Infernal Hulk, The (2026 series) #9

Tony Stark has a mission for Captain Marvel, to fly to a remote part of space and bring someone back. She doesn’t want to be absent from Earth when the big battle against Infernal Hulk comes but he assures her they are going to lose anyway but he needs her for this mission….

Bruce Banner arrives at Strange Academy in New Orleans, to meet with Doctor Voodoo; they have a drink together, spot the ghost of Inspector Bergeron, and they get into a verbal tussle over Voodoo referring to Bruce as an addict. But Voodoo reasonably notes that Bruce uses all the cliches of addiction when describing the Hulk and now, cured of being Hulk, he wants him back. Bruce knows what resides in the soul cage and the survival of humanity is at stake. Voodoo presents Bruce with a gun, an assault rifle that appears to be made out of stone. But it is a very powerful magic item belonging to sorcerer Sebastian Szardos that will increase his chances of survival. Voodoo hammers a nail into the wooden idol that is the soul cage and something reaches out and drags Bruce inside, where he meets up with Doctor Voodoo; they are instantly attacked by the demon Sheyalim, Tormentor of Madmen, and Bruce shoots it down. Voodoo asks where they might find Sumanguru, the Flesh-Weaver, and they are directed above. As they scale the mountain pass, Voodoo asks what became of Charlie and Bruce says they parted some time ago because Hulk wasn’t the hero she was looking for; Voodoo opines that when our heroes fail us, some of us grow to becomes the heroes we sought. And then Sumanguru hurls a giant snake at them, revealing himself to have taken on the body of the Hulk. Bruce says he has come to bargain but the demon recoils at that word and Bruce and Voodoo must fight off Sumanguru’s henchmen. Bruce challenges Sumanguru to Neferib’s Riddle Game. If Bruce wins he gets the Hulk’s body back; if he loses, he offers Doctor Voodoo as the prize….

Infernal Hulk leads his forces through West Virgina. His henchman Bridger asks permission for the predators among the army to hunt for a meal, lest they be out of control by the time they reach Washington, D.C. Infernal Hulk nods. In a nearby town, the population is fleeing but Charlie Tidwell sees that her boss, Ray, is refusing to leave as he has nowhere to go. She joins him but persuades him to at least go indoors….

That night a pair of werewolves find Charlie on Ray’s porch, waiting for them. She transforms into Lycana, the winged werewolf, and tears them apart. Bridger approaches, asking who she is. She replies that her human side is Charlie and her werewolf side is Lycana. “Guess which one you get to call me?”