Caught in the heart of a gamma bomb explosion, a victim of nuclear radiation gone wild. Doctor Robert Bruce Banner finds himself transformed in times of stress into a dark, distorted reflection of his emotionally repressed anger and rage!

The INCREDIBLE HULK #1 "Calamity"

Written By Mick Edwards

«Canada»

Hands, hands as big as moderately sized boulders, and greener than the leaves of the trees reached down into the pond, and cupped a good helping of water, and lifted it up to the mouth of large man-monster that stood somewhere over seven feet tall. This jade giant looked to the skyline as the water trickled down his throat. It was dark, an oppressive cloud bank covered the moon, and howls from hungry wolves could be heard nearby. The creature known as the Hulk stomped off after collecting enough water to satisfy his thirst. As he walked, the cool air brushed against his hot skin. The warmth caused by a combination of the beast's energies percolating through out his body. And his metabolism raising his temperature to ward off the cold.

"Hulk hates stupid trees, and he hates stupid howling," he said pushing aside two towering and rotting roadblocks. Squirrels hoped from the branches as the trees fell, and the Hulk didn't bother to notice them at all. His mind was too occupied.

His tracks became smaller the further into the woods they led. Two men knelt down, and touched the tracks. One had yellow hair, and sharp blue eyes. His fingers sported retractable talons. He wore a black jumper suit with a silver snap on belt. His partner was near seven feet tall, green skinned, and scaly. To known authorities, they were known as the Abomination and Sabretooth. Two of the fiercest monsters in the world. Sabretooth for his sadism, and compunction to hunt and kill. Abomination for his destructive rampages caused by depression over his unnatural form, and a thirst for power that was unquenchable.

Sabretooth looked up to Blonsky as the giant's eyes could perpetually bore holes in the foot prints before them. Blonsky looked at Sabretooth who caught a whiff of the Hulk's scent. He then smiled a toothy grin that many of his victims had itched in their memories before dying. As he walked by Blonsky lingered a moment longer, and then trailed behind him. His black trunks cut just above the knees. He wore a bracelet of advanced design that glowed with two different colored buttons. One red, the other green.

The further they traveled the smaller the tracks got until they came upon the sleeping form of the Hulk's human form – Doctor Robert Bruce Banner. A single pressure point was squeezed on Banner's neck, putting him into a deeper sleep. This made him easier for what the two planned. Blonsky picked Banner up, and placed him over his shoulders. While Sabretooth tapped the mic in his inner ear.

"We got the prize," he said.

Good, transport will ready in a moment.

"Hurry up," said Blonsky. A hinge of fear in his voice. "You never know when the Hulk could awaken."

"You a pussy all of the sudden?"

"No," said Blonsky, as he turned away from the feral mutant. "I've just thrown down with him too many times to know I can't beat him."

"That's why I'm here."

"He'd crush you in one blow," snorted Blonsky.

"These talons ain't for show," said Sabretooth. "They're adamantium, and laced with poison."

Blonsky snorted in derision at Sabretooth's thought that he stood a chance. Too many times had he himself thought that the advantage was his only to learn the opposite was true. The Hulk was a force of nature, and nothing can stop a force of nature. Not even an Abomination. So, what chance did a mongrel have of stopping the beast from getting loose.

A blue light swept over the two, and they vanished. When they reappeared they were inside of a large compound miles below ground. The cavern ceiling was just above them supported by metal girders. Standing at the far end on a hovering chair with his large bulbous head pulsing with green energies sat the Leader. He turned his hover chair around to look at his two minions. A smile formed on his face, and he lowered himself to the ground. Upon stepping off he walked toward them. Sabretooth looked at the brown haired woman trussed up in shackles with her torn purple and white jump suit. The power drainers sapping her strength.

"Whose the broad?" he said, and then licked his lips.

The Leader looked at her, and he rubbed his chin. "She was a source of information, you may play with her if you wish, but do not kill her."

Sabretooth looked at the Leader, and then turned away. He walked up onto the platform where Jennifer Walters hung. She was unconscious, her skin soaked in sweat. Sabretooth licked her cheek, and then stole a kiss off her. But, she thrashed when he lingered. He let go, and blood was on his lips and teeth. He had tore a chunk off her lip, which was slowly healing. Her eyes briefly flashed green before the energies were drained into the power dampeners. She lowered her head, as she knew she was not going to get free. At least not yet.

After Blonsky put Banner into the stasis tank, he pressed the red button on his bracelet and returned to his human form. The energies that were contained within his body were drained into the advanced storage capacitor on the lower strap of the bracelet. To the right of the capacitor was a regulator that regulated the gamma energies that Blonsky absorbed allowing him to control his changes.

"For a long time, I have wanted to be able to do what you could do Banner." Blonsky said as he looked at his reflection, his appearance had aged very little. "But, that was denied me until the Leader came back from the beyond."

"That is true my friend," said the Leader, as he skulked up behind Blonsky. "I have evolved in ways you can only imagine."

"Imagination is not something I treasure now comrade," he said. "I seek only two things – power, and my wife Nadia."

The Leader nodded which would seem a difficult feat for some one with such a weak stature, and yet he did so easily. He placed a hand on Blonsky's shoulder, and Blonsky turned to him with a stern and serious expression on his face.

"You will gain these things, I promise you that."

"I don't need your promises," he said pushing aside the Leader's hand. "I have learned too well they are worthless."

"Past mistakes should not reflect on our future, my friend." The Leader turned his back to Blonsky, which earned the Russian's heated stare. "I have plans you cannot begin to fathom, and when the time comes – I will keep my promises!"

"Do not think me for a fool, Leader." Blonsky shifted back into his other form upon saying that. "I am not as insipid, or stupid as the mongrel."

The Leader lowered his head, and yet turned his eyes toward the shadowed figure listening in on the conversation. Blonsky walked off the other way not seeing the figure until he stepped out to meet with the Leader. Sabretooth licked his finger tips as they were soaked in Jen's blood. And then glared in the direction Blonsky went.

"You want me ta take care of him?"

"No," said the Leader. His eyes focusing on Bruce Banner. "I will need him and you should the Hulk get free."

Sabertooth scoffed, and gave a dismissive look to Bruce Banner. "He's nothin'."

"Ah, and that is where you will learn how wrong you are," said the Leader. "NEVER underestimate the HULK!"

Sabretooth glared at the Leader, and the Leader realized he may have overstepped his bounds. But, when Sabretooth smirked, and went in the other direction. He breathed a sigh of relief. However, he knew that the mutant, and Blonsky would both be problems in spite of the Hulk. He would just need to manipulate them just a bit longer until he acquired what he wanted, and then he could be rid of them both.

«Little Rock, Arkansas»

Rick Jones shot back another beer and then laid down a twenty dollar bill. But, the bartender pushed it back toward him. Rick looked at the bartender with his drunken eyes, and stood up, stumbling a bit due to how intoxicated he was. He pointed a finger at the bartender and said:

"I just broke up wit' my wive, I mean wife – so give m' another beer!"

"Sleep it off you drunk," said the bartender. He nodded to two bouncers, and Rick was tossed out on his ass.

As he dusted himself off a bright light floated down, hovered before him, and then struck him with intense force. Standing where Rick Jones had been was Photon with his nega bands charred. But, after a moment energy surged through them, and the bands were restored to normal. He could feel Rick inside of him again, and the first words out of his mouth were:

"Oh shit!"

«New Mexico»

Blonksy watched holo-vids of his previous battles with the Hulk, and it sickened him how effortlessly he was defeated, each, and every time. He then watched the images of his wife, sharing herself with a new man. An honest, good man. It sickened him to the core. If he could be there now, he would rip this man in half, and reclaim her. Yet, he had to gain full control over the transformations, and learn how to attain greater power within his form so that no one could stand in his way. Only the miserable toad the Leader possessed such knowledge. His expertise with gamma mutation was only second to Bruce Banner's. But, where Bruce Banner was limited by a sense of morality. The Leader was not, and Blonsky knew that the Leader would obviously be up to something.

He transformed into his human state, and snuck around – the diminished powers were awe-inspiring to him as he could do things he normally could not do as a human. He snuck around and then noticed the mongrel appeared from the shadows. Blonsky's eyes became green and his veins glowed with gamma energy.

"Hmph," was the only sound that came from Sabretooth. He raised his eyes up to look Blonsky in the eyes. "You and I know he's just using us, and the only dif' is I don't care."

Blonsky tightened his clenched fists. His eyes remained green, but his bracelet began regulating his sudden surge in power. "Don't talk me as if you are a man, mutt."

The sound of metal sliding against metal could be heard only by the two monsters, and it was Sabretooth's talons which sparkled in the dim light. Pure adamantium and laced with toxins.

Blonsky laughed, and didn't show a sign of fear what so ever. Sabertooth popped his neck, and then Blonsky stopped laughing, and turned his back to Sabretooth. Taunting him with the first shot.

"Go ahead, but it will be your last."

Enough, you two!

"Leader?" said Blonsky.

"He's telepathic?" said Sabretooth.

"I have no idea..."

Did you cretins think I wouldn't know of your squabbling, and talk of me behind my back? Since my return – my powers have increased. So, if you do not want to end up with:

The Leader went silent as a loud crash echoed through out the base followed by a shaking of the foundations. Blonsky lowered his eyes realizing what that meant. He could already picture the nightmare he was going to face. Sabretooth ran off ahead of him to encounter the "challenge" as it were. Not knowing what lie in store. Blonsky considered his options, and briefly considered escaping. But, a small part of him wanted to defeat the beast, to humiliate it in ways it had never been humiliated. So, he pressed the green button, and again became an Abomination.

He charged toward the sounds of battle, and he could see the She-Hulk battling humanoids, and the Hulk fighting with the mongrel. He joined the latter fight, which became more explosive as they wrecked the Leader's equipment. The Leader flew away inside of his hover chair, which had a force field around it. His eyes were staring up into the heavens as if the battle was an afterthought. Which left the question what had he been after? Was he still desiring the Hulk's power, or some ulterior goal?

By the time sounds of battle ceased, the Hulk and She-Hulk emerged from the base after it had caved in on itself; their bodies covered in scratches, which healed immediately. They looked at one another, and then the Hulk picked his cousin up, and leaped away.

NEXT ISSUE: That Spark Of Life

GAMMA CHARGED: Welcome to my first issue of a limited series featuring the Incredible HULK. What I plan to do is have the Hulk go on a road trip encountering some familiar foes, newer foes in a sense, and tell some exciting character pieces featuring everyone's favorite Jade Giant.

So strap yourself in, and enjoy the ride ahead!

-Mick