pencil: John Cassaday

story: Warren Ellis

colors: Laura DePuy

The Planetary Team meets an old general, hiding in a secret bunker.
The old man tells the story David Paine.
In 1962, this young and brilliant scientist developed a mathematical theory with immense destructive potential, which he used to build a bomb.
On the day of the test, the general's wife, who has become friends with Pain, inadvertently ends up at the site of the explosion.
David Pain manages to save her, but turns into a monster.
It takes the US Army a month to subdue the monster, with heavy losses.
Paine died in 1983, trapped in a well five miles deep, while the general's wife gave birth to a daughter.
This is, of course, albeit with some changes, the story of Bruce Banner and Hulk, here revised in a dramatic tone.
The fate of Paine's daughter is not revealed.

pencil: John Cassaday

story: Warren Ellis

colors: Laura DePuy

The story of Doctor Brass, aka Doc Savage, is told.
The most interesting part is not so much the story and the conversation between Brass and Snow, but the analysis that is proposed inside on the Pulp publications.
The term derives from the type of cheap paper used to print them and only with Tarantino did it become a way to describe a certain filmography.
The protagonists of this kind of stories, popular in the first 30 years of the 20th century in the United States, are the same ones seen in the first issue of Planetary (on Wildstorm nr. 1).
The first was Tom Swift, who made his debut in 1910 with Grossett & Dunlap.
This was followed in 1912 by Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The following year, Fu Manchu, a dangerous criminal, debuted, followed by his daughter (in the Wildstorm universe, Fu Manchu's daughter becomes Anna Hark, founder of Hark Industries).
In 1931 the first monographic stories of these characters were published, including The Shadow.
In 1933 The Spider, G-8 and His Battles Aces, Operator 5 and finally Doc Savage debuted.

pencil: Bryan Hitch

story: Warren Ellis

inks: Paul Neary

colors: Laura DePuy

The Authority faces and defeats Kaizen Gamorra's army, but the damage to London is still extensive.
The survivors of Kaizen's retreating army lead the group to their leader, who is protected behind an impenetrable force field.

pencil: Gary Frank

story: John Arcudi

inks: Cam Smith & W.C. Carani

colors: Digital Chameleon

After the first encounter with Tyndalus, Alexander Fairchild is healed by their enemy, who hosts the entire group on his ship.
His morbid interest in Caitlin becomes more and more unstoppable.
His exasperated assistant reveals to Alexander that Tyndalus is using his old Team 7 partner, Isaiah, to track down the Gen-Actives.
Alexander convinces him to rebel and the clash with Tindalo explodes.
John Lynch joins the fight and destroys Tyndalus's helmet, which allowed him to absorb Gen powers and kill their wielders.
When Tyndalus tries to rape Caitlin, Alexander unleashes his full power and explodes, taking Tyndalus with him.

pencil: Doug Mahnke

story: John Arcudi

inks: Cam Smith & W.C. Carani

colors: Quantum Color FX

Grunge is the protagonist of this short story.
At the Luna Park he meets a clown, of whom he is terrified.
He begins to run away from the clown, until he realizes that his fear is unfounded.