GALAXY GUIDE #24: 'Planet Hulk' And The Warbound
With rumors abounding that the popular storylines "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" may serve as the basis for the next Hulk movie and third Avengers movie respectively, fans are looking back to those storylines to see what elements the movies might borrow if the rumors prove true.
One of the most intriguing aspects of those storylines were the allies that Hulk gathered during "Planet Hulk" and brought back to Earth to aid him in wreaking havoc during "World War Hulk." That assemblage of aliens, known as the Warbound, are represented by species from every corner of the universe, united by their loyalty to the Hulk who proved himself a worthy leader on the planet Sakaar.
This week in Galaxy Guide, we're going to take a look at each member of the Warbound, and see what they contribute to the force the Hulk uses to bring vengeance to Earth.
No-Name
A queen of the Brood (the species of monstrous aliens that has frequently bedeviled the X-Men), No-Name first encountered the Hulk in the gladiatorial pits of Sakaar. She had a romance of sorts with the insectoid Miek, and bore his offspring, who were ultimately destroyed. She turned on Miek after discovering his betrayal of their group, and is currently at large on Earth in the wake of the Hulk's failed invasion.
Hiroim
A priest of the Shadow People, Hiroim draws his power from the very planet itself. A rebel by nature, his disobedience to his Emperor had him sent to the gladiator pits alongside Hulk and the rest of the future Warbound. Hiroim eventually comes to recognize the Hulk as the fulfillment of the Shadow People's prophecy of "The Sakaarson", the one who would unite all of Sakaar under a glorious reign. But when Sakaar is destroyed, Hiroim joins the Hulk in his quest for vengeance on the heroes of Earth whom they mistakenly blame for the destruction. Hiroim is grievously injured in the ensuing battle, losing his left arm in combat with Doctor Strange. However, when it is revealed that the Earthlings were not in fact responsible, Hiroim proves his heroism by using his powers to help to save Manhattan Island from destruction after the force of the Hulk's attack threatened to break it in two. He was later killed battling the Hulk's archenemy, The Leader.
Korg
A member of the Kronan race (also known as the Stone Men of Saturn, who first appeared as Thor's foes in his debut issue, "Journey Into Mystery" #83), Korg is already an accomplished warrior by the time the Hulk meets him. Having been defeated by Thor, the Kronan invasion fleet flees Earth, but Korg's ship crashes on the planet Sakaar where he and the others Kronans are enslaved and sent to the gladiator pits. There, he is forced to kill his own brother, before being freed along with the other Warbound through the combined efforts of the Hulk and the Silver Surfer. He was the one who convinced a despairing Hiroim to join the Warbound in their quest for vengeance on Earth after the destruction of Sakaar, and the close relationship between the two was eventually explained as Korg and Hiroim were revealed to be lovers.
Elloe Kaifi
The daughter of Sakaar nobility, Elloe was sentenced along with father Ronan Kaifi and bodyguard Lavin Skee to the gladiator pits as punishment for defying Sakaar's tyrannical Red King. After Skee was killed in battle, the Warbound formed to honor his memory, and Elloe joined them in their fight to overthrow the Red King and free Sakaar. Although not possessing the formidable physical powers of her Warbound teammates, Elloe was no less dedicated to their cause of vengeance after Sakaar was destroyed. Currently, she remains on the run on Earth with the rest of the Warbound fugitives.
Miek
The insectoid Miek was initially thought to be one of the weakest of the group, after the Warbound rescued him from slavery to the Red King, whose forces had wiped out his entire family. But Miek soon underwent a metamorphosis, going from an unassuming bug man to a fierce and powerful warrior. Miek was among the most vocal of the Warbound in urging the Hulk to take vengeance on Earth, after the spaceship which the group of Earth heroes known as the Illuminati used to send Hulk to Sakaar exploded, destroying the planet. However, in the denouement of the Hulk's war on Earth, it was revealed that Miek had been well aware that the ship was going to explode, and had allowed it to do so, believing that in order to be a strong leader, the Hulk needed to be motivated to bring destruction. When the rest of the Warbound learned of Miek's betrayal, they turned on him. Miek was captured by the security agency SHIELD and imprisoned in their Negative Zone prison, but ultimately escaped and did battle with the Hulk several more times before finally meeting his demise in the Antarctic region known as the Savage Land.
Our weekly Galaxy Guide takes you through the cosmic side of comic book movies, from "Guardians of the Galaxy" to infinity and beyond. Tell us what you think in the comments section or on Twitter!
Previous Galaxy Guides:
