For five episodes, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has been a Marvel series in search of a supervillain. Now, in the same episode where Titania proves she’s definitely noone’s nemesis, She-Hulk finally delivered a villain we can work with: Intelligencia.
But who are the Intelligencia in Marvel’s comics? And what does their introduction here mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let’s dive in. Spoilers ahead for She-Hulk Episode 6.
She-Hulk Episode 6 explained
After last week’s Daredevil teaser, She-Hulk Episode 6 takes a somewhat disappointing turn, sending Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk off to a wedding for her high school frenemy Lulu (Pattie Harrison) while her colleagues are left to deal with a lawsuit against one Mr. Immortal (we’ll have more on him in another article).
However, the two plotlines intersect when She-Hulk’s coworkers discover a 4chan-esque website called Intelligencia where people are sharing mean memes about the green-skinned superhero — and maybe plotting to murder her too.
The episode then ends with the reveal of some sort of high-tech organization behind the Intelligencia website, which seems to be plotting to steal She-Hulk’s blood after that failed attempt earlier in the season. Meanwhile, Jen is hitting it off with a guy named Josh at the wedding who may or may not actually be a member of Intelligencia with the username “HulkKing.”
But let’s zoom out for a second. What is Intelligencia and what does its introduction here potentially mean for the future of the MCU?
Intelligence and Marvel
The Intelligencia was originally introduced in the 2009 comic Fall of the Hulks by Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier. It’s a team-up of the smartest supervillains in the Marvel universe, which at the time included both M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader.
Intelligencia’s most notable achievement is likely the creation of Red Hulk. The group needed a weapon to counter the Hulk, so they convinced General Ross to undergo the transformation. It didn’t exactly work out, however, and Red Hulk ended up draining the Leader of his powers.
If you recognize some of these names as being important to the future of the MCU, you’re not wrong. In fact, the Intelligencia could play a crucial role in setting up at least two major Marvel movies.
The Intelligencia and the MCU
The group’s two figureheads — M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader — are both set to play prominent roles in the MCU’s near future. We know that M.O.D.O.K. will appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (possibly played by Corey Stoll, Bill Murray, or even Jim Carrey). We also know that the Leader (who first appeared in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk as portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson) will be the primary villain of Captain America: New World Order.
It’s very possible She-Hulk could introduce two of the most important villains in Marvel’s Phase 5, but even more exciting, it could kick off the Hulk’s next adventure.
She-Hulk seems to be setting up a highly-anticipated Hulk plotline, starting with Bruce Banner’s return to the planet Sakaar in Episode 2. By bringing in a group designed to fight him along with the potential creation of Red Hulk, Marvel may be assembling all the pieces for a long overdue Hulk-centric story.
Then again, before you get too excited, keep in mind that the MCU also has a habit of completely changing its source material. Until we actually see M.O.D.O.K., the Leader, or Red Hulk, there’s no guarantee they’ll appear in She-Hulk. Intelligencia might just be a group of lame sexist dudes out to get Jennifer Walters, though we’re holding out hope for something a little more epic.
She-Hulk airs Thursdays on Disney+.
