Avengers, The (1963 series) #51

Hulk does not encounter the Avengers. Events take place concurrently with Tales to Astonish #101.

An editorial comment when Collector snares Thor refers to him just having got his powers back. This would refer to Thor #152, published in the same month. However the various Avengers Indexes place this issue after Thor #142, just before the saga wherein he loses his powers. Collector's monitor shows Cap and Black Panther battling the minions of a fake Baron Zemo in Wakanda in Tales of Suspense #99, Hulk at the beginning of Tales to Astonish #101 where Loki has sent him to Asgard, and Iron Man having just escaped from AIM in Iron Man #1. At then end of the issue Cap contacts the Avengers from Wakanda to propose Black Panther as his replacement. All the Avengers agree including Iron Man and Thor. This immediately follows the end of Captain America #100 where Cap asked Panther to become an Avenger. Collector made a previous attempt to collect Avengers in #28. In between other collecting activities he will make another attempt on the Avengers in #119, and then he'll begin his most serious collecting phase in #168, as part of my favourite Avengers sequence the Korvac/Michael saga. During that story he will reveal that he has been trying to collect Avengers to preserve as many as he can from the massacre in #177.

The Avengers have been reduced to 3 active members Goliath, Hawkeye and Wasp by the events of the last 4 issues. Captain America resigned in #47, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch rejoined Magneto in #49, and Hercules returned to Olympus last issue. On top of that Goliath lost the power to grow in #48 (though he can still shrink). Wasp is wearing the costume she had on in #45. (Well even a millionairess sometimes wears the same clothes twice.) At least that's what she's initially wearing, but she spends most of this issue in a bikini. Like most of her clothing it is specially treated to shrink with her. Goliath too has a new costume (not the old one on the cover). It's supposed to be to protect him during experiments to restore his growth power. But he continues to wear it after this issue. Collector also tries to use Thor's power to restore Goliath's power, because he doesn't want a flawed Avenger in his collection. It appears not to work, but a handy delayed reaction has Goliath growing in time for battle near the end of the issue. And when the dust has settled Iron Man stabilises the effect. Goliath can now grow up to 25 feet for up to 15 minutes. This brings him back to his status when he returned to the Avengers in #28. But remember that there he got stuck at giant-size when he exceeded the 15 minute limit.