A new era of the Marvel Universe just launched thanks to a single word from the Incredible Hulk. For months, fans have been waiting for the release of Imperial #1 - a story that promised to usher in an ambitious new status quo for Marvel's galaxy. Now, it's here, and the issue ends with the most impactful word the Hulk could have spoken.

The last time fans saw Hulk this angry was at the conclusion of World War Hulk, when Hulk was so enraged that even his footsteps caused devastating earthquakes.

Hulk Declares War Over His Son's Assassination

Imperial #1 Transforms the Status Quo of the Marvel Universe

In Imperial #1 (from Jonathan Hickman, Iban Coello​​​​​​​, Federico Vicentini​​​​​​​, Federico Blee​​​​​​​ and Cory Petit), Hulk discovers his son Hiro-Kala has been killed, leaving the planet of Sakaar En Nevo without a leader. Hulk, She-Hulk and Amadeus Cho's Brawn journey to the planet and begin investigating Hiro-Kala's assassination, which is just one of several high-profile killings among the ruling families of space. When the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda is seemingly revealed as the source of the assassinations, Hulk declares that there's only one response: "War."

This war among the stars has only existed for a single , but it has already dragged in the Wakandans, the Shi'ar Imperium, the Kree/Skrull Empire, and Star-Lord's Spartoi Empire - in other words, every major superpower in Marvel's galaxy. Imperial promised to rewrite the cosmic powers of Marvel lore, and a single word just did exactly that.

Hulk Just Plunged the Entire Marvel Universe into War

Black Panther, Xavier, Star-Lord, Nova and More the Battle

With war on the horizon, the galaxy's great powers are about to enter into conflict with the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. This space-based society is an offshoot of Earth's Wakanda, and is technically ruled by T'Challa, though his regent M'Baku is the one actually in control at present. Thanks to time travel, the modern-day Intergalactic Empire is actually thousands of years old, with sophisticated weapons that will now be brought to bear against the rest of the galaxy. It's essentially guaranteed that Black Panther and Earth's Wakanda will also be dragged into the conflict.

Hulk's declaration of war promises a Hulk vs Black Panther rematch in Jonathan Hickman, Victor LaValle and CAFU's Imperial War: Black Panther. Their one-on-one conflicts have been thrilling in the past, with T'Challa refusing to hold back against Hulk like the other Avengers, and matching unbreakable gamma skin with hyper-sharp Vibranium weaponry. However, this time, the fight will be as far from 'one-on-one' as it gets.

Alongside Hulk, Professor X recently retired from the X-Men franchise to head to space with his wife Lilandra, ruler of the Shi'ar Empire. Likewise, the death of Star-Lord's father and the poisoning of his sister leaves Peter Quill as the ruler of Spartax, while Nova has agreed to investigate the assassinations and prove their source. Marvel is clearly intending to revitalize its space-set stories by involving some big-name, ultra-powerful heroes, pitting them against each other in a war for the stars.

Fans can expect big-name deaths and hugely consequential hero vs hero grudges in a conflict thousands of times bigger than any superhero squabble that's taken place on Earth. That's especially the case because this is Hulk as he's seldom been - totally focused and angry enough to take on any of the galaxy's strongest beings.

Hulk Is as Angry As He's Ever Been

We've Only See Hulk This Mad Once Before

Less famous than his brother Skaar, Hulk's son Hiro-Kala was left behind on Sakaar when Hulk returned to take revenge on Earth's heroes in World War Hulk. Growing up a slave, he eventually became a tyrannical ruler, and finally met his father and brother in deadly combat. While Hiro-Kala returned from apparent death to rule Sakaar En Nevo, his death in Imperial removes any chance of reconciliation between father and son, and Hulk its that his son died hating him, declaring, "Of a life full of regrets and unforgivable sins... this might be my worst. Do you have any idea how angry that makes me?"

Brawn's genius enhances Hulk's strength with impressive tactical insight, making him more dangerous than ever.

Family has always been a hot-button topic for the Hulk, and Sakaar always finds a way to push it. The last time fans saw Hulk this angry was at the conclusion of World War Hulk, when Hulk was so enraged that his footsteps caused devastating earthquakes. Hulk's strength increases with his rage, and the death of Hiro-Kala​​​​​​​'s mother Caiera (due to the betrayal of a close ally) made him so powerful, he was able to beat the godlike Sentry unconscious.

Now, Hulk has returned as the gladiator king of Sakaar En Nevo, and his rage over Hiro-Kala's assassination has empowered him like fans have seldom seen before. And that's not the only reason he's more powerful than ever...

Hulk's Declaration Just Changed His Allies' Lives

Brawn and She-Hulk Are Making Hulk a True Ruler

In his original tenure as the ruler of Sakaar in Planet Hulk, Hulk was exiled to a strange planet - a solo wanderer who gradually found allies in his fellow slaves, outcasts and monsters. This time, he's taking up rulership of Sakaar En Nevo by choice, and he's bringing his family with him. Intergalactic lawyer Jennifer Walters and teen genius Amadeus Cho have both ed Hulk in space, helping the Jade Giant to restore peace to Sakaar En Nevo, which is riven by internicine conflict.

The warrior code of Sakaar En Nevo means that Hiro-Kala's death has kicked off a leadership contest, with Hiro-Kala's five wives all vying for control alongside their influential families. Hullk has asked She-Hulk to keep the peace between Hiro-Kala's wives while he investigates his son's assassination, but fans already know that Jennifer has bitten off more than she bargained for. Jonathan Hickman, Stephanie Phillips and sco Mortarino's Imperial War: Planet She-Hulk will follow She-Hulk as she tries to hold Sakaar En Nevo together in a prolonged battle for control.

Meanwhile, Brawn has taken to traveling with Hulk, and his brains are already making the Green Goliath more effective. When an assassin targets various galactic leaders, Brawn is able to use his genius intellect to calculate the trajectories and point the killer's location out to Hulk, who leaps in to shut the attack down. Hulk has always been one of the strongest beings in the universe, but now his power is being guided by one of the smartest.

While many fans know Hulk as a rage-monster, his time on Sakaar turned him into a considered leader whose people truly trusted and ed him. Now, he's taking back that position, but this time with She-Hulk and Brawn adding their gamma-strength and considerable expertise to him. Hulk just went from one of Earth's most misunderstood heroes to perhaps the most dangerous man in the galaxy, and his first act as a cosmic emperor is to declare war against the technological might of Black Panther's Wakanda.

Imperial #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.