Reinforcements (namely the members of X-Factor) attack the Hulk while several dupes of Madrox help up Emma Frost and Wolverine.
Hepzibah asks who the monster is and whether Nightcrawler has a plan. Otherwise, they are dead! Nightcrawler asks Emma to telepathically coordinate their plan and Darwin to adapt to the Hulk. Darwin tries to draw out the Hulk’s gamma energy but finds it is too much.
He tries to address the Hulk, telling him he feels for him. How touching, the Hulk mocks and uses a thunderclap to get rid of Darwin before slamming him. Darwin adapts as usually, this time by teleporting away.
Again, Siryn, Wolfsbane, M and Strong Guy attack. The Hulk grabs Wolfsbane and throws her into the flying Siryn to shut her up. Does he need to know them losers? he mocks. Monet informs him she is practically invulnerable and orders him to give up.
Warpath attacks from behind, nailing the Hulk down with his vibranium knives. He still has his feet, comes the reply as he stomps the ground, causing his foes to fall. He kicks M far away, suggesting she be practically invulnerable in Jersey.
Easily, he pops out the knives and tosses them at Warpath. Again the Indian attacks and gets headbutted for his effort.
And what’s his specialty? the Hulk asks derisively as he hits Strong Guy. Guido grows under his blows as he absorbs the kinetic energy and then discharges it with an equally strong blow. Not bad, the Hulk observes, but notices this hurts Guido worse than him.
Emma telepathically warns Guido that he is damaging his heart this way and is in danger of killing himself!
So much about coordination! she curses and asks Nightcrawler whether Hepzibah plans to do anything. Nightcrawler asks her to keep the Hulk busy for a moment, so Emma turns to her diamond form and proceeds to divert the Hulk.
Nightcrawler teleports on top of him and teleports both of them a few yards away. Emma soon sees the point of the maneuver as the Blackbird flies toward the Hulk. A moment before it hits the Hulk, Kurt teleports the pilot Hepzibah out of the jet.
However, a few moments later, there is movement in the flames and the Hulk throws one of the jet’s turbines at them. Guido quickly steps in front of the others to protect them.
Elsewhere, Cain Marko wonders aloud why he isn’t at full strength. In his hand, the gem of cyttorak answers, telling him not Cyttorak is holding back his strength. He himself is as long as he denies that he is Cyttorak’s avatar. But he wants to destroy! Cain replies. No, Cyttorak corrects him; he wants to help Xavier, his stepbrother who always looked down on him. That’s the thinking of a weakling. Is there really no other reason why Cain is here? There is, Cain admits, the Hulk. To show the world, to show himself that he still… He begins to understand, Cyttorak agrees, but he must give himself to the rage completely. Here in the face of defeat, he must decide what he wants to be. Cain takes the gem…
Within the ruins of the Xavier Institute, Elixir and Xavier are helping Colossus while several Madrox dupes are helping the other injured. One more, Madrox stands guard and announces something. A moment later, the Hulk stands before them again. Wolverine is about to attack, only to be slammed outside.
Colossus gets up and orders the Hulk to stand back. The Hulk sarcastically congratulates Xavier. Now even the injured have to fight for him. Xavier reiterates that he surrenders. And they are against that, Mercury states.
Suddenly, another voice announces the Hulk has another problem. Has he already forgotten? He is the Juggernaut! And there stands Cain, now in full Juggernaut get-up. With cries of primal rage the two attack each other, hit and wrestle. He has beaten him before, the Juggernaut warns. The Hulk retorts that the past is dead. As dead as him!
Downstairs, Madrox, who is taking care of the injured, wonders what is going on upstairs.
Xavier has reached the two combatants and asks Cain to stop. They are shaking the base of the building. It will cave in!
The Hulk finally pushes the Juggernaut with such a strength that he is thrown through the wall and into adjacent Breakstone Lake.
He turns to Xavier. Till Juggernaut returns they will be finished. He is ready, Xavier replies calmly.
Mercury tries to trap the Hulk with her stretchable limbs, warning him not to touch Xavier. Angrily, the Hulk tears her off. Don’t they get it? Nobody can stop him! Not before Xavier has suffered as he has! He tosses her through the glass panes. Xavier runs after her and the Hulk follows.
The Hulk enters what is a graveyard where he finds Xavier cradling Cessily. As if only he has suffered! Mercury announces angrily and tells him to look around. She touches one headstone belonging to Laurie Collins. She only wanted to be liked by others. She was killed when she was 16. Brian Cruz loved his powers and liked her. He and 41 more children died on M-day. Because a damn racist blew them apart.
They also know what it means to suffer and to fight for what’s left. Hulk’s enemies destroyed his happiness and now he wants to do the same to them. For something the Professor isn’t guilty of. It may be in vain but don’t expect them to give up!
The Hulk looks at Xavier, realizing he blames himself for all those deaths. Good. His life is already hell. With that, the Hulk leaves. And Cessily and Xavier hug.
The clean-up begins while the Hulk returns to the spaceship of the Warbond, telling them he wants to be alone.
Xavier tries to thank the Juggernaut, who brushes him off. He didn’t do it for Charles. He tells him to warn the others to stay away from him.
Meanwhile, Elixir and Beast theorize on how to fix Colossus’ bent arms. Xavier makes a suggestion. Cyclops tells him it’s okay. They’ll do it together. Which they do.
Elsewhere the Hulk muses that soon the ultimatum will be over and then things will really start.
