The Power Broker Treatment

"Let's go for a walk," Dr. Stone said.

So they did. Out on the streets of Manhattan. Dr. Stone moved with confidence, grace, almost projecting her own invisible don't-fuck-with-me field. Sue Storm, walking alongside, had a literal invisible **** field up, an inch from her skin, which random elbows and assholes occasionally bounced off of. They went south and west from Central Park...and ended up in a part of the city that the Invisible Woman had never been to. Not grungy, exactly, but with a subtly different vibe.

She led Sue into a nondescript brownstone that smelled of sweat and energy drinks, nodded at a huge Black woman behind a desk, and ushered the Invisible Woman into a gym. Hard men and a few women trained there. A few were sparring. All of them looked...not like the bodybuilders she had seen on television. They were quiet, focused types, with few tattoos and short haircuts, even the women. Lean, well-muscled frames, but not hulking brutes.

Few piercings. Lots of scars.

These were fighters. MMA. Special forces. Organized crime. Maybe even some superheroes and criminals in civilian guise. The hair on the back of Sue's neck rose, aware of the danger.

"The truth, Susan, is that no matter how much bodybuilding you do, you will never achieve the gamma-enhanced physique of She-Hulk. Because she cheats. She's using her powers. It would take an enormous amount of calories and sitting on her ass doing nothing for She-Hulk to gain an ounce of fat, and even then it would probably go straight to her breasts. She is unlikely to ever gain substantial amounts of weight or lose muscle definition. You cannot keep up through normal exercise, no matter how intense. Even steroids would only provide a loose, temporary approximation, and those have substantial side-effects and health risks."

The blonde psychiatrist led Sue out from the gym proper to a freight elevator. There were two hulking guards there. Built like linebackers, bald and about six-feet around at the gut, the kind of mass that suggested huge reserves of stamina. One of them touched a button as Dr. Stone approached, and the elevator shuddered open.

As it closed and began to descend, Dr. Stone said.

"In addition to psychiatric services for the superhuman community, I also do...the equivalent of sports medicine. Many heroes struggle with body image issues, as well as keeping their superhero physiques. Not everyone has the luxury of a lifetime of exercise or super-soldier serum or being born an Asgardian god. Some of them need a little help. I occasionally facilitate that."

Sue raised an eyebrow, not sure what to say. It was true that everyone in the superhero community seemed to be extremely fit. She had sometimes compared diet tips and exercise regimens with a few close friends, but Sue knew she couldn't manage the same routine as Black Widow or Valkyrie.

The elevator came to a stop. It opened into what was a clean, perfect laboratory. Like something out of a science fiction movie. The Invisible Woman stepped inside, expecting lens flare off every gleaming chrome surface. An Asian woman in glasses and a white labcoat looked up from a computer and smiled at them both.

"You'll recall when Ben Grimm joined the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation? Most of the wrestlers took advantage of the Powermaster process. A one-shot, non-addictive overall body enhancement process that gave them the strength—and most especially the physique—to fill their tights. Several supers have also made use of the process."

Dr. Stone stopped before the woman.

"If you want to look like She-Hulk—this is your best bet. What do you say?"