Duel of Harlem

"Thanks, but the last time I was in New York I kind of... broke Harlem."

- Bruce Banner to Tony Stark

The Duel of Harlem (dubbed by the press as Harlem Terror) was caused by Abomination attacking Harlem to show his new power. Thaddeus Ross was forced to trust Bruce Banner in order to save Harlem. Banner fell from a helicopter, the fall triggering his transformation into the Hulk, and fought Abomination, starting the battle.

Background
"How are you feeling?" "Pissed off, and ready for round three."

- Thaddeus Ross and Emil Blonsky

Bruce Banner and Betty Ross were trying to get an antidote for Banner's Gamma Radiation condition, so they went to Samuel Sterns at Grayburn College, whom Banner had been working with indirectly for more than a year through computer messaging alias "Mr. Green", and "Mr. Blue". Banner tested the antidote, which seemed to work, but only temporarily. General Thaddeus Ross and his team of soldiers captured Banner and Betty. Emil Blonsky made Dr. Sterns infuse him with gamma radiation. When he did, the mix of the Super Soldier Serum and gamma radiation transformed Blonsky into an "Abomination". Taking on the mantle, Abomination then threw Dr. Sterns into a container of Banner's blood, which leaked into a scar in Stern's forehead, which made his brain grow and gave him a higher than genius level intellect.

Battle
As both Bruce Banner and Betty Ross were taken into custody, Emil Blonsky, now a hideous titan known as Abomination, began rampaging through the city in a bid to draw out the Hulk. Banner, realizing that he was the only one who could stop the Abomination, was able to convince General Thaddeus Ross to release him. He jumped out of a helicopter, counting on the fall to trigger a transformation and for the Hulk to focus on Blonsky as an obvious threat as opposed to him unleashing more random destruction. Banner's plan succeeded and he transformed into the Hulk. Banner charged toward Blonsky and Blonsky speared him off his feet. Banner smashed a police car in half and used the pieces as boxing gloves. Banner punched Blonsky repeatedly into the pavement so hard it caused a crater. Blonsky responded by asking "Is that all you've got". Banner reached back for one more punch but Blonsky kicked him through a wall into a nearby building. Blonsky climbed the wall and Ross ordered the helicopter to open fire on him, chasing him to the roof. The helicopter chased Blonsky across the rooftops. Blonsky lunged and grabbed the helicopter just as Banner arrived and grabbed Blonsky. The helicopter crashed on a rooftop. The two faced off again and Blonsky pinned Banner against a wall and stabbed him in the chest with his exposed elbow. However, seeing Betty in danger angered Banner and he overpowered Blonsky and slammed him into the wall just as the helicopter caught fire. Banner slapped his hands together to blow out the fire, saving Betty and Ross. Blonsky hit Banner from behind with a concrete pillar on a chain. Blonsky turned his attention to the Ross' but Banner put a crack in the roof and Blonsky's foot got caught and the pillar hit him in the head. Banner grabbed the chain and began strangling him. Poised to deliver a final blow, he was stopped in the act of killing by the intervention of Betty, leaving the scene with the army in hot pursuit. At the same time, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Natasha Romanoff found Samuel Sterns and saw his mutation. When he tried to convince her to help him evade the authorities, she shot him in the leg and called a clean-up team.

Aftermath
Bruce Banner fled north to Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada. Thirty-one days on the run, he had found himself a secluded place to rest, and there he began practicing a new technique of initiating his transformation in a controlled manner rather than suppressing it. Samuel Sterns was later taken to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters where he became part of "Project Mr. Blue".

Ben Urich wrote an article for the New York Bulletin called "Harlem Terror" declaring the Hulk victorious.