Type: Divergent Earth
Environment: Earth-like
Usual means of access: Presumably vibrational attunement
Dominant Life Form: Humans
Significant Inhabitants: Bruce Banner, Doc Samson, Rick Jones, the Leader, S.H.I.E.L.D.
Significant Locations: The Leader's laboratory
First Appearance: What If? II#53 (September, 1993)
History: (What If? II#53/2 (fb)) - When Rick Jones was transformed into a new, green Hulk, the Bruce Banner Hulk teamed up with Samuel Sterns to stop him. Sterns had the Bruce Banner Hulk hit him with a Power Siphon to transfer Rick's gamma radiation into himself, thereby transforming him back into the Leader. Unfortunately, the Rick Jones Hulk dodged the Siphon's blast and turned the weapon against the Bruce Banner Hulk, curing Bruce and transforming Samuel Sterns back into the Leader.
(What If? II#53/2) - The Leader and Bruce Banner teamed up once again in an attempt to capture Rick Jones and transform him back to normal. While the Leader captured Rick in a stasis field, Bruce shot him with a gamma blaster. The two then took Rick back to the Leader's lab, where they once again attempt to use the Power Siphon to cure Rick and make the Leader much more powerful. Bruce, knowing that he could not give that much power to the Leader, fixed the wiring so Rick's gamma radiation would be transferred into him instead. As Rick was cured, and the Leader and Bruce were transforming, Doc Samson arrived to stop Bruce was transforming back into the Hulk, but they were too late. The Leader had managed to transfer his mind into Bruce's now-transformed body, thereby becoming a superhumanly strong Hulk with the superhuman intellect of the Leader, leaving Bruce's mind to inhabit the comatose body of Samuel Sterns.
Comments: Created by Simon Furman and Dave Simons.
This alternate Earth diverged from the events seen in Incredible Hulk II#325 (November, 1986).
Clarifications:
No known connection to:
BRUCE BANNER
After Bruce was cured of being the Hulk, he aided the Leader in rounding up the Rick Jones Hulk, only to prevent the Leader by absorbing Jones's gamma radiation by switching the wiring of the Power Siphon. Unfortunately, the Leader managed to transfer his mind into Bruce's body, which became the Hulk again, only this time with the Leader's gamma-iradiated intellect. After that point, Bruce's mind inhabited the comatose body of Samuel Sterns.
--What If? II#53/2
RICK JONES
When the Leader first attempted to drain the gamma radiation from the Rick Jones, who had recently been transformed into the Hulk, Jones turned the Power Siphon against the Bruce Banner Hulk, curing him and returning Samuel Sterns's superhuman intellect. The Leader and Bruce Banner then tracked the Rick Jones Hulk down and managed to subdue him long enough to use the Power Siphon against him, returning him to normal.
--What If? II#53/2
THE LEADER
When Samuel Sterns attempted to siphon the radiation from the Rick Jones Hulk, Jones turned the Power Siphon against the Bruce Banner Hulk, curing him and restoring Samuel Sterns's superhuman intellect. As the Leader, Sterns helped track down the Rick Jones Hulk, so that he could siphon off his radiation and add to his own intellect. Bruce Banner could not allow that and attempted to transfer the radiation into himself, but the Leader managed to transfer his intellect into Bruce's body. Now inhabiting Bruce's transformed body, the Leader became a superhumanly strong and intelligence monster, leaving Bruce's mind to inhabit his old, comatose body of Samuel Sterns.
--What If? II#53/2
images: (not counting ads)
What If? II#52, p14, splash page (Leader & Bruce vs. Rick Jones Hulk, main pic)
p18, pan5 (Rick Jones)
p18, pan6 (Bruce Banner)
p19, splash page (The Leader)
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Last Updated: 06/30/05
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