I'll put up all my assets, including the Coliseum. I'll cover all bets against Mr. Fixit -- that is, if you have the stones to cover any bets against your guys. Well, coward? 
The Coliseum was the casino where Mr. Fixit worked as a bouncer.
The Coliseum was in the Las Vegas strip, owned by the number one businessman in the city, Michael Berengetti. Honoring its name, the Coliseum had a decoration reminiscent of the Roman Empire, including disguised employees and a chariot racing course to bet on. It had luxurious hotel rooms, a four-star restaurant and live shows with A-class artists, due to rich Berengetti investing on his property - and well-trained security guards to protect the assets. Fixit had been hired after several structural mishaps that led to a reopening of the locale, and he protected the casino against the occasional superpowered troublemaker and the most dangerous threats, including organized crime syndicates like Maggia and the Kingpin of Crime, who wanted to take over the Coliseum. However, being superpowered himself and erratic in behavior, Fixit attracted more trouble to the Coliseum than he deterred, and eventually Berengetti fired Fixit.
Berengetti was later murdered by rival casino owner Sam Striker, who coveted the Coliseum for himself. However, after Berengetti's death, his assets went to his widow Mrs. Suzi Berengetti. Striker's involvement in the murder was discovered by Fixit, leading to Striker's arrest. Mrs. Berengetti had been in charge of the Coliseum ever since, including using the facilities for the wedding of her friend Marlo Chandler to Fixit's friend Rick Jones, attended by several superhumans.
History
Owned by Michael Berengetti, the Coliseum Casino, in the Las Vegas Strip, was one of the most luxurious hotel-casinos in the Gambling Capital of the World.[3] It included games such as slot machines[3] and roulette,[5] as well as hotel rooms,[3] a four-star[6] restaurant[3] (provided by Delatore Restaurant Supply (Earth-616)),[4] live shows[3] with top-notch artists,[6] thematic-named products,[7] and areas for corporate and social meetings.[2] Setting the tone of the locale, some of the decoration was reminiscent of the Roman Empire, some employees of the Casino were dressed as Roman legionaries,[5] the cocktail waitresses dressed as Vestal Virgins,[6] and there were even chariot races that clients could bet on.[2] Gamblers were known to enter the Coliseum with money and hope, and leave with neither.[3]
Crime was no stranger to the vice-based business backdrop of Las Vegas.[8] Berengetti and the other casino owners maintained a balance with the metropolitan police so that the situation was acceptable for all involved parties.[3] Still, the casino owners needed, in addition to suppliers and creditors,[4] always strong security to face any problems that could arise.[9][8] Berengetti had well trained, armed, elegant guards who followed his instructions and were sure to expel troublemakers,[10] even challenging superhumans if necessary.[11]
_from_Incredible_Hulk_Vol_1_347_001.jpg){kind=link}
Michael Berengetti's private office
Berengetti had his own private office in the penthouse, with high ceilings, weapons decorating the wall[3] and a desk with chairs for himself and for two simultaneous visitors;[12] a plate with his name was next to the door, not on the door itself.[11] Being a hands-on manager, Berengetti frequented the casino, interacting with customers to personally resolve problems that might arise. He also knew many of his employees by name,[3] and had the loyalty of[11] many of them.[13] Though the Coliseum had sometimes been accused of tackiness,[6] Berengetti prided himself on having style, both personally and in his casino.[3]
After a year in which the Coliseum had several "major structural mishaps", Berengetti was forced to close it to rebuild it.[6] During that time, Berengetti met a gigantic gray-skinned man on Yucca Flat, who he hired[5] as an enforcer[14][15][16][17][1] at the casino[18][14][15][16][17] in exchange for an excellent salary and the best accommodation, food, women and suits.[3][5] This man was the the Incredible Hulk (Bruce Banner), who the world believed dead.[14][18][15][16][6] The Hulk chose to keep his identity a secret, adopting the alias "Joe Fixit",[18][14][15][16][17][1] usually called "Mr. Fixit".[5] Berengetti discovered that Fixit was really Hulk, but did not share this information even with Fixit.[19] Berengetti had a private elevator installed that gave access to his suite from the Coliseum's basement to the roof[20] so that he could easily access his penthouse suite[9] although the Hulk doubted he would need it.[20] He also gave Fixit a limousine and a chauffer, Barry.[21]
According to the press, the United States government investigated Berengetti after the year-long problems at his casino, apparently without finding any irregularities. For the spectacular reopening,[6] the unusual new employee also attracted public interest.[6][22] Marvel Year-In-Review, covering the casino reopening, admitted that the casino would attract gamblers with its assets, but could have also used thematic decor related to Fixit. Journalist J. David Guntley of Year-In-Review also contacted Berengetti to suggest that Mr. Fixit was actually the Hulk; and Berengetti claimed that Fixit was clearly smarter than the Hulk and different in color, as well as suggesting that the Hulk, being especially stupid, would have been a terrible worker.[6] Other groups such as Damage Control, whose services Berengetti used,[10] also suspected that Fixit was really the Hulk, with Damage Control's Henry Ackerdson even visiting the Coliseum in a failed attempt to recruit Mr. Fixit/the Hulk.[7]
For three months,[3] Fixit worked successfully for the Coliseum on the night shift, beating up super-powered criminals and other wrongdoers.[8] Fixit arrested William "Coyote" Cash, a paroled convict who intended to use a Magnetic Particle Displacer to swindle money from the casino by cheating, but Fixit decided the guy was too suspicious and wanted to make sure he wasn't taking Berengetti's money illegally.[18] Two mutant miscreants, Discordia and Tantrum, attempted to cause chaos for chaos' sake at the Coliseum during the UCLA Law Reunion; Fixit was summoned to stop them, and he did so accompanied by She-Hulk, who was attending the meeting, although not without causing some damage to the building.[2] Fixit's name inspired fear-based respect in gamblers and policemen,[3] even if Fixit had a reputation for being helpful in their job.[22]
Gang war[]
The organized crime syndicate Maggia, which already controlled some casinos in Las Vegas, decided to expand its activities in the city aspiring to complete control over it,[23] for which they sent the Maggioso and drug trafficker Anthony "Tony" Gold. Gold, seeing that Berengetti was the most powerful man in his turf, wanted to convince Berengetti to willingly collaborate with Maggia and pay protection money, hoping that this success would lead the other businessmen into submission. Berengetti left his office to personally resolve a situation at his casino with Benny, a scandalous client who had shot a slot machine and then took a hostage; Berengetti talked with Benny, convincing him to surrender to the police in exchange for Berengetti not demanding Benny to pay for the damages and not calling Mr. Fixit. Meanwhile, an agent of Gold's, Harry, took advantage of the distraction to enter Berengetti's office and met with him, making an offer without mentioning Maggia. Berengetti knew of Gold's illegal dealings and, disgusted by them, quickly rejected Harry and recommended Gold leave town; this message disappointed Gold and made him decide to take more drastic measures. After that, Berengetti met with Suzi in his office; she reproached him for taking risks in the skirmish when he had security guards. At Suzi's urging, Berengetti agreed to set up a date between Mr. Fixit and Suzi's friend, Marlo Chandler, who visited Fixit in his Coliseum's room.[3]
Gold had his men forcefully take Berengetti and Suzi to Gold's lair in Las Vegas when they left the casino in a limousine driven by Stephen. Seeing upcoming problems, Berengetti called Fixit using his cane-mounted beeper; Fixit immediately broke up his date with Chandler and went to help, wrecking Gold's base and defeating his men; but Berengetti piously decided to not kill the already humiliatede Gold.[3] Gold next hired the supervillain Absorbing Man to get revenge on Berengetti and Fixit,[3][5] sending the Absorbing Man to the Coliseum. Before the Absorbing Man arrived, Gold telephoned Berengetti to give him another chance to surrender, which of course Berengetti rejected. Then the Absorbing Man tried to destroy the public area of the casino. Standard security guards tried to stop him, but failed; the Absorbing Man was sure to find out whether any of the men he found was Fixit, and broke a roulette to get them out. Berengetti saw this from the upper floor's terrace, called Fixit, then attempted to stop the Absorbing Man himself with threats. The Absorbing Man was about to attack Berengetti when Fixit got in the way and they started fighting, as the human security guards proved again insufficient to stop the Absorbing Man. Fixit took the fight outside the casino, and the two of them were soon out of reach of the Coliseum's staff, until the Absorbing Man was defeated at the Hoover Dam.[5] Gold's repeated failures caused his Maggia superiors to decide to assassinate Gold and deal with Berengetti personally, although Gold was attempting to prepare a new plan against Berengetti and had been told he would not get interference from them.[24]
Fixit's presence, meanwhile, helped increase Berengetti's power and expanded his businesses[25] while other casino owners suffered problems: Criminals and troublemakers, knowing that they could not prosper in the Coliseum because of Fixit's presence, frequented other casinos. Ralph Taylor of Comet Casino and seven other Las Vegas casino owners met in a clique and decided to demand that Berengetti share his profits with them, or they would get rid of Fixit with a military attack. When Berengetti did not give in, they sent several armed men to attack Fixit's suite. Fixit threw them to the casino pool and scared them away, but not before they destroyed his room. Understanding what had happened, Berengetti visited Fixit with Suzi, promising him a new room,[9] a penthouse apartment.[25] Fixit wanted to pursue the men who had attacked him, but Berengetti subtly offered him an alternative: Instead, Fixit could take his date, Chandler, to the Comet Casino. As Berengetti had predicted, Fixit became enraged during his visit to the Comet and caused several damage there. Taylor and the rest of the casino owners decided to abandon that plan, stop giving Berengetti problems and resolve their difficulties individually.[9]
A band of cyborgs called Warzone decided to compete against each other in Las Vegas, and one of them, Delta, tried to find cover inside the Coliseum, but was traced by his fellow Charlie and by superhero Spider-Man, in Las Vegas for business. The Coliseum doorman, unhappy at the superpowered visitors, summoned Mr. Fixit, who arrived after a third cyborg, Alpha, started a shootout in the Coliseum entrance. Fixit then discovered that Charlie had injured his "friend" Marlo Chandler, so he decided to allow Alpha kill Charlie; Spider-Man, who recognized the Hulk, was against the idea,[26] then the Hulk decided to take the fight outside the building.[24][note 1] Fixit and Spider-Man defeated the cyborgs, and in the meanwhile Doctor Doom sneaked into Fixit's room to meet with Fixit[24] and recruit him for his plans. Doom took Fixit to New York City,[27] then Fixit joined the Avengers[28] before being returned to the Nevada desert[29] a week later.[25] During that time, either Berengetti nor the rest of Fixit's associates in Las Vegas like Suzi or Chandler, knew where Fixit was,[20] but they assumed he would return: at the Coliseum, a telephone operator wrote down messages to give to him when he returned.[30] Fixit ran to his room in the Coliseum, where he entered discreetly using the elevator that Berengetti had installed for him[20] - but then, for the first time since he had started working at the Coliseum, Mr. Fixit became Bruce Banner.[25][8]
Meanwhile, Maggia attempted a new attack against Berengetti. They coerced companies associated with the Coliseum (suppliers[25] like Delatore,[4] financiers, travel agents) to stop doing business with Berengetti under penalty of being attacked by Maggia;[25] to do this, Maggia used superhuman agents called Persuaders.[4] They tried to murder Fixit, but they missed because Fixit had turned into Banner and escaped. They bombed Berengetti's parked limousine, killing his driver, and a few moments later,[25] Berengetti's house:[4] Berengetti and Suzi, shaken and bruised, went to the police station to testify, but Berengetti refused to cooperate when the police started talking about Maggia, and rejected police protection, although he decided not to return to the casino for the moment. Suzi proposed that they stay with her friend Chandler, where they were once more attacked by Maggia, then saved by Fixit. Berengetti berated Fixit for his unreliability,[4] then Fixit, enraged,[4][8] yelled at Berengetti and left, apparently ending their friendship.[25] Berengetti and Suzi went to a cheap hotel outside the city, so as not to use their credit cards because they feared that Maggia would track their movements. Fixit had asked Berengetti to save Fixit's tailored suits.[4]
Against Suzi's advice, Berengetti returned to his Casino, where his employee Jake informed him of the situation, and told him that he had been presumed dead; at that point, the casino was almost empty except for a single gambler,[4] later revealed to be[31] naïve reality-bending apprentice Glorian.[1][23][31] Berengetti visited Fixit's destroyed suite, and there Lieutenant Eileen Barnes, of the Metropolitan Police, spoke to him to subtly ask for his help. Neither Barnes nor Berengetti wanted Maggia in Las Vegas, so she told him that Maggia had organized a mandatory meeting for Berengetti's peers at the Royal Grand Hotel and Casino that same night, and that if Fixit could stop them there, the police would simply look the other way. Berengetti admitted that he and Fixit had argued, but decided to go himself to stop Maggia:[4] Berengetti was resisting Maggia.[23]
At the Royal Grand, Fixit joined Berengetti and confronted the Persuaders, then the Maggia leader sarcastically bet that Fixit would die in the fight - and Berengetti accepted the bet, putting the Coliseum and all its assets on the table to cover bets against Fixit, so as to show his confidence in him. Maggia accepted the bets, and the other casino owners joined in the gambling, while Fixit began defeating the Persuaders one by one. The gambling escalated,[4] and Fixit won[4][23] The Maggioso understood that his days were numbered because he had lost to Berengetti, while Berengetti took part of his winnings and went to dinner with Fixit.[4]
The gang war in Las Vegas, rumors of Berengetti's Maggia connections, and the mysterious superpowered enforcer working for him, attracted the attention of the Avengers West Coast, who decided to investigate further. Berengetti found out about it and sent Fixit to solve the situation before it became a problem. Fixit met with the Avengers and convinced them that the situation in Las Vegas was under control - his control.[32] Fixit also collaborated with the authorities to arrest dangerous criminals who committed robberies in or near the Coliseum, or who endangered Berengetti's safety. In a publicized event later shown on TV, a gunman shot within the Coliseum and tried to escape, followed by a police officer, only to be stopped when Fixit leaped ahead of him, and stopped a burst of bullets with his body.[22]
,_Peter_Parker_(Earth-616)_from_Joe_Fixit_Vol_1_1_001.jpg){kind=link}
Mr. Fixit offers Spider-Man the debauchery of the Coliseum
The Kingpin of Crime decided to take advantage of the situation[22] to add Las Vegas to his own criminal empire.[33] His plan was to convince Berengetti that he could only keep Maggia out of Las Vegas if he allied with Kingpin; and then Kingpin would take over Berengetti's casino. Upon meeting with Berengetti in his office, however, Berengetti told Kingpin that Maggia was no longer a problem, so the Kingpin had lost leverage over him. Kingpin attempted to demonstrate his own power by smashing Berengetti's desk with his naked fist, and Fixit then demanded that Kingpin pay for the damages. Kingpin's bodyguard shot Fixit, who proved invulnerable, after which he threatened to shoot Berengetti. Spider-Man (who had decided to delay his trip back to New York after seeing Kingpin in Las Vegas)[note 2] infiltrated Berengetti's office and helped stop Kingpin and his thug, with Berengetti calmly watching. Fixit defeated Kingpin in personal combat and humiliated him before Berengetti into acknowledging that the meeting was over. When Kingpin left, however, all Berengetti, Fixit, and Spider-Man knew he would return, so Berengetti rewarded Spider-Man with a room and everything he wanted for as long as he decided to stay, insisting that they were in his' city and things would be done as he said.[22] Spider-Man accepted, using the alias J. Jonah Jameson during his stay, though Fixit failed to convince Spider-Man to join in the debauchery that the Coliseum could offer.[33]
Realizing that he had to get rid of Fixit to continue with his plans, Kingpin obtained a neurotoxin that would allow him to control Fixit. Kingpin met Fixit at a roulette wheel at the Coliseum, offering to hire him for double what Berengetti was paying him; feeling insulted, Fixit emptied a glass in Kingpin's face. Kingpin then threw the toxin into Fixit's face and ordered him to destroy the casino and kill Berengetti; Fixit ran towards Berengetti, but Spider-Man saved the businessman using his web. Although Berengetti was reluctant to leave his business, Spider-Man convinced him that being there was dangerous as long as Fixit could not be controlled.[33] Given the situation, Berengetti left the city[11] while Spider-Man tried to solve the problem. Once Spider-Man learned about the toxin,[34] he figured out how to stop it from affecting Fixit; and when Fixit recovered from his effects, Berengetti was called in to put him in check with a plan that included having Fixit take Spider-Man to his office as a supposedly unconscious prisoner.[11]
Without hesitation, Kingpin occupied Berengetti's office and summoned five of Las Vegas' top casino owners to tell them that Berengetti had stepped aside, leaving Kingpin in charge of the Coliseum, and that the others had to pay Kingpin protection money against supervillains who came to cause trouble, specifically Electro and Rhino; the others knew that Kingpin had turned Fixit against Berengetti and that the villains were working for the Kingpin, and in fact Kingpin didn't even hide this last fact as he had the villains form around him like guards. Fixit entered the office, pretending to be Kingpin's slave and carrying the body of an apparently-defeated Spider-Man; that convinced the other businessmen to accept the Kingpin's conditions. Kingpin ordered Electro to unmask Spider-Man and, to his surprise, Spider-Man had painted his face with the same drawing as his mask. That gave him the initiative to knock out Electro, and then Berengetti entered his own office. Kingpin ordered Fixit to attack Berengetti, but Fixit instead sided with his friend, and Berengetti demanded that Kingpin leave. Kingpin attempted to use the toxin against Fixit again, only to find that it had no effect. A fight then began, and soon continued outside the small office. During it, Berengetti helped Spider-Man by giving him a lighter that Spider-Man used to put Electro in trouble.[11]
Count Nefaria, another leader of the Maggia, had assembled his own team of supervillains to get rid of Kingpin and his agents. They entered the Coliseum in time to join a three-way fight between Nefaria's, Kingpin's, and Berengetti's forces.[11] The Coliseum's security guards, armed with submachine guns, offered to join the fight, telling Berengetti they would not harm any client; but then Electro caused a blackout, and Berengetti didn't give them permission to join the battle. Ultimately, Kingpin decided that the operation had no guarantee of success and left Las Vegas in his limousine. When all the villains were defeated, Berengetti appeared with a flashlight and a phone, called Damage Control to make repairs, and agreed to give Fixit and Spider-Man the rest of the day off.[10]
Further Events (Brian Newman concert and hellquake)[]
Knowing that his girlfriend fancied Brian Newman's music, Mr. Berengetti intended to use his influence to arrange a Newman concert at the Coliseum's main room for Suzi's birthday, especially as the company representing Newman, Bone Marrow Management, owed money to Berengetti. He sent Mr. Fixit to collect and to arrange the concert, yet Bone Marrow administrator Mr. Gruska failed to convince Newman. Berengetti sent Fixit to meet with Newman, and Fixit returned with the message that Newman was unavailable for a concert yet as he was busy composing an excellent symphony, which would eventually be played in the Coliseum once finished.[35]
Noticing a rise of random crimes performed by the homeless Las Vegas community, going from muggings to random murders, Mr. Fixit summoned three of his superhero friends, Spider-Man, the Ghost Rider and Wolverine (previously known as Patch),[21] whom he had recently collaborated,[note 3] to Las Vegas, deciding to solve the matter at a city level before it escalated even more.[36] Fixit used the Coliseum's resources, even sending a private plane for his allies to travel.[21]
While Fixit and his associates investigated, an angry mob, victims of demonic possession, attacked the Coliseum, threatening its patrons with ad-hoc weapons and brutality - at a moment when Marlo Chandler's roommate Mona had decided to visit the Coliseum and meet Chandler's boyfriend Mr. Fixit in person. Both Mona and Chandler were harassed by the deranged crowd, Chandler being hit with a baseball bat, even with the security staff's efforts to stop them. Berengetti personally joined his guards and shot the man with the bat, who was trying to give Chandler a coup de grâce; Berengetti disarmed him without wounding him - because he missed the shot. Berengetti then shot at the ceiling to scare away the attackers. He approached Chandler, whom she recognized as Suzi's friend and Fixit's girlfriend, and saw Mona tending to her wounds. Berengetti politely introduced himself, and Mona wanted to explain what had happened, but Berengetti insisted that Chandler must be taken to the hospital first. Mona said that the streets were impassable, so Berengetti summoned Fixit with his cane to take Chandler. While Fixit was en route, Berengetti coordinated his security guards, asking them to shoot only to wound, but the next wave of madmen carried Uzis and were out for blood. Fortunately, Fixit arrived in time to drive them away. Berengetti prioritized Chandler's safety and had Fixit carry her and Mona to the hospital, while Berengetti led his guards to organize a defense.[37] Afterwards, Fixit and his associates battled a city-wide "hellquake", and prevailed, defeating the demon responsible. During this time, the Coliseum's security guards apparently succeeding in keeping trouble outside the building.[37][38]
Return of Maggia[]
Ever since Fixit turned into Banner with the sunrise, he tried to minimize Banner's influence by sedating him during the daytime[39] and keeping Banner in Fixit's room, alone;[25] but Banner woke up and interacted with Chandler, making Fixit more unstable.[8] In a new attempt to take over Las Vegas, Maggia asked for help from a demonic creature, Nick Cloot, whose attempts at manipulation further agitated Fixit's mind.[1][40] Simultaneously, Glorian, a naïve reality-bending apprentice,[1][23][31] traveled to Las Vegas to try to give Fixit a illusion of his desires, but in his state Fixit was unwelcoming:[1][31] While Fixit was sleeping, Glorian gave him a hedonistic dream in which Berengetti retired and left Fixit the Coliseum and his other assets, with Fixit's former acquaintances and enemies submitting to him, and him romanced simultaneously Chandler and Betty Banner - but Banner's mind forced him to wake up, refusing to admit that this could be true.[31] Glorian then met Fixit and his date Chandler in the convention center across the street from the Coliseum, but Fixit reacted wildly and battered Glorian to pulp. Mona distrusted Fixit because of his work as a hitman for the Coliseum, and Mona's influence on Chandler made Fixit's relationship with Chandler even more difficult, while Cloot also disturbed Fixit's sanity.[40]
Cloot then tricked Glorian into betting his soul that he could turn Fixit into a good man in just 24 hours.[40][23] Glorian visited Berengetti in his office, stating that he worked for the Maggia and was worried that Fixit was becoming more and more unstable and may harm Berengetti and the city. Berengetti dismissed the warning and Glorian, but shortly afterwards he had a nightmare, induced by Cloot, in which Fixit lost his temper over a trifle and threatened Berengetti, breaking a door in the process.[12] This was part of Cloot's plan, in which Glorian and he frightened Fixit's friends and associates[19][1] to separate Fixit from the life he loved, leading him down a path of perdition:[19] Fearing Fixit, Berengetti refused to speak to him at one point, and Chandler behaved similarly.[12] With that distrust, no one could offer friendship or guidance to Fixit in a time of need, which Glorian hoped to take advantage of to turn Fixit into a good person.[41]
Cloot turned the condemned soul of criminal Dennis Malloy into the monster Ghoul,[12] whom he convinced to attack Fixit as part of his plan. Fixit and the Ghoul fought in various locations in Las Vegas,[41] ending flying over the Coliseum and falling on the Coliseum's kitchen,[41][1] while Berengetti was informed that Fixit was eating ridiculously large amounts of food. Fixit was angry at himself because he was wrecking the Coliseum, again, when his job was supposed to be exactly the opposite. Berengetti joined Fixit against the Ghoul, shooting the Ghoul repeatedly. The bullets failed to hurt the Ghoul, but distracted him, allowing Fixit to regain the initiative.[41] By then, Fixit had realized that cold weakened the Ghoul, so he took the fight to the meat freezer, where he impaled and locked the Ghoul, defeating him.[41][1] Fixit explained to Berengetti how to extract the Ghoul, and Berengetti then fired him,[41] much to Fixit's surprise and anger.[19] Berengetti accused Fixit of attracting too much trouble[19][8][15][16][17] including super-powered enemies, and also of disappearing for days without warning.[8][19] Berengetti also revealed that he had discovered that Fixit was the Hulk. Enraged, Fixit yelled at Berengetti and grabbed him by the lapels, but even then he tried to convince him that there would be no more fights with super-powered people. However, Glorian appeared to ask Fixit for help against Cloot, and Fixit reacted by attacking GLorian. Fixit was forced to agree with Berengetti,[19] but out of pride he resigned instead of accepting that Berengetti could fire him.[19][8]
Abandoning the Joe Fixit identity for the moment,[42] the Hulk saved Glorian from Cloot[23][19][1] and had the Maggia leave Las Vegas permanently.[19] The Hulk returned to his room at the Coliseum, where he spent at least one more night (during which his dreams where disturbed by the demons D'Spayre and Nightmare)[42] before leaving town;[43] by then, he acknowledged that his job had been to protect the Coliseum and instead he had achieved the opposite,[41] even if it hadn't all been his fault. Berengetti had fired him, and the Hulk agreed it was best to leave.[44] He went to Los Angeles,[43] where and Iron Man delivered a new blow to Maggia;[43][23] saw Chandler once again, and moved to Yucca Flats,[45] where he joined the superhuman group Pantheon.[46][47] Berengetti, meanwhile, admitted to Suzi that he really loved Fixit and that firing him was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. Berengetti also married Suzi, who adopted his surname.[13]
Mrs. Berengetti's management[]
Berengetti was murdered by Camelot Hotel and Casino owner Sam Striker,[48] who hired the superhuman freelance hitman Frost for the hit, not knowing that vigilante the Punisher was tracking Frost to stop him. Striker aspired to become the undisputed top man in Las Vegas by eliminating Berengetti;{IM395} once he had killed Berengetti, he assumed, the rest of the Las Vegas businessmen would fall into line.[48] As next of kin, Suzi, now Mrs. Berengetti, inherited all of her husband's assets, including the casino and her business. Several members of the Coliseum staff, however, believed that Striker would soon become the top man in the city, and in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with him, allowed Striker and his men access to restricted parts of the Coliseum.[13]
Immediately after Berengetti's funeral, Striker and her thugs attempted to intimidate Mrs. Berengetti into handing over her husband's private files while appearing uninvited in her office. She told Striker that her husband would have sent him to hell, and so did she. Striker explained that Mrs. Berengetti was without protectors; and then the Hulk arrived, again adopting the name Joe Fixit,[13] with his new Pantheon associates,[49] Hector, Paris and Ulysses,[50][13] pretending to be his minions.[13] The Hulk had learned of Berengetti's brutal death[49][50] and traveled to Las Vegas to investigate, pretending to be a contender for the position Striker coveted. Fixit chased Striker's people away, although he was unable to beat Frost at that time; still, he convinced Striker to retreat, then Mrs. Berengetti greeted Fixit warmly, thanking him for his presence and honoring the memory of her late husband.[13]
The arrival of the imposing Fixit harmed Striker's plan, so he decided to eliminate him.[13] Meanwhile, Fixit and his allies teamed up with Punisher,[13][50] who pretended to be another of Fixit's men,[13] and with Lieutenant Louisa Sanchez[48] of the Las Vegas police to arrest Striker, leading him into bragging about murdering Berengetti.[50][48] Striker was arrested, Frost was revealed to be not-human and destroyed,[48] then Fixit said goodbye to Mrs. Berengetti in good terms in the Coliseum,[51] and returned with his men to the Pantheon base.[51][8][49][50]
Mrs. Berengetti continued to be the owner of the Coliseum, accustomed to dealing with difficult people, including superhumans, as a matter of routine. Marlo Chandler wed her groom Rick Jones in the premises of the Coliseum,[52] the wedding attended by a number of officially-invited humans and superhumans, and many others who received a fake invitation sent by Impossible Man as a prank; but Jones and Chandler welcomed them with open arms (They did behave during the ceremony). Pastor Peter David officiated the wedding and the demon Mephisto tried to ruin it by taking the bride, only to receive a beating from the Hulk and leave empty-handed. The ceremony ended with surprisingly little damage to the premises,[53] but during the wedding night, one of Impossible Man's guests, the Skrull Talos the Tamed, jumped from the Coliseum to the sidewalk in front of the building, breaking it, then began a confrontation with the Hulk in an attempt to erase his shame by dying in combat against a worthy enemy. The fighting caused damage to the Coliseum and other nearby buildings, until the Hulk asked for mercy to stop the fighting and destruction, and at the same time to redeem Talos in front of his people.[54]
A subsequent wedding at the Coliseum was interrupted by the Strange, a magical creature on Rick Jones' trail. Although the people in this second wedding party were terrified, Mrs. Berengetti stood between them and the Strange, and emotionally demanded that the Strange leave before he could break something. She mentioned Jones in her rant, and then the Strange demanded that she bring him to Jones. Understanding that Jones was already gone, Strange transformed Mrs. Berengetti's flesh into an amorphous mass, and then left, thinking that he could have destroyed all the witnesses. Possibly Mrs. Berengetti recovered her body shortly afterward, and continued her usual activities at the casino.[52]
Alternate Realities[]
_from_Incredible_Hulk_Vol_1_355_001.jpg){kind=link}
Alternate reality Coliseum
Points of Interest
Residents
- Staff:
- Mr. Berengetti, owner and manager[3]
- Mrs. Berengetti, owner and manager[52]
- Mr. Fixit, security[3] (formerly)[19]
- Barry, Mr. Fixit's personal chauffer[21]
- Peter David, marriage officiant[53]
- Lola Falana, artist[3]
- Jake, Mr. Berengetti's assistant[4]
- Jerry, assistant manager[31]
- Wayne Newton, guest artist[35]
- Joan Rivers, artist[3]
- Sheila, receptionist[3]
- Thompson, security contact[48]
- Tony, Mr. Berengetti's personal secretary[12]
- Unnamed cocktail waitresses dressed as Vestal virgins[6]
- Customers:
- Benny, problematic customer, expelled[3]
- William "Coyote" Cash, problematic customer, expelled[18]
- Glorian, slot machine gambler[4]
- Mr. and Mrs. Richard Jones, and a number of guests of their wedding[52] including Talos the Tamed[24]
- Spider-Man (alias J. Jonah Jameson), guest[22]
Notes
- ↑ The action in Web of Spider-Man #44 ends with Hulk, Spider-Man and the cyborgs just inside the Coliseum building. It continues immediately after that in Incredible Hulk #349, with the last lines repeated, but the characters had somehow moved outside the building.
- ↑ Berengetti's encounter with Kingpin takes place shortly after the Warzone saga, when Peter Parker is visiting Las Vegas to publicize his book; when Parker was about to return to New York after that, he saw Kingpin arriving and decided to stay. However, the Warzone story ends with Fixit encountering Dr. Doom, which immediately leads to Fixit traveling to New York, participating in the Evolutionary War, and returning to Las Vegas only after a week (as seen inIncredible Hulk #353) and the encounter with Kingpin can take place only after that. It seems strange that Parker spends an entire week in Las Vegas (or at least the Nevada area) publicizing his book.
- ↑ The story in New Fantastic Four takes place with the Hulk working for Berengetti, and after the Hulk's stint with the New Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #347-349 (December 1990-February 1991). Although this was published after the Hulk stopped working for Berengetti in Incredible Hulk #359 (September 1989), the story of the Hulk's two collaborations with the New Fantastic Four have to take place with the Hulk in Berengetti's payroll; and after the Hulk's stay in Madripoor in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #7-8 because in that story, the Hulk is trying to hide his identity from Wolverine/Patch, and in Fantastic Four #347, the Hulk does not mind being recognized by Wolverine.
Trivia
- The Coliseum was located in front of a convention center.[31]
- The closest hospital to the Coliseum was the Sunrise.[37]
- Suzi's friend Mona identified Suzi as "Suzi from the Coliseum" even before Suzi married Michael Berengetti.[3]
- Michael Berengetti hired the services of Damage Control,[10] but his widow for some reason decided to not pay insurance against damages caused by superhumans.[52]
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Gamer's Handbook of the Marvel Universe #6 ; Ghoul's profile
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Hulk Family: Green Genes #1
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 Incredible Hulk #347
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 Incredible Hulk #354
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Incredible Hulk #348
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Marvel Year-In-Review #1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Marvel Age Annual #4
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 Hulk: Grand Design - Madness #1
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Marvel Comics Presents #6 ; Risky Business
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Joe Fixit #5
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Joe Fixit #4
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Incredible Hulk #357
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Incredible Hulk #395
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 #3 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 #1 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 World War Hulk: Gamma Files #1 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #5 ; Hulk's profile
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Incredible Hulk #393
- ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 Incredible Hulk #359
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Incredible Hulk #351
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 New Fantastic Four #1
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 Joe Fixit #1
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Update #5 ; Maggia's profile
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Incredible Hulk #349
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 25.7 25.8 Incredible Hulk #353
- ↑ Web of Spider-Man #44
- ↑ Fantastic Four #320
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #350
- ↑ Avengers Annual #17
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #352
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 31.6 31.7 Incredible Hulk #355
- ↑ Hulk Smash Avengers #4
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Joe Fixit #2
- ↑ Joe Fixit #3
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Marvel Comics Presents #38 ; Art for Art's Sake
- ↑ New Fantastic Four #2
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 New Fantastic Four #3
- ↑ New Fantastic Four #4
- ↑ Wolverine (Vol. 2) #7
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Incredible Hulk #356
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 Incredible Hulk #358
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 Incredible Hulk #360
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Incredible Hulk #361
- ↑ Immortal Hulk #50
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #362
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #381
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #382
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 48.5 48.6 Incredible Hulk #396
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Hulk 2004 #1 ; Pantheon's profile
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #8 ; Pantheon's profile
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 Incredible Hulk #397
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 52.4 Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #70
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 Incredible Hulk #418
- ↑ Incredible Hulk #419