WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from Fantastic Four #38-39, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
In the Marvel Universe, conflict is a part of almost every superhero's daily routine, and few battles have been as intense or as bizarre as the ones they've fought within the courtroom. Over the years, many heroes have been taken to court for a wide variety of reasons, and the following trials are often riddled with unique legal loopholes, outlandish twists, and sudden bouts of super-powered violence. To adapt to these often dangerous cases, the legal system has created a specific court of law that handles trials centered on heroes, and lawyers like Jennifer Walters (aka She-Hulk) have been able to build their entire careers around them.
In Fantastic Four #38-39(by Dan Slott, Francesco Manna, Jesus Aburtov, and VC's Joe Caramagna), She-Hulk once again represents Marvel's First Family in court when Bentley Whittman (aka Wizard) sues the Fantastic Four for custody of Bentley-23, the couple's adoptive son and the youngest of several clones of himself that Wizard had created in one of his many failed plots to destroy the Fantastic Four. The trial that follows is a chaotic one that ends with the destruction of the courtroom, and it could serve as an unorthodox preview of the sort of trials that could play out in Marvel/Disney+'s upcoming She-Hulk series.
Wishing to reclaim his "son" from the Fantastic Four, Wizard sues the family and their associate Dragon Man for custody, claiming that he's reformed and that the Wizard who's been committing crimes the past few years is another one of his clones, a strategy that She-Hulk refers to as "pulling a Thanos". Representing himself, Wizard argues that the Fantastic Four are unfit guardians whose superheroic lifestyles actively put Bentley-23 in danger, using events like Franklin Richard's recent mental health crisis as evidence. Although She-Hulk does everything she can to discredit these claims, Wizard manipulates the Fantastic Four into losing their tempers in court by calling their old enemy Diablo into court as a witness. By the time the trial is drawing to its conclusion, the presiding Judge Payne is actively considering putting all of the Fantastic Four's children, biological and adopted, into foster care.
However, just as things are looking grim for the team, a man claiming to be the real Bentley Whittman (who's revealed by the end of the issue to be a clone created by Bentley-23) bursts through the doors of the courtroom and explains that the Wizard who launched the case is a clone, invalidating his entire case. After a DNA test confirms that this new Bentley shares the same genetic code as the original, a confused and horrified Wizard blasts his way out of the courtroom, leaving the "original" Bentley to concede and allow Bentley-23 to stay with the Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, before the team can celebrate their victory, they're kicked out of the building by an irate Payne, who complains that most of the cases she hears end with her courtroom being destroyed.
Ironically, despite its explosive conclusion, the custody battle between the Fantastic Four and Wizard is one of the more sensible trials that She-Hulk has been involved with. Although she's not the only lawyer within the superhero community, She-Hulk's public identity has made her its de-facto legal representative, and many of her court cases have been plagued by mishaps that have befuddled and/or endangered everyone involved, herself included. In one case, she represented a wise-cracking Spider-Man in a libel lawsuit against J. Jonah Jameson and the Daily Bugle, and in another, she defended Thanos' brother Eros against allegations that he'd used his superpowers to seduce multiple women. Once, she even had to represent herself after the Time Variance Authority sentenced her to death for warning Hawkeye about his pre-destined death.
Due to the fantastical nature of their careers, even the simplest of legal disputes can become extremely complicated once superheroes become involved. The examples above could serve as the kind of cases that Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk will tackle in the upcoming She-Hulk series. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set in a more realistic world than most Marvel comics, events like the Decimation and the Blip have created many unique legal issues that push the boundaries of established law in ways that no one could have predicted. Falcon and the Winter Soldier has already shown how drastically the Avengers and their enemies have changed the world, and it may fall onto She-Hulk to defend her cousin and other heroes if they find themselves taken to court.
Although they've sworn to uphold the law, many heroes have found themselves walking on the wrong side of it. Thankfully, the super-hero community can always count on She-Hulk to stand up for them in the one arena that none of them can punch, fly, or blast their way out of.