Summary

• Earth-6160's Reed Richards, known as the Maker, brings dangerous Marvel characters from different universes to Earth-616, including the Hulk.
• The Hulk becomes a member of the Maker's Illuminati and proposes a vote that could lead to a world war.
• The Hulk's power and threat level increase after escaping the Maker's control, making him more dangerous than ever before.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ultimate Invasion #4 There are few Marvel Comics characters more dangerous than the Hulk variant known as the Legendary Hulk far more dangerous than he’s ever been, and it happened after he escaped Reed Richards’ control.

Marvel Comics' readers have recently been introduced to an entirely new universe: Earth-6160. This reality is much like the Prime Marvel Universe of Earth-616, which is exactly why Earth-1610’s Reed Richards aka the Maker decided it was the perfect place for his grand experiment. Given everything he knows about every Marvel hero/villain, the Maker was able to intercept all of them in this new universe one way or another. He neutralized Spider-Man by killing the radioactive spider before it bit him. He took control over the mind of his own variant by psychologically torturing him into submission. He brought the Hulk into his fold by kidnapping him at the moment of his creation, and turning him into something of a spiritual leader. Not only that, but in the Hulk’s case, the Maker also made him a member of his Illuminati, among other select shadowy leaders of the world representing different countries and territories. Now, because of that decision, the Hulk has become a threat to the entire planet, as he proposed a vote to his fellow Illuminati that could result in a world war.

The Hulk & The Maker’s Illuminati Are Starting A World War

In Ultimate Invasion #4 by Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch, the Maker found himself in the middle of a temporal war against Kang. This battle took place within the Maker’s fortress known as the Dome, inside which holds the City, otherwise known as the Vault. Why these titles are so significant is due to their purpose, and how they could lead to the aforementioned world war. Inside the City, time moves differently, with the Hulk himself noting that one month in the City is the equivalent of one thousand years. After Kang and his time-sliding army attacked the Maker within this fortress, the Dome shut, and it wouldn’t reopen again for two years. This leaves the Illuminati with only a few choices in how to respond, all while dealing with a much more pressing crisis. Their American representative, Howard Stark, defected and turned against the Maker, meaning they can either find a replacement for him, or split the United States among themselves. The latter option would result in a world war, and the Hulk just put it to a vote.

The situation the Illuminati are dealing with is almost identical to the one playing out in the current Marvel Comics series Children of the Vault, as the same technology was used to create the Children, and now they’re using their advanced technology and evolutionary advantages to try to conquer the world of Earth-616. Thankfully, the Illuminati of Earth-6160 still have two years to deal with whatever fallout occurred behind the domed walls of the City. However, that doesn’t mean the world isn’t in mortal danger regardless. This room full of the world’s most powerful people could have decided to unite the world against this obvious threat, but instead, they vote to further tear it apart, with the Hulk championing that casually proposed decision.

Usually, the Hulk is only as dangerous as his hardest punch, but in this case, he’s more of a threat than he’s ever been before. When the Maker was essentially controlling his every action, the Hulk was little more than a figurehead, perhaps even a trophy or an inside joke for the Maker to laugh at when he’s all alone. But now, with the Maker out of commission, the Hulk has become something far worse than a super-strong behemoth, and he did so after escaping Reed Richards’ control.

Ultimate Invasion #4 by Marvel Comics is available now.