Marvel’s Empyre event has been making a profound impact on some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are plunged into a conflict that they definitely weren’t expecting. One wildcard at the center of the event has been Teddy Altman/Hulkling, who has ascended into being “Emperor Hulkling” in recent issues. Earlier this week, things took things into an even more surprising direction, with the tease that (SPOILER ALERT) Hulkling is already married to his longtime boyfriend, Billy Kaplan/Wiccan. If that reveal left you scratching your head – or eagerly wanting to see how Billy and Teddy’s nuptials came together – you’re in luck. ComicBook.com has an exclusive preview of Empyre #5, which details how the pair’s wedding came about.
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The sequence opens with Billy retelling the story of their marriage, which the pair decided on spontaneously just before Teddy had to go to space. The two then hopped in a portal to Vegas, where they had just five minutes to prepare for their wedding. Although Billy worried that their friends and family wouldn’t be able to make it in time, the pair ended up being joined by several of their Young Avengers teammates — Speed, Miss America, Stature, Patriot, Hawkeye, and Marvel Boy. In the present day, Billy argues that he still has a profound connection to Teddy, and that he’s almost more focused than ever to help get his husband back.
The sequence is both brief and incredibly moving, and adds a whole other layer to the way that Teddy has been acting in the recent pages of Empyre.
“I’ve got a lot of love for Hulkling and Wiccan, both individually and as a couple,” Empyre writer Al Ewing said in a recent press release. “So it’s a good feeling to be able to deliver this kind of ‘shock ending’ for readers, which hopefully lifts fans’ spirits a little rather than bringing them down.”
Keep scrolling to check out the preview of Empyre #5, and share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Empyre #5 will be released on Wednesday, August 12th.
