In Memory Yet Green

The Hulk has just been captured by the Juggernaut and finds himself strapped into a strange machine. He demands that his captors come out of hiding otherwise he is going to get really angry. The Juggernaut and his employer Red Skull appear before the Hulk. When the Juggernaut gloats over how easily he beat the Hulk in a fight, Banner tries to anger him enough to attack again, but the Red Skull sees through this ploy. The Red Skull reveals that he intends to use the device to brainwash the Hulk into joining his side. When the Hulk sees that he will be using Mentallo to accomplish the job, the Hulk finds this plan laughable. The Red Skull, however, believes that Mentallo will succeed when his mental powers are boosted by his devices. Suddenly, the Hulk finds his mind bombarded.

Meanwhile, in Reno, Rick Jones takes Doc Samson in as a guest while they try to get Marlo out of her catatonic state. Before they head back, Doc Samson insists that Rick take a shower because he smells ripe. Rick concedes and while he is in the shower, he gets Samson to speak confidentially. Rick then tells Leonard that he was responsible for killing Farouq Dahn in Trans-Sabal and he believes that Marlo's current condition was karma for committing murder. This news comes as a shock to Samson. Elsewhere, the Hulk finds himself in a deserted city when he is suddenly attacked by a horde of super-villains. This is all an illusion created by Mentallo in an attempt to beat the Hulk into submission. However, even though this mental battle has the Hulk overwhelmed, he still fights off his foes. That is, until an illusion of Speedfreek stabs him in the chest. In this illusion, the Hulk doesn't heal and he begins to weaken but he still fights. In the real world, this is represented by massive feedback that hits Mentallo. The evil mutant doesn't know how the Hulk can still resist, but this doesn't dissuade the Red Skull who tells Mentallo to keep trying.

At that moment, the Avengers are speeding toward the Amazon Rainforest to investigate reports from an environmental group about a news organization that is clear-cutting in the area. Along the way, there are obvious tensions between Sersi and Crystal. This confuses their teammates Hercules and the Vision who are unaware that there is a strange love triangle between the two women and their leader, the Black Knight. Back at the Red Skull's citadel, the Juggernaut is going about his business and fuming over how he doesn't like how things are going. As he walks past the door to Project: Piecemeal, the creature's hand comes shattering out of the door. The Juggernaut knocks the monster out with a single blow and tells the scientist responsible to make sure the creature remains sedated. While in the other lab, Mentallo continues to try to win his battle of the minds against the Hulk. Within the illusion, the Hulk pulls himself out of the rubble and finds himself standing before the memory of his father coaching young Bruce on what to say during his murder trial. Brian Banner orders young Bruce to say that the death of his mother was an accident and the allegations of abuse merely fabrications. Seeing his younger self getting bullied by his father, the Hulk calls out to young Bruce telling the boy to not give in. Finally making progress, Mentallo uses the illusion of Brian Banner to beat on the Hulk, finding the gamma-spawned powerhouse easily cowed. The scene then changes to the court trial where young Bruce Banner rescinds his accusations about his mother's murder. The Hulk is forced to re-watch this scene from under a table with his father's foot pressed on his throat.

Meanwhile, the Avengers have landed and are wading through the jungle to try and get to the strange citadel nearby. Suddenly, they are attacked by the Juggernaut. Although the villain is indestructible he is subdued thanks to the Vision's phasing powers. But, before they can completely stop the Juggernaut, they are attacked by the Hulk who is now fully under the control of the Red Skull.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Rick Jones, Doc Samson, Avengers (Black Knight, Crystal, Hercules, Sersi, Vision), New World Order (Red Skull, Juggernaut, Mentallo, Piecemeal)

Continuity Notes

• The Juggernaut states that attacking the Hulk in street clothes fooled him as easily as he tried the same stunt on Colossus sometime earlier. He is referring to the events of Uncanny X-Men #183 when Marko tricked Colossus into a fight in a bar.

• Rick mentions how he killed Farouq Dahn during a coup of Trans-Sabal. These events transpired between Incredible Hulk 390-392.

• Marlo was killed by Jackie Shorr back in Incredible Hulk #398. She was brought back to life Incredible Hulk #400. However, she remains in a catatonic state until Incredible Hulk #406.

• Avengers, Thor & Captain America: Official Index to the Marvel Universe places that appearance of the Avengers here as happening after the events of Avengers #366. However, this cannot be correct based on the following facts:

  • Crystal is wearing her yellow costume here, she changes into a black and white costume starting in Avengers #360.

  • Likewise, the Vision is depicted in his white android body. He was transferred into the red & green body of his Earth-932 counterpart, also in Avengers #360. While this "Anti-Vision" infiltrated the group in that same issue in the Visions white body, he was destroyed in Avengers #366.

  • Lastly, Black Knight’s eyes are depicted as normal, which counters the fact that when he became Sersi's Gann Josin in Avengers #361 his eyes changed to black with red pupils.

  • As such, the appearance of the Avengers here would fit continuity better if they all appear here between Avengers #359 and 360.

• The tension between Sersi, Crystal, and the Black Knight is a strained romantic triangle that began in Avengers #348 and lasts until Avengers #376.

• This story further explores the abuse that Bruce Banner was subjected to by his father. This was previously explored in Incredible Hulk #312 and 377.