Bruce Banner: The Hulk Appreciation 2019

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

The thing is: does Banner truly knows Devil Hulk is the Maestro? Or is it only an intuition? How would He even know something like that?

Banner never stated for a fact anything. Intuition is the other guy ;-). He was just pondering on what name to call "Devil Hulk" because he didn't like the name "Devil". That's all I got fom it.

[ChrisIII]

Yeah, we've had other Hulk personas hinted at being the Maestro as well (Doc Green being the latest). The end of Peter David's run even strongly hinted that many of what led to Future Imperfect was already coming to pass, such as Rick in a wheelchair and Betty's death.

[Hypestyle]

so is there any way at all to remove the malevolent personalities from Banner's inner psyche? Those that are inclined to do evil and not protect?

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

Yeah, we've had other Hulk personas hinted at being the Maestro as well (Doc Green being the latest). The end of Peter David's run even strongly hinted that many of what led to Future Imperfect was already coming to pass, such as Rick in a wheelchair and Betty's death.

One thing I've realized about comic books and continuity, is that most of it is so convoluted that no one can fix it. As you've mentioned it was said that Doc Green was bound to be the Maestro, which seems no longer to be the case as well as the Rick Jones wheelchair shrapnel in the brain story.

so is there any way at all to remove the malevolent personalities from Banner's inner psyche? Those that are inclined to do evil and not protect?

I don't know if it's about removing his malevolent personalities. Probably more like transcending them.

[Cth]

One thing I've realized about comic books and continuity, is that most of it is so convoluted that no one can fix it. As you've mentioned it was said that Doc Green was bound to be the Maestro, which seems no longer to be the case as well as the Rick Jones wheelchair shrapnel in the brain story.



I don't know if it's about removing his malevolent personalities. Probably more like transcending them.

I'm sure if Xavier and Doc Samson got together and compared notes, they could do something really interesting things to "fix" Bruce but no one seems to talk to one another these days

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

I'm sure if Xavier and Doc Samson got together and compared notes, they could do something really interesting things to "fix" Bruce but no one seems to talk to one another these days

It'd be interesting to see how they would muck up Banner's already muddled psyche. I've always thought that the Hulk would get along better with mutants than puny humans, since they shared so much of the same ills from them. Considering the story in Immortal Hulk, it seems the true issue is who holds possession of Banner's soul and the direction he is going in.

[Immortal Hulk]

Banner never stated for a fact anything. Intuition is the other guy ;-). He was just pondering on what name to call "Devil Hulk" because he didn't like the name "Devil". That's all I got fom it.

Good answer! But, then again, I think He's very specific about that name choice, don't you?

so is there any way at all to remove the malevolent personalities from Banner's inner psyche? Those that are inclined to do evil and not protect?

Interesting question. The way I see, all incarnations are part of what Banner is. They are interconnected: even that last (CW II/SE) mega mindless Hulk is part of this whole, after all he's Hulk when Banner is totally switched off. That incarnation was not killed; it is in a prison deep inside Banner's psyche.

I believe that, as Gamma Irradiated Being said, that you can transcend "bad incarnations" (that would apply to any incarnation, in truth.); you might even reach a compromise between a few or several - maybe all of them? -, but I think "killing" one would also kill a part of Banner, and that would have severe consequences to himself. What could emerge of that could be even worse than one might think.

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

Good answer! But, then again, I think He's very specific about that name choice, don't you?

Without question I take it that in story this is the first time that "Devil Hulk" is literally being termed Maestro. But as it stands in story, Banner was only contemplating it.

Interesting question. The way I see, all incarnations are part of what Banner is. They are interconnected: even that last (CW II/SE) mega mindless Hulk is part of this whole, after all he's Hulk when Banner is totally switched off. That incarnation was not killed; it is in a prison deep inside Banner's psyche.

I believe that, as Gamma Irradiated Being said, that you can transcend "bad incarnations" (that would apply to any incarnation, in truth.); you might even reach a compromise between a few or several - maybe all of them? -, but I think "killing" one would also kill a part of Banner, and that would have severe consequences to himself. What could emerge of that could be even worse than one might think.

Right. Killing any Hulk within Bruce's psyche is the equivalent of giving him a mental lobotomy.

[Immortal Hulk]

I'd even draw the parallel with what happened to Adam Warlock. The "goddess (the purely good part of himself) wanted to do terrible things to destroy all the "evil" in the world.

A purely good Hulk, if such a thing does exist, could have a completely distorted view of the world and about what he should do to achieve that.

Only people that shared his vision could be considered as good, maybe? What could, maybe, he want from the world if He eradicated all the "bad things"? It's too unpredictable, as all the things about the Hulk are.

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

I'd even draw the parallel with what happened to Adam Warlock. The "goddess (the purely good part of himself) wanted to do terrible things to destroy all the "evil" in the world.

A purely good Hulk, if such a thing does exist, could have a completely distorted view of the world and about what he should do to achieve that.

Only people that shared his vision could be considered as good, maybe? What could, maybe, he want from the world if He eradicated all the "bad things"? It's too unpredictable, as all the things about the Hulk are.

I think Al is suggesting it in his story that any clear cut line between good and evil is not there. He's referring to Devil Hulk as the anger of God. I think we may just get the opportunity to get a look at what a "good" Hulk looks like.

[ChrisIII]

What if? Kind of dealt with that possibility I think, although it was with an evil Bruce.


https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Bruce...r_(Earth-9691)

[Gamma Irradiated Being]

What if? Kind of dealt with that possibility I think, although it was with an evil Bruce.


https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Bruce...r_(Earth-9691)

Maybe, or maybe they just incarnate like a more powerful looking "human" self like Samson, Jennifer, Hotshot, JB or even Half-Life after he absorbed Gray Hulk's gamma. Or maybe both?

[PlatinumThorns]

So, do you ya'll think the F4 is gonna beat the IH in the next couple issues of Fantastic Four, starting with tomorrow's book?

[Ptrvc]

So, do you ya'll think the F4 is gonna beat the IH in the next couple issues of Fantastic Four, starting with tomorrow's book?

Do you mean sales or Hulk Thing rumble.

I'm guessing we're getting a Bruce 'Joe' Banner vs Human Grimm moment.

[ChrisIII]

Puppet master is involved, so maybe the Hulk's under his influence, although I'm not sure that would work on him-or has in the past.


It's kind of interesting how different some of the personas work with the Thing. Merged/Professor seemed to regard him as sort of an old drinking buddy, almost, while Joe and Savage of course were more adversarial.