Medusa, Queen of Attilan, was Grodd's prisoner. She could only watch as her family did their best to save the Great Refuge from the tyrant Grodd. She wished that Black Bolt were here. Was he really dead?

Meanwhile, the fight went on. Blue Diamond made a bee-line straight for the Red Ghost. Red Ghost recoiled in fear because only the Blue Diamond could touch him. He hid behind his super gorilla. The gorilla and the Blue Diamond locked up. The gorilla attacked savagely while the Blue Diamond tried to use his skill and intelligence against the beast.

The orangutang used his magnetic powers to hurl any metal objects in the vicinity at the royals. The centaur-like Gorgon turned around and kicked out with his powerful hind legs. He kicked the flying metal objects away, but the orangutang sent them hurtling back at the Inhumans again.

The shape-shifting baboon turned itself into a fireball and pursued Triton. Dubbilex realized that the Red Ghost was their real opponent. The Ghost used hand-signals and code words to command the apes. Without him, they were just dumb animals. Dubbilex used his strongest telepathic force to send on overwhelming sensory signal into the Red Ghost's mind. The Red Ghost screamed, stunned by the mental overload. Unable to concentrate, he couldn't remain intangible, and so reverted to solid form. Halo fired a laser blast at him and stunned him into unconsciousness. Now the apes were like a train without and engineer.

Crystal, the mistress of the elements, used wind to counteract the orangutang's magnetic force, pushing the metal projectiles back. While the Orangutang was distracted, Gorgon came up behind it and leveled it with a powerful kick from his hoofed feet.

Triton, still being chased by the fireball/baboon, jumped into the city's fountain. The fiery baboon stupidly tried to follow him in. The monkey found himself being transformed into steam. He got caught in the winds that Crystal was using against the Orangutang, and was dispersed into the air. Gorgon used his powerful legs to kick the gorilla, stunning it. This allowed the Blue Diamond and Triton to overpower it. The Red Ghost and his three apes were out of the fight.

"I'll put a mental command into the gorilla and orangutang's mind that will keep them asleep for hours," Dubbilex said.

"We should help ZZZaxx now," Triton said.

Nearby, ZZZaxx was grappling with the monstrous Titano. ZZZaxx rapped his electrical arms around Titano's legs. Titano tried to swat him off but couldn't get much force at that angle. Titano tried to pull ZZZaxx off. But something was happening. Titano was confused. The last time that Titano met the glowing creature, Titano got stronger, bigger. Now, he was feeling weaker. He was getting smaller. And the glowing creature was getting bigger.

Grodd was watching in alarm. "No! That dolt ZZZaxx can't have figured it out. And yet, it seems he has!"

"Figured what out?" Medusa asked hopefully.

"Quiet women!" Grodd ordered. He watched in amazement as ZZZaxx siphoned the energy away from Titano. Grodd had created Titano to be a power battery, getting stronger when exposed to any kind of energy. Grodd knew that ZZZaxx would be stupid enough to use his electric power against Titano, and Titano would absorb it. But now, it seemed that the simple minded ZZZaxx had figured it out. ZZZaxx could absorb energy himself. That's how he fed. Somehow, he was absorbing Titano's energy faster than Titano could absorb his. Titano was weakening.

Suddenly, Solivar and the ape army came charging into view. At Solivar's instruction, they all swarmed over the weakened Titano. ZZZaxx let go and backed off, as Titano was buried under a pile of gorillas.

Medusa smiled. "And just as easy as that, you're alone Grodd! You've underestimated us. We will prevail!"

Grodd laughed. "And you have no conception of the power I now have. Let them come. I shall crush them all!"

Solivar, Blue Diamond, Crystal, Halo, Gorgon, Triton, Dubbilex, and ZZZaxx stood in a row, facing Grodd. Behind them, the ape army was lined up to back them up in their efforts.

"We stand united against you, villain!" Gorgon yelled. "Surrender or be destroyed!"

Grodd stood calmly. "Come to me, idiots"

ZZZaxx and Gorgon, the two most impulsive of the Inhumans, made the first charge. Grodd was not intimidated. He pointed and let loose a powerful energy blast. It hit Gorgon, who screamed and crumbled to the ground. He tried to get up again, but Grodd hit him with a second blast, which put him out of the fight. ZZZaxx kept coming.

But then he suddenly stopped. He stood rocking back and forth, oblivious to everything.

"What happen to him?" Crystal asked.

"Telepathy!" Dubbilex answered. "He'd done to ZZZaxx what I did to the Red Ghost. Sensory overload. But with ZZZaxx's simple mind, he'll be autistic for hours. Perhaps I can free him."

Dubbilex tried to use his own telepathy to free ZZZaxx, but Grodd targeted him with an energy blast. Dubbilex went down.

Three down and we've barely started, Blue Diamond thought. Not good.

Halo converted into light energy and tried to dazzle Grodd. But he still had the protective contact lenses he was using when he fought her earlier. She focused into a laser. Grodd fired his own laser. The two beams struck each other. There was an explosion. When it was over, Halo lay unmoving on the ground.

Blue Diamond hurled some debris at Grodd. Grodd blasted it out of the air. But the Blue Diamond was only distracting Grodd. He was setting Grodd up for an attack from behind by Crystal. The elemental Inhuman unleashed fire against the ape. But Grodd was no fool and saw through the deception. He used an energy wave to eliminate the flames. The wave kept spreading until it hit Crystal, knocking her out. This set the Blue Diamond into a wild rage. He charged unthinkingly at Grodd. Grodd let loose a few dozen bolts of energy which rocked the Blue Diamond. He fell to his knees. Grodd grabbed him, lifted him up over his head, and slammed him to the ground. The Blue Diamond had the wind knocked out of him and blacked out.

"We must attack as a group," Solivar said. "Perhaps by overwhelming him, we can cause him to make a mistake!"

Triton and Solivar led the army of apes in their attack. They came at Grodd from all sides.

Red Ghost had woken up by this time. He tried to awaken his gorilla and his orangutang but they were in a deep sleep and couldn't be aroused. The Red Ghost didn't know where the baboon was. He didn't like the fact that Grodd was currently outnumbered. He had to get away. But would the Inhumans come looking for him if they won? And would Grodd come looking for him, for running out on him, if Grodd won? Then the Red Ghost had and idea. He went to the palace.

Meanwhile, Grodd was surrounded by dozens of angry apes. He wasn't worried.

"Code Zeta-Q . . . Sleep!" Grodd commanded.

Grodd laughed as the apes all fell asleep. Solivar growled. He hoped that Grodd would be so taken with his new power that he would forget about the code. No such luck. Solivar and Triton looked at each other, realizing that they, alone, had no chance in the world to defeat Grodd.

Close by, Medusa was thinking the same thing. She could join Triton and this noble ape, whoever he was, and fight a losing battle against Grodd. They'd have no chance of winning. Or she could try something else. Grodd had imprisoned the imperial guard when he conquered the city. Maybe if she freed them, they could help take it back. She snuck off while Grodd was distracted with Triton and the ape. Once again, she wished Black Bolt was here.

Solivar screamed in helpless agony, until he passed out. Grodd laughed. "And now Medusa, my sweet. I . . . "

She wasn't there. But where would she go? Ah! Of course.

. . . and Grodd was there ahead of her! She gasped, shocked.

"I can fly now, you know," Grodd said. "It was easy to overtake you. And I have very keen olfactory senses. It was easy to track you."

Medusa tried to use her living locks to fight Grodd but he stunned her. Then he dragged her away by the hair. The pain brought her back to her senses. She tried to struggle free. Grodd pulled her to him. So you want to wrestle, do you? Well, there's no one else present. Shall we . . . Get physical!"

Grodd started to force himself on Medusa, ripping her clothes. "No!" she screamed, trying in vain to escape. She couldn't get away. In horror she realized that she couldn't avoid the horrible fate that was about to befall her.

But then she saw a small dot in the sky. A blue dot. It got bigger and bigger. Something was coming this way. No, someone! As the figure got closer, it became recognizable! She couldn't believe her eyes. Was it true! Yes, by Omega, it was! It was him! He was alive! He was back!

Grodd didn't know what hit him. He was knocked violently off of Medusa! All he saw was a blue blur. Then a fist hit him in the face, knocking him twenty feet across the square. Stunned, he looked to see who this powerful new attacker was.

Grodd was shocked! It couldn't be him! He was dead! And yet, here he was, alive and fighting. The king was back!

"Black Bolt!" Medusa yelled joyously.

Black Bolt didn't acknowledge her. He just stared hatefully at his brother, fists clenched and ready for battle!

"So, you're alive, are you, dear brother?" Grodd said, "So much the better! I have the power now, and I'll get the pleasure of destroying you with my own hands!

Black Bolt gestured for Grodd to come at him. Grodd obliged. They locked up in a battle which would have no mercy!