K'ai

K'ai is a fictional location in the Marvel Universe. It first appeared in Incredible Hulk #140 (Jun 1971) and was created by Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas, and Herb Trimpe.

Fictional history
The planet K'ai is a "micro-world". "Micro-worlds" and "subatomic worlds" are not really located within atoms, but in other dimensions like the Microverse. A creature from Earth is projected into such a dimension when its atoms are compressed beyond a certain limit.

Jarella was the princess of K'ai. Although outwardly primitive this world has remnants of long-forgotten high technology and sorcery. The K'aitian are green-skinned and for the most part blonde haired, but otherwise humanoid.

Jarella's city was threatened by a number of menaces ranging from attacks by the gigantic Warthos (a race of warthog-like beasts larger than elephants) to the armies of the Warlord Visus. The Hulk appeared in K'ai during an attack of the Warthos and drove the huge monsters away. When the people came out to greet him, the Hulk was startled because they are green-skinned like him and that they welcomed him rather than running away.

The Hulk defeated Warlord Visus who was exposed and exiled. The Hulk then began a romance with Jarella. The Hulk lived with Jarella for a time, until the supervillain Psyklop found him in K'ai. Psyklop observed that the Hulk had accidentally kicked K'ai while leaving the planet, causing chaotic earthquakes. Creating a large drilling device, Psyklop began to create catastrophic earthquakes on K'ai, capturing the spirits of those he killed and telling the planet's inhabitants he would only stop his destruction if they worshipped him as a god. The Hulk confronted this "angry god", and destroyed all his weaponry. Psyklop resorted to using his hypnotic powers against the Hulk, sending the Hulk out to attack the inhabitants of K'ai. The Hulk was returned to normal by sorcerers of K'ai and he smashed the ground hard enough to break the urn in which Psyklop kept captured spirits; the spirits then consumed Psyklop.

Jarella later journeyed to Earth with the Hulk. She died while saving a boy from being crushed under a falling building. Captain Mar-Vell shrank the Hulk so that he could return Jarella's body to K'ai for a proper burial.

The Hulk (in his Gray incarnation) would return to K'ai one last time, having been summoned by mystics to stop a holy war that came about after he was declared a god, with both sides claiming they alone heard the Hulk's "divine word." In return for his aid, the mystics cast a spell that suppressed the Bruce Banner side of the Hulk's personality for three months.

Some time later, Drax the Destroyer was transported to the Microverse with Genis-Vell, where, for a time, he found acceptance and happiness on the planet K'ai.

The Hulk's son Hiro-Kala arrived on K'ai, and saved the planet from dying by bringing it out of the Microverse. He then took his place as leader of the world.

Known inhabitants

 * Jarella - The Queen of K'ai. She was killed while saving a boy from being crushed by a falling building.
 * Jentorra - The niece of Jarella who encountered Hiro-Kala.
 * Sorcerer's Triad - A group of K'aitian sorcerers from K'ai. They used a spell so that Hulk can understand their language.
 * Holi - Member of the Sorcerer's Triad.
 * Moli - Member of the Sorcerer's Triad.
 * Torra - Member of the Sorcerer's Triad.
 * Visalia - The sister of Jarella.
 * Warlord Visis - A K'aitian warlord from K'ai and cousin of Jarella who sought to take over K'ai.