Man With a Plan

Doctor Doom is imprisoned by the Leader and M.O.D.O.K., his intelligence diminished by a neural anesthetizer. All that is on his mind is revenge against Bruce Banner. The leader gloats at how pathetic and ignorant Doom is. However, M.O.D.O.K. is concerned that Banner is a bigger threat to them and believe that should capture him next. The Leader dismisses the thought, seeing that Banner still has his role to play. Just then, Henry Pym barges in, disabling their base's temporal shift tech and gathering data to counter the anesthetizer. However, the Leader reveals that they've already corrected the vulnerabilities and have dispatched Red She-Hulk to deal with the Avengers. The two villains then leave Pym in the middle of the ocean.

Pym races back to save the Avengers, safeguarding them in the Infinite Mansion. However, Banner and Skaar have turned up too, to protect him from the Leader. However, Pym is sure that Red-She-Hulk can't just punch her way into the mansion, he is proven wrong when she does. Skaar immediately battles Red She-Hulk while Banner attempts to extract Pym. Unfortunately, Pym refuses to go, revealing to everyone that Banner has been working with the Red Hulk, who has helped M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader capture Mr. Fantastic. Banner states that the Leader is just feeding this misinformation.

Meanwhile, as Skaar and Red She-Hulk tear up the place, a dimensional vortex opens up, ready to swallow everyone else, forcing the former to save them. This gives Red She-Hulk the opening to attack Pym with the anesthetizer, which he attempts to block, only for adaptability made by the Leader enables the ray to affect him. Banner's tech determines that the device is killing him and tells She-Hulk that her bosses want their prize back alive. He asks for a truce so that he can save him. Unfortunately, as soon as they shake hands, Pym calls Avengers to assemble, calling Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Mockingbird, Ronin, Photon, War Machine, Captain America and Thor to attack Skaar. Banner and Amadeus Cho managed to use War Machine's repulsors to halt the effects of the anesthetizer, but cannot reverse it. An overconfident Pym attempts to grow giant-size, only to shrink, small enough for Red She-Hulk to capture and escape with him.

Banner blames everyone for fouling up his plan. He demands a Quinjet so that he can solve this mess. He brings Skaar, Cho, Rick Jones, Namor, Wolverine, Spider-Man and Korg along to help him rescue his ex-wife Betty. He explains to all of them except Rick that he had selected them because they are people who lost friends or loved ones. Skaar, Wolverine, Korg, Rick, and Namor then assault a military base. Meanwhile, inside the complex, Glenn Talbot leads Betty away but she tells him that her husband won't stop.

The Leader and M.O.D.O.K watch this, before powering up their Helicarrier to "save the world."

Fall of the Hulks continues in Hulk (Vol. 2) #20

Recurring Characters

Bruce Banner, Skaar, Mighty Avengers (Wasp, Vision, Quicksilver, US Agent, Stature, Amadeus Cho), New Avengers (Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ms. Marvel, Mockingbird, Ronin), Korg, A-Bomb, Sub-Mariner, Intelligencia (MODOK, The Leader, Red She-Hulk), AIM, “Glenn Talbot”, Black Widow, Pulsar, War Machine, Thor, Doctor Doom

Continuity Notes

• The Intelligencia infected Dr. Doom with a virus that has given him brain damage. He is later cured in FF #2. Leader and MODOK refer to Doom as their "old foe", this is a reference to how Doom betrayed them years earlier as seen in Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1.

• The Leader and MODOK are focusing on capturing their next targets. They are referring to Black Panther and Beast, who are captured in Hulk Vol 2 #20.

• Wasp mentions the capture of Reed Richards, this happened in Hulk Vol 2 #21.

• Bruce mentions that he was married to Betty Ross, this happened in Incredible Hulk #319. Since Incredible Hulk #466, Bruce believed Betty to be dead after she was killed by radiation poisoning. However, as revealed in Hulk Vol 2 #22, Banner had just recently discovered that Betty was alive.

• Bruce recruits his heroes because they had all lost loved ones by the time of this story:

  • For the Sub-Mariner, it was Lady Dorma who was murdered in Sub-Mariner #37.

  • Korg lost Hiroim in World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound #5.

  • Spider-Man suffered the loss of his first love, Gwen Stacy, who died in Amazing Spider-Man #121.

  • Amadeus Cho is still mourning the recent loss of Hercules who died in Incredible Hercules #141. However, he is later brought back to life in Heroic Age: Prince of Power #4.

  • Wolverine lost his lover Mariko Yoshida when she was murdered in Wolverine Vol 2 #57.

• The man who appears to be Glenn Talbot in this story is actually a LMD as revealed in Hulk Vol 2 #23.

The Right Decision

The Leader and M.O.D.O.K. the footage detailing what happened after Red She-Hulk strangled She-Hulk. She is approached by Doc Samson, who reprimands her for killing their prisoner. Red She-Hulk angrily engages him, demanding to know if She-Hulk was the real deal or a Life Model Decoy. Samson gets her in a neck lock, reminding her that her job is to follow orders, not ask questions. Red She-Hulk throws him against the wall, refusing to do any more of his mind games. Then suddenly, M.O.D.O.K. subdues her with his forehead beam. He then tells her that they have a job for her.

Near Hell's Kitchen, New York, Domino is attempting to catch up with Elektra, while trying to get to Silver Sable before the Red Hulk does. Then suddenly, a fire truck comes flying right at them, smashing into an under-construction building. They presume that it's the Red Hulk, so Elektra tells Domino to find Sable. However, their real attacker is Red She-Hulk, who lifts a cement truck.

Recurring Characters

Red She-Hulk, Intelligencia (Leader, MODOK, Doc Samson), Elektra, Domino

Continuity Notes

• The Red She-Hulk's activites in this story happen behind the scenes of the events of Hulk Vol 2 #15.

• The woman who appears to be the She-Hulk here is actually a Life Model Decoy, as revealed in World War Hulks #1.

• Domino mentions how the Red Hulk punched out Thor and the Watcher, this happened in Hulk Vol 2 #4.