Chapter 47: Gamma World Part 1
Wakanda
The Wakandan lab buzzed with activity.
Ulysses Klaw lay suspended within a containment field in the center of the room. His body no longer possessed true flesh. Instead, he existed as a humanoid mass of condensed violet sound waves. His form constantly rippled and distorted as sonic energy struggled to maintain a human shape.
Hank adjusted a scanner.
"Well, the good news is he's only destabilized twice today."
Shuri studied the readings. "Yesterday he lost cohesion entirely for nearly twelve minutes."
Hank glanced toward the unconscious mercenary.
"Probably for the best that he slept through that."
Shuri brought up a scan of Klaw's body.
"I should thank you again for agreeing to assist," she said. "In exchange for granting you deeper access to our vibranium research, I hoped your expertise might help us understand what happened to him."
Hank smiled slightly.
"Honestly, you didn't need to bribe me with cutting-edge science to get me interested in a medical mystery."
"Yet it helped."
"It definitely helped," Hank admitted. "Besides, if we can learn how to stabilize him, the applications could be enormous. New treatments, new technologies, maybe even entirely new fields of medicine."
Shuri nodded. "Then we are in agreement."
"Absolutely."
Shuri brought up a scan of Klaw's body.
"The vibranium-induced energy state remains integrated throughout his cellular structure," she said.
"The conversion process was far more extensive than we originally believed."
Working with Shuri had taught him many things. One of them was that Wakandan royalty possessed a remarkable ability to insult people with complete sincerity.
Shuri manipulated the holographic display.
A three-dimensional model of Klaw's body appeared above the workstation. Large portions glowed bright purple.
"The stabilization field is working," she said.
Hank nodded. "Not perfectly, but it's helping him maintain a coherent shape."
Shuri pointed toward a cluster of glowing readings.
"Previously his sonic structure was degrading uncontrollably. We have reduced the instability by thirty-seven percent."
Hank looked over the numbers. "So we're getting closer to turning him back?"
"His condition is becoming more manageable," Shuri replied. "Reconstructing a biological body remains the difficult part."
For the first time all morning, the readings finally looked promising.
Then Klaw's right arm suddenly expanded into a vibrating sonic cannon.
A deafening blast erupted from the weapon, shattering three holographic displays.
The laboratory fell silent as the cannon slowly folded back into the rough shape of an arm.
Hank stared at the unconscious patient.
"How manageable?"
Hank and Shuri exchanged a glance.
"Not manageable enough," Hank admitted.
He glanced toward Shuri as another monitor recalibrated itself.
"Speaking of things that are hopefully becoming more stable, how is T'Challa doing as acting king?"
Shuri's expression softened slightly.
"He is adapting well."
Hank nodded. "And the people? Are they happier now that they're not under M'Baku's rule anymore?"
A faint smile appeared on Shuri's face.
"Most are relieved. My brother listens before he acts. That alone has improved public opinion considerably."
"That's probably a good quality for a king," Hank said.
"It is a quality Wakanda has missed." Shuri folded her arms thoughtfully. "T'Challa should be able to make the kingdom more comfortable in time."
"If things continue as they are, the Avengers should not need to call upon him unless something truly significant happens."
Hank nodded. "Sounds like a nice change of pace."
Shuri immediately pointed at him. "You have just jinxed the entire world."
Hank rolled his eyes. "That's not how jinxes work."
Her smile faded as she glanced back at Klaw's readings. "Unfortunately, running a nation has been easier than figuring out how to stabilize him."
Avengers Mansion
Captain America stood in front of the mirror, tightening the straps of his uniform.
Even without a mission, the routine came naturally. Boots. Gloves. Shield. Quick uniform check.
Some habits never left a soldier.
As Steve finished adjusting his gloves, JARVIS's voice came through the mansion intercom.
"You have a visitor in the foyer, sir."
Steve paused. "A visitor? They asked for me?"
"Indeed, sir."
Steve frowned thoughtfully. It had been a while since he'd heard from anyone at the Xavier Institute. His visit with Laura was coming up soon, and for a moment he wondered if one of them had come to see him. Maybe James had finally finished whatever business had taken him back to Canada.
Curious, Steve pulled on his mask and headed downstairs.
Waiting in the foyer was a broad-shouldered black man wearing a long trench coat and an eyepatch. Gray streaks lined the edges of his close-cropped hair. To Steve, there was something oddly familiar about the man.
The man studied Steve carefully before stepping forward and extending his hand. "Captain America. So it's true."
Steve shook it cautiously. "Uh... I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"No," the man answered. "Name's Nick. Director of a peacekeeping organization called S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury kept his expression unreadable. "I'd like you to come with me. I've been saving something for you."
Steve raised an eyebrow.
Later That Day
Captain America followed Fury through the streets of New York until they stopped outside a barber shop sitting on the corner of Ridge and 10th Street.
Steve glanced up at the striped pole turning lazily beside the entrance before following Fury inside.
The shop looked completely ordinary.
A bald black barber was trimming a customer's hair while a radio played softly in the background.
The customer looked up the moment he saw Fury enter.
Without a word, the man stood from the chair, revealing a dark suit beneath the barber cape. He removed the cape, nodded respectfully to Fury, and headed for the door.
A moment later, he was standing watch by the door.
Steve raised an eyebrow.
Fury ignored the comment and walked toward one of the barber chairs.
He sat down and gestured toward the chair beside him. "Grab a seat, Captain."
Steve looked between Fury and the barber. "I think my hair's already regulation length."
The barber reached beneath the counter and pressed a hidden button.
A low mechanical hum filled the room.
Then, without warning, Fury's chair began to sink into the floor.
Steve watched him disappear below street level.
He shrugged and settled into the chair beside it.
A second later, his own chair started descending.
The floor above slid shut as he rode down through a hidden shaft.
A few moments later, the chair came to a stop in a large underground room.
Steve stepped out and walked toward Fury, who stood beside a massive monitor displaying feeds from several different locations around the city and beyond. "You want to tell me what this is all about?"
Fury glanced back at him before moving toward a set of reinforced doors. "Come on."
The doors slid open.
Steve stepped through and immediately smiled.
Inside the room sat a familiar motorcycle. His motorcycle. Steve walked toward it slowly and placed a hand against the handlebars. "My motorcycle," he whispered. "But how?" It looked exactly as he remembered.
Fury folded his arms. "My father's name was Sergeant Jack Fury."
Steve looked up sharply.
"You saved his life during the war." Fury's normally cold demeanor softened slightly. "I grew up hearing all the stories. He idolized you." He paused. "And so did I."
Recognition finally clicked into place.
"Nick Fury," Steve said quietly.
Fury nodded once. "Anything Captain America needs, ever, S.H.I.E.L.D. will provide for you." He extended a hand toward the bike. "It's an honor to meet you, Captain."
Steve rested a hand against the motorcycle seat.
After a moment, he looked back toward Fury. "So what Iron Man said," Steve began carefully. "Can I trust you?"
Fury met his gaze directly. "When it counts, absolutely."
Steve looked back at the motorcycle and allowed himself a small smile. "In any case, I'm glad to have this back. I'll be sure to put it to good use."
#
The custom bike roared through the night air before slamming hard onto the next rooftop. Steve leaned low against the frame as Hawkeye sprinted ahead across the skyline.
The full moon hung over Manhattan as Captain America launched his motorcycle across another rooftop gap.
Iron Man streaked overhead beside Wasp as both heroes flew between the skyscrapers.
"Stay on him," Iron Man ordered.
Wasp shrank between rooftop vents as she pursued the archer through the maze of water towers and fire escapes.
"I've got visual," she reported.
Behind them, Ben swung between buildings as Spidermonkey while Hawkeye continued sprinting across the rooftops with the Avengers close behind.
"Hey, Hawkeye!" Spidermonkey called as he swung after him. "What's the deal? Back at the Cube, you seemed pretty normal, but joining HYDRA? That's a pretty big jump."
Clint vaulted over an air-conditioning unit and fired a ricochet arrow backward without even looking. The shot bounced off metal piping before forcing Captain America to raise his shield while the motorcycle landed hard against the next rooftop.
"This joker's fast," Steve admitted. "I'll give him that."
Ben's four arms carried him smoothly from webline to webline while his yellow eyes tracked Hawkeye carefully.
#
The first time Ben had heard Hawkeye's name come up again was a few days earlier, when JARVIS interrupted breakfast with a S.H.I.E.L.D. alert.
Steve had been going through the file S.H.I.E.L.D. sent over while everyone gathered around the table. "Wanted for conspiracy with HYDRA." The moment he read the name, his expression hardened.
Ben hadn't thought much of it. The last time he'd seen Clint Barton had been during Bruce's captivity in Nevada. He seemed to want to learn more from Bruce's perspective of his captivity. A jerk sometimes? Sure. A HYDRA agent? That had been news.
Tony had leaned back in his chair. "He was at the Vault during the Breakout."
Everyone looked at him.
Tony grimaced. "Okay, this is embarrassing to admit, but he actually helped me out."
Ben blinked. "What?"
Tony pointed at himself. "During the riot. Crimson Dynamo, Whiplash, and another guy whose name I never caught were busy torturing me to death."
"That's a sentence," Wasp muttered.
Tony ignored her.
"Hawkeye stepped in and helped. Didn't have to. Could've walked away."
Wasp frowned thoughtfully. "Then maybe there's more going on."
Ben had shrugged. "Maybe." He took another bite of cereal. "Well, he can tell his story to his lawyer again when we nab him."
Steve continued reading through the report. Finally he lowered the tablet. "Hawkeye was imprisoned without trial."
Ben immediately frowned. "I swear." He shook his head. "S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to stop doing that."
#
The more Spidermonkey watched him run, the less this felt like a guy trying to help HYDRA take over the world.
Tony glanced down at his HUD.
Hawkeye dropped into a narrow alleyway below.
"Cap, Ben, he just disappeared off my grid. Do you have him?"
Wasp zipped over the alley entrance and frowned.
"Wow, HYDRA agents are getting good," she remarked. "He doesn't even have any powers."
A flicker of movement caught her eye.
"There he is."
Wasp shrank and zipped into the alley after Clint.
She rounded the corner and froze as an arrowhead stopped barely two millimeters from her face.
"Whoa!"
Hawkeye stood in perfect firing position with another arrow already drawn.
"Hi there," Clint greeted calmly.
Iron Man immediately dropped into the alley with both repulsors aimed directly at Hawkeye.
Captain America and Spidermonkey arrived a second later.
"Give it up, Hawkeye," Steve ordered.
Iron Man's repulsors brightened.
"You can't win."
The alley tightened around Hawkeye.
Captain America skidded his motorcycle sideways across the end of the alley, blocking the exit as he raised his shield. Above Hawkeye, Spidermonkey crouched atop a striped awning. Iron Man hovered between the buildings with both repulsors aimed and ready.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then engines thundered overhead.
A massive jet's floodlight suddenly washed over the alley in blinding white light, drawing everyone's attention upward.
"Attention, Avengers," Agent Quartermain announced over the transport speakers.
The sudden interruption shattered the standoff.
The Helicarrier floodlight drew everyone's attention upward only for a second, but that was all Hawkeye needed.
Thunk.
A grapple arrow slammed into the rooftop above.
"Hey, where'd he go?" Wasp shouted.
By the time their attention snapped back down, Hawkeye was already gone.
Everyone was so distracted by the ship arriving that even Spidermonkey hadn't seen him move.
Captain America immediately revved his motorcycle forward and scanned both ends of the alley. Nothing.
Tony's helmet scanned the area around him. "No sign of him, great."
A long, painful silence followed.
Then Wasp groaned. "Oh wow. We actually fell for that."
Spidermonkey slowly lowered himself from the awning. "...Never take your eyes off an unsecured target." He groaned. Kevin would probably laugh for an entire week.
Everyone was embarrassed, especially Steve. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could practically hear the Colonel laughing himself sick.
Tony pointed at Captain America. "You were closest."
Steve immediately pointed back. "No. I wasn't. Besides, aren't you the one in the fancy armor with all sorts of gadgets?"
Spidermonkey chimed in. "And you were literally aiming repulsors at him."
"I was also looking at the giant flying aircraft that suddenly appeared over my head," defended Iron Man. "Wasp literally had an arrow to her face. There's no way she should have not seen him move."
Wasp glared as the others gave slight nods at that logic.
"You know what?" she said. "Everybody looked up because of S.H.I.E.L.D. It's on them. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Captain America said immediately.
Spidermonkey shrugged. "I'm game."
Tony pointed directly upward. "Yup. This one's on S.H.I.E.L.D."
The transport settled into the alley. Its side hatch opened and Agent Quartermain stepped out alongside a squad of armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Tony rounded on him instantly. "You just let your own traitor get away. Next time S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to help, don't."
Quartermain didn't even care. "Let him go for now. We didn't come for Hawkeye, Iron-Man. We came for you and your team. We need your help."
Everyone shared looks. Whatever this was, it was big enough that S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't handle it alone. Last time, it was the global breakout. Hopefully it wasn't that serious.
Nevada
The Avengers returned to Avengers Mansion and quickly geared up for deployment. Within the hour, they had loaded into the Quinjet and lifted off from Manhattan, falling into formation behind two S.H.I.E.L.D. fighter jets.
Hours later, the bright skyline of New York was replaced by the endless Nevada desert below. The Avengers had followed their escorts deeper into the western United States.
Thor stood near the rear ramp. Wasp sat near one of the side benches. Captain America watched the area ahead while Spidermonkey sat across from Hulk.
The giant had been tense ever since they crossed into Nevada airspace. Hulk looked genuinely uneasy, and Ben recognized it immediately. If he had to guess, they were approaching the place where he'd first met Bruce Banner.
Tony finally broke the silence. "Why don't you tell us what's going on?"
Iron Man leaned forward in his seat toward Quartermain.
"Fury drags us across the country, gives us zero details, disappears completely, and somehow that's supposed to make me feel better?"
Quartermain remained rigid near the loading ramp.
"Even if I knew where Nick Fury was, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be at liberty to tell you, Iron-Man."
Tony threw his hands up.
"See? This. This is exactly the problem. S.H.I.E.L.D. always waits until the absolute last second to tell anybody important information."
"Maybe because it's important," Steve said, looking up from his tablet.
Tony turned toward him. "Oh, come on."
"I'm serious. If Fury called all of us in, then whatever we're heading toward is bigger than a normal S.H.I.E.L.D. operation."
"Or he's being Fury."
"Those aren't mutually exclusive."
A few snickers came from Wasp and Ben.
Steve ignored them. "Fury wouldn't ask the Avengers for help unless something has already gone wrong."
Thor nodded. "The Captain speaks wisely."
Tony crossed his arms. "You're giving him a lot of credit."
"It's the benefit of the doubt." Steve gestured toward the desert. "So let's see what's waiting for us before we decide Fury's the problem."
Tony sighed dramatically. "Fine. Benefit of the doubt."
Quartermain didn't react. "As for what's going on, it's simpler if you just see it yourself."
The giant repeatedly flexed his hands, opening and closing his fists as tension rolled off him. After several moments, Hulk finally spoke. "Hulk already knows where going."
Everyone turned toward him.
Before anyone could ask what he meant, Captain America suddenly looked toward the cockpit window. "Look, on the horizon."
The Quinjet crested over a rocky ridge.
Wasp's eyes widened first. "The Cube..."
The ruined super-prison emerged in the distance. Or rather, what was left of it. Massive sections of the facility had collapsed inward after the Breakout. Entire walls were torn open. But the prison itself wasn't the worst part.
A gigantic glowing green dome surrounded the entire complex. The air around it warped like heatwaves while green lightning flickered across its surface.
Thor stepped toward the cockpit windows, eyes narrowing. "What manner of sorcery is this?"
Tony simply stared. "No way," he muttered.
Hulk looked openly furious now.
Ben frowned. "S.H.I.E.L.D. never fixed this after the Breakout? It's been weeks."
"Hulk thinks Fury ignored problem til now."
The Quinjet descended toward a fortified perimeter outside the dome. S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel kept their distance from the glowing field.
The rear ramp lowered.
Tony immediately activated a full armor scan. "JARVIS, tell me that's not what I think it is."
"Radiation levels exceed projected tolerances, sir," JARVIS replied. "Analysis incomplete."
Tony stared at the readings scrolling across his HUD. "Wow. It's-"
"Pure gamma radiation," Hulk interrupted.
Everyone looked toward him.
Hulk stared directly at the glowing dome. "Banner studied gamma for years. Hulk knows what gamma feels like. The entire dome is gamma radiation."
That statement unsettled everyone.
Within the Omnitrix, the Azmuth AI automatically begun recording the radiation the moment Ben entered range.
The AI folded its arms as the analysis continued. "This is not ordinary gamma radiation."
Once again, the readings were unlike anything it had cataloged before.
The Omnitrix highlighted several unusual traits and began comparing them against existing samples they had already collected from Bruce Banner, the Hulk, and several lesser gamma-mutated organisms. Much like the data from the strange cube from AIM, there was some sort of extra-dimensional properties to it.
The Azmuth construct dismissed the display with a gesture. "Try not to get yourself killed, Benjamin." The sampling process continued automatically as the Avengers approached.
Ben stared at the dome for another second before raising a hand.
"Uh, quick question."
Everyone looked at him.
"If that thing is literally made of gamma radiation, should everyone standing out here without protection like a giant suit of armor be worried?"
Tony immediately pointed at him. "Thank you. Finally, someone asks the important question." Tony looked toward Hulk. "You got anything?"
Hulk just continued staring at the dome.
Tony sighed and pulled up several holographic models from his armor. "Okay, then science time." A rotating image of the dome appeared above his gauntlet. "Normally, radiation disperses and eventually drops below dangerous levels."
He enlarged the model. Streams of green energy appeared around the hologram, only to curve back into the dome instead of escaping.
"The dome is being generated in a way that prevents the dispersion of the energy waves. Every gamma particle that should be bleeding off into the atmosphere is getting redirected back into the field."
The hologram brightened.
"Instead of weakening, the radiation keeps circulating through the structure. It's basically a self-contained gamma storm."
Wasp frowned. "That sounds incredibly dangerous."
Tony zoomed in on several sections of the dome."And whatever's maintaining it is doing so with absurd efficiency. The field is retaining almost everything."
Wasp slowly looked between Hulk and the dome.
"You know what, I kind of like this," she muttered. "This is way cooler than studying vibranium."
The Avengers were still staring at the Gamma dome when a tall man in a torn lab coat approached from the nearby command tents.
He was impossible to miss.
Broad-shouldered and physically imposing, the man looked like he'd spent the last several months lifting trucks instead of weights. Long green hair hung past his shoulders while faint gamma-green veins pulsed beneath his skin.
Wasp blinked. "Why does that man have green hair?"
Ben glanced sideways at her. "Uh... I feel like that's not the weirdest thing here right now."
The man stopped the moment he saw Hulk. His face immediately lit up. "Bruce er... Hulk!"
Tony narrowed his eyes in recognition. "You're Dr. Leonard Samson, right?"
Before anyone could react, Doc Samson immediately walked up and hugged Hulk tightly.
The Avengers froze.
Wasp stared openly. "...Okay, that is not what I expected."
Captain America looked between the two of them. "You know him?"
Hulk awkwardly patted Samson once on the back. "Uh... yes."
Samson finally stepped back. "He saved my life during the Breakout. Gamma flooded half the facility. Hulk carried me out before the place collapsed."
Ben blinked. "Seriously?"
"I would be dead if not for him," Samson said.
Thor nodded approvingly. "A noble deed indeed, Hulk."
Wasp floated closer with a grin. "Aw, see? Hulk's a big green softie."
Hulk crossed his arms. "Hulk not softie."
Samson's smile faded slightly.
"Before the Breakout, Bruce was right about one thing," he said. "The Cube was a disaster waiting to happen."
"Hulk also wanted Samson stop trying cure Hulk."
A few Avengers glanced between them.
Samson rubbed the back of his neck. "Fair."
Hulk pointed an accusing finger at him. "Samson always wants fix Hulk."
"Because I was worried about you."
"Hulk didn't ask."
"No, you didn't."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Samson sighed. "Look, if you and Banner can actually live peacefully in society, maybe I won't have to."
That got everyone's attention.
Samson looked directly at Hulk. "You've changed. Both of you have. You're working with the Avengers. You're helping people."
Hulk looked away.
Samson continued. "If you and Banner can build a life without destroying yourselves or everyone around you..." He shrugged. "Then maybe there isn't anything to cure."
Hulk was quiet for several seconds.
Finally he muttered, "Banner still annoying."
Samson laughed.
Wasp smiled. "Aw. That's actually kind of sweet."
Tony pointed toward the command center. "Touching reunion aside, does someone want to tell us what's going on?"
The group entered the nearby mobile command center while Samson activated a large monitor. Grainy surveillance footage filled the screen.
"This is video from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s incursion into the Cube after the Breakout," Samson explained.
The footage showed Hulkbuster units and armed S.H.I.E.L.D. teams advancing through the glowing Gamma dome.
"The staff and S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel were all accounted for, but the prisoners... they were another matter."
Something massive suddenly crashed through the smoke and ripped apart a Hulkbuster.
Captain America leaned forward. "What was that?"
Samson's expression darkened. "Emil Blonsky. The Abomination. Strong as the Hulk, twice as mean, and with military training."
Hulk grimaced at the screen. "Hate Abomination."
Onscreen, Abomination hurled another Hulkbuster into a wall.
Samson nodded grimly. "His real name is Emil Blonsky. Before all this, he was one of the British SAS's best operatives."
Captain America looked toward the monitor. "I'm familiar with them."
Samson brought up an older personnel file beside the footage. "Blonsky volunteered for an experiment that combined a dose of gamma radiation with an imperfect version of the Super Soldier Serum."
Steve's eyes widened. "An imperfect version of the serum?"
Samson nodded. "The same research that eventually transformed Bruce Banner into the Hulk was used in the process."
Captain America stared at the file for a long moment. "They tried to recreate the Super Soldier Serum? Why would they still be trying to recreate the serum?"
Iron Man huffed. "For weapons of course. They already used my tech for their own weapons."
Spidermonkey coughed into his fist. "Hulkbusters..."
"Again, I was misled!"
Steve looked toward the image of Abomination on the screen, disgust evident in his voice. "And they turned a soldier into that?"
Samson gave a slow nod.
"It seems I have some words to have with Fury, Tony."
Tony grinned. "Damn, right."
Wasp stared at the screen. "That's not terrifying at all."
Samson continued. "The one advantage he retained was his mind. Unlike most gamma mutations, Blonsky kept his intelligence, military training, and self-control. And unlike Bruce, he can't change back. Abomination is his permanent state."
Hulk let out an annoyed growl. "Abomination always blames Banner."
Samson nodded. "Because from Blonsky's perspective, Banner ruined his life."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure the guy volunteered for the experiment."
Wasp raised a brow. "Yeah, pretty sure Bruce/Hulk was away from them at the time."
Samson agreed. "But after the transformation, Blonsky couldn't accept responsibility for what happened. Blonsky sees Banner and the Hulk as the source of everything he became."
Steve frowned at the soldier's behavior. "Even though he was the one who signed up for it."
Samson pointed at the screen. "Doesn't matter. Given his gamma-spawned origins, Blonsky blames his condition on Banner and Hulk."
Steve thought back to what he was told about the serum. "The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great, bad becomes worse."
Hulk folded his arms tighter. "Must be why Abomination never stops whining."
"He's not the problem, though," Samson warned.
The footage continued. The Gamma dome suddenly exploded outward from the Cube in a massive green wave.
"The energy dome exploded outward from the Cube and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team was caught inside it." Samson lowered his voice. "And then this happened."
The radiation wave swallowed the S.H.I.E.L.D. team whole as armor plating buckled, bodies distorted, and terrified personnel transformed into monstrous Gamma creatures right in front of the camera.
Spidermonkey stared at the footage. "Okay, that is nightmare fuel."
Wasp shook her head. "Nope. Absolutely nope. Cut it."
The footage ended.
Samson brought up holographic projections showing the dome slowly spreading across Nevada. "The dome is expanding with no sign of stopping."
Additional projections spread across the holographic display, mapping nearby towns, highways, and eventually Las Vegas directly in the dome's projected path.
"At this rate, it will hit a town in the next six hours."
The projection expanded farther.
"A major city in eight."
Captain America's expression hardened. "Who's responsible for this?"
Another image appeared on the monitor. A massive green-headed man. "Samuel Sterns. The Leader. A gamma-irradiated villain." Samson folded his arms. "As strong as the Hulk is, the Leader is intelligent."
Hulk's expression darkened further. "Leader not always Leader."
Samson nodded. "Before the accident, Samuel Sterns was a menial laborer. A janitor working in the same laboratory where Bruce Banner was conducting gamma research."
Several Avengers looked surprised.
"He was exposed during a gamma accident," Samson continued. "But unlike Banner, the radiation affected him in a completely different way."
Hulk grunted. "Banner became Hulk."
"And Sterns became a genius," Samson said. "A superhuman one."
The monitor shifted to old personnel records and photographs of Sterns before his mutation.
"Banner was already one of the most brilliant scientists on Earth. Sterns wasn't. By all accounts he was an ordinary man with limited education and little scientific training." Samson tapped the screen. "Gamma radiation rewired his brain. It enhanced everything. Intuition. Pattern recognition. Information storage and retrieval. Logical and philosophical reasoning."
Tony's expression slowly became less amused. "How enhanced are we talking?"
Samson gave him a look. "His ability to predict probable outcomes of tactical and strategic scenarios is so advanced that some people have compared it to clairvoyance." That got everyone's attention. "He can look at a situation and calculate likely outcomes faster than most supercomputers," Samson continued.
Spidermonkey sighed. 'Great. Another Dr. Psychobos or Albedo...'
"It gets worse," Hulk muttered.
Samson ignored him. "He's particularly dangerous when it comes to genetic engineering and manipulating radiation. If there's a way to mutate, enhance, alter, weaponize, or mass-produce something using gamma energy, Sterns can probably figure it out."
Thor frowned. "And what drives such a being?"
Hulk snorted. "Leader thinks everyone stupid."
Samson sighed. "Unfortunately, that's not far from the truth. Once Sterns gained his intelligence, he came to a conclusion. Given how brilliant he believed himself to be, there was only one logical answer."
Captain America already knew where this was going.
Samson folded his arms. "He decided he should rule the world."
Tony groaned louder than before. "Oh good. Megalomaniacal radioactive super-genius. Exactly what we needed."
Samson brought up additional files displaying Abomination, Absorbing Man, and Zzzax side-by-side across the monitor.
"As far as we know, the Leader's inside, most likely with a mess of Gamma villains."
Samson pointed toward the files. "The Abomination. The Absorbing Man. Zzzax." He looked toward the ruined Cube outside. "They were all inside the Cube when the Breakout occurred."
Quartermain finally stepped forward. "We want the Avengers to go into the Cube."
Tony laughed before stopping. He pointed at Quartermain. "Oh wait. You're serious. Let me laugh even harder." Tony threw his head back and barked out an exaggerated laugh.
Steve folded his arms. "Tony..."
"What? We're talking about walking into a giant radioactive death bubble full of gamma monsters and supervillains."
"Yes," Quartermain said flatly. "That's exactly what we're talking about. If that dome reaches a populated area, thousands could die."
Everyone grimaced at the reality of the situation.
Hulk slowly clenched his fists. "Hulk hates this place."