don't find ARCH-E's killer then *they* must die. They track down a guy who saw the robot in a deli. In the deserted shop the find a working security camera. INCREDIBLE HULK #107 (p8-17.1) Amadeus Cho tries to recruit Sub-Mariner but gets his cousin Namora instead. The group try to befriend the Warbound but are rejected. They meet Bill Foster (Giant-Man)'s nephew Tom who will become Goliath in WWH: Aftersmash. IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #10 (p1-19) Ant-Man works with Damage Control during the evacuation of Manhattan. He sees Hulk bombarded after Iron Man gave him the (dummy) SPIN dose. He climbs inside Hulk via the mouth, but finds he can't even damage him from within. Exiting he's caught between Hulk and the Golden Avenger and is knocked out until the War is all over. WWH: X-MEN #1-3 During his 24 hour deadline period Hulk goes after Prof X. Xavier wasn't with the Illuminati when they sent Hulk away, but admits he would have agreed with them. Hulk then has to fight every X-Man ever (probably) as they try to protect their leader. But eventually Hulk is persuaded that the X-Men have suffered enough in their terrible lives, and he leaves them alone.

GHOST RIDER #12 (p1-18) Johnny Blaze is in New York when Hulk lands and the evacuation starts. Ghost Rider heads in to Manhattan with Blaze in control. HEROES FOR HIRE #11/1-13/1 The team discover offspring of the Warbound's Brood Queen. They invade the stone spaceship to stop her giving birth to more, but are captured. The Brood Queen dominates the insect-powered Humbug. HEROES FOR HIRE #11/2-13/2 Meanwhile Scorpion (working for SHIELD?) fights Paladin to get hold of weaponised thalium to use against Hulk. Under orders she kills him. But Paladin was faking, and we see that it was a test to see if she had the will to kill Hulk.