Overview

The Heroes return to New York to find it the first battleground in WORLD WAR HULK. Will Humbug’s recently amplified powers be a factor against Hulk’s compatriots, Miek and Brood? Can the heroes salve the wounds of their adoptive city and still turn a profit? Both answers are “yes” if Misty Knight has

anything to say about it!

Backup Story: Killer Instincts

(Spoilers)

On their way back from their recent mission in the Savage Land, the Heroes for Hire are returning with ape in tow. Shang-Chi remarks that the boats in the New York harbors seem to be making haste to leave. Humbug describes insects from another world which are coming to Earth with the intent to destroy and to make our planet their own.

Landing at the SHIELD base to try to offload their cargo and collect their check they are instantly met with opposition. Low-level armed SHIELD guards tell them that they are to leave, and Derek and Scorpion confront their unwelcome guests. Derek informs them of the entire Hulk situation that they missed--Hulk coming back angry and demanding Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, and Dr. Strange to be turned over to him within 24 hours. Humbug gives Derek a foreboding warning: "You need not fear the Monster. Fear the Warrior-Beetle and his Queen." Derek asks the team if they would assist with the rescue and evacuation operations as they need all the super-help they can get. The team gears up to leave with the exception of Paladin who refuses to take part in a non-paying mission (especially when such events will create many paying jobs for a mercenary).

As the team leaves, Humbug rushes away to discover a horde of the children of the alien insects. Overcome by the chemical shared memories of the group (known as chemming), Humbug is carried back to his companions by Shang-Chi. One of the bugs finds the heroes and smells them, realizing that they are humans--the enemy. Humbug grabs the fleeing insect and rips it apart before the rest of the group, spreading its innards over the other heroes. Humbug explains to his confused and angry teammates that now they smell like the insects, and will be able to walk among them.

Killer Instincts

Scorpion hides on the top of a building as heroes fly high above her and evacuation crews shout down to anyone left below. On the way to her mission destination, Scorpion takes out two low-life thugs that are taking advantage of the unrest by looting local buildings.

Back on track she enters what appears to be an empty warehouse, unaware that Paladin is following her searching for a quick buck. Within the Police's long term evidence storage facility Paladin blasts her with a nearby stun gun and surveys his surroundings. Metabolizing the blast almost instantly, Scorpion aims an even larger weapon back at Paladin and tells him that it is her turn.