Ep 12. Gamma World, Part 1

The episode opens with Bruce Banner, who is in hiding in a remote wilderness area. He manages to escape from the government’s radar and starts his work as a scientist once again. In the meantime, General Ross and his team trace Banner’s whereabouts and launch a massive attack on his hideout to capture him.

As Banner senses the imminent danger, he uses his latest invention, an advanced gamma machine, to transfer the Hulk's powers into a small container. The experiment has unintended consequences that create a massive energy wave that affects New York and transforms the entire city into a gamma-infested space.

The Avengers, as usual, spring into action to investigate the wave and its effects on the city. They land in the affected area and discover that people are mutating into monsters with incredible strength, intelligence, and abilities. None of the team's powers work properly in the gamma-infected environment, which adds more complexity to the mission.

The team makes contact with Bruce Banner, who reveals he is the only hope for reversing the wave's effects. However, he lost his gamma machine in the attack, and the team is forced to search for it in the gamma-filled ruins of New York. While searching for the machine, the Avengers encounter various entities like the gamma-empowered Leader and his minion, the Absorbing Man.

The Absorbing Man proves too much for the Avengers, including Thor, who is captured and drained of his strength. The team rescues Thor, and together they engage in a fierce fight with the Absorbing Man. Iron Man manages to disable the Absorbing Man by electrocuting him, allowing them to retrieve the gamma machine.

As they try to leave, a group of mutated creatures and the Leader appear, threatening the team. The Leader attempts to overpower them with his mental abilities, putting Hulk and Black Panther under his control, making things more complicated. The episode ends with Captain America suggesting a desperate plan to defeat the villains and restore New York to its original state.

Overall, Gamma World, Part 1 is a high-energy episode that marks the introduction of gamma-empowered or mutated villains in the series. It sets up the plotline for the next episodes and highlights the challenges that come with fighting in an environment where their powers don't work correctly. Additionally, it shows the strengths and weaknesses of each Avenger as they work together to save New York and themselves.