The
Sentry/Hulk
The
Sentry/Hulk
Title: “The Sentry & Hulk”
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Editor: Mike Marts
The Hulk stands with the heroes on Liberty Island waiting for the Void to arrive. Hulk realizes that for the first time in his life he is afraid. He knows that he is going to fight the Void with the others and he knows that they are going to lose. The Void is the “one unholy terror that ever founds its way through your thick, armor-plated hide and right deep down into your heart”. Hulk feels the Void in the air he breathes. He can hear the Void laughing at his fear and singling him out. “Get ready, Frankenstein,’ You hear him whisper, ‘because I’m coming for you. Always for you.” Hulk knows that it is true. He knows that the Void is back and that it is him that the Void hates most of all. Hulk looks up at Sentry and wonders why he went away just as Hulk was finding himself. He was the Hulk’s Golden Man. He was the one person that swore to protect the Hulk, but something happened to him… something monumental. Hulk thinks to himself and wonders if he wasn’t supposed to be one of the heroes. Something was missing from the Hulk, but now that the Sentry was back Hulk could remember what it was. Hulk wasn’t supposed to remain the Hulk… it was all a misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding like when Bruce Banner ran out onto the testing field and was hit with gamma radiation. Soon, Hulk’s skin was an unholy green fire. It made him angry and it hurt to be the Hulk. Hulk went around hurting things back, and if they got up he hit them again. One day Hulk found a building in his way. If he had read the sign above he would have seen that it was Fort Knox, but he would have hit it all the same. Immediately afterwards, Hulk saw a bright light in the sky and saw a caped hero. Hulk told Insect Man to go away, but Insect Man told him to stop hitting things and Hulk believed he threatened to hurt Hulk. Hulk threw a train at Sentry, but Sentry refused to fall. Sentry hits Hulk with a glowing golden light. Golden Man’s eyes washes over Hulk’s soul. Hulk became confused and tired. He wanted to be angry, but he couldn’t remember how anymore. Then Hulk realized that his skin didn’t hurt anymore. Hulk knelt before Sentry as docile as a lamb.
Hulk still remembers Sentry saying, “We’re going to fix you, Bruce. We’re going to make you well again. Somehow, my golden aura has a calming effect on the Hulk. Judging by the beast’s reaction so far, I’d say he’s evolving. He’s becoming docile… manageable. It’s going to be different from now on… you’re going to be well again. You and me, Bruce… we’ll be a team. As long as you stay close to me, you’ll have nothing to fear.” Hulk lived in the Watchtower under the eye of his newfound mentor and friend. There was food, a puppy, and Golden Man’s woman was kind to him. Hulk liked her very much. He slept in the kitchen where there was a golden glow emanating all around. Over time, Bruce learned to harness his power and only transform into the Hulk when needed. Hulk embraced Bruce Banner and Bruce Banner embraced the Hulk. Hulk became a hero and together with Sentry they set out to fix the world.
Hulk starts to remember his battles alongside Sentry against the General, Leader, and the Living Nuke. Then came the Lobster People, irradiated mutants that hated mankind. They were driven underground because of pollution and human indifference. Hulk felt sorry for them. He understood their fear. The Lobster People trusted the Hulk, but they still feared Sentry. He was one of the humans that had hurt them. They fired on Sentry, but Hulk pushed him out of the way and took the impact. The impact of the weapon caused the Lobster People’s dwelling to collapse. Hulk held up the cave as it began to fall and held up the entire mountain as Sentry swooped into save two of the Lobster People’s young. Suddenly Hulk heard cheering for him and the Sentry. He was no longer a beast. He was loved and cherished… accepted for who he was.
Hulk had been waiting since then for Sentry to return. He never really wanted to be alone. He wanted to be in his fortress in the sky, the radiant hero, his kind woman, and the golden aura that bathed him in blessed relief. Now the Sentry is back, but so is the Void. Hulk remembers being a hero, the feeling of joy, and then it all went wrong.
Hulk was overwhelmed by darkness. He shouts for Shadow Man to stop hurting him. Hulk had been riding in the back of an open top limo in a parade for him. The people were thanking the Hulk from saving them from the Lobster People. They were chanting his name. Suddenly, the Human Torch yelled to Golden Man, “He’s back!” Hulk didn’t understand for a second, but he felt Golden Man’s aura flicker for a moment. Hulk could feel the horror in Sentry’s heart and realized that he was afraid. Hulk leaped into action, following Golden Man, and then he felt the coldness in the sky and realized that Shadow Man was back. Hulk felt a chill in his bones as he heard, “Oh, look! It’s that emotionally-stunted little Golden Boy and his big, green playmate come to chase me away!” Hulk didn’t realize that Shadow Man was taunting him when he said that they will see if Hulk had what it took. He said, “My enemy’s friend is my enemy. I’m going to drag you inside me, freak, and pull you apart, screaming piece by screaming piece. For joining with the Sentry, I’m going to make you pay!” Sentry says that not if he has anything to do with it. Sentry blats Void with light and the Void screamed. Void began to overwhelm Sentry. Hulk leapt toward Void to try and help Sentry, but Sentry shouted to Hulk not to touch the tendrils. At that moment, Hulk’s world ended and his life on “the underside of Hell began.” Hulk sees his entire life.
He
sees young Bruce being beaten by his father. He sees Bruce being hit by the
gamma radiation. He sees a beautiful girl that isn’t going to live. He sees her
father that is going to hunt him down. He would save everyone a lot of time if
he had the nerve to do himself in, but instead he pretends that he is one of the
good guys and that he is searching for a cure. Even though secretly, he is never
going to try very hard to find one. Hulk sees all the bad times… the past,
present, and future. Void gives him all the truth he can handle. The beautiful
girl dies and a long time into the future… so does the Hulk.
Hulk felt it all as he hurtled toward the ground. He heard the Void as he fell, “I’m going to destroy you, Hulk. I’m going to be the one who finally drags you into an eternity o torment. And when you get there, my big, green friend, I’m going to spit in your face. I will hate you forever, because the Sentry loves you.”
Hulk wandered for days after that alone and confused. Hulk wondered where Golden Man was and why didn’t he come to help him. Hulk didn’t want to believe that he had abandoned him. No one understood when Hulk asked about Golden Man and that it made Hulk cry. Finally, confused and frustrated, like a little child the Hulk threw a tantrum. The fire was back on Hulk’s skin and it hurt worse than ever. Hulk hurt and wanted to hurt back, but there was nothing to hurt. The Void was gone and in his place there was an emptiness like never before. Hulk had been shown the entirety of his worth and it was less than he could ever had thought possible.
Hulk stands looking at the Void and both he and Banner are afraid. Hulk has to face down his personal demon and know that he will fail. The Void is going to get his hooks into Hulk and drag him down to Hell. This was the nightmare Void placed in the Hulk the first time he met him. It isn’t about losing his life… its about losing the remaining fragments of his soul.
Forgotten… but not Gone rating: 10 out of 10
Now this is what I’m talking about. I love the premise of this book so much that I’m willing to overlook the obvious timeline problems involved in the book as regards the rest of books. I would really like to see Hulk and Sentry take on the Leader in what I’m assuming would be his new first appearance in, I’d guess, Hulk #8. I love the “forgotten” Hulk covers, but they seem to indicate that Sentry and Hulk stopped hanging out together in Hulk #10 after the celebration of the Lobster people. The other books make it seem like Sentry should have been around until at least the 90’s. I love how this seems to explain the Hulk’s unexplained rampages. He misses his friend Sentry and no one seems to know what he is talking about. The bit with the Sentry’s powers affecting the Hulk also rings very true. In accordance with Peter David’s/San Sterns’ explanation of how the Hulk’s powers are affected by the Sun. The more sunlight the stronger Banner’s influence was, but the less light the more powerful the Hulk is. Sentry’s powers come from the sun and it seems like they would feed the Hulk good Banner mojo. The art isn’t normally my cup of tea, but the chaotic renderings fit what seem to be expressing the Hulk’s lack of focus and understanding. Give me more adventures of Hulk #7-59!!!!
RETURN TO FORGOTTEN... BUT NOT GONE