is how I have joked I would describe "ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN", but within it, Josh Fine, Chris Yost and their team of writers manage to accomplish the unthinkable - making hack work written by Jeph Loeb in the comics work. Much as the current Skrull story manages to merge two Marvel Comics stories into one, so does this episode which merges the appearance of the Red Hulk with Geoff Johns' "RED ZONE", an Avengers story from 2003 during his brief stint writing some Marvel Comics at the start of the 21st century (before DC locked him up). Once one knows that, the episode's title and storyline are far more creative than it seems.
This episode pays homage to the "Cap's Kooky Quartet" era in the 1960's AVENGERS comics, although the Maximoff Twins are replaced by Wasp and Hulk, and "Captain America" is really a Skrull imposter (and has been since the end of Season 1). General "Thunderbolt" Ross and his lacky Glenn Talbot, along with Doc Samson, have a meeting with Maria Hill and SHIELD to try to claim their sample of Hulk blood for their own Hulkbuster purposes. They refuse, but a SHIELD spy (who isn't a Skrull for once) manages to steal it anyway and inject it into a willing host, who quickly transforms into a Red Hulk. Rulk proceeds to tear up the Helicarrier, which is terrible timing for the real Hulk as this is one of the few days in which he allows Bruce Banner to "come out" and fish, much to Hawkeye's chagrin. Before long, however, it soon morphs into a conspiracy to capture Bruce Banner with "red" themed characters when the Falcon bursts into Avengers Mansion for an abduction attempt. It all comes to a climax between Rulk and the Avengers in the same section of the docks where Thor fought the Wrecking Crew during the micro-episodes (or in "THOR THE MIGHTY"), and then where the team first assembled against Graviton in the official pilot ("THE BREAK-OUT, PARTS 1-2").
Since the Leader was involved in the creation of Rulk in the comics, and because he was terrifically cast and written in "GAMMA WORLD", I half expected him to appear here. He didn't, but his replacement as mastermind of the "red" plot proved more than suitable. Naturally, the "capture Banner" plan goes to pot when Rulk succumbs to his vendetta against the Hulk and triggers a showdown, which doesn't end well for him. The shield "spy" turns out to be the Winter Soldier. His identity isn't revealed but comic fans know that's Bucky, who was accidentally brought through time from the 1940's into the present (or at least the modern era) by Cap via the Cosmic Cube in "HAIL HYDRA". It was that act which may wind up unraveling time, which was what Kang sought to prevent in "KANG DYNASTY". The rest of the episode plays out as one would expect, which isn't a complaint. Hawkeye and Wasp get some of the best lines in the episode. The Hulk's key advantage in this series isn't mindless strength, but the fact that he's made friends he can trust to have his back. The battle between the Hulks is pretty good although the animators clearly struggled to keep the burly fighters on model.
The one hiccup in the episode is confusing Red Hulk for Hulk in terms of charging Banner with his crimes. Wasp attempts to "lampshade" the color difference to Hill, and she retorts the fact that he "started out gray" according to rumor. It did remind of this awful moment in the 90's "SPIDER-MAN: TAS" when a news reporter confused Morbius for Spider-Man based on the sheer virtue of Morbius standing on a building's ledge, although it was nowhere near that absurd. The fugitive status of Banner and the Hulk was always a tricky wicket for the team, and without SHIELD's permission and Iron Man's resources there was little way to keep Banner from being apprehended. The episode also seems to pile on two mastermind schemes coming at once. While the episode's events are a "happy accident" to the Skrull-Cap in removing the Hulk from the Avengers (the only one of them left with a lot of sheer power), the "red crew" all report to Dell Rusk. While I won't give it all away for those who don't know from the comics or just by rearranging letters, Dell Rusk was voiced by Steve Blum, who voiced at least one red themed villain in this series already. It is odd seeing morally upstanding types like Doc Samson and Falcon working for him, but if they genuinely believe he's the Sec. of Defense they could be under orders to. I do like how the series manages to divide factions of characters like the real Marvel Universe does. There're Avengers, SHIELD agents, former SHIELD agents, SWORD, and U.S. Military types (in addition to independents like Iron Man and Luke Cage).
Lance Reddick voices Falcon, Jon Curry voices Winter Soldier and Cam Clarke reprises his role as Doc Samson. The former two don't have enough lines to make a major impression but they sound and look cool. This is certainly a better appearance for Falcon in animation than his starring role in "AVENGERS: UNITED THEY STAND" in 1999. Fred Tatasciore voices both Hulk and Rulk, which keeps the mystery alive for those who don't know who he is, and probably allowed Fred some fun voicing an "evil Hulk". Oh, and one could catch that one SHIELD agent was named "O'Grady", as in Eric O'Grady, the third Ant-Man.
I can't stand Rulk - not even Jeff Parker can get me to read his series. Yet this episode manages to handle him in a way in which he's hardly the greatest nemesis the Avengers have ever battled, but he's far from their worst. It reminded me a little of "PATRIOT ACT" from "JLU" where you have an embittered general inject himself with "serum" and basically become the monster he fights against, only this episode doesn't include annoying kids and a lecture from bystanders. In the end of course it all flows into the Skrull invasion subplot, which feeds directly into the next episode.