Incredible Hulk # 106 - Warbound, Part 1

Overview

When the Hulk returns to Earth for the senses-shattering events of "World War Hulk," we can all guess which puny humans will fight against him. But which of Earth's heroes will fight for the Hulk? Don't miss the shocking revelations as Amadeus Cho, the boy genius who took on Reed Richards on behalf of the Hulk in Incredible Hulk #100, confronts She-Hulk and Doc Samson -- and precipitates a gamma-powered smash-fest in the wilds of Jersey! Featuring the return of Hulk artist extraordinaire Gary Frank!

Spoilers

Jennifer Walters finds herself stranded in Jersey. As She-Hulk, she had been working for the government to fight Hulk's enemies during his absence. She has also been working for S.H.I.E.L.D. When she discovered that a group of superheroes tricked and sent Hulk off planet without a jury or trial, she punched Iron Man. It turns out he was prepared for that. She had been injected with nanobots that depowered her back into Jennifer Walters. Then they simply dropped her off. As she prepares her way back to civilization, a boy on a scooter drives up. It's Amadeus Cho, otherwise known as Mastermind Excello. She questions him about being so smart yet he stopped for a woman wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. He says that she's a women who just hit Iron Man and quit the agency. He also has a change of clothes for her and a bottle of grape Nehi (her favorite drink).

In the Baxter Building, Reed is talking to Doc Samson. He's monitoring Amadeus. Samson isn't too impressed that he knew Jen's favorite drink because it was in an issue of Vanity Fair. Samson asks if he's so smart, how can he let Reed track him. Reed says perhaps it's because he's only the seventh smartest person on the planet. There's also the chance that he knows he's being tracked and wants Reed to know that he knows. It also seems that he wanted Reed to send Samson after him. Reed says that Samson won't be able to beat him intellectually and probably won't be able to touch him physically but his emotions can be played. He recently lost his family. Reed gave Samson his file and tells him to make use of it.

In a diner, Jen and Amadeus sit as he puts away the food. She says he has three minutes to explain why she shouldn't just call the police on him since he's a known fugitive. He accuses her of not wanting to help her cousin. She tells him about a day when the Champions were about to be honored by the President for saving the world. The Hulk was reported in a traffic jam. They went and attacked him. It turns out that she was in the car he was carrying with a ruptured appendix. He just wanted to take her to the hospital but they only saw a monster attacking. She says that Amadeus is like the Champions. All they saw was a monster. All he's seeing is a hero. She says he just saw him on a good day.

Frustrated, Amadeus gets up to leave. He knows that her "shrink" is there to get him. Walking outside, Samson makes a thunderclap that knocks both of them back. Amadeus is knocked out with blood pouring out his nose. Amadeus is barely conscious. He tries to open his jacket and asks Jennifer for help. It doesn't look good for the little coyote he was carrying.

Amadeus tries appealing to them. They're Hulk's friends and he needs them. They're working for the bad guys. He also comments that it was Samson's reports that allowed them to get Hulk onto the shuttle and gave Iron Man the idea to have her depowered.

Samson tells Amadeus that he's just angry because despite being so smart, he can't figure out who's killed his parents. He's just unleashing like the Huk would. Amadeus tells him his hour is up as Jennifer transforms into She-Hulk. She smacks Samson into a car and it explodes. He doesn't want to fight but will if he has to. He says he knows she's disappointed in him and she says she's not. She's mad. She gives him an uppercut that sends him flying away. She-Hulk turns to look for Amadeus but he's gone.

The payphone rings and it's him. She asks how he was able to get her to change. He came up with something and put it in her grape Nehi. It was a temporary fix. He says he can make it permanent if he knows that she's on their side. She says she just caused about a half million dollars worth of damage and sent on of her best friends into the next county. She can't go with him. She tells him to look at what happened to his coyote. Amadeus tells her he's fine. He was playing dead. He doesn't allow his friends to get hurt.

Jennifer also tells him there was one more thing that happened after the Champions found out what the Hulk was really doing. They were sorry. Amadeus reaches the top of a hill to find Hercules and Angel up there. She asks him if he knows what she's saying. He says he does, because he's a "smart kid." Reed is watching him on his screen and says "Not quite smart enough."