Synopsis / Summary / Plot
In the Negative Zone young Annihilus oversees Dr Bultar's work with the unconscious Hulk. The Cerebral Disruptor will keep him that way while they analyse a certain unique property of his body and learn how to duplicate it artificially.
Meanwhile both Hulk and Bruce Banner personas are trapped within Hulk's mind. And they've got a visitor - Thanos. Bruce thinks Thanos is working for Annihilus, but the Titan is here to find out what the ruler of the Negative Zone wants with Hulk.
Simple-minded Hulk grows tired of talk and does what he does best - attacks. Thanos responds by blasting into pieces the small blue planetoid they're standing on. Banner deduces that they're in a virtual reality (now) controlled by Thanos, which the Titan confirms. Hulk attacks again, but Thanos just casually tortures him trying to get Banner to confess Annihilus' plans. Which Bruce of course is ignorant of.
Thanos' body is in his Sanctuary starship in normal space. Apparently unbeknownst to him Pip the Troll didn't leave last issue, and now he detects where the villain's mind has gone merely by touching him. Then he teleports there, and finds himself in a room full of Annihilus' network servers.
Pip 'ports around the base until he finds the most heavily-guarded room, figuring that's where Hulk is held. Inside Bultar has noticed increased mental activity in his prisoner, and then detected an intruder in the virtual cell where they're holding Hulk's consciousness.
In that cell Banner has realised that the only way to beat Thanos is to wrest control of the virtual reality from him. So he leaps to join Hulk, and joins his brainpower to Greenie's rage. And now they can hurt their enemy. Now the contest is equal, and the battle rages on. But eventually Thanos proves still the stronger.
Outside Bultar has discovered the identity of the intruder. Annihilus decides to deal with this personally, and has his consciousness projected into the cell. And to Thanos' surprise the Titan is ejected back to his Sanctuary.
Back home Thanos claims that it was all planned. He actually knew about Pip, and the Troll may yet be a useful pawn. He allowed Bultar to detect him, but Annihilus' network is still compromised, and his servants have been downloading data about the bug-king's offensive and defensive armaments. He doesn't actually care about Hulk and Banner. The info will be used if and when Annihilus actually becomes a threat worth concerning himself about.
In the Negative Zone Pip sees Annihilus gloating about how the Hulk's mysterious attribute will allow him to regain his full glory.