Change of Heart

While testing her strength as the She-Hulk, Jennifer Walters begins thinking too much about how much she loves John Jameson, causing her Gamma-Changer to fail. This forces her to revert back to human form. Thankfully, Doc Samson is there to grab the weights that she is no longer capable of lifting in human form. Samson points out that the problem is not with the Gamma-Charger, but with herself, as the mental blocks put into place. When Samson tells Jennifer that there will be no magical solution to the problem he is suddenly struck with inspiration and rushes to the phone to call Stephen Strange, leaving Jennifer to get ready for the continuation of the sexual assault trial against Starfox.

While legions of Starfox admirers protest outside, the trial resumes indoors. The prosecution calls up their first witness a woman named Pamela Harmond. Eros doesn't remember her, but that's because of the sheer amount of women he has slept with on Earth. When the woman takes the stand, the prosecution lawyer is shocked when Pamela suddenly changes her statement, saying that the entire encounter was consensual and that she enjoyed it. The same goes with all the other witnesses that take the stand, to the utter surprise of the courtroom. The prosecution then accuses Starfox of using his powers on the witnesses and the jury. Jennifer objects to this, asking for proof. To try and make a point, the lawyer asks a man named Elliot Kohl to take the stand. This man is a former Hydra agent who tells of a time when Avengers foiled Baron Strucker's Atomi-Geddon device. In order to get the code to deactivate the doomsday weapon, Starfox used his powers on him. He explains that Eros' powers had a long term effect on him. While in prison, Mr. Kohl was obsessed with him making him a target for the other prisoners. Then, after his wife visited him for congenital visits, he started insisting that she dress up like the hero. She divorced him soon after that. The former Hydra agent concludes his testimony by saying while Starfox was doing the right thing in stopping the weapon, Kohl cannot continue his life wondering if these feelings he has for the hero are his own, or due to the manipulations of Eros' powers.

Despite Jennifer's objections, the judge rules that Starfox is somehow influencing the trial and orders him isolated from the rest of the courtroom. Soon, Starfox is set up in a cell that blocks his powers and has to view the proceedings remotely via video uplink. Jennifer protests this, saying that it is prejudicial in that it is convincing the jury that her client cannot be trusted in the same room as anybody else. Jen then asks the judge to allow her to pull in character witnesses that can attest to the character of her client. As She-Hulk, Jennifer asks various former members of the Avengers if they would be willing to take the stand and testify on behalf of Starfox. Hercules agrees without question, Ms. Marvel declines due to the negative publicity, Sentry promises to show up if he is on Earth at the time, Pulsar declines because Eros made her feel uncomfortable, Captain America also declines because of his image, Tigra can't bring herself to do it because of their past relationship, Yellowjacket finds it ironic that he is being sought out in a sexual assault case, while the Wasp agrees. This comes as a surprise to Jennifer, who didn't know that the Wasp had a thing for Eros. The two also talk briefly about Jen's own fling with the Eternal. The subject quickly changes when Jennifer's new boyfriend John Jameson arrives. When Jen quickly reverts back to human form because John likes her like this, the Wasp finds this behavior strange.

Meanwhile, in the basement of Timely Plaza, Pug and Stu Cicero go over the various comic books that feature Starfox. The two engage in a discussion about the implications off Starfox's powers, which Stu compares to a date rape drug. When Pug goes to leave, he realizes that he grabbed Jennifer's briefcase by mistake. Inside, he is surprised to find a number of childish love notes about John Jameson packed inside. Elsewhere, strange love is abrew as Mallory Book has lured Awesome Andy into a supply closet to kiss. Up in the head office, Arthur Zix has another conference with ISAAC the computer of Titan. The sentient computer expresses the dissatisfaction Eros' father Mentor feels about the length of time it is taking for this trial to become complete. Zix suggests patience, however, this doesn't sit well with the leader of the Eternals of Titan.

Back on Earth, the trial continues, as Christina Garvey, the alleged victim takes the stand. She talks about how she wasn't in control of herself and how Starfox took advantage of her. When Jennifer goes up to cross-examine Christina, she has the uncomfortable task of ripping apart the woman's testimony. She presents to the court that Mrs. Garvey has various superhero magazines and memorabilia that were found in the Garvey home. She suggests that Christina had a thing for superheroes. She also says that they have witnesses who can attest that it was Christina who made the moves on Starfox. When Christina states that there was this strange pull, it makes Jennifer think about her own fling with Eros and how she made the first moves. She calls a brief break to confer with her client. When she privately questions Starfox if he used his powers on her the night they spent together when they were Avengers, Eros doesn't like her line of questioning and terminates the video feed. Her anger growing, Jennifer asks for a recess and storms out of the courtroom.

Her rage growing, Jennifer manages to change into the She-Hulk through sheer rage when the Gamma-Changer fails to work. She then leaps all the way to Rykers Island where Starfox is already attempting to escape after using his power on the Guardsmen and Two-Gun Kid. She-Hulk catches Eros just as he is about to escape and beats him senseless. The fight ends when she kicks Starfox in the groin. However, Mentor hears the screams of his son all the way from Titan and after Jennifer has him subdued again, ISAAC appears and teleports Eros away. With Eros gone, the trial is ground to a halt as the prosecution makes attempts to try and have Starfox extradited back to Earth to complete the trial. Meanwhile, Artie Zix assures Jennifer and Pug that he will resolve this trial one way or the other. When John Jameson offers to give both Jen and Pug a ride, Gus tells Jennifer that he's going to be taking off for a few days and sadly watches as the woman he loves drives away with her boyfriend.

Recurring Characters

She-Hulk, Doc Samson, Starfox, Augustus Pugliese, Mallory Book, Awesome Andy, Artie Zix, Two-Gun Kid, Stu Cicero, John Jameson, Hydra, Elliot Kohl, Christina Garvy, Captain America, Wasp, Hercules, Quasar, Ms. Marvel, Pulsar, Tigra, “Yellowjacket”, ISAAC, Mentor

Continuity Notes

• Jennifer recounts how sometime earlier that she had problems controlling her strength as She-Hulk. This was the status quo after she built up her strength in She-Hulk #8.

• Up until She-Hulk Vol 2 #4 She-Hulk's guilt over destroying Bone, Idaho was the cause of her problems changing forms. What's making them stronger is the spell put on her by the Scarlet Witch in She-Hulk #1, as revealed next issue.

• Jennifer approaches former members of the Avengers, who at the time of this story, had recently broken up in Avengers: Finale #1 and since replaced with the New Avengers in New Avengers #1. Starfox was a member of the Avengers from Avengers #231-261.

• The reason why Tigra has a hard time testifying for Starfox is the two had a bit of a fling after they both left Earth in Avengers Vol 3 #4 and Avengers: Infinity #1-4.

• Yellowjacket's incredulity over being asked to testify in a sexual assault case is due to the fact that he had some legal trouble himself after he struck his ex-wife, the Wasp. These events were chronicled in Avengers #213, 227-230.