The New Avengers: Illuminati # 1 - Illuminati

 Ripped from the pages of NEW AVENGERS, the Eisner award-winning team of Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev present this all-new special. An explosive hidden story of Marvel’s secret past, the secret history of Marvel’s most secret team -- how they came together and how they are ripped apart.
The events in this book act as a prologue to not one but two entirely different Marvel blockbuster summer events.
The Marvel Universe is about to split down the middle and the line is drawn here!!! You will be asked: whose side are you on? Well... whose side are you on??? 

After the Kree-Skrull war, Iron Man tries to create a group of heroes to defend earth against catastrophic events.

How the Illuminati came together.

• Black Panther hosts a meeting in Wakanda at Iron Man's request. Among them are Doctor Strange - master of the mystic arts, Professor Xavier of the Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, the keeper of the Terrigen mists - Black Bolt - king of the Inhumans, and Prince Namor of Atlantis.
  Stark proposes a delegation of heroes from all over the planet to pool their resources in order to be better equipped for an inevitable alien invasion.
  Namor argues that they cannot control the parties with which they are already affiliated with: recounting the Avengers' recruitment of convicted criminals/terrorists, the questionable mutants among Xavier's school, the Inhumans' refusal to execute Maximus for his crimes against humanity. T'Challa, Xavier, Reed, and Strange agree that the public would not approve of the unification, and reason that the best superheroes in the world would be spending all of their time dealing with bureaucracy.
  Initially, Doctor Strange, Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Namor, Black Bolt, and Professor Xavier agree that the delegation should be kept a secret from everyone, including family, in order to establish a trust among them. However, when Xavier exclaims that the honor system would have to be unanimous, Black Panther is the only one not to vote in favor.
  His reasoning is that the six of them just decided all by themselves that they are the Earth's protectors, that they are the only ones trustworthy enough to be included in the process. He leaves the chambers with the question "what happens when you disagree? When one of these Earth-changing moments finds you all at odds with each other, here in a secret meeting? What happens then?
  The others carry on without T'Challa, forming the Illuminati in an unofficial capacity.
• In the aftermath of the Hulk's devastation of Las Vegas, S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Maria Hill informs Iron Man of the civillian casualties: 26 including two kids and a dog. She drives a point into his head that it is possible that Stark, and everyone with the power to stop the Hulk once and for all, is at fault for not doing what must be done.
• The Illuminati meet a second time at an abandoned Avengers Hydrobase. Professor Xavier is not among them. Iron Man presents a solution for the Hulk "problem", but Namor lashes out in Bruce Banner's defense, insisting that he is a friend who is only being turned into a scapegoat to preserve their own public image. Reed is offended and argues that he has done all that he can to crack the genetic sequence that turned Banner into the Hulk. Doctor Strange notes that he has also sought to banish him to the crossroads of the astral plane, but concluded that it wasn't safe. Strange and Stark recollect a time when Banner convened with Xavier and found that Bruce has sought suicide, unsuccessfully.
  Rather than listen to Namor any further, Mr. Fantastic calls for a vote: four against one. Namor grows hostile and threatening, attacking Iron Man after he is provoked. An underwater battle ensues between the two, with Namor defeating Stark by pulling his helmet off, holding him submerged. Doctor Strange rescues Tony and scolds Namor for his ambivalence towards change.
  Namor warns that Banner will come back from where they send him and kill them all - and be right in doing so. He departs, exclaiming "King T'Challa was right too."
• Stark arranges for a Life Model Decoy of Nick Fury to coax Bruce Banner to go up to a satellite that has "gone haywire", not a complete falsehood as the artificial intelligence on this particular satellite has proved troublesome. The Hulk, in outer space, manages to get inside of the satellite, only for it to be sent into deep space "where he can't hurt anyone and no one can hurt him."
• In the present day, the Illuminati meet at the abandoned "Funtime, INC", a Stark Enterprises subsidiary. Among them are Iron Man, Namor, Black Bolt, Doctor Strange, and Mr. Fantastic. Professor Xavier's absence is addressed as "missing". Iron Man explains that he called everyone to the meeting to announce the early draft of a bill that will eventually become the Superhuman Registration Act.
  Anyone with powers - anyone in costume - any mutant - any of their kind is going to be required by law to reveal themselves to the United States government. In return, the registered hero will be given a job as a guard in the new S.H.I.E.L.D. world security force. Refusing to do so will be considered a federal crime.
  Iron Man believes that the Illuminati should cooperate immediately before an example is made of. He explains that being a futurist, he predicts a rookie superhero will make a mistake and people will be hurt or killed because of it. The world will see it, and a lawmaker will be forced to make an example of someone. A Civil War will break out between friends, sides will be taken, and the country will rupture because of it. He believes that cooperation will defuse the problem before it starts.
  Namor, delighted that he was right about Stark, declares that the surface world brought it on themselves and will probably destroy themselves before considering Atlanteans, making it "our" planet again. Namor leaves.
  Doctor Strange expresses his distate for the situation, telling Stark that it is wrong and that will be giving into other peoples' ignorance and fear. When Mr. Fantastic agrees with Tony, Doctor Strange teleports away, telling them to never call upon him again. Black Bolt signs to Stark his disagreement and the Illuminati go their seperate ways.