WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Avengers #49, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
One of the most shocking changes to happen to the Avengers in the current roster for Earth's Mightiest Heroes was the forced transformation of She-Hulk at the hands of the rival Russian superhero team the Winter Guard. Kidnapped during a raid conducted on Avengers Mountain, Jennifer Walters was held captive in the Red Room and subjected to torturous experiments that ultimately resulted in her metamorphosis into the savage Winter Hulk. More violent and unpredictable than ever, the Winter Hulk has cut quite the path of destruction across the Marvel Universe and, as this version of the Hulk faces the Winter Guard for a rematch, the shocking truth behind the Winter Hulk's nature is revealed: It was all part of Jen's plan in the first place.
Subjected to everything from vampire attacks to genetic experimentation for months while being held in captivity deep within the Siberian facility, She-Hulk's transformation left her virtually unrecognizable and with a formidable new array of abilities. While the Avengers attempted to carry out a rescue mission to free Jen from the Winter Guard, they arrived just too late, with Jen having apparently grown violently out of control as she burst free from her imprisonment and completely smashing her captors along the way. After gaining her revenge on Gorilla-Man, the figure that betrayed her to the Winter Guard in the first place, the Winter Guard set her sights on Atlantis, smashing any Atlantean that stood in her way. And in Avengers #49 by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, Flaviano, David Curiel and VC's Cory Petit, when the Winter Guard finally catches up to the Winter Hulk, they realize Jen is far more in control than they initially believed.
As the Winter Hulk squares off against a disgraced Namor the Sub-Mariner at the bottom of the ocean, with the gamma-radiated hero holding a clear advantage over the underwater regent, it is observed that Jen has been living something of a double life for years now. More than that, Jen has had to contend with deep trauma for some time all while maintaining her enormous responsibilities as a superhero and lawyer. With this in mind, a recorded conversation between She-Hulk and Black Panther sometime before her capture by the Winter Guard is revealed, showcasing that not only has Jen been in control all along but that she developed the plan for her own capture herself.
The conversation between the two Avengers has T'Challa concerned that what Jen is proposing will leave her captured, isolated and tortured for months should the Winter Guard successfully capture her. Jen is well aware of the risks and ordeal that lays before her but is determined to learn what exactly the Winter Guard has planned for Atlantis, with her deliberate capture revealing they plan to eradicate the underwater kingdom with a massive nuclear bomb. And with the Winter Guard confronted and largely dealt with, the stage for the final showdown and stage of Jen's plan is set.
Jen has repeatedly laid her life on the line as part of her duties as a superhero and she has taken it to a whole new level with her plan to infiltrate the Winter Guard as an intentional prisoner. While incurring plenty of collateral damage, Jen's plans have largely gone just as she intended, resulting in the Winter Guard's plans apparently being foiled. But with the Russian team still having some deadly tricks up their sleeve, the battle isn't over yet as the Avengers and Winter Guard's confrontation reaches its climactic finish.