Chapter Summaries

Mark intervened when the National Guard prepared to seize Tony Stark’s armor, warning the government to leave Tony alone. The threat was called off, and the next morning Natasha revealed she was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and invited Tony to meet her director.

• Alice alerted Mark that the National Guard was mobilizing against Tony, so Mark flew to Tony’s estate.
• Rhodey went to the armor warehouse intending to take an older suit, but found Mark there in Superman’s appearance.
• Mark told Rhodey to warn the authorities that Tony was under his protection, and Rhodey relayed the warning to Blake.
• Declan consulted Congress, and the government canceled its plans against Tony rather than confront Superman.
• Tony learned Rhodey had planned to surrender a suit and that Mark’s intervention had stopped the National Guard.
• Natasha revealed she worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., and Tony fired her before asking to meet her director.

Nick Fury tried to recruit Tony Stark by offering S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help with Congress and Tony's palladium poisoning, but Tony revealed those problems were already being addressed. Tony agreed to join the Avengers as a provisional member, and Fury informed Congress that S.H.I.E.L.D. would protect him.

• Natasha brought Tony to meet Nick Fury at a doughnut shop, where Fury offered to help with Congress pressuring Tony to surrender his Mecha.
• Tony told Nick Fury that Superman had already intervened, so Congress would no longer pursue the Mecha.
• Nick Fury revealed that Howard had helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. and offered to send Tony his father's research to help with palladium poisoning.
• Tony told Nick Fury that he had already found a replacement element, then asked what joining the Avengers would involve.
• Nick Fury explained the Avengers' duties and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protection, and Tony agreed to join as a provisional member.
• Nick Fury contacted senior Congressional leaders through the World Security Council and told them Tony was under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protection.

Tony discovered that Howard's model city encoded the structure of the new element Mark had identified, while Banner decided to go to Culver University to see Betty before her engagement. General Ross prepared Emil Blonsky to undergo a Gamma Radiation Human Enhancement Experiment so he could gain the power to fight Hulk.

• Tony told Mark he had joined the Avengers, and Mark warned him not to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. too much.
• Tony watched Howard's videotape and had JARVIS compare the model city with known patterns, revealing it matched the structure of the new element.
• Banner told Mark that Betty was getting engaged to Leonard Samson and asked to visit her; Mark warned him it could be a trap but granted him access to the Alien Spaceship.
• Banner flew the Alien Spaceship toward Culver University to see Betty.
• Emil Blonsky volunteered for Ross's Gamma Radiation Human Enhancement Experiment, seeking power to avenge the soldiers Hulk had killed.

Banner returned to Culver University, where seeing Betty with Leonard stirred his anger and grief. After Betty recognized him and chased him down, they reunited in the rain, leaving her to end her engagement to Leonard.

• Ross ordered Emil to receive the Super-Soldier Serum and prepared troops to capture Banner after learning he had appeared at Culver University.
• Banner visited the campus and saw Betty with Leonard, then hid before his anger could overtake him.
• Ross ordered the operation to capture Banner for the next day and noted that Emil had not yet completed the serum experiment.
• Banner went to Stern's house to ask for help with the Hulk but saw Betty and Leonard arrive, so he tried to leave.
• Betty recognized Banner and chased him with Leonard until they caught up with him in the rain.
• Banner and Betty embraced and kissed, and Betty apologized to Leonard because she could no longer marry him.

Banner and Betty reunited on campus, but General Ross's forces surrounded Banner and drove him to transform into Hulk. Hulk defeated Ross's soldiers and Emil, then calmed when Betty approached him.

• Leonard drove Banner and Betty to Betty's home, and the next day they reminisced while walking around campus.
• Mark warned Banner that General Ross had brought soldiers to surround Culver University, so Banner ran toward the hill where he had parked the Alien Spaceship.
• Ross ordered soldiers to restrain Betty and use tear gas on Banner, but Banner transformed into Hulk and began destroying the military vehicles and attacking the troops.
• Ross sent Emil to fight Hulk and used sonic weapons to bring him down, but Hulk grew stronger, destroyed the weapons, and sent Emil flying with a kick.
• Betty broke free and ran toward Hulk, who calmed when he saw her.