While the Avengers meet in Tony Stark’s mansion, the Space Phantom lands in New York City. Planning to destroy the Avengers and pave the way for an alien invasion, he invades Avengers’ HQ. The Hulk confronts the Space Phantom, who takes on the Hulk’s form, sending the Hulk to Limbo. As the Hulk, the Space Phantom incites the remaining Avengers into fighting, seeking to break up the team, then smashes out of the mansion. While on the streets of NYC, he is approached by Rick, who wants the Hulk to accompany him to Bruce Banner’s private lab. When Rick realizes it isn’t really the Hulk, the Space Phantom/Hulk leaps away. Rick contacts Iron Man, Giant-Man and Wasp, and they battle the Space Phantom, thinking they’re fighting the Hulk. The Space Phantom becomes Iron Man and then Giant-Man, hoping to confuse the Avengers. When Wasp alerts Thor, who joins the fray, the Space Phantom attempts to take Thor’s form. Since his powers only work on mortals, he finds himself banished to Limbo, seemingly forever. Upset at what he perceives as hatred from the other Avengers, Hulk leaps away, vowing to act alone from now on.
Hulk quits the Avengers at the end of this story. AvFo #8, ’99 reveals that the Space Phantom is not an alien, but a resident of Limbo, here sent by Immortus to break up the fledgling Avengers, and programmed to believe himself an extraterrestrial invader lest he be caught and interrogated; it also reveals that he returned to face the Avengers in Av #10, ’64 as Immortus’ servant “Hercules.” Here only seen as a couple of interior rooms, Tony Stark’s mansion officially becomes Avengers Mansion as of Av #38, ’67. Giant-Man’s growth pills replace his gas canisters as of this issue. OMIAv #1, ’94 identifies the cover inker to be Sol Brodsky, not Dick Ayers. Following Hulk’s resignation, the complete Avengers roster will work together only twice more after this issue: in Av #5, ’64, where Hulk is tricked into helping out the team, and Av #100, ’72, featuring all past and present members, even the often-absent Hulk and Swordsman. Other than those two occasions, after this there will always be one or more members missing from team gatherings for various reasons.
