Immortal Hulk #5

Flashback:

'So what is this, Captain? A performance review or an intervention' Dr Walter Langkowski a.k.a. Sasquatch asks as he sits at a table aboard the Alpha Flight Space Station, with Captain Carol Danvers seated across from him. Eugene Judd a.k.a. Puck stands nearby as Carol tells Walter that they are concerned, that's all. 'You do good work for Alpha Flight – and I know you have since long before I led the operation. But lately, you've been much more... aggressive in the field' Carol remarks, adding that Walt has a history when it comes to losing control. Sasquatch stands up and reminds Captain Marvel that Tanaraq is long dead, and tells her that he is not possessed by anything. 'This is me in here -' Sasquatch begins, to which Puck points out that there has been a lot of “in there” lately, remarking that they have been up here a year now, and every day he sees a lot of Sasquatch – but they never see Walter Langkowski at all. 'Why is that?' Puck asks.

Later, in the locker room, Sasquatch stands at a mirror. 'Fine. You want Walter?' he asks. 'I can – c'mon – I can be – Walter!' he exclaims as he transforms back into his human self, although the process appears to be difficult and painful. Walt leans against the mirror as he realizes that was tougher than it used to be. 'I should probably talk to someone -' he admits, but as he looks up into the mirror, he is horrified to see his Sasquatch form staring back at him.

Present:

'I think he wants out' Bruce Banner, wearing a cap remarks as he looks into a reflective surface – and sees the Hulk staring back at him. Bruce tells Jackie McGee that that probably isn't a good sign, and instructs her to evacuate the hospital while he deals with Langkowski, or whatever he has become. 'Wait a minute – you can't just – I’ve got questions – you owe me -' Jackie exclaims. Bruce tells her that he owes a lot of people everything from stolen pants to ruined lives, and where she falls on that spectrum will have to wait. He turns and walks away as Jackie asks him what happens now. 'I tell people to run because a man might have risen from the dead?' she asks. 'Why would they even believe me?' she enquires. Bruce reminds Jackie that she is a reporter, and that it is her job to make people believe her. 'The screaming will probably help' he adds as he pushes open some doors and blood curling screams can be heard. Jackie and others in the waiting room look fearful.

'I know. You've got your job, too' Bruce remarks to himself. 'But let me try first. You never know' he adds as he walks through empty corridors in search of Walter. He hears a voice over an intercom that informs all staff that there is a code silver, and that all staff and patients must be evacuated. 'Hello, Walter. Can we talk?' Bruce asks as he enters the operating room and finds Sasquatch licking his hands as he stands over the bodies of the slain medical personnel. Sasquatch pauses, before cocking his head and replying 'I'm not Walter'. He suddenly reaches around and knocks Bruce's hat off his head, 'And I'd rather talk to the real you' Sasquatch snarls as one of his sharp claws slices Bruce's neck open! 'It hurts, doesn't it, Bruce?' Sasquatch asks as Bruce falls backwards, blood spurting out of his neck as he hits the floor. 'Always. And when you hurt Banner... I take it personal!' the Hulk exclaims as he transforms, leaps up and slams his fist into Sasquatch's face, knocking him backwards.

'So you're not Dr Langkowski. That fits. Langkowski's a creep – smug little know-it-all, always was – but he never had three murders in him. You're something else, aren't you?' Hulk remarks as he punches Sasquatch through the operating room wall and into a corridor. The Hulk throws another punch and misses as he points out that nobody has ever loved Walt for his mind – they only ever want the jock. 'So he only feels needed when he's furry...and he stays that way for months' the Hulk adds, asking if he is getting warm. 'Very clever – clever little monster!' Sasquatch replies as he shoves his claws into Hulk's chest. Hulk manages to pull Sasquatch's claws out of his chest and realizes that Langkowski stayed as Sasquatch too long, which left a door open. 'And you got in' Hulk declares. 'Through the green door. You got into Hotshot's girlfriend too, right. What was that about? You wanted me attention? Why? What are you?' Hulk asks as he slams Sasquatch up against a wall. 'Tanaraq? Mephisto? Something worse? Who's in there?' Hulk asks, readying a fist, Sasquatch tells him to see for himself. 'Behind you' he snarls. '“It's behind you”. Give me a -' Hulk begins, before glancing backwards and seeing a reflection of himself holding Brian Banner, his father, up against the wall.

'Little. Monster' Sasquatch – or, rather, Brian Banner through Sasquatch – snarls. The Hulk goes wide-eyed. 'Daddy?' he utters. 'Didn't I say?' Brian snarls, using Hulk's moment of distraction to smack him in the face. This causes Bruce to remember his father doing this to him a long time ago. 'I've known what you would become since the beginning!' he recalls his father saying as his father's hand slammed into his face, causing him to cry. 'I've always known that quick mind of his – those brilliant intuitive leaps. From the day he was born – it was you. Always you!' Brian roars through Sasquatch as Hulk leans against a wall, before Brian grabs him and slams Hulk down onto his knee. 'The monster inside. I wish I'd killed you in your crib' Brian snarls as he hurls Hulk though another wall, into an area of the hospital still populated by staff and patients.

'It sounds like hell on Earth – like a dozen earthquakes at once. They're going to knock this whole building down' Jackie tells a security guard, asking if they can get these people out of here any faster. The guard directs some patients out of the hospital as he tells Jackie that it is not that easy, as there are people here who can't be moved, people on life support. 'We're not prepared for this. They said – they said he was dead' the guard replies, before calling out to the receptionist and addressing her as Marcie, asking her if the cops are coming. 'I don't know – they put me through to some government people' Marcie replies, adding that she is on hold. 'They're in the wards!' one of the hospital staff calls out as she helps an old man. She informs the guard that they came right through the wall, and that she doesn't know who is still in there. 'Oh my God' the guard utters as he starts to run, while telling everyone in the area to keep calm and make their way out. 'I'm gonna go see what I can do -' he remarks, while Jackie runs alongside him 'Not without me' she tells him. 'I'm not losing him again' she whispers.

'It's not you. Can't be' the Hulk utters as he stares up at the possessed Sasquatch. 'You can see ghosts. You can smell lies. You'd know if it weren't' Brian replies through Sasquatch's body. He leans in close to the Hulk and declares 'I'm the father you killed, Bruce. Back through the Green Door. Back from death'. The Hulk raises a hand near his face to protect himself as he gasps 'Stay back – stay -' before Brian plunges Sasquuatch's claws intro the Hulk's stomach. 'Feel that? My claws in your gut? That's the proof. Who else could ever hurt you like this?' Brian asks, causing Hulk to scream. 'Who else can make the monster scared?' Brian asks, before the wide-eyed Hulk shouts 'No...' and kicks Sasquatch backwards. 'No! NEVER!' Hulk roars, before getting to his feet and exclaiming 'You're just a man. A twisted old man who killed his wife... tried to kill his son... made him wish – wish you had...'

The Hulk continues, 'You scare him. You scare Banner. You think that gives you power over me? Think it makes you important? Special? No. Not. Not special... puny... PUNY HUMAN!' The Hulk roars as he slams his fist into Sasquatch's face, sending him crashing through yet another wall. 'You're nothing! Any power you have, someone gave you! Who? Who brought you back? Who opens the door? Tell me! OR I'LL SMASH YOU!' the Hulk roars at his father. Sasquatch rubs his head as he starts to recover, and reveals that it needs a host – personality to work in this world, to function, that it burrows in, wears their souls like masks on a stage. 'Help me...' Sasquatch utters. 'What does? Tell me! What's behind you?' the Hulk asks aggressively, before Sasquatch spins around, once more with Brian in control, 'Every light casts a shadow' Brian points out as the Hulk throws a punch, but Sasquatch grabs it, blocking the attack. 'In every mirror...there is a reflection. As above...so below' Brian Banner declares as Sasquatch raises his claws – and then shoves one of them into the Hulk's eye!

Brian grins wickedly through Sasquatch's body and tells his “special boy” to take a look and he will see a darker shadow than his own. Brian once again forces Sasquatch's claws into the Hulk's chest and tells him that gamma made Langkowski his equal, but Langkowski just didn't know how ro use it. 'Do you understand what needs to be done?' Brian asks. 'I smell the sick and the weak! I smell children – how many? How many do I have to -' Brian begins, before he is struck by a taser. He turns to see the security guard standing nearby with the taser. 'I – I -' the guard utters, while Jackie tells him to back up. 'Well, boy...that's one more' Brian points out as he looms over the guard then slices his claws across his stomach. 'NO!' Jackie screams in horror. Jackie backs up against a wall as Sasquatch walks towards her and tells her to remember that this is the monster's fault. 'Gamma' the Hulk calls out as he grabs Sasquatch's wrist before he can harm Jackie.

'Made Langkowski what he is. Made you. Keeps your Green Door open, doesn't it? Doesn't it?' Hulk calls out, twisting Sasquatch's arm behind his back, he boasts that he eats gamma – and absorbs the gamm coursing through Sasquatchs body, which causes Walter to revert to his human form. 'Walter? What did you...' Jackie asks as she rushes over to Walter's naked body. The Hulk stands over them and explains to Jackie that he absorbs gamma radiation and it makes him stronger – so he took all of Walter's meaning no more Sasquatch. 'No more Dad... or whatever that was' Hulk adds. Checking the pulse on Walter's arm, Jackie reports that Walter is alive, and tells the Hulk that he saved him. 'Shut up, McGee' Hulk mutters, rubbing his wounded eyes, Hulk points out that Jackie is with a local paper, and yet she drove across so many states to find him – and couldn't even look at Banner – they were right next to each other but she couldn't look at him. 'Can't look right at me, either, I'll bet' Hulk adds, before telling Jackie that whatever this is to her, whatever the Hulk owes her – it's personal. 'The truth. Now' he demands, opening his eyes.

'I've still got a man's blood on me. Maybe... because of... all right. When I was 15, you destroyed my home. My whole neighborhood. And they... they said... they said to never look you in the eye. But I did. I saw you that day. And I have questions' Jackie reveals, turning away from Walter to look up at the Hulk, tears falling down her face. The Hulk looks back at Jackie, he frowns, before telling that she can ask one question and to make it quick. Jackie stands up, standing close to the Hulk, she asks him how she gets to do it – to be what he is. The Hulk just stares back at Jackie and then tells her to go home, before he turns away from her, and lumbers out through a hole in the hospital wall, stepping out into the night.

Walter sits up and asks Jackie what happened as she gives him her coat to put around himself. 'You happened. You did this. Don't you remember?' Jackie replies, adding that Sasquatch killed a man right in front of her, she doesn't even know his name. Walter looks away, before asking if he's gone. 'The Hulk? Yeah, he just -' Jackie begins, but Walter tells her 'No. Not the Hulk...Sasquatch. I could always feel him... and now I can't. He's gone. Where did he go?' Walter asks, wide-eyed.

The Hulk lumbers past some cars, the windows of a jeep appear to have a greenish glow to them. He thinks to himself that there are two people in every mirror – there is the one you can see – and there's the other one – the one you don't want to. And as he glances at his reflection in the jeep's window – he sees his father staring back at him!