Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1) #607 (Story 1)

Background

The plan for world domination created by the Red Hulk, Leader, MODOK, and Samson has been discussed in cryptic terms for quite a while now. It finally dawned on someone that perhaps they should begin to explain what the plan is instead of just going through the motions.

1. Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1 - it was revealed that the smartest villains in the Marvel U (Leader, MODOK, Mad Thinker, Red Ghost, The Wizard) worked with Dr. Doom to form the clandestine "Intelligencia" group to steal the remaining texts from the Library of Alexandria, which have been preserved by the Eternals. Doom double-crossed his teammates and kept the information for himself. MODOK and the Leader decide to create their own Hulk as revenge.
2. Fall of the Hulks: Gamma #1 - General Ross is killed by the Red Hulk. It is revealed that Bruce Banner and the Red Hulk have become reluctant allies to stop the Intelligencia and planned this for this to happen.
3. Hulk #19 - as part of their plan, The Frightful Four kidnap Mr. Fantastic from the Baxter Building. The Red Hulk saves the Thing from being pulled into the Negative Zone.
4. Incredible Hulk #606. The Intelligencia send a cosmic-powered Hulk robot to bring in Dr. Doom - and succeeds!
5. Hulk #20 Red Ghost kidnaps both T'Challa (Black Panther) and Henry McCoy (Beast).

Story 'Man with a Plan'

Leader and MODOK watch the video feed of the captured Dr. Doom from his prison cell. The Leader's special neural anesthetizer renders him unable to think clearly, preventing him from using his armor or sorcery to escape. MODOK suggests that they kidnap Banner next, as he is the most dangerous of the "smartest people on the planet". The Leader refuses stating that he has a more important role to play than merely captive.

Hank Pym then teleports into the Intelligencia base and attacks them. After Doom's capture he has made the necessary preparations for their anesthetizer. The Leader then points out that his teammates at his Infinite Mansion are now being attacked by the Red She-Hulk.

Pym returns and temporarily separates his team from the Red She-Hulk. Banner and Skaar teleport in and help out when Red She-Hulk breaks through their defenses. Skaar confronts Red She-Hulk while Banner tries to save Pym. Unfortunately Banner's activities have been monitored lately. Pym deactivates his teleportation device and informs him that his scanners have picked up traces of the Red Hulk's energy signature. They know he's working with the Red Hulk and refuse to cooperate.

Pym eventually gets tagged by an energy blast from Red She-Hulk. Instead of slowing down his mind, it's actually causing a massive seizure. Banner tells Red She-Hulk that unless they work together, Pym will die, soon followed by her at the hands of her masters. Pym sends out a message to all active Avengers to assemble. Ms. Marvel, Black Window, Mockingbird, Ronin, Photon, Captain America (Barnes), and Thor answer his summons and attack Skaar. When confronted by War Machine, Banner and Amadeus Cho, reconfigure the suit's repulsor ray to work as a defibrillator to stop the seizure. This saves Pym's life, but exposes him to the anesthetizer, making him easy prey for Red She-Hulk. She grabs him and teleports away.

Later on Banner convinces the Avengers to loan specific people to help him put and end to the Intelligencia's plan once and for all. They recurit Namor, Korg, A-Bomb (Rick Jones), Spider-Man, Amadeus Cho, and Wolverine to help him save the world as well as his wife Betty.

Given that each of them has lost someone close, he correctly guessed that they'd be more sympathetic to his situation.

General Comments

Hank Pym is shown to be a qualified member of the "smartest men on the planet" club. Very competent, assertive, dare I say.. cool. Nice touch that his characterization started in Mighty Avengers carries over here.

Overall Rating

4 webs. Very intense, very cool chapter in this arc. Hate to say this, but this is a great storyline.