The Incredible Hulk: Thunderstruck
By Aidan Richard Vaughan
Chapter 1: The Long Road Ahead
In a secluded laboratory outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico physicist Dr. Robert Bruce Banner is at a chalkboard, with a complex formula. "Damnit!" he says, "I'll never find a cure!" For decades now, Dr. Banner has been irradiated by the fallout of a gamma bomb that he and his beloved wife, Dr. Betty Ross, were developing for the United States military. Whenever he is angered, he turns into a monster known to the world as The Incredible Hulk, who has helped save the world from a vast array of threats with The Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes! "Stay calm Bruce, you don't want to cause some sort of fiasco. I'm just looking at the problem from a purely emotional perspective, I need to use my head," he then proceeds to use his brilliant mind to devise a way to nullify the radiation which has corrupted his cells and neurological makeup, causing him to turn into a hulking beast each time he is angered.
In New York City, Betty Banner is at her apartment when she receives a call on her landline. "Hello," she answers, "Bruce, oh my God it's so good to hear your voice!" She listens attentively for a while, and then she says, "But, if you can reduce the number of irradiated cells, without dying then you'd be able to cure yourself! How exactly do you propose to do it?" Bruce says that he is unsure of how he could do so. "Maybe I should just call Reed Richards, he could help me!" Bruce remarks. Bruce has always resented Dr. Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, leader of the Fantastic Four. Reed flaunts his intelligence and profits from it. His only true friends in the superhero community were Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Mighty Thor; he was a sort of mentor to Peter due to the young man's scientific prowess and capabilities. Thor on the other hand, was a friend because of his heroism and sheer joyfulness, allowing Bruce to smile once-in-a-while. Shortly after, Dr. Banner speaks into his recording device, "Personal note; I grow tired of constantly trying to find a cure for my ailment, but I must push forward or I'll never be at peace." Inside his brilliant mind, Dr. Banner feels this rush of resentment, "Puny Banner," snaps the Hulk. "Hulk won't go, Hulk will never go! Banner can try to get rid of Hulk, but he can't," Hulk continues. As a child Bruce was abused by his father, Brian, causing his mind to fracture into two different personalities; a meek, kindhearted physicist, and the other… a monster! When he was caught in the blast during the G-bomb's test, and after years of holding back his anger, Bruce Banner's second personality mixed with the radiation and conceived The Incredible Hulk. "Hold your tongue! I am the one of whom who is in control, Hulk, not you," shouts Banner. On Bruce's desk, there is a photograph of a woman holding an infant boy; the woman is Rebecca Banner, Bruce's mother, and the child, of course, being Bruce. "I never wanted this!" Bruce shouts into the air, flailing his hands. "Jones is the one who stuck Hulk with puny Banner, Jones and that rushing," Hulk says. Banner snaps back into control, "No it was a Russian…not Rick, it was that Russian spy! But it doesn't matter anymore, he's probably dead, and it's been 20 years," Bruce continues. On his computer screen, Bruce sees that there are Hulk-Busters nearby, and he rushes to gather what supplies and data he can.
Two hours later, on the road, Bruce is walking with his supplies and research all stuffed into a backpack and wanders into a small town by the name of Los Condenados. The town's name in English it means: the damned. In Los Condenados, there are three roads; one with shops, a doctor's office, the Sheriff's office and a hotel/bar. The other two streets in town are devoted to housing its residents. Inside the bar, Bruce takes a seat as far away from the people he can be, without drawing too much attention to himself. A plump old woman walks over to him and asks, "Can I get you anything to drink sir?" Bruce looks up at her and replies, "Water, please." After the woman brings over a glass of water, and Bruce pays her, he begins thinking of Betty. For years they haven't been able to be together, not since they became legally separated due to his condition, but now he is so close to finding a cure. I don't deserve Betty, she's too good for me, he thinks. Stupid Banner, you're weak, of course you don't deserve her! The Hulk snaps. "Go away," he growls, not noticing that the waitress was right there. "I don't think that your impoliteness was called for sir!" the waitress says in a stern voice. Bruce's face turns into a mortified expression, "I'm so sorry miss," he says, "I don't know what came over me." Suddenly these two huge men throw Bruce out of the bar, yet unbeknownst to them, they have just woken a beast.
Chapter 2: Rampage
As he lay in the dirt, trying to control himself, Dr. Bruce Banner begins his metamorphosis of sorts that occurs whenever he is angered. "You won't like me when I'm angry," he says, to which they respond with laughter. His dark brown eyes turn bright green, as does his skin. His joints and muscles become larger, and larger, until finally his agonized yells become billowing roars of unadulterated rage! Before the town of Los Condenados stands the big green goliath: The Incredible Hulk! Across the monsters face, a smile forms, as it knows that it will raze this town to the ground without interference. The creature punches through the bar, and the building begins to collapse, with the people inside fleeing for their lives. The next building destroyed is the grocer; fortunately it was closed with no one inside. The Sheriff and his deputy rush out of their office with shotguns, guns blazing. Unfortunately for them, the Hulk is not affected by buckshot, and the Sheriff is kicked all the way to the next county. After witnessing this, the deputy runs like Hell as fast as he can. "Hulk smash, Hulk bash! HULK DESTROY!" yells the Hulk as he destroys buildings left and right.
In Langley, Virginia, operatives with Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, or S.H.I.E.L.D for short, see a green blip on their computer screens. "Sir, I'm not sure what this blip on the screen is supposed to signify, but it looks important," says the agent to his supervisor. The supervisor looks down at the screen and his face begins to lose all colour, "Alert Director Fury…now!" he shouts.
Back in Los Condenados, the town is decimated, with half of its population of 100 either injured or dead. The Hulk has moved onto Albuquerque, capitol city of New Mexico, 65 kilometers away from Los Condenados. In the city, cars are being flipped over and buildings are crumbling due to the brute strength of the Hulk. Unbeknownst to the citizens of Albuquerque, this is only one tenth of the Hulk's strength, for if he were to be in a fit of rage which brought on his full power; there would be no one lucky enough to survive.
In the office of Nick Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D, the middle-aged looking veteran of the Second World War meets with the Fantastic Four. "Many years ago, we developed a computer algorithm that could detect any instances in which gamma radiation was on American soil," Fury says. "This morning, our satellites detected several quantities of the substance in New Mexico, in the area surrounding Albuquerque," he continues. "What would you like us to do about it?" Mr. Fantastic asks. Fury presses a key on his keyboard, and on the screen behind him an image of the Hulk shows up. Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, gasps at the sight of Hulk. "Dr. Banner's lost control again," says the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Just tell me where 'th nearest exit is chief, I'll make sure Banner comes quietly!" says Ben Grimm, The Thing, ever confident in his ability to dish out a beating. "Easy now Ben, Director Fury is still briefing us. We need all of the facts before we go rushing into a dangerous situation such as this!" Reed says, looking to Sue for support. "Unfortunately Dr. Richards, we don't have all of the facts. We just received this information merely hours ago, and yet we still don't know the whole story!" Fury says, punching his desk. "Whoa now, old-timer, maybe we should just go over there and do some recon, and if we think we can take 'im…great! Otherwise we can always call in the Avengers," says Johnny Storm, the Human Torch and Sue's younger brother. The Thing looks at him with what could be a look of exasperation, but since he is covered in rocks, one cannot be sure what The Thing's expression is. "Johnny, if 'ya want to do some recon, join 'th Marines! Otherwise, we'll just follow that green gremlin's trail and think 'o a plan along 'th way," The Thing says. Mr. Fantastic stretches over to Director Fury's console and begins combing through the files, suddenly he says, "Eureka!" On the screen a file on Rick Jones appears. "Who's Rick Jones, Reed?" Sue asks looking at the photo S.H.I.E.L.D has of him. "Jones is an old friend of Dr. Banner's; he was there when the Hulk was created. Bruce was trying to get him out of the blast radius, but unfortunately he was blasted by gamma radiation," Reed answers.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, home of the Norse gods, The Mighty Thor is dining with his girlfriend, Jane Foster. "Ah Jane, hast thou ever tasted a boar so savoury?" Thor asks. She reluctantly takes a bite from the leg and says, sarcastically, "Delicious!" Thor looks to his left and sees that someone is trying to contact him in his magic pool, which is how he communicates with people outside of Asgard. "Director Fury, how long has it been since last we spoke?" inquires the God of Thunder. "Too long Thor, but I need your help with an old friend of yours. The Hulk has destroyed a small town in New Mexico, and is in the midst of wrecking Albuquerque!" Fury responds. Springing into action, Thor says, "Fear not Nicolas Fury! For The Mighty Thor will aid you in subduing the Hulk!" Thor goes over to Jane and kisses her passionately, "Fare thee well my love, but I shall return as soon as thy friend is aided." As Thor leaves, Jane faints.
Chapter 3: Memory Flash
20 years ago, on a military base in Nevada, U.S.A. Dr. Banner is with his lab assistant, looking over some calculations for the Gamma Bomb, a project that they have been working on for several months. "Run these numbers again Igor, and this time, don't screw it up OK?" Bruce says in an exasperated tone. "I'm sorry Dr. Banner…I-I won't do it again, I promise," Igor replies. Bruce looks at his white board, with all of his calculations for the project, at this point General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross enters the room demanding to speak with Dr. Banner. "Ah, there you are Banner," says the then two star general. "How may I be of assistance General?" Bruce asks. Ross strikes a match to light his cigar, and then breathes his second hand smoke in Bruce's face. Coughing, Bruce says, "You really shouldn't smoke sir. It's bad for your lungs." Thunderbolt bursts into laughter, "That's what I like about you Banner, you look out for other people!" and continues to laugh. Bruce walks over to his board and says, "The problem we're facing, General is that the radiation levels are extremely volatile, and if we don't manage to lower them, and maintain the required amount of Gamma to produce the desired outcome, the project will be a bust." Ross takes a puff of his stogie, "And how do you suggest we proceed, Dr. Banner?" the general asks. "Well," Bruce says, "We can always try a reduction of the Gamma payload, but I know you don't want that, so I propose we try to lower the radiation levels by…12%" Ross slams his fist onto the table, "That's unacceptable Banner! If you take it down 12% then we'll only have enough to take out Leningrad," he yells. The other scientists on the team look at Bruce, as if they're expecting him to do…something. Unfortunately for them, he does nothing to instigate a confrontation; instead he calmly brushes back his hair and adjusts his glasses. "I understand that General, however if we have multiple G-bombs we can take out all of the requested targets. You'll get Leningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow," as Bruce says this, Thunderbolt Ross relaxes ever so slightly. Later that evening, Bruce goes to a local bar and orders a drink. "I'll have what he's having," says a beautiful brown haired woman. The bartender goes to get their drinks. "I'm Betty, what's your name?" she asks Bruce. "Robert, but everyone calls me Bruce," he answers. Bruce and Betty shake hands and she takes a seat next to him. "So Robert, what do you do for a living?" Betty asks. The bartender comes with their drinks. "I'm a physicist working on the Military base," he responds, "How about you?" Betty takes a drink, smiling, and says, "I'm a physicist at the base, fancy that, but I doubt we're on the same project."
Hours later, they've talked and laughed, and even though they've just met, the two scientists begin to fall in love. Bruce walks Betty back to her quarters and as they reach her door she says, "Would you like to come in for a nightcap?" Bruce looks at his watch and sees that the hour is late. "I'd love to Betty, but I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Good night," he says, and then kisses her. They're kiss lasts for a few minutes, and is very passionate, but as they pull away, they are interrupted by a stern voice. "A-hem…lay off of her, Banner," says General Ross. "Daddy?!" Betty says, shocking Bruce. "Why didn't you tell me that you're the General's daughter?" Bruce asks Betty. "You didn't tell him that I am your father?!" the General asks. Betty stammers, and then she says, "I wasn't sure that it was relevant at the time! And besides, you two didn't tell me that you know each other!" She storms into her quarters, slamming the door on both Bruce and Thaddeus. "If I had known that she was you daughter General, I would have asked you if it were alright for me to take her out," Bruce says. Ross grumbles and then walks away, leaving Bruce to collect his thoughts on the situation. As Bruce walks back to his quarters, he bumps into Igor Drenkov, his lab assistant. "Hey Igor," Bruce says, "We all missed you at the bar." Igor looks up at his boss and says, "I'm sorry that I missed you there, Dr. Banner." The two men promise to meet again at the lab the next day, and then part ways for the evening. Little does Bruce know; that Igor, actually a spy for the KGB, will be instrumental in the days to come with the creation of the Hulk.
Back at the lab, Igor is looking through the base's records, taking photos of any document mentioning the G-bomb. "It will be difficult developing these photographs without anyone asking questions," he thinks out loud. When he is done snapping the photos, Igor then goes to the white board and takes pictures of his and Bruce's calculations, then erases them from the board. As he leaves, Igor runs into Major Glenn Talbot, General Ross' number one man, who is also in love with Betty Ross. "Going somewhere Igor?" Glenn asks, very sternly. Igor is mortified at the possibility of being caught, "J-just going back to my q-quarters, Major Talbot," he answers. Glenn chuckles, "I'm sorry Igor, I was just joking around, see you tomorrow." Igor awkwardly chuckles himself and says good night to Glenn. Igor mutters to himself as he walks away something that means 'American pig' in Russian. Months later in spring of 1985 Bruce and Betty, at the distaste of General Ross, begin dating. And events play out which end with Igor Drenkov sabotaging the countdown on the days test for the Gamma Bomb, causing Dr. Robert Bruce Banner to transform into The Incredible Hulk.
Chapter 4: Operation Hulkbuster
Back in the present, Nick Fury tries to contact anyone who would be capable of subduing the Hulk. "Get Tony Stark on the line Agent Hill," Fury barks at Maria Hill, his top agent. "I'll try sir, but Stark isn't too keen on helping us, and last I heard he was in Wakanda." Fury waves his hand in an exasperated motion, then he says, "Stark's never around when you need him!" Agent Hill says, "Director Fury, General Ross for you on line one." Fury picks up the receiver, "Hello," Fury answers, "Ah General! I was hoping to reach you today." On the other end, Thunderbolt Ross takes a puff of his cigar. "Then I'm glad to have reached you Director Fury…it's my understanding that The Hulk is tearing up New Mexico. I'm calling to suggest that you deploy the Hulkbusters, they're ready to go at any moment sir," Ross says. Director Fury considers this for a moment, and then he says, "Of course General. The Hulkbuster Unit will be deployed to New Mexico in five minutes, good day Thaddeus," then hangs up the telephone.
At Desert Base in the Mojave Desert, the Hulkbusters board a Blackhawk helicopter. "Alright men," Ross yells over the noise, "Our target is tearing Albuquerque apart! Shoot to kill, otherwise both you and the citizens will be killed by the Hulk." The soldiers load their guns, most of them have M4 and M16 assault rifles, and Major Glenn Talbot is also a member of this unit. Talbot holds a personal grudge against Bruce Banner, because Betty had married Banner instead of Glenn. "Sir, how long is the ETA?" Talbot asks Ross. Ross looks at his watch, "Ten minutes, Major Talbot. Remember to check your fire; we don't want any civilians killed by a ricochet." Glenn cocks his M16, and then says, "Yes sir, General!"
When the Blackhawk lands on an air strip just outside of Albuquerque, the Hulkbuster Unit is met with multiple jeeps and a tank, all provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. The vehicles were all manufactures by Stark Industries, a small contribution Tony attested. Some agents are also deployed, as backup provided by Nick Fury. "General, Director Fury wanted us to tell you that he's happy that you answered the call," says one of the agents. Ross nods and then orders his men to flank the neighbourhood, "I'm getting too damn old for this," he mutters. The sky begins to darken over Albuquerque, and thunder rolls across the clouds. As the Hulkbusters draw closer to the sounds of destruction, they are horrified when Hulk jumps towards them, they open fire. Most of their bullets miss, but the ones that do strike him have no effect. "Switch to .50 caliber rounds, now!" Glenn yells at the men. They try to load magazines with .50 caliber rounds, but most of the soldiers are tossed aside by the Hulk, leaving only thirteen left in the squad. Glenn runs for cover, then he loads his high caliber rounds into his rifle, "This is for Betty, you son-of-a-bitch!" he opens fire. Some of the bullets manage to pierce Hulk's skin, but just barely; this makes Hulk angrier. Talbot starts running, to escape the Hulk's wrath, and that is when the tank comes into play. "Now they bring in the tank?!" Glenn yells. In the tank, the gunner takes aim at Hulk, firing a missile dead at his chest. This action is followed by machine gun fire from the turret, unfortunately for them Hulk managed to catch the missile. He tosses the projectile back at the tank, causing an explosion, but the soldiers are unable to escape the thralls of the fire. Glenn is knocked back.
Later at General Ross' checkpoint, he hears a familiar voice. "Dad, what the Hell are you thinking?!" Betty demands, which startles her father. "Betty I told you to stay in New York! This is dangerous…Glenn, take Betty to the helipad," the General says. Betty shakes Glenn off of her, "This is my husband your trying to kill, Dad. I won't leave without him." Thaddeus grumbles then says, "Fine, but stay back here with us! I'll have you arrested if you protest." Reluctantly, Betty complies with her father's order. In the city, Hulk is tearing through the Hulkbusters and S.H.I.E.L.D, kicking over trucks and throwing objects all over. "Hulk smash puny humans! Hulk break their puny weapons!" he yells as he jumps away from the city. Flying overhead, Hulk sees the checkpoint set up by the Hulkbusters, and amongst the people in the group is Betty. "Betty…" Hulk whispers, but is hit by a rocket, shot by Glenn. Being hit by the rocket sends Hulk off course, making him land in Kansas, crashing into a dirt road. "Great shot Major!" Thaddeus exclaims. Betty is horrified by this, then she turns on Talbot, "Murderer!" she screams at him, "How could you?!" Glenn steps back, putting the rocket launcher down, he realizes that he hurt Betty. His shame makes him begin to say, "Betty…I didn't…I was just," but is interrupted by Thunderbolt. "I'm sorry darling, but Glenn was just doing his job," Ross says. Betty looks at him in disgust, "How do you sleep at night? You say that you love me, but then you blow my husband up!" Ross looks at his watch, and then gets a walkie-talkie from his jeep. "Get me Director Fury," he demands. "Is the mission complete, Ross? If not, then get off of this frequency," Fury says. Ross turns the radio back on and says, "The Hulk is down. I repeat The Hulk is down!" On Fury's computer he sees a surge of gamma radiation in Kansas, "If that's so Ross, then why does my computer say that he's in Kansas?" General Ross drops the walkie-talkie, he can't believe that Hulk survived the slew of attacks form his unit.
Chapter 5: Heroes Unite!
In New York City, lawyer Jennifer Walters, Bruce Banner's cousin, is leaving the Courthouse. "Ms. Walters," a man dressed in black says. "Yes," she answers, and the man shows her a badge that says that he's and agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. "What can I do for you agent?" she asks. "Your cousin, Dr. Banner, he's in a lot of trouble," he answers. Jennifer goes to her apartment to drop off her briefcase, and change into her spandex, the agent accompanies her. "Do you mind?" she asks, as she begins to take her pantsuit off. The agent blushes, and then turns around, "I'm sorry Ms. Walters." Jenny finishes changing, and begins her transformation into The Sensational She-Hulk! Many years ago, Jenny needed a blood transfusion, and the only compatible donor was Bruce. But since his blood had been irradiated, it caused her to transform into She-Hulk. In her regular state, Jennifer is a beautiful woman with brown hair and green eyes, but as She-Hulk is a tall green amazon!
At S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, Nick Fury calls The Amazing Spider-Man to his office. "General Ross failed his mission, Spider-Man," he says. "Can you blame him, Fury? Ross has been trying to get rid of the Hulk for 20 years, how he expects to succeed now…" Spidey replies. Fury looks around his desk, muttering, "Where did I leave it? Ah, there it is!" He fills his pipe with tobacco, and then strikes a match against his desk. Nick puffs on his pipe, in contemplation, and then he blows his smoke. "I called you in for a specific reason Spider-Man, not to talk about strategies, but to use your skills to subdue the Hulk," Fury says. She-Hulk enters the room and smiles at Spider-Man. "Hey Pete," she says. Spidey lifts his mask above his mouth, "Hey Jenny," he says, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Peter Parker is good friends with Jennifer Walters, but he is faithful to his true love, his wife Mary Jane. "So what's the big fiasco now, Fury?" She-Hulk asks. Fury fills her in on how the Hulk destroyed Los Condenados and Albuquerque, and is now in Kansas. "Oh my God, Bruce," She-Hulk says, "Who pissed you off?" Thaddeus and Betty enter the room, neither one speaks to the other; Thunderbolt scoffs at She-Hulk. "Hi Betty, I've missed you," Jenny says to her cousin's beloved wife. "I've missed you too, Jennifer," Betty replies. "Mph," says the general, who hates Jennifer just as much as Bruce. Fury, annoyed by these antics, clears his throat. "If I may, there is a specific problem, which is the reason as to why I called you all here," he says. The three reluctantly pay attention to the old war dog. When Thaddeus Ross was training to be a soldier in the United States' military, Nick Fury was one of the officers on the base. The two men grew to respect one another, and now that Fury is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D, Ross has a hidden resentment for the old mentor. "Dr. Banner has destroyed two populated areas in the state of New Mexico. Overall, the death toll has been estimated to be sixty people, which is not too terrible. However, I cannot abide that American citizens have died due to the actions of your husband, Dr. Ross," Fury says to Betty. The look on Betty's face is both one of distain, and one of regret. She never likes it when people always assume that her beloved Bruce is in control of the Hulk's actions. But it is always up to Bruce to calm down, in order for Hulk to go away for a while.
Meanwhile, in a small Kansas town, a middle-aged man wearing purple pants and a grey shirt walks down Main St. With each step he takes, he contemplates the actions that led to him being here, now. Why did I agree to work on that cockamamie gamma bomb? Bruce thinks to himself. Puny Banner, you were tempted by the green paper! The Hulk replies. "Excuse me sir, you can't walk on the street. Either walk on the sidewalk, or I'll have to write you a ticket," a cop says to Bruce. As if snapping out of a trance, Bruce realizes that he was indeed walking on the street, and immediately goes onto the sidewalk. "My apologies, officer," he tells the cop, and continues onward. Bruce is reluctant to go inside the town's diner, due to what happened last time, but his hunger overpowers him. The scientist orders breakfast; eggs, bacon, toast and coffee. He gives the waitress a big tip, and leaves quickly, without raising any suspicion. As we leave the scene with Bruce, we see that Thor has just arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. "Greetings from Asgard, Director Fury!" Thor shouts as he enters the office. Nick's face is stern, but inside, he is feeling relief. With one look at Thor, General Ross instantly protests to accepting the God of Thunder's assistance. "Director Fury, surely we don't need the likes of this one to defeat the Hulk!" Ross says. Fury points his finger at Ross and says, "I let you in on this one as a courtesy, 'Thunderbolt,' but if you can't keep your opinions in check, I'll have Agent Hill escort you out!" General Ross sits down, grumbles, and remains quiet. "Alright," Fury says, "Now that we're all here, we can begin."
Chapter 6: Thunderstruck
On the road, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner wanders, thinking of his beloved Betty. A flash of her face appears before him. Eventually, he passes a sign that says, 'You are now entering Illinois.' He had lost track of how long he had been wandering, it was now weeks later. Bruce arrives at a seedy Motel, the sign is damaged, and so is the exterior of the building. The caretaker/receptionist of the building is a horrifyingly unattractive man, with blisters and warts on his face, and a malformed nose. Bruce doesn't show that he is unsettled by the man when he asks for a room. "Certainly," the ugly man says, in a gruff voice. "We have a room available on the second floor, room 10," he continues. "Thank you," Bruce tells the man, and goes up to his room. Inside the room, one can discern that there are rats, due to the excrement. The wallpaper is coming apart, and it is an overall dirty room. "I have a doctorate in particle physics," Bruce whispers, "I should have my own home. With Betty…" He is interrupted by a knock on the door. He looks through the peephole, and to his astonishment, sees Betty. He opens the door for her and lets her in. He cannot successfully form a sentence, because of the shock of once again being with his wife. "B-Betty…is it really…?" he asks. She nods her head. He looks at her, to see if it is indeed her. "I have memorized every inch of your face, every curve and line. Time has served thee better than I, my love," Bruce tells her. He is now certain that it is her by the way she smiles, they kiss. It has been several years since their last kiss, so they soak up every moment. Betty looks up at the man she loves and whispers in his ear, "They're coming darling; we have to run, now." Immediately, Bruce shoves her away, and looks out the window. "Did you just shove me away, Bruce?" Betty asks. Bruce starts gathering his backpack, but Betty insists upon talking. "Where do you think you're going, Bruce? They won't be here for another hour or two," she says. "How could I have been so stupid?" Bruce thinks out loud. "Puny Banner, of course they'd use Betty, that's why you're weak!" the Hulk says aloud. Betty is horrified by this display. She cups her head in her hand, and begins pacing. Suddenly, Betty realizes what she must do, "Bruce honey. Please, come with me to New York, they won't find us there I swear to God!" Bruce turns to her with a befuddled look upon his face. "They wanted to use me as bait, to catch you, but I couldn't do it. Bruce, you're my husband, I loved you when we first met in that bar." Bruce leaves his key on the dresser, and exits the Motel room. He sees a truck with the door open, the owner is checking in, so Bruce impulsively enters the vehicle. Betty, reluctant, follows her husband to a life on the lamb.
Whilst driving, Betty looks at Bruce in the driver seat, thinking of what had brought them to this. Damnit Dad! She thinks, why couldn't you just leave us alone? The truck is a blue 1970 Ford F100. Betty begins to fall asleep on Bruce's shoulder; he briefly looks down at her graceful face. Above them, thunder begins to boom, and after conjuring in the sky lightning strikes a nearby oak. As they drive closer and closer to Wisconsin, the Banners' truck is struck by lightning, flipping it on its side. Inside, Bruce is holding Betty, and he looks into the sky. The Mighty Thor is hovering above the Banners, anger rushes through every fiber of his being, taking control. The brilliant mind of Dr. Bruce Banner makes room for The Incredible Hulk, and for Bruce, everything goes dark! Hulk brings Betty close to his chest and throws the truck at Thor, and then Hulk jumps. He and Betty fly all the way to New York. They land in Queens, and Hulk puts Betty on the sidewalk, "Betty stay here," he says. She nods her head, and he sees military helicopters. Hulk jumps out to a park, where he is met by his old friend: Spider-Man. Spidey waves hello to his friend, "Hey Hulk! What's up?" Rage rushes over the Green Goliath. "Hulk smash spider!" the Hulk yells. The wall crawler gulps, but then he webs Hulk's hands together and punches his knee. Hulk just becomes angrier, breaking through Spider-Man's webbing, yelling, "Hulk smash puny human spider!" Spidey ducks the first hand, and jumps over the second one. "Finally, someone gets my name right!" Quips Spider-Man. Spidey jumps over Hulk's head, webbing his arms in an 'X' formation, and then webs Hulk's mouth shut. "Pipe down, eh Hulk?" Spider-Man quips. In his head, The Amazing Spider-Man thinks, I hope that'll hold this time! As a precaution, Spidey begins wrapping Hulk up in his webs. Thor arrives and says, "I cannot find Mrs. Banner, Spider-Man. She must have fled when they arrived in the city." Thor takes Hulk, then flies away, heading towards S.H.I.E.L.D's base in New York City. Spider-Man follows behind, swinging between the buildings to see Nick Fury.
In the office of Nick Fury, Director of S.H. .LD, Spider-Man and Thor bring the Hulk before him. "Our quarry has been apprehended, Director Fury," Thor announces. He relinquishes his grip from the Jade Giant, and Fury walks over to them. "Unfortunate turn of events, Hulk," Fury says. He begins pacing, "However, I have a responsibility to the American people to protect and serve. I hope that you'll understand," he continues. Fury waves and several agents take Hulk to a containment cell, where he barely fits. A few hours pass, and eventually, Hulk returns to Dr. Banner. "Fury!" he yells, "You can't keep me in here forever!" He then realizes what will happen should he continue yelling, and begins taking deep breaths. Bruce wants to keep his heart rate down; otherwise he will return to his Hulk form. In a surveillance room; Director Fury, Spider-Man, Thor and Agent Hill survey Bruce's heart. "He's been in there for 10 minutes, and his heart rate has gone down to 80bpm, and it's stuck sir," Agent Hill says. Fury looks at the monitors, and says, "Indeed he has Agent Hill. We'll have to keep him here until our scientists can discover a cure to his illness." Spider-Man scratches his head and says, "How long do you expect that to take? Surely he can have visitors, right?" Fury's face is stern and authoritative, making Spider-Man grow uncomfortable. "Unfortunately Spider-Man, Dr. Banner is just as dangerous as Hulk. With his mind alone, he could trick someone into releasing him, besides he would be a nuisance to whoever was involved in his incarceration," Fury responds.
Meanwhile, at Betty's apartment in New York City, Rick Jones, an old friend of Bruce's visits. Rick was just a teenager when he met Bruce, back in 1985, when Bruce pushed Rick out of the blast radius of the gamma bomb. Even though Rick was the cause of Bruce being struck by the rays of gamma radiation, they became amazing friends. "Oh Rick," Betty says, "Those bastards at S.H.I.E.L.D took Bruce to some…black site!" Rick comforts his friend, "I know Betty…I know." They are snapped out of it by the phone ringing, "Hello," Betty answers. "I don't have much time, so please, listen carefully. Get out of New York, Betty, I won't be able to control it and I don't want you to be caught in the Hulk's path," Bruce says over the phone. At S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters, agents are running amok, trying to find Bruce Banner, who has escaped his cell. "Find Banner, otherwise find yourselves a good burial plot!" yells Nick Fury. Boom! There is an explosion inside the facility. When the agents regain their bearings, they see that a huge hole was made in a wall, big enough for the Hulk to fit through. Along various streets of New York City, destruction is everywhere, cars flipped over and buildings being caved in.
Later, on a small street outside of the city, a man walks alone with only the clothes on his back [Cue Lonely Man theme]. Dr. Robert Bruce Banner thinks of his beloved wife, Betty, and continues walking.
Finis