Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #401

Title: “Filling Slots”

Writer: Peter David

Penciller: Jan Duursema

Inker: Brad Vancata

Colors: Glynis Oliver

Editor: Bobbie Chase

From their cell, Vector of the U-Foes calls out to Omnibus, “You! With the head!” He wants to know what is going on. Omnibus says that he prefers being called “Omnibus” to “You! With the head!” Omnibus says that the U-Foes were to be the last line of defense in case the Pantheon didn’t come through. Vector says that Leader thought enough of them to make them his first line of offense against the Pantheon. Omnibus says that it true, but that Leader was displeased with the manner in which they reveled in their violence. He says that he found their attitude distasteful. He says that Leader also thought he could control them, but found that their cosmic rays tampered with his ability. Omnibus says that they were too unpredictable. Ironclad says that he is going to kill him. Omnibus says that will be difficult since the Leader is dead. Omnibus says that he will deposit them outside, but that he can’t do more for them. Vector asks how the Leader died. Omnibus says that the Hulk killed him and then teleports them outside.

The U-Foes find themselves outside, and coincidentally, near the Hulk. Ironclad charges Hulk and says, “Banner! Heads up! While you still got a head… that… is…” Hulk turns and hits Ironclad in the face. He tells him to shut up. Hulk hits him again, and then ducks under a right. Hulk pins Ironclad’s arm behind his back. The others want to join in, but Ironclad says that Hulk is his. Hulk drops Ironclad to the ground with his arm still pinned behind his back. Hulk says, “I’m… yours? I’m yours? Hah! Buddy you picked the worst guy… on the worst day… in the worst possible mood!” Hulk starts choking Ironclad. Vapor tells Vector to do something. Vector says that he is. Vector tells Hulk to let Ironclad go and that they will leave peacefully. Vapor says that Vector is afraid. Vector tells her to shut up. Hulk tosses aside Ironclad. He says that Vector is just smart. He says that the only thing to gain by fighting is revenge. Hulk says that revenge won’t make them better off… just dead. Vector and X-Ray help Ironclad off. Ironclad asks if he beat Hulk. Vector tells Mike that he did just great. Rick is carrying Marlo and says, “Really good, Bruce. Learning to rein yourself in? Finally?” Hulk asks if Rick is blaming him for what happened. Hulk starts shouting in Rick’s face, but then he realizes that he is shouting at two people that are freezing to death. He says they should go home.

At the Mount, Agamemnon is meeting with Delphi. He says that it is time. He says that she can consult the pool and the ripples of time, but that they will just tell her what he already knows. Delphi says, “Evil is as evil does… evil that will be… and was.” Maestro’s face appears in the pool. Agamemnon says goodbye to Delphi. He says that she always was his favorite. Delphi looks sad and says that if that is how it is to be.

In Freehold, Hotshot wakes up in a hospital bed. He thinks he is still in the fight, but Jailbait calms him down. She says that the Hydra guys are gone. Lou asks where the Leader is. Jailbait tells him that Leader and Soul Man are both dead. Jailbait is about o break down. Hotshot says that it is okay, and that he is still there. Omnibus appears at the foot of the bed and says that he is there too. He says that he thinks that it is time to speak of new leadership.

Betty runs to answer the door. Hulk is there. Betty starts asking about everything. Hulk interrupts her and says that he has something to show her that might come as a bit of a shock. Betty says that after everything that has happened to her in her life that there is nothing that he could show her that could come as a shock. Rick enters holding the catatonic, but alive, Marlo. Betty passes out, but Hulk catches her. He says that she took that in stride. Rick sits Marlo down while Hulk wakes up Betty. Betty says that she was having a bad dream. She sees Marlo and starts freaking again. Hulk says that if she doesn’t get a grip that this could take all night. Betty looks at Marlo. She feels her and sees that she is warm. Betty says that she saw her die. Rick says that it is kind of a long story. Betty tells him to start telling it.

In Freehold, Ogress and Rock are cleaning up. Inside the assembly hall, Omnibus thanks everyone for coming. He says that they have come through a great deal, and that they will be stronger for it. One of the people asks where the Leader is. He asks if it is true that Leader and Soul Man are dead. Omnibus says that it is true. The people say that it isn’t fair. They ask what will happen. Omnibus says that now they will go on. He says that it is what the Leader would have wanted. One of them asks about the Hydra soldiers. Omnibus says that they sustained many casualties and that the bodies have been disposed of. He says that those that lived (he thinks to himself, were disposed of) were returned to their world with their memories wiped away. He says that they won’t harm them again. Omnibus says that the Leader had a dream with Freehold, and that he wants to continue that dream. He says that he was the Leader’s hand picked servants and his right hand man in many of his greatest experiments. He says that if the Leader trusted him how can they do less. Omnibus asks those that are with him to raise their hands. Every hand raises eventually. He thanks (trusting fools) his dear friends.

At the Mount, Atalanta is about to go visit Ajax in the infirmary, but Achilles is outside her door. Atalanta tells Achilles where she was going. He says that Ajax will be in the infirmary for a while. He says that it is terrible. Atalanta says that it is tragic as the blush comes into her cheeks. Achilles and Atalanta kiss. Outside the door, Paris watches as Atalanta and Achilles fall to her bed. He says that they are all scandalous dogs.

Rick is trying to feed Marlo soup, but the soup just dribbles down her chin. Betty says that given everything that has happened in her life that she believes Rick’s story, but that she says that Marlo can’t stay there. She says that Marlo needs professional help. Rick says that he isn’t sticking her away in an institution. Hulk says that Betty is right. Rick tells Marlo to show them by eating the soup. The soup dribbles down her chin. Rick throws the bowl against the floor and stomps out. Betty tells Hulk to make Rick understand, but to go easy on him. Betty kisses Hulk’s cheek.

Outside, Rick tells Hulk that he has to back him up. He says that Hulk owes him. Hulk says that he is just thinking of what is best for Marlo. Rick says that now Hulk is thinking. He says that he begged Hulk to back off, but that he had to go after the Leader while he was trying to bring Marlo back. Rick says that he was nice enough not to tell Betty that part of it, and that he didn’t notice Bruce jumping in to include it. He says that with five more minutes she would have been brought back whole. Rick says that he stayed with Bruce all this time because his thoughtless act ruined Bruce’s life. Rick says that now Hulk has messed up Marlo’s life. Hulk says that he is trying to stay calm. He reminds Rick that Marlo didn’t have a life. He says that Rick took it on himself to challenge that. He asks if it occurred to him that maybe when he and Leader decided to play God that this was a reminder that there was no job vacancy there. Rick says that he doesn’t think that Betty would be too happy to find out that her father wound up as a zombie stooge for the Leader, and the way Hulk lost control in Freehold. Rick says that especially now that it seems she is warming up to him. Hulk asks if Rick is going to blackmail him with Betty’s state of mind. Rick says that of course he wouldn’t. He says that now he feels like crap. He says that he would just do anything to get his help. Hulk puts his hand on Rick’s shoulder and says that he will do what he can. Agamemnon appears. Hulk asks him what he wants. Agamemnon says that he knows that Hulk doesn’t feel like he can trust him, but that he wants one more meeting as a courtesy. Hulk agrees to a final meeting. He asks Rick to cover for him. Rick says that he always does.

Rick walks back in. Betty is feeding Marlo the soup. Rick asks how he got her to swallow. Betty says that she is just rubbing her behind her ear. She says that it is for getting stubborn babies to swallow. She says that it is amazing what you learn when you work for a help line. She asks where Bruce is. Rick lies and says that he asked Bruce to go pick some beer up for him since he still gets carded sometimes. Betty looks dryly at Rick and says, “Uh-huh”.

Omnibus walks into Leader’s office. He says that there is nothing left. He says that there wasn’t even enough of the Leader left to bury. He says that now there is only the Leader’s memory… and his office… and power. Omnibus sits behind the desk. He puts his feet up, and then he laughs and laughs.

At the Mount, Hector sees Hulk and says to look who is back. Hector says that he thought that they had seen the last of him. Hulk says that he just came to tell Agamemnon off and get a few personal effects. Ulysses says that he is actually going to miss Hulk. Hulk says that he will miss Ulysses as well. Agamemnon appears. He says that the doctor is a busy man and that they shouldn’t hold him up. Agamemnon says that the hole to his sanctum hasn’t been fixed yet, and that Hulk can use that. Hector says that in the thirty years he has been there that Aggy has never asked him down. Ulysses says that he has been there even longer, and that he’s never been down either. Hector asks Ulysses what he thinks that means. Ulysses says that he doesn’t know.

Hulk stands before the door. The door opens and a cool breeze blows through. Hulk says that he would have thought that Agamemnon was full of hot air instead of cool. Agamemnon says that he is sorry that the air isn’t as dry as Bruce’s humor. Agamemnon says that it is clear that Hulk isn’t happy with the present situation and his leadership. Hulk sees a chessboard on the table. He says that the game is pretty far along and asks who Aggy is playing. Aggy says that his opponent died 375 years ago. Agamemnon spots Hulk eyeing a pipe and says that it is a gift for him. He says that Bruce’s band of tobacco is in the drawer. Hulk says to answer Agamemnon that he isn’t happy at all with the situation. Agamemnon says that they have given him a home, a chance to do good, and that some of them even went with him on a personal mission. Agamemnon says that Hulk doesn’t seem like a wronged party. Hulk says that the problem is that he doesn’t know what he is. Hulk says that the Pantheon was convenient. He says that it was the right place at the right time. He says that he didn’t look too closely at the time. He says that he just made sure that they weren’t a Hydra-style outfit. Hulk says that even though he knows what they aren’t that he doesn’t know who they are. Agamemnon says that they just want to make the world a better place. Hulk asks in whose eyes. Agamemnon says, “Mine”. Hulk says that is the problem. He says that they play everything too close to the vest and that he doesn’t know what their priorities are. He says that he was already involved with an organization whose goals he didn’t understand when he worked on the gamma bomb. Hulk says that a relationship needs to be based on trust. Hulk says that he feels like a pawn, and that he doesn’t know where he is being moved. Hulk moves a chess piece and tells Agamemnon that he is in check. Agamemnon says that the board has been there for four centuries and that he never noticed that move. He says that he feels like maybe he is missing a lot lately. He says that society has become more complicated, and that technology is allowing people to make bad decisions faster than ever. Agamemnon says that he is too isolated, and that every fifty years or so that he goes out into the world to feel what the people are feeling. Hulk asks if Agamemnon is leaving. Agamemnon says that he is. He says that the last time he went out that it was during World War II. He says that he had some marvelous adventures, and that he gathered in Achilles. Agamemnon says that eventually he faked his own death and returned to the Mount. Agamemnon says that in the past his children never knew that he was gone, but that the person that assumed his identity is gone and that option is no longer open to him. He says that maybe it is time to be open with his children about his leaving. Agamemnon says that while he was gone that he wants Hulk to lead the Pantheon. Hulk says that is crazy. Agamemnon says that his children’s lives are to tangled and that they need a neutral party would help avoid politics. Agamemnon says that if Hulk ruled the Mount that he could have no questions about the direction. Aggy says that it would help Hulk see the big picture. Hulk asks if this is why he recruited him in the first place. Aggy says that it was in the back of his mind. Hulk says that he doesn’t want to be a leader, and he asks how he knows that he is being honest with him. Agamemnon asks what it will take. He says that if he wants total honesty that he give it to him. Agamemnon stands in front of the grandfather clock. Light pours out. Hulk asks what that is for. Agamemnon says that it is just for drama really. A fifteen year old looking male steps out and says that he is Agamemnon in the flesh. Hulk asks if this is a joke. Aggy says that he is immortal and asks Hulk if he thinks that he discovered this when he was a senior citizen. He says that his immortality kicked in a few years after puberty. He says to imagine a millennium of acne. Hulk says that he is serious. Agamemnon says that he is always serious. He moves a chess piece and tells Hulk that he is now in check. He says that it is Hulk’s move.

No Excuses rating: 7 out of 10

I like the set up for the future. To tell the truth I was kind of looking forward to getting rid of the Pantheon, but this set up does present some interesting possibilities. Always wish that there had been more attention paid to Omnibus and Freehold. I always thought it was funny that Peter David said that he made the Leader look like a Jiffy Pop bag because he didn’t think that an expanded brain would grow straight up, and yet here we are with Omnibus. Duursema does a decent enough job. The style even grows on me a bit, but not a lot. Interesting dynamic where the Hulk pins Ironclad on his stomach, chokes him on his back, and then pulls his head back on his stomach, all within three panels. 3 out of 5 for art.

Review and pictures by The Leader

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