Trial

After putting the Pantheon on a wild goose chase across Asgard, their former leader Agamemnon has been captured and imprisoned in the Mount where he awaits trial. Elsewhere in the facility, the Hulk is trying out a new VR training simulation by battling Ulysses who is posing as the Thing. After the Hulk loses the sparring match, the Hulk is impressed with Ulysses recovery after being injured by Jason. Ulysses then asks when they are going to hold the trial for Agamemnon, but the Hulk says now isn't the time. Betty also presses the Hulk to talk about when this is going to happen. Bruce tells Betty to give him space, the same consideration he gave her when she was trying to sort out their relationship earlier. As the Hulk storms off, Betty realizes that she misses having Marlo around to be there for her. Down in the holding cell, Achilles relieves the guards so he can talk to Agamemnon alone. Achilles rails against his father for leaving them behind and putting the Hulk in charge. When Agamemnon maintains his silence, Achilles loses his temper and is about to strike him, but stops. Dropping the former leader of the Pantheon onto the ground, Achilles tells him that he has lost the only friend he had.

Not far away, Jason is making his way to the Mount after escaping Asgard on his quest to destroy Agamemnon. En route, he is confronted by the Hulk who detected his approach. Jason demands to be allowed to witness the trial as he is still a member of the Pantheon. The Hulk agrees but warns Jason that he will also be put to task for his own transgressions. While back at the Mount, Betty Banner spends some time in the sauna when she is joined by Cassiopeia who questions why she joined along on their hunt for Agamemnon. She explains that she wanted to be there for her husband and can look after herself. Cassie then asks her what she thinks about the upcoming trial, but Betty isn't sure of anything because her husband refuses to talk to her about it. When they start talking about how Betty could use a vacation, they are interrupted by Atalanta who tells them that the trial is about to begin. Elsewhere in the facility, Hector confronts Ulysses and they argue about Hector's sexuality again. When it turns out that Hector really wanted to thank Ulysses for saving his life, Ulysses told him he should have gotten straight to the point and walks away.

Soon the trial is underway, to begin Agamemnon points out that they are the first of his children to see his true form instead of the holographic image of a sage old man that all others have seen over the years. Soon they get down to business, with Atalanta demanding answers about the deal that Agamemnon made with the Troyjans. Agamemnon explains that they are partially right. His deal was not to gain immortality, he already had that. He explains that his genetics did not pass everything on to his children. His deal with the Troyjans was to distill his genetics so that he could create a miracle pill that would grant near immortality to his offspring. When Atalanta rails against him for trading up his children in exchange, Agamemnon is actually able to fight her off and tells her that he did what he did to deal with a constantly evolving species. The attack on Atalanta angers Ajax, but Agamemnon shouts at him to stand down. The former leader of the Pantheon then chastises his children for not understanding any of the things he has endured for their sake over the centuries.

When Agamemnon's sanity is called into question and it’s pointed out that he thinks himself a god, Agamemnon gloats over this. The Hulk next questions him about how the people who don't agree with Agamemnon suddenly disappear. When Agamemnon skirts the question, Jason appears and says he can prove it. Jason explains that Agamemnon was always seeking to obtain power. For years Jason was Agamemnon's secret trigger man but he refused when it came to killing the original Ulysses back in the 1960s. Instead, Achilles pulled the trigger and that is why Jason had gone rogue all those years. With all these accusations on the table, the Mount suddenly beings to shake. Agamemnon then begins to laugh, explaining that it is all true and now that the secrets are out, and that he has now activated his Endless Knights who will kill them all.

Recurring Characters

Hulk, Betty Ross, Pantheon (Achilles, Ajax, Atalanta, Cassiopeia, Hector, Ulysses), Agamemnon, Jason the Renegade

Continuity Notes

• The VR simulation of the Thing depicts him wearing a metal helmet. At the time of this story, the Thing had recently been slashed in the face by Wolverine in Fantastic Four #374. The thing began wearing the helmet to protect his wounded face. His facial wounds are eventually healed in Fantastic Four #408.

• The assassination of the original Ulysses was seen in Incredible Hulk #411.