Synopsis / Summary / Plot
This issue breaks into 3 sections.
Shortly after the Kree/Skrull War Iron Man calls together Black Bolt, Dr Strange, Mr Fantastic, Prof X and Sub-Mariner to a meeting hosted by Black Panther in Wakanda. IM thinks that if Earth had been more unified the aliens may not have attacked it. He proposes an alliance of all super-humans to face such threats.
Namor absolutely thinks such an organisation would be unworkable. Dr Strange, Mr Fantastic and Prof X also express strong reservations. Panther points out that most super-heroes are counter-establishment, and that allying with mutants is more likely to increase distrust of non-mutant heroes rather than decreasing anti-mutant bigotry. Subby follows this line by mentioning the dubious Avengers such as Hawkeye, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and BB's brother Maximus who helped the Kree invasion.
With the super-hero army shot down, Reed Richards picks up on the idea of sharing information. If they'd pooled the knowledge about the Kree and Skrulls they could have been better prepared. This group itself could meet to discuss big problems.
Sub-Mariner is prepared to trust the people in the room, but he wants it kept secret from everyone else, including teammates and family. Charles Xavier can telepathically monitor the group to detect any betrayal.
6 of them agree, but T'Challa opts out. He says that their decision proves how wise the world is not to trust superhumans. He also advises them to drop the idea, before disagreements split them apart at a crucial moment.
But after he's left the room the others decide to continue meeting. Including Black Bolt, as Xavier reports what he's thinking. Before they part Prof X brings up the subject of the island of Krakoa.
Thus were the Illuminati born.
The next section of this issue occurs many years later. It opens with Hulk and Thing fighting in Las Vegas. Then we cut to Iron Man in the SHIELD Helicarrier discussing casualties of the battle with Maria Hill. She tells him that politicians are looking for things to blame on superheroes. And 1 thing people are asking is why the Avengers haven't done something to stop Hulk for good.
The Illuminati meet on the Avengers' abandoned Hydrobase, except for Prof X missing since House of M. Iron Man proposes sending Hulk into outer space because the country will never be safe with him in it. Namor is again the one who disagrees. He asks Stark if he's sure he never killed anyone when he was drunk in charge of the armour. He also thinks Stark and Richards could have cured Banner if they put their minds to it.
Reed angrily retorts that he's spent years trying to find such a cure. And Strange has tried to find magical means. Stephen once banished him to a place called the Crossroads, but it didn't last. And Xavier once probed his mind, but only to find that Hulk couldn't even kill himself.
Subby's last ploy is to argue that IM wants to punish Hulk as displacement activity because he can't punish Scarlet Witch for Avengers Disassembled.
But in the end all but Namor vote for Stark's plan.
Sub-Mariner swears he won't let them harm Hulk. He and Iron Man fight. Subby takes the conflict into the sea, and rips Stark's helmet off. But Dr Strange halts the battle by levitating them both into the air.
Namor asks Strange how he can do this to Hulk after all the 3 of them have been through together. He flies off, quitting the group. But before he goes he predicts that Hulk will find a way back from wherever they send him, and kill them all.
An LMD of Nick Fury is sent to Banner to recruit Hulk to deal with a satellite whose AI has gone rogue. But while he's up there the 4 remaining Illuminati contact him by video to let him know what they're doing. And they send him in the satellite off into space.
The 3rd section of this issue is month's later. This time the Illuminati meeting is in the abandoned Stark subsidiary Funtime Inc. IM has called for the others, including Namor but not Xavier who's still missing. But he doesn't know if they'll come because they disbanded after sending Hulk away.
Stark has the draft of the Super Hero Registration Act which he says will soon be made law, requiring all people with powers to register with the government. This is the consequence of Avengers Disassembled, Nick Fury's Secret War, House of M and the mutant discord in the 198 series. He and Richards predict this will polarise the super-community and the country. Tony suggests that the Illuminati come out in support of the bill before it passes, to defuse the situation.
Namor is amused. 1st IM persuaded them to get rid of Hulk. Now he wants all superhumans under his control. This is what Stark has wanted ever since the 1st meeting.
Stark responds that if they don't take control of the situation now, it will blow up in their faces. He predicts that some inexperienced hero will make a mistake that kills lots of people. And this will start a witch hunt and a civil war that will pit friend against friend.
Sub-Mariner leaves them to it, confidant that they will tear themselves to pieces before they can turn on Atlantis. Dr Strange and Black Bolt just think the Act is wrong, and walk out too. That leaves Mr Fantastic supporting Iron Man, and he doesn't think he'll get the agreement of the whole of the Fantastic Four.
Now the Illuminati really are finished (not).