Synopsis / Summary / Plot
While on a visit to a space station to celebrate Shannon Elizabeth's birthday, Tony Stark gives an interview to Larry King about the big plans for the Ultimates. Meanwhile, Janet Pym takes Steve Rogers on a shopping trip to get him used to the new century. A publicity event for the Ultimates falls flat when only Giant Man shows up and Betty Ross takes out her frustration on Bruce Banner, mocking him for his failure to recreate the Super-Soldier Serum. Later, Nick Fury and Bruce head to Norway to recruit Thor for the team but Thor refuses to work for the military-industrial complex which he sees as his enemy. An angry Bruce calls him a delusional crackpot who only thinks he's the God of Thunder; Thor responds by ridiculing Bruce's jealousy of the Pyms and creates a thunderstorm to prove his claims. Weeks later, while the team members are speculating on who they would like to play them in a movie, Bruce walks in on his teammates making fun of him and storms out. Later he phones Betty at the restaurant where she is dining with Freddie Prinze Jr. to tell her he has injected himself with the Hulk serum to create a newsworthy menace for the new superteam but primarily because he missed being big. Bruce turns into the Hulk in an ambulance and heads off to kill Freddie, and the Ultimates suit up to face their first big challenge.