Bruce Banner is no longer the Hulk. But he’s still one of the most-intelligence people on Earth and he’s used his brains instead of the Green Goliath’s brawn to outsmart the Leader and MODOK and counter their plan to conquer the world. Despite forming an alliance with his newest nemesis, the Red Hulk, and leading Skaar, A-Bomb, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and X-Men in an attack on the villainous duo’s flying headquarters, the Hellcarrier, it seems Banner’s arrogance got the better of him.
Following the FALL OF THE HULKS, Bruce Banner is a prisoner of the Intelligencia. The Avengers and X-Men have been ‘Hulked-Out’ by the Cathexis Ray Generator. Doc Samson has betrayed all of his former-friends. Red Hulk is defeated. And now the Leader and MODOK’s army of Hulked-Out AIMarines are about lay siege to Washington. Surely nothing can pt a stop to this amount of destruction…
Note: This event is not to be confused with WORLD WAR HULK (2007-2008)
Crossover: The main storyline takes place between the two Hulk titles, but also includes a number of one-shots and two-issue series that expand the story further.
Must-Reads: Issues marked with a ✔are essential to the story.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- GREEN HULK/RED HULK – Debut of the Red Hulk
- SON OF BANNER – Bruce Banner trains Skaar
- FALL OF THE HULKS – The build-up to World War Hulks…
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- World War Hulks #1 [4/6]
- ✔ World War Hulks #1 [5/6]
- World War Hulks #1 [1/6]
- World War Hulks #1 [2/6]
- World War Hulks #1 [3/6]
- World War Hulks #1 [6/6]
- World War Hulks: Hulked-Out Heroes #1
- World War Hulks: Hulked-Out Heroes #2
- ✔ Hulk #22
- World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #1 [1/2]
- World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #2 [1/2]
- World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #1 [1/2]
- World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #2 [1/2]
- World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #1 [2/2]
- World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #2 [2/2]
- World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #1 [2/2]
- World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #2 [2/2]
- ✔ Incredible Hulk #609 [1/2]
- ✔ Incredible Hulk #610 [1/2]
- ✔ Hulk #23
- ✔ Incredible Hulk #611 [1/2]
- ✔ Hulk #24
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| World War Hulks #1 [4/6] As part of Doc Samson’s experiments with the Cathexis Ray, an Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM) soldier is transformed into a Hulk. The soldier loses control and Samson gives in to his more aggressive side in order to overpower and kill him. | |
| ✔ | World War Hulks #1 [5/6] While flirting with Red She-Hulk, the Leader reveals the original She-Hulk is still alive. Red She-Hulk defeats Mad Thinker’s Gammadroid in an attempt to free She-Hulk, but she’s ultimately defeated by Samson and the Leader. |
| World War Hulks #1 [1/6] A-Bomb (Rick Jones in his new Abomination-like form) carries Marlo Chandler with him as they bound across America. After clashing with the drunken troll Ulik, A-Bomb convinces Marlo to find safety until the coming fight with the Leader blows over. | |
| World War Hulks #1 [2/6] After seeing Glenn Talbot’s face in the crowd at Thunderbolt Ross’s funeral, Captain America (James ‘Bucky’ Barnes) recalls the time he met the deceased Colonel. Years ago, the Winter Soldier was tasked by the Gremlin to torture Talbot when he was captured on a mission in Russia. Talbot recognised the Winter Soldier as Bucky Barnes, jolting him into coming to his senses. Both of their memories of this incident were erased. | |
| World War Hulks #1 [3/6] At the Intelligencia’s secret base, Glenn Talbot explains to Betty Ross that he faked his death to protect her. He’s about to install a reprogramming key in the Cosmic Hulk when a missile is accidentally fired into their section of the facility, but doesn’t detonate, though it somehow reactivates the Cosmic Hulk. Glenn bravely angles the rogue missile at the mechanical behemoth, then installs the programming key. Betty is relieved to have Glenn back in her life as someone she can trust. | |
| World War Hulks #1 [6/6] The circumstances that led to Red Hulk sneaking Deadpool (Wade Wilson) aboard the Hellcarrier are explained. After transforming into Hulkpool, Wade is reunited with Bob, Agent of Hydra (now an agent of AIM). Bob agrees to help Hulkpool go back in time and kill Deadpool… | |
| Hulked-Out Heroes #1 Bob uses Doctor Doom’s time platform to send Hulkpool through time, encountering the pirate Blackbeard (the Thing in disguise) in 1717, Devil Dinosaur & Moonboy in the prehistoric era and Hawkeye & Two-Gun Kid in 1873 before landing in 1945. There, he meets Captain America (Steve Rogers) and sees Bucky trying to disarm a rocket… | |
| Hulked-Out Heroes #2 Hulkpool saves Bucky and redirects the missile at the Red Skull and Adolf Hitler, then continues to jump through time and accidentally prevent the major heroes from ever meeting their destinies. He eventually faces Deadpool from the day before and tries to kill him. The changes create a series of divergent timelines. Bob brings Hulkpool back to present day Earth-616. |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #609 [1/2] (pp.1-4) The Leader begins the hours-long download of Bruce Banner’s brain, while his consciousness is transmitted into Liddleville where he believes he’s living his best life. Red She-Hulk seeks out those responsible for the impending destruction of the Hellcarrier… |
| ✔ | Hulk #22 (pp.1-12) Aboard the Hellcarrier, Red Hulk is surrounded by Hulked-Out Avengers, but he outsmarts them and blows most of them out of the ‘carrier using CyHulk’s powers in order to escape. The Leader and MODOK reveal to Samson that the Hulk-Out Heroes will be dead within hours… |
| World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #1 [1/2] The Hulked-Out Thor (the mighty ‘Thorr’) takes down a whole squad of AIMarines, but is enraged with the Hulked-Out Spider-Man (aka ‘Spider-Thing’) for being more interested in the Smithsonian. The two start fighting and Thorr gets the upper-hand… | |
| World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #2 [1/2] When Thorr tries to smash Spider-Thing with his hammer, Mjolnir deems him unworthy and won’t respond. The Spider-Thing defends the Smithsonian from the rampaging AIMarines. Remembering Odin’s advice from years earlier, Thorr joins forces with Spider-Thing against the Marines… | |
| World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #1 [1/2] The Hulked-out Wolverine (aka ‘WolveRage’) and Captain America (James ‘Bucky’ Barnes) immediately start fighting when they land in Washington. Wolverine covers Cap in petrol and prepare to burn him alive. Years ago, Logan was on a mission for the CIA in Chicago when he was captured by a Russian agent. This was when he realised Bucky had become the Winter Soldier… | |
| World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #2 [1/2] Years ago, CIA agent Logan fought the Winter Soldier who was hired to protect a gang boss running for governor in Chicago. In the present, WolveRage defeats the Hulked-Out Captain America and walks away… | |
| World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #1 [2/2] The Hulked-Out Iceman & Cyclops (aka IceHulk & CyHulk) of the X-Men get a chance to resolve a long-standing disagreement over Iceman’s sense of humour. As always, Cyclops gets the better of Iceman… | |
| World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #2 [2/2] Iceman retaliates against CyHulk until the two Hulked-Out X-Men sort out their differences in the same way they did as kids. | |
| World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #1 [2/2] With rage fuelled by her regret over joining Nextwave, the Hulked-Out Pulsar (Monica Rambeau) smashes her way through War Machine (aka ‘Hulk Machine’) and Ms Marvel. She’s defeated by the Thing (aka ‘No-Thing’ who turns his attention to the Human Torch (aka ‘Hulking Torch’). | |
| World War Hulks: Wolverine vs Captain America #2 [2/2] The No Thing and Hulking Torch turn their long-standing rivalry into a violent throwdown. No-Thing tries to throw an aircraft carrier at the Torch who destroys it first… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #609 [1/2] (pp.4-11) Glenn Talbot makes a televised address from the White House, accusing the Avengers of going on a rampage. Skaar saves A-Bomb and Korg from the Hulked-Out AIMarines. In Liddleville, Victor von Doom hints to Banner that their life is a lie… |
| ✔ | Hulk #22 (pp.13-22) Doc Samson turns against the Leader and is blasted unconscious by MODOK. After defeating Spider-Thing and WolveRage, Red Hulk finds Bruce Banner and the rest of the world’s smartest men, subdued by the Liddleville device that’s tapping into their minds. Red-She-Hulk stops Red Hulk from taking Banner by draining him of his power and revealing him to be Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross. But she won’t kill him because he’s her father… |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #609 [1/2] (pp.12-23) Skaar hurls A-Bomb up to the Hellcarrier while he and Korg defend Washington and the US Army from the AIMarines and Hulked-Out Heroes. Banner wakes to find Doom has also freed himself and has begun to absorb the intellect of the genius heroes. Red She-Hulk punches Doom out of the Hellcarrier, then Skaar arrives and runs his sword through her. She transforms back to Betty Banner with a sword still through her gut… |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #610 [1/2] (pp.1-7) The arrival of Samson angers the dying Betty Ross enough for her to turn back to Red She-Hulk and beat him to a pulp. |
| ✔ | Hulk #23 (pp.1-32) The discarded and powerless Thunderbolt Ross recalls his lengthy feud with the Hulk and how & why he became the Red Hulk. When he’s almost crushed by the Cosmic Hulk, Ross absorbs some of its power and becomes the Red Hulk once again before ripping the robot Cosmic Hulk in half… |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #610 [1/2] (pp.8-12) The Hulked-Out Amadeus Cho explains how the combined Cathexis Ray and cosmic power will burn out the Hulk Marines and Hulked-Out Heroes in under 24 hours. Cho goes head-to-head against MODOK. Banner is about to shoot the Leader in the head when he teleports away. |
| ✔ | Hulk #23 (pp.33-34) Red Hulk then finds the Leader and absorbs his gamma-powers – costing the mastermind his intellect – before leaping off the Hellcarrier. |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #610 [1/2] (pp.13-24) Cho uses his gamma-power to warp the laws of physics and turn MODOK back to human form. The geniuses use the Cathexis Machine to absorb the Hulked-Out Heroes and AIMarines’ power back. Samson sacrifices his life to drain the excess, so Banner has to absorb the rest which transforms him into the Hulk once more. The Hellcarrier is destroyed and Skaar finally gets to face the Hulk… |
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #611 [1/2] Bruce Banner knew the Hulk (the Worldbreaker persona from WORLD WAR HULK) was likely to return. He prepped Skaar as the only one capable of killing him. Their fight takes them across America with Skaar revealing the fate of his mother and the planet Sakaar (revealed during SON OF HULK). Red She-Hulk even joins the fight, opposing Skaar. Hulk saves innocents caught in the crossfire, making Skaar realise he’s not evil. Hulk beats Skaar who changes back to human form. Seeing his father’s actions in his own, the Hulk changes back to Banner and finally comforts his young son… |
| ✔ | Hulk #23 (pp.35-36) ‘Glenn Talbot’ claims control of the White House, but Red Hulk rips his head off, revealing him to be a robotic Life Model Decoy. With the cameras still rolling in the White House, Red Hulk proclaims he’s now in charge… |
| ✔ | Hulk #24 With Bruce Banner fully in control, the Hulk smashes his way into the White House to end the Red Hulk’s attempted takeover. She-Hulk gets a shot at Red She-Hulk while the two Hulks battle it out. The Red Ghost and Frightful Four’s escape is interrupted by the warring Hulks. The original Hulk is victorious, overpowering the Red Hulk. Several weeks later, Bruce/Hulk and Steve Rogers – now Director of SHIELD – visit the Red Hulk who is imprisoned in Gamma Base. It seems his special skills and loyalty to his country may prove useful… |
See how this event fits into the wider Marvel Universe with these reading orders:
- HULK FAMILY, 2005-2007: Warbound
- HULK FAMILY, 2008-2010: Green Hulks vs Red Hulks
- MODOK, 1967-Present: George Tarleton
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event/ Crossover |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulks #612-617 (2010) Hulk, She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters), She-Hulk (Lyra), Red She-Hulk, Skaar, A-Bomb and Korg band together as the Incredible Hulks or Hulk Family (though these are editorial names and are never used in-story); the group’s first foe is another of Bruce Banner’s offspring, Skaar’s brother Hiro-Kala. | DARK SON |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulks #619-620 (2011) Glenn Talbot is actually resurrected for a brief time due to the events of Amatsu-Mikaboshi’s Chaos War; Doc Samson is also among those who return from the dead. | CHAOS WAR |
| ✔ | Hulk #25-29 (2010-2011) Red Hulk carries out missions under Steve Rogers’ command; former-MODOK George Tarleton and former-Leader Samuel Sterns are revealed to be imprisoned at Gamma Base; Hulk, Red Hulk and A-Bomb fight as allies’ against a new MODOK clone called MODOK Superior. | SCORCHED EARTH |
| Avengers #12 (2011) Red Hulk accept Steve Rogers offer of membership in the Avengers. | ||
| ✔ | Thunderbolts #1-6 (2013) Deadpool joins the Red Hulk’s new Thunderbolts team; Red Hulk subjects Samuel Sterns to gamma radiation, restoring his genius intellect and transforming him into the Red Leader; Red Leader also joins the Thunderbolts. | MARVEL NOW! |
| ✔ | Hulk #5-16 (2014-2016) While acting under his new ‘Doc Green’ persona, the Hulk depowers A-Bomb, Red Hulk, Red She-Hulk and Skaar, as well as the Gamma Corps, removing their gamma-spawned abilities. | THE OMEGA HULK |
| Totally Awesome Hulk #1 (2016) Amadeus Cho is revealed to have become the new Hulk. | ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL | |
| Immortal Hulk #6 (2018) Hints that Doc Samson has returned to life again emerge. | ||
| Immortal Hulk #14-18 (2019) It’s Betty Ross rather than Marlo Chandler who goes on to become a Harpy again, though with red skin, this time; Doc Samson’s return is confirmed; recalling his death, Samson is among the gamma-irradiated dead who return to life via a Green Door. | ||
| Defenders #1 (2021) Betty Ross/Harpy becomes known as Red Harpy when she joins the Defenders. | THERE ARE NO RULES | |
| Gamma Flight #4-5 (2021) The Cathexis Ray Generator is next used by Gamma Flight to revert the people affected by Project Green Spring’s Fortify supplement. |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Hulk: World War Hulks HC | Fall of the Hulks: Gamma #1 Hulk #19-24 |
| Incredible Hulks: World War Hulks HC | Fall of the Hulks: Savage She-Hulks #1-3 Incredible Hulk #312 Incredible Hulk #609-611 World War Hulks #1 World War Hulks: Captain America vs Wolverine #1-2 World War Hulks: Hulked-Out Heroes #1-2 World War Hulks: Spider-Man vs Thor #1-2 |
| Hulk vol.6: World War Hulks | Hulk #22-24 |
| Hulked-Out Heroes | Hulked-Out Heroes #1-2 World War Hulks #1 |
| Incredible Hulk vol.3: World War Hulks | Incredible Hulk #609-611 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Deadpool Classic Companion vol.2 | Hulked-Out Heroes #1-2 World War Hulks #1 [part] |
| Hulk by Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuinness Omnibus | Hulk #22-24 |
| Hulk by Jeph Loeb – The Complete Collection vol.2 | Hulk #22-24 |
Reading Order ©OmniverseComicsGuide 2024
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