The conclusion of the Avengers story arc "World War She-Hulk" results in a major transformation for Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk. Avengers #50 is a landmark issue, also serving as the Legacy Issue #750 of the Marvel title. While it sets up some exciting new storylines for Earth's Mightiest Heroes — such as an exploration of the multiverse in the spinoff series Avengers Forever — it also wraps up She-Hulk's journey as a double agent infiltrating Russia's evil Winter Guard. She-Hulk has broken her Red Room brainwashing and helped save an attack on the underwater nation of Atlantis, though it left her on the brink of death.
WARNING: Spoilers for Avengers #50 below. The Winter Guard's Red Widow attempted to use She-Hulk as a scapegoat in her plans to attack Atlantis. Thankfully, She-Hulk turned the tide and absorbed 68 megatons of a gamma-powered warhead. She may get her powers from gamma like her cousin Bruce Banner, but that's still a massive amount of radiation for She-Hulk to try and contain. Jennifer makes it back to Avengers Mountain, but doesn't give her teammates a chance to help her before she explodes. To make matters worse, Avengers Mountain — the Celestial home of the team — was poisoned and rendered offline by Gorilla-Man, who was secretly working for the Winter Guard. So that was one more obstacle stopping the Avengers from saving She-Hulk.
However, She-Hulk appears to have a plan of her own. She retreats into her subconscious, where she has a memory of interacting with a Final Host Celestial, which gave her new powers at the beginning of Aaron's Avengers run. She-Hulk quietly thanks the Celestial and agrees to help fix it, which she does by finding a secluded area of its body to expel her extra gamma radiation. This move helps to rid the infection in Avengers Mountain, bringing it back online. Another side effect is She-Hulk, who had grown to an enormous size, is back to her stunning, natural self.
In the aftermath, Jennifer Walters returns to her life as a lawyer to clear her name in a Russian courtroom. Winter Guard member Dmitri Bukharin, the Crimson Dynamo, is called as a witness to She-Hulk's good deeds on the battlefield. She-Hulk is now taking time off from the Avengers to get her personal life back in order, setting the stage for a new solo ongoing series from writer Rainbow Rowell (Runaways) and Rogê Antônio (Hellions), set to debut in January 2022.
"She-Hulk is the best of the best," Rowell said in a statement when Marvel announced the series. "She's smart, she's funny—and she's really and truly heroic (all that and she has the best hair in comics). Jen has always been at the top of my Marvel wishlist, and I'm thrilled to be writing her next chapter."
"I'm very excited and feel honored to be a part of this exciting new phase of She-Hulk," Antônio said. "Working with Rainbow Rowell has been inspiring and it's amazing how she lets her passion for the character shine through on every page. I hope the fans have as much fun reading as I'm having illustrating these new adventures."
What do you think of She-Hulk's new transformation? And how excited are you for her new series? Let your thoughts be heard in the comments!
