The latest episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law reveals a genuine threat to superhero lawyer Jennifer Walters, which could have lasting ramifications through future stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
She-Hulk episode 6 introduces a horrifying website called Intelligencia, on which a group of radicalised men are discussing plans to murder or otherwise harm Jen for her newfound strength and success.
It appears their intention at present is to extract blood from her, which could then be used to create more gamma-powered superhumans, as her cousin Bruce Banner explained in the first episode.
Expect the users of Intelligencia to have a major presence in the remaining episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but their influence could extend far beyond this particular entry in the MCU.
The name of the website is actually a reference to a supervillain team which has appeared in a number of Marvel comic books and intriguingly features several characters we know to be joining (or returning to) the MCU imminently.
The Intelligencia, whose membership are as smart as they are sinister, has previously counted The Leader, MODOK and Doctor Doom among its number, all of whom are set to appear on the big screen in the coming years.
Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader, teased all the way back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, has been announced as a main villain in the upcoming Captain America: New World Order, starring Anthony Mackie.
Meanwhile, MODOK is confirmed to be appearing in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, while Doctor Doom is likely to feature in Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot, although casting is yet to be announced for either role.
The emergence of the Intelligencia at this point in the MCU timeline, when so many of its members are about to come to the forefront, is certainly intriguing and could be more than a mere coincidence.
Indeed, don’t be surprised if the nasty website is connected in some way to the supervillain team, while that scary needle designed to penetrate Jen’s Hulk skin could very well have come from AIM (an organisation MODOK ultimately heads up – no pun intended).
She-Hulk premieres on Disney Plus on Thursday 18th August 2022 with new episodes weekly – sign up to Disney+ for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.