A
mysterious tribunal holds an inquest on the Defenders and their recent
activities.
An
agent reports how his surveillance team saw Valkyrie and Hellcat arrive at the
devastated Riding Academy in their search for the Hulk. They spotted the spies
and pursued them and a fight broke out in which Aragorn was injured and Hellcat
blinded by a flare pistol. The agent concludes that the Defenders are
antisocial and dangerous….
The
agent is then asked about the Hulk, also the subject of his team’s
surveillance. The agents located the Hulk sitting under an overpass of the I-80
in New Jersey; he fell asleep and transformed back into Bruce Banner. The New
Jersey National Guard was called in and they attempted to subdue him with sleep
gas but the soldier tripped, wakening Banner, who panicked and went all Green
again. A cable was looped over his foot and he was pulled into the air by a
helicopter; Hulk jerked the copter out of the sky and smashed all the military
vehicles in sight before leaping off….
The
next witness is Jack Norriss, called because of his familiarity with the early
history of the Defenders. Jack explains how he is married to Barbara Norriss,
whose body is currently occupied by Valkyrie. He rehearses his conflicts with the
non-team and his dismissal, his capture by SHIELD and his recapture by Scorpio,
the phony Nick Fury. Jack is then halted and another witness called….
A
female surveillance operative plays a recording secretly made at Kyle
Richmond’s penthouse: Valkyrie and Hellcat examining the state of their
clothing after the encounter with the agents are interrupted by Kyle Richmond
who asks if there is any word on the Hulk. As if by magic, there is a radio
report about the Hulk’s battle with the National Guard near the Meadowlands
Sports Complex. They flew out to help Hulk which is interpreted as a conscious
decision to break the law….
The
next witness is Buzz Baxter, Patsy Walker’s ex-husband who relates how she
became Hellcat, wrecking their marriage. Jack Norriss intervenes, questioning
the government’s methods of dispensing justice. He is informed that the
tribunal is not “the government” and Jack is put to sleep by psychic
manipulation….
The
next witnesses are the Mutant Force, former bad guys now working with the US
Army. They were sent to the Sports Complex to help capture Hulk and everything
went crazy. Val and HC arrived to rescue Hulk in an air-car but Hulk knocked
them out of the air. Burner of the Mutant Force surrounded Hulk’s head with
fire, burning up the oxygen and causing him to pass out, becoming Bruce Banner
again. Val held off the Mutants while HC recovered Bruce and they took off.…
Jack
Norriss awakens and objects loudly to the tribunal’s obvious prejudice against
the Defenders, demanding they have the opportunity to defend themselves. Jack
is informed that he is not being held against his will and he is directed to a
door should he wish to leave. He walks out and finds himself in an alley as the
door behind him vanishes. He can warn the Defenders…but about what....?