Some time after, Mentallo was hired by MODOK to be part of a supervillain heist squad. Due to his psychic powers, he realized MODOK created a psychic illusion of money to secure everyone's loyalty, and MODOK secretly told him the "full extent" of the plans would be revealed to him, and several other villains. Mentallo quickly decided that instead he was going to sell the villain out to whoever stumped up the cash. After noticing the Chameleon had a telepathic shield and Spider-Man's powers and Spider-Sense, he went to offer to betray MODOK's plans to the Avengers for cash. Unfortunately for Mentallo, it wasn't Spider-Man at all but A.I.M.'s Ultra-Adaptoid which incinerated him to protect its cover. He was presumed dead, but Mentallo was revealed to be alive when he appeared at Ryker's Island to inform the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. about the New Defenders.