Incredible Hulk Annual 2001
The Hammer Strikes
In New York City, the Hulk is attacked by the assassin known as Failan from the microworld of K'ai. Somehow, this assassin has returned from the dead and seeks to complete his mission: kill the Hulk. As the two who battle it out, the United States Army arrives on the scene and attacks the Hulk with tanks, choppers, and Mandroid armor. The Hulk easily trounces the soldiers by collapsing some buildings on them and flees the scene, leaving Fialan to be apprehended. Elsewhere, the Asgardian thunder god Thor is helping the NYPD subdue an army of costumed crooks who have been plaguing the police of late. After the crooks surrender, the police thank Thor for his assistance. When they mention that the Hulk has been spotted in midtown, Thor flies off to see if he can contain his one-time ally.
By this point, the Hulk has moved upstate where he is dogged by the US Air Force. When he tries to fight back against the fighter jets he is suddenly attacked by Thor. When a show of force doesn't work against the Hulk, Thor considers that they are too evenly matched. When he tries to talk down the Hulk, this doesn't work as the Hulk is still plenty mad and still spoiling for a fight. Their fight takes them to a nearby construction site. There, Thor worries that their battle might harm the innocent construction workers who were forced into the middle of their battle. In order to save lives, Thor uses the magic of his hammer to transport himself and the Hulk to another dimension. They arrive in a dimension filled with monstrous creatures and there, the Hulk manages to catch Thor in an avalanche by slamming him into the side of a mountain. With his foe buried alive, the Hulk decides to explore this dimension. As he bound across the landscape, the Hulk inadvertently lands into some quicksand. The Hulk manages to force his way free, but then he is attacked by a massive creature with six arms. The Hulk tries to struggle free, but the monster swallows him whole.
By this time, Thor has freed himself from the rubble and sees that the Hulk is gone. He wonders if he should just leave the Hulk in this dimension, but decides to only do so if he can find the Hulk and determine that he has found peace on this world. At that moment, the Hulk fights he was free from the creature's mouth. He then knocks out the massive monster and soon finds himself swarmed by an army of much smaller creatures. The Hulk fights off this horde well into the night. It's then that Thor catches up to the Hulk. Seeing the destruction he has caused, Thor tells the Hulk that it is time to leave. This leads to another battle between the two because the Hulk now doesn't want to go. Ultimately, Thor gains the advantage when he knocks the Hulk out with a powerful lightning bolt. He then traverses the dimensions to get back home. However, midway, the Hulk wakes up and fights his way free and is shunted to another dimension.
Thor follows after Hulk where he finds the brute on a strange world where the alien creatures worship him. Seeing that the Hulk is at peace, Thor contemplates leaving the Hulk behind again. However, when the man-monster calms down enough to revert back into Bruce Banner, he begins to choke from lack of air. Seeing that the Hulk's mortal form could not survive in this world, Thor rescued Banner and takes him back to their home dimension. However, along the way, Banner is startled enough to change back into the Hulk again. They battle along a coastline and Thor gives in to his rage and summons a massive storm to try and wash the Hulk away. Thor is about ready to resume his battle, the Hulk points out all the humans that are being washed away by the floodwaters that Thor created. The Hulk pulls the humans aside and puts them on an outcropping. The Hulk then gives Thor an option, continue their battle or saving the humans he endangered. With no other choice, Thor ends the storm and allows the Hulk to escape so he can help the people he put in harm’s way. With those affected by the flood getting medical attention, Thor thinks about how the Hulk only attacked when provoked and wonders, if this battle could have been avoided, had people heeded the Hulk's warnings and left him alone.
Recurring Characters
Hulk, Thor, Fialan, Mandroids
Continuity Notes
Thor mentions how he and the Hulk were founding members of the Avengers. This happened in Avengers #1, the Hulk later left the group in the following issue because none of his teammates could trust him.
