Hulk (Vol. 2) #32 — Nick Peron

Mar 16

Mar 16 Hulk (Vol. 2) #32

The Rising Fog

Zero/One has brought her assistant Jacob Feinman have arrived in Hyderbad, India, to seek out someone she can transform into a weapon to destroy the Red Hulk, the only one that could stop her plans. Believing that Zero/One has gone insane and has begun keeping a record of what she is up to in a written book since she can instantly know anything he might write digitally. Zero/One is seeking out a local serial killer nickname the Black Fog who terrorized the region when Zero/One was a little girl approximately 20 years previously. Zero/One asks an elderly woman what they did with Black Fog, but she doesn't remember. However, she directs them to an electronics shop owned by a man named Irfan, who will know what happened to the notorious killer. There, Irfan tells them that the Black Fog was captured. However, seeing the true form of Zero/One shocks him. Becoming irritated, Zero/One demands to know where Black Fog is being kept.

Meanwhile, in western Arkansas, the Red Hulk tries to sleep after being awake for many days. Unfortunately, when he begins to revert back to human form, the nanites implanted into him by General Fortean begin detonating their cerebral mines. Before they can kill him off, Ross transforms back into the Red Hulk. He had only fallen asleep for a moment, but the Red Hulk realizes that he cannot even risk trying to sleep and hopes he hears back from Annie so he can get the technicians at Gamma Base to make him some stimulants to keep him awake until they can remove the nanites from his body. After splashing some water on his face, the Red Hulk notices a tornado in the horizon and suddenly finds himself totally awake.

Back in India, Irfan is forced to take Zero/One and Jacob Feinman to the prison where he believes the Black Fog has been imprisoned. As the two men are carried onto the prison property by Zero/One, Feinman thinks back to how Zero/One decided upon the terror of her human childhood to use as a weapon to destroy the Red Hulk. Getting past the guard, Zero/One breaks into the cell of the Black Fog. However, the boogie man of her childhood is a broken-down old man missing an arm. While in Arkansas, the Red Hulk rushes to the town of Beebe to help people who are in danger from the approaching tornado. After saving a couple in a pick-up from being swept up into the vortex, the Red Hulk notices that a high school is in the tornado's path. Hoping school has been evacuated, the Red Hulk is horrified to discover a large group of people has sought refuge in the school gymnasium. With no other choice, the Red Hulk leaps at the tornado and claps his hands together, dissipating it and saving the town. While in India, Zero/One breaks Black Fog free from prison, escaping in a specially built craft.

Meanwhile, aboard the Thunderbolt, General Fortean is furious to learn that the Red Hulk just saved a town when he wanted him to be exhausted and alone. However, Fortean is not detoured from killing the Red Hulk, even if public opinion on his foe changes. Still, word will get out quickly, so Fortean orders his soldiers to return to base so they can kick their plan into high gear. While back into town, the Red Hulk is shocked to see people celebrating him as a hero. Suddenly, Annie arrives in a truck, and the Red Hulk leaps into it so they can getaway. Annie tells him that the technicians at Gamma Base might have a solution to his condition. While at the Omnisapient oil rig, Zero/One returns with Jacob, Irfan, and Black Fog. Jacob puts Irfan to work, warning him to do what Zero/One says or she might turn him into one of the zombies that help run her facility. They arrive in the lab with the equipment Zero/One asked for, and are horrified to see that she has already begun experimenting on Black Fog. They witness as Zero/One injects Black Fog with the alloy that created her. The two men watch in awe as Black Fog's arm grows back. Zero/One then begins modifications to make Black Fog live up to the legends that made him terrifying to the people of India. Sickened by these experiments, Jacob returns to his room to update his diary. Soon he is called back to the lab, Jacob witnesses Zero/One has completed the operation. Standing before him is a massive and hideous figure of Black Fog. Zero/One explains that he has been programmed to eliminate the Red Hulk and destroy anything that gets in the way.