Bruce Banner: The Hulk Appreciation 2020

[PlatinumThorns]

Yeah. I’m surprised that we haven’t seen the guilt Hulk in the mindscape (yet) . Probably because Bruce hasn’t realized that the level of death that the Leader caused in that town when he overloaded the hulk with gamma. Savage hulk was devastated by the incident, but most likely, the guilt Hulk can’t be active unless Bruce is part of the system.

Yeah, I don't think new Hulks can be formed without the Bruce Banner component. Also, it's interesting to note that Joe Fixit has a better control over the different Hulk combos than Bruce does (able to summon Savage for a brief moment to heal his arms).

[Immortal Hulk]

I even believe that, in the current condition, with the Hulk working as a fully interconnected system, the removal of Banner ( not to mention the Devil persona too) weakened the Hulk maybe almost as much as the gamma draining.

[HeavenlyDemonic]

Yeah, I don't think new Hulks can be formed without the Bruce Banner component. Also, it's interesting to note that Joe Fixit has a better control over the different Hulk combos than Bruce does (able to summon Savage for a brief moment to heal his arms).

I think that’s due to Joe having spent more time being dormant within the mindscape, thus he knows to manipulate it to some extent. That would explain how He is able to change his clothes and hair style( but can’t get his Gray body back on his own). Plus, Joe said that he and Savage Hulk have an arrangement; so I assume that means that whichever one of them is in the real world, in turn gets protected by the other one in the mindscape. Kinda like at the end of Jason Aaron’s run, where Both Bruce and Hulk worked together( Bruce “driving” the body from the inside and Hulk smashing enemies on the outside)

Ewing has shown during this run several times that Bruce still doesn’t understand the full scope of his mindscape( he can’t consciously create things within the world) even after all these years. That’s probably do to his fear of the hulk and his denial of his DID until now. Hopefully that changes by the end of this run.

[Venom Melendez]

Ah, I prefer him without the facial hair in Hulk form. But otherwise, seeing him again was nice.

I wish he still had black hair when he's a Hulk.

To be fair I think we Fortean ended up fitting the story better than Ross would've. Still annoyed at Coates though.

I don't think Ross would have been the Leader of Shadow Base anyway. It probably would have still been Fortean.

Ewing made a point to show how Fortean is far more extreme than Ross.

[Immortal Hulk]

Xavier Files Best Comics Of 2020

Immortal Hulk

Zach Rabiroff: In the end, the fear was never the point. Immortal Hulk first attracted attention for its warped, devilish imagery and surreal probings into the body and mind of Marvel’s deathless gamma monster. But then, in 2020, a strange thing began to happen: as the story wound on, and Bruce Banner emerged from the lower levels of Hell into the light above, it became not so much a tale about pain and trauma as about its cure. What started as an exploration of an Inferno became Dantean in the truest sense: a halting, difficult, unsteady passage toward human redemption. And in a year of mounting horrors, this horror comic gave us the most unexpected thing: a brief, fleeting glimpse of hope.

https://www.xavierfiles.com/2020/12/...omics-of-2020/

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #292
“Dragon Night!”

Cover Date: February 1984
Sale Date: November 8th, 1983
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: Sal Buscema
Inker: Joe Sinnott
Letterer: Clem Robbins
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Ann Nocenti

Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Kate Waynesboro, Dragon Man
Villain: Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime
Synopsis: The Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime has been making their rounds across the Mexican countryside, while Bruce Banner and Kate Waynesboro travel to Mexico City for follow-up data on some gamma experiments performed on local farming fields. Banner has been plagued with nightmares about the savage Hulk’s return, and Kate suggests they see a circus show as a way to relax. Once inside, Banner has vague recollections of this particular circus and the appearance of the Dragon Man explains the burned crops from one of the fields they toured. Before he can do anything, the Ringmaster hypnotizes Banner and forces the transformation. Dragon Man is able to break the spell, and the Ringmaster forces Banner to change into the Hulk to do battle. In the chaos, the Ringmaster’s hat is destroyed, Banner is able to shake off the hypnosis and Dragon Man flies away. A despondent Banner thinks he has lost control once again, but Kate explains everything…to no avail.
Commentary: Hi Joe, bye Joe! And the Hulk in torn pants again, even if for a few panels! Quiet set up story for the next few months. Note the corner box image, this would have been neat to see during all of the Banner-In-Control issues.

[a2542]

That’s an interesting hypothesis, now that you mention it. I wonder if it’s intentional as well. Like, maybe the more that Joe matures and evolves, the more that Savage hulk regresses psychologically. It’s also telling that there are more instances of Savage Hulk crying when his personality is in the mindscape, while he’s either being beaten or mistreated in the real world.

This actually happened for Bruce and Savage Hulk during Indestructible Hulk. When Jeff Parker wrote a Indestructible Hulk/Iron-Man one shot he literally had Bruce saying that Hulk is dumber and speaks far fewer words than usual due to Bruce owning up and applying his scientific genius more proactively working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Whoever does follow up Ewing on this run is going to have a hard time similar to what happened after Greg Pak finished his run. Aaron's run was horrible and that directly followed up Pak. Though I want to see Parker come back and write Hulk again, he did an outstanding job and redeemed Red Hulk for the most part in my eyes.

[ChrisIII]

I'm kind of curious how Joe and Wolverine would interact, especially since they both had alternate identities at roughly the same time (Patch on Logan's side).

[SanityOrMadness]

I even believe that, in the current condition, with the Hulk working as a fully interconnected system, the removal of Banner ( not to mention the Devil persona too) weakened the Hulk maybe almost as much as the gamma draining.

Well, that's what the #40 letters page said ("With Bruce Banner missing from the system, seemingly having taken the Hulk's incredible strength with him..."). I don't think gamma drain was meaningfully suggested until the King in Black IH recap page.

(Gamma drain tends to be a transient thing for the Hulk anyway - as soon as he gets away from it, anything less than a 100% drain like Rulk or Cho did typically reverses itself almost instantly. Hell, we saw that with Devil in his Juggernaut guest-spot a couple of months back, it just didn't last.)

This actually happened for Bruce and Savage Hulk during Indestructible Hulk. When Jeff Parker wrote a Indestructible Hulk/Iron-Man one shot he literally had Bruce saying that Hulk is dumber and speaks far fewer words than usual due to Bruce owning up and applying his scientific genius more proactively working for S.H.I.E.L.D.

Honestly, while he was obviously trying to patch Mark Waid caring about the Hulk about as much as Bruce Jones, that just raises further questions. (We've had Bruce and Hulks working before, like Banner/Green Scar in Incredible Hulks, without any negative side-effects after all).

[HeavenlyDemonic]

Well, that's what the #40 letters page said ("With Bruce Banner missing from the system, seemingly having taken the Hulk's incredible strength with him..."). I don't think gamma drain was meaningfully suggested until the King in Black IH recap page.
C
(Gamma drain tends to be a transient thing for the Hulk anyway - as soon as he gets away from it, anything less than a 100% drain like Rulk or Cho did typically reverses itself almost instantly. Hell, we saw that with Devil in his Juggernaut guest-spot a couple of months back, it just didn't last.)


Honestly, while he was obviously trying to patch Mark Waid caring about the Hulk about as much as Bruce Jones, that just raises further questions. (We've had Bruce and Hulks working before, like Banner/Green Scar in Incredible Hulks, without any negative side-effects after all).

Exactly. Mark Waid said repeatedly in interviews that he was not a fan of the hulk as a character. And his indestructible run definitely illustrates that. He was just copying the characterization of Hulk from the avengers movies

[ChrisIII]

With Ross back it'd be interesting to have him meet with Betty again. Maybe we'll see that in a later issue, given that Betty's coming back. Also his reaction to what happened with Fortean.

[TheCape]

I'm kind of curious how Joe and Wolverine would interact, especially since they both had alternate identities at roughly the same time (Patch on Logan's side).

There is a team up between the in the first Wolverine solo (issue 7 and 8), that is pretty funny.

[Lukmendes]

There is a team up between the in the first Wolverine solo (issue 7 and 8), that is pretty funny.

Well, first on-going, since he had a mini before that, but yeah, that story had Wolverine pissing off Fixit all the damn time, and ended with the biggest metaphorical middle finger, with Wolverine tricking Fixit into thinking his flight was gonna be night for the whole flight, but Fixit's flight went another way, so it'd be daytime for the whole flight, so Bruce is the one who'd enjoy first class since it had that daytime being when Bruce is active, and night being when Fixit is... Yeah, if Fixit ever realizes that Wolverine is Patch (Assuming he didn't do so before), and with how much Ewing likes continuity, he'd probably reference that and have Fixit try to beat up Wolverine lol.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Well, first on-going, since he had a mini before that, but yeah, that story had Wolverine pissing off Fixit all the damn time, and ended with the biggest metaphorical middle finger, with Wolverine tricking Fixit into thinking his flight was gonna be night for the whole flight, but Fixit's flight went another way, so it'd be daytime for the whole flight, so Bruce is the one who'd enjoy first class since it had that daytime being when Bruce is active, and night being when Fixit is... Yeah, if Fixit ever realizes that Wolverine is Patch (Assuming he didn't do so before), and with how much Ewing likes continuity, he'd probably reference that and have Fixit try to beat up Wolverine lol.

Fixit knew that Wolverine was Patch before he left the island. He walloped Logan so hard his body dug a trench in the ground, and only did so because he knew that Logan could take it.

I'm not up on canon from that time, so I'm curious. In the Wolverine issues, it shows that Fixit drugged Banner during the day. Did he do that in PAD's Hulk?

[Vordan]

Fixit knew that Wolverine was Patch before he left the island. He walloped Logan so hard his body dug a trench in the ground, and only did so because he knew that Logan could take it.

I'm not up on canon from that time, so I'm curious. In the Wolverine issues, it shows that Fixit drugged Banner during the day. Did he do that in PAD's Hulk?

Pretty sure he did yeah. I know he drank so much booze one time that when he reverted to Banner, Bruce was still drunk and unable to do anything. So Joe did take steps to neutralize Bruce.