Are there any Hulk stories where Hulk doesn't kill anyone?

[Flash Gordon]

The Hulk doesn't really kill.

[Matrik]

Guess to the new reader it must seem like he has killed/maimed many people in his rampages.

[Andy E. Nystrom]

Are there other stories with Hulk using Banner's mind, such as in Incredible Hulk annual # 12 or the story that starts with Incredible Hulk # 286? Thanks!

Aside from what ChrisIII mentioned, most if not all stories set in the Microverse were Banner's mind in Hulk's body. Way back in Incredible Hulk #6 (final issue of the original series), when the series was still very much trial and error, Hulk briefly had his body with Banner's head and mind. The early issues were pretty draft in a lot of ways, which also makes them a lot of fun.

[ARkadelphia]

I read now Hulk Annual #12 in The Incredible Hulk:Regression and its my favorite Hulk story so far. I really enjoyed it, because i like the story, the art style, the setting and this version of the Hulk.

I overall like how the The Incredible Hulk:Regression Paperback feels and looks. I look forward to reading on. Thanks again ARkadelphia for the recommendation !

You are most welcome. I thought you’d enjoy it based on what you described.

[Zolos]

You are most welcome. I thought you’d enjoy it based on what you described.

And you thought that right.

Guess to the new reader it must seem like he has killed/maimed many people in his rampages.

For example. The movie from 2008 gave me this impression too. And often you see hulk just going crazy. To a certain extent it is also entertaining. But I also prefer when a hero main character has certain limits.

The Hulk doesn't really kill.

Thats what i prefer

That was kind of part of the original idea behind the Merged Hulk from Peter David's run (Merged's main era was around #377-444 I think), that he was Banner merged with savage and Fixit, and hence the 'cured' Banner (although stuck in a Hulk form).

This was retconned in the Paul Jenkins run however (#12-33 of the late 90's relaunch), which basically had merged, or "the professor", simply be another Hulk personality that thought he was merged but wasn't.

Another smart Hulk that wasn't quite Banner was Doc Green from the Gary Duggan run, which was basically the savage Hulk given super-intelligence by Iron Man's extremis. He developed a cure for gamma radiation and went around depowering the other Gamma mutates/Hulks (Although a few have been restored in Immortal Hulk, although with new forms).

I've been Looking today for a couple of stories from Peter David that you mentioned. I have to look at the Gary Duggan run. I haven't seen anything of him yet. Thank you for your help !

[ChrisIII]

The Duggan run, although sort of an improvement over Aaron and Mark Waid's runs, has a mixed reception from fans. Although it has some great art by Mark Bagley, It largely undoes a good chunk of Pak, Loeb, and Parker's work on the titles by having Hulk try to rid the Earth of other gamma beings/Hulks by figuring out a cure (Some of these changes have been reversed by Ewing, sort of). The arc also is one that deals with the Hulk possibly becoming the Maestro, a future-or alternate reality version-of the Hulk, depending on which story you read (It's kind of complicated) who becomes ruler of the world after radiation has killed off most of the heroes and the surviving humans live in a dystopia ruled by him. The Maestro was first introduced in a two-issue 90's miniseries, Future Imperfect, which had the current Hulk (The Professor or merged) brought into the future to defeat 'himself'. It's a fairly dark story at times, and has some great George Perez art.

[ChrisIII]

There have also been a few other, non-Banner Hulks, usually active when Bruce has been depowered, or existing alongside.

Jennifer Walters is the best known of course, as She-Hulk. Although she mainly kept her intelligence/persona as the She-Hulk most of the time and became a member of the Avengers, Fantastic Four etc, as well as a somewhat kind of "comic relief"/4th wall breaking sort of hero (Which Deapool pretty much took over). the trauma of Civil War II caused her to develop personalities similar to her cousin.

Red She-Hulk is Betty Ross Banner, resurrected during "Fall of the Hulks/World War Hulks". Although initially psychotic and unstable, she became toned down as time went on and became more of a hero, although at times she turned into a more savage, Hulk like form. Although depowered, she has since re-emerged as the Red Harpy (a cross with another, earlier gamma form) in Ewing's stuff.

There's a third She-Hulk, Lyra, who is Banner's daughter from a possible future or something like that. I think she's sort of still active.


Rick Jones briefly became a Savage Hulk during the Al Milgrom run, and I think in one instance earlier; later he became two different forms of the Abomination. After a Resurrection, although in a human form he seems to give off gamma radiation and can weaponize it.

Thunderbolt Ross became the "Red Hulk" after the events of World War Hulk and briefly was Marvel's main Hulk when he depowered Banner. He mainly kept his intelligence.Later, he became more heroic like Red She-Hulk, but was also depowered by Banner. His main "rogue" General Fortean, was a nemesis in Ewing's run. It's a bit unclear whether he's dead or alive at this point, although he was most recently dead.


Amadeus Cho became the Hulk after siphoning gamma radiation from Banner, which briefly cured him until his resurrection (Well, ressurections if you count Secret Empire and an Uncanny Avengers story). Although more mentally stable than most Hulks, he did have a sort of savage side. He later pretty much became a slimmer gamma being, Brawn, which I think is his current status.


Despite the name, Hulkling is not a gamma being, but a Kree-Skrull hybrid who just happens to be green and muscular sometimes.

[Ptrvc]

Duggan's run ticked me off.

The way Doc Green treated Skaar is totally unacceptable.

[Celgress]

I think that scientist was the first person Hulk has killed deliberately .

He had it comin'.

Yeah, this is my understanding as well. The earlier deaths were accidents or collateral damage if you will, not so the scientist in Immortal Hulk.

[ChrisIII]

BTW there's also the Bruce Jones run (Around 2001-2005, about 40 issues) but that's *really* divided fans. Basically it attempted to turn the Hulk into more of a mystery/conspiracy comic with less emphasis on action and continuity, but it really kind of dragged on. Most of it is also later ignored by later writers or retconned a bit (It helps that Hulk doesn't really interact that much with the rest of the MU during this run apart from Wolverine, Thing and Iron Man). After Jones's run was over, Peter David briefly came back for a bit of course correction, and then Daniel Way started the storyline which would eventually lead to Greg Pak's Planet Hulk.


It has some good parts (The John Romita Jr and Deodato artwork was pretty good; also some great covers, some of which homage other artworks) and inspired parts of the MCU solo movie (Mr. Green/Mr Blue, the meditation stuff) but that's about it.

[Zolos]

The Duggan run, although sort of an improvement over Aaron and Mark Waid's runs, has a mixed reception from fans. Although it has some great art by Mark Bagley, It largely undoes a good chunk of Pak, Loeb, and Parker's work on the titles by having Hulk try to rid the Earth of other gamma beings/Hulks by figuring out a cure (Some of these changes have been reversed by Ewing, sort of). The arc also is one that deals with the Hulk possibly becoming the Maestro, a future-or alternate reality version-of the Hulk, depending on which story you read (It's kind of complicated) who becomes ruler of the world after radiation has killed off most of the heroes and the surviving humans live in a dystopia ruled by him. The Maestro was first introduced in a two-issue 90's miniseries, Future Imperfect, which had the current Hulk (The Professor or merged) brought into the future to defeat 'himself'. It's a fairly dark story at times, and has some great George Perez art.

BTW there's also the Bruce Jones run (Around 2001-2005, about 40 issues) but that's *really* divided fans. Basically it attempted to turn the Hulk into more of a mystery/conspiracy comic with less emphasis on action and continuity, but it really kind of dragged on. Most of it is also later ignored by later writers or retconned a bit (It helps that Hulk doesn't really interact that much with the rest of the MU during this run apart from Wolverine, Thing and Iron Man). After Jones's run was over, Peter David briefly came back for a bit of course correction, and then Daniel Way started the storyline which would eventually lead to Greg Pak's Planet Hulk.


It has some good parts (The John Romita Jr and Deodato artwork was pretty good; also some great covers, some of which homage other artworks) and inspired parts of the MCU solo movie (Mr. Green/Mr Blue, the meditation stuff) but that's about it.

Thanks a lot for your help. I really appriciate that. I will check that out.

In Incredible Hulk Annual 12 Hulk is very smart, controlled and kind-hearted. I like that.

Thank you all for your answers. Praise from my side to the friendly community of this forum. This thread became my guidline to Hulk comic books.

[ChrisIII]

Kind of interesting how a lot of the late 70's-early 80s have generally a more heroic, less awkward/nerdy Banner than a lot of the 60s and later 80s-now stories.


I think it might've been the influence of the Bill Bixby series where "David" Banner was completely different.

[Zolos]

Kind of interesting how a lot of the late 70's-early 80s have generally a more heroic, less awkward/nerdy Banner than a lot of the 60s and later 80s-now stories.


I think it might've been the influence of the Bill Bixby series where "David" Banner was completely different.

Thats very interesting! Thanks for that, i'll keep that in mind.

[Gaastra]

They did a story in I think one of the 90s annuals were hulk finds out the guy who broke in and set off the gamma bomb was still alive and chases after him. He is under the protection of darkstar's team however and they fight. The full "merged" or professor hulk was more less telling him it's his fault for all the hurt and damages the whole fight. At the end the guy breaks down and says "yes he knows he is to blame for the hulk and everyone he hurt and has lived with it his whole life."

But then says he also was to blame for hulks good things! The people hulk helped and the earth getting saved by hulk in the defenders! The story then ends with a shocked hulk and darkstars team looking down at the man as he laughs like the joker clearly having a break down!

Man that was fun story and yes people forget hulk has saved people and was in the defenders for about 100 issues saving earth many times!

As for hulk as the bad guy in the eternials and in the early machine man cross over he was kind of the bad guy in those stories and the mr fixit crossover with fantastic four during the spikey thing era he was kind of the bad guy in the story due to doom setting the fight up. (and even giving the hulk a green hulk robot to help fight the thing!)

[ChrisIII]

It's kind of funny that Bryne tried to undo that story with his "Chapter One" annual by making Igor a Skrull or something.

Peter David made fun of that in his "Captain Marvel" (Which in a few ways was a continuation of his run on Hulk, dealing with the further adventures of Rick and Marlo) with Rick laughing after reading the comic.