THE INCREDIBLE HULK

by Jeremy Harker

Gatefold

Issue #1

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PROLOGUE

Humanity had always been particularly susceptible to ideas, which was both a good and bad thing. They were the driving force behind war and commerce and relationships and everything in-between. It was all too easy for people to think of something--something they wanted, something they were afraid of, something that might be possible--and then base their actions around that thought. There was a vital disconnect between what was and what could be, and the quest to bridge that gap (or, if the possibility was perceived as dangerous, to keep it from being bridged) inspired billions to get out of bed every morning. Quite a bit of what people saw in their heads was surprisingly attainable: they had an idea of what it'd be like to meet someone they'd really click with; they had an idea of what it'd be like to have a better career. But the most popular ideas tended to be the most impossible ones, and they blurred the lines between survival and self-destruction…

Lynn Mayfield knew how seductive certain notions could be. In horrible situations, sometimes, the only way for people to make it through was to cling to unrealistic hopes. That kind of noble optimism had sustained and emboldened civilization during its darkest days. But it was a slippery slope--it was common for faith (in humanity or anything else) to devolve into denial. There was a difference between hoping for the best while preparing for the worst, and settling for being emotionally comfortable while ignoring the fact that reality was going to pieces. Politicians knew that how citizens felt about the direction of a nation was more important than the actual direction of the nation. Mankind would find out about an idea that sounded good, and want it to work…their tenacity of belief would continue even if that idea went from being practical and plausible to harmful and limiting. One organization in particular had devoted itself to stopping this from happening.

There was a secret cultural oasis underneath the world--its geography didn't matter, nor did the backgrounds or identities of its populace. They were all united in belief; everything else was secondary. The inner circles of this organization, who leaned towards the grandiose, viewed their headquarters as the last stronghold of a true enlightenment. (Not the stillborn one whose effects were already wearing off.) Though some portions of it resembled a military base, the majority was a strange, indoor community. There were libraries full of ancient texts that had been outlawed or forgotten. There were quiet salons where tea was sipped and pressing issues were discussed. There were science labs where geniuses were safe from antiquated "ethics" and modern-day superstition. There were elegant ballrooms that had wonderful cuisine. You could glory in nature in a biosphere or experience a manmade heaven in the form of virtual reality. This was Advanced Idea Mechanics'--AIM's--picture of a perfect world.

In the residential area of the facility, Lynn Mayfield sat in her quarters, thinking. Though her lights were all out, there was a wavering blue glow coming from the aquarium that was built into one of the walls. The apartment itself was lushly decorated and spacious, with a bedroom, a bathroom, and a combination living room/dining room/kitchen. Chic furniture and unique art abounded. This sort of modern environment seemed to have been made for her, as she looked preternaturally comfortable in it--like a bird luxuriating in the open air. Lynn was an attractive woman, with thick, dark red hair that hung down to her neck and almost comically expressive eyes. She'd just returned from one of their routine subterranean galas, so she wore a one-piece caftan that perfectly matched her hair. Lynn knew that she should be happy--it had been another day of thinktank participation, progress made, stimulating conversations, new things learned, subtle flirting--but she couldn't stop thinking about what was happening beyond their walls.

Everyone at AIM knew about the two main problems they faced. It was the first thing they taught new recruits; the two monstrous pillars that humanity was chained to. Number one, power had to be wrested from the enablers of a status quo that was corrupt and/or ineffective on every level--these were the powerful insiders that would do anything, so long as it benefited them. They viewed society as a means to a pre-determined (and obviously selfish) end, to be manipulated and abused and tossed aside as they pleased. And number two, the people had to be brought under control, so AIM could save them from themselves. Ironically, democracy only worked in theory…it sounded so, so good, but governing by the lowest common denominator just didn't make sense. It created muddled policies and watered-down ideologies. For the world's own good, the most mentally-qualified people had to be in charge, not the privileged or the people.

Down here, in the rarefied air of AIM's private utopia, that seemed so obvious. They were concerned with humanity's long-term social and mental development, so they were the natural choice to help get the world going in the right direction. But Lynn knew that the great unwashed thought of them as radical; even as terrorists. (All wars involved innocent casualties, unfortunately.) The old institutions had seen civilization through so many times of trouble that they refused to let go. Those traditions and beliefs were now destroying them, while they villainized the things that could actually save them. It had been Lynn's hope that humanity could be shown the truth in a non-violent way, but, the stakes were too high…they had to act quickly and forcefully, before the planet self-destructed.

The thinktank that Lynn was a part of was devoted to giving AIM a leg-up in their quest to take over the world without anyone ever knowing it. (Long-term public occupation of a small country was difficult enough to pull off, long-term public occupation of a planet was something else entirely.) Yes, AIM had power and influence and money and even a small-but-high-tech military, but many other competing forces had those same things. With civilization's future hanging in the balance, they couldn't afford not to have any number of aces up their sleeve. Luckily for them, they lived in a world that had no shortage of amazing resources to tap into--alien technology, superhuman DNA, mystical artifacts, and even secret stores of knowledge that very few had access to. Lynn's thinktank worked in conjunction with AIM's scavenging department…it was their job to come up with creative applications for "advanced materials" that had been (or could be) procured in the field.

Lynn had been the one to come up with the Hulk idea. Like most other organizations, AIM had--to its shame--only looked at the genetic importance of Dr. Banner's other half. But in the course of Lynn's research, she inadvertantly discovered a new use for him, should they ever succeed in capturing him. She found that the numbers didn't add up. Though the gamma bomb project was so classified that not even AIM had the inside track (and they had covert operatives throughout the American government), it hadn't been hard for her to estimate the power of the prototype bomb and find out how much gamma radiation the Hulk expended each time he came to life. (AIM had scanner footage of some of his transformations and rampages, so she had hard numbers to work with, in that regard.) By her count, he should have exhausted his supply after just a few years of being the Hulk.

Bruce Banner had been hit with a massive amount of enhanced radiation. Normally, that could take hundreds or even thousands of years to wear off. But if it were being used for something taxing--say, repeatedly creating and sustaining a body that had levels of strength and durability that were off even the superhuman charts, and "refueling" that body as it went through tremendous amounts of exertion and damage--then it would wear off in virtually no time at all. Lynn had realized that Banner had to be a self-perpetuating source of energy…he was a walking producer of gamma radiation. And that was something AIM could use. If they had a secret monopoly on an endless power-source, their dreams of completely controlling society could finally come true. That was just the advantage they needed. They'd be unchallenged masters of the global economy, in a position to dictate governmental policy across a broad spectrum.

The changes would be subtle, at first. There would be some admittedly radical developments--the existence of free energy would trigger an upgrade to a Type II society, where capitalism was obsolete--but that wouldn't look suspicious, as it was a fairly obvious and unavoidable side-effect of free energy. From their new bargaining position, they'd gradually get the world used to certain new ideas. They'd work up to the concept of parenting licenses--to stop overpopulation and prevent unfit people from being parents. As IQ tests would be part of the requirements, the licenses would be quite hard to get. Contrary to rightwing conspiracy theorists everywhere, the US military would be built up, not weakened (Why waste a perfectly-good fighting force?), and there wouldn't be a one-world nation. (Why waste time and money being obvious about their control?)

Education was the most important component. Science would be appropriately exalted in the eyes of future generations, as a new school-system dominated the sociopolitical landscape. Humanity's more damaging traits would be bred out. The pointless hang-ups over certain cultural issues, the bizarre anti-intellectualism (How could people be proud of being uninformed and uneducated?), the self-centeredness on a political level that was commonly known as "nationalism". They'd originally come up with a plan to make religion irrelevant, but then religion had done that all by itself. The superficial nature of society would be replaced with a depth-appreciating, nuance-acknowledging quality. Some ideologies would have to be outlawed. Health care would be universal, excellent, and possibly automated and available in one's home. In less than a century, they knew they could transform the world from a mentally primitive state to a new Renaissance. Yes, there would be challenges, but they were confident that they could do it without killing more than 10% of the population.

And all they needed to start this master-plan was the Hulk.

Lynn stretched and yawned, kicking off her high heels and watching her fish. She knew that, even now, they were searching for him. Her idea had inspired AIM to take a more aggressive approach to locating and capturing Banner; they were devoting additional resources to it. She was positive that, if the world could go just a few more days or weeks without falling apart, AIM would be able to come through in time. Free energy…it would give AIM the power to end corporate slavery, to end politicians hijacking nations for their own self-serving purposes, even to end world hunger. As she headed for bed, Lynn felt tired and stiff--she hadn't had time to hit the gym, today--but there was a warm buzz growing deep inside her. While peeling her caftan off, revealing the thong (and nothing else) underneath, she couldn't help but smile: was this what it felt like to save the world?

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #2:

BRAINSTORMERS