The
Elders of the Universe possess nearly infinite amounts of power, and with it, they do as they wish without fear of reprisal. Their endeavors brought them to
Earth several times where they pit one or more super-powered individuals against each other for their own amusement. The
Grandmaster is the most notorious of the Elders to do this – making wagers with other beings at the expense of those he deems less significant than himself. Such was the case when Grandmaster and the
Collector decided to play a game where the losing group would forfeit their very lives. The Grandmaster chose to begin with the
Hulk and allowed him to choose his teammates, so Hulk chose the original
Defenders:
Silver Surfer,
Namor and
Doctor Strange. The Collector began with the Hulk's newest nemesis, the
Red Hulk, and he chose
Baron Mordo,
Terrax and
Tiger Shark to be his Offenders.