Bruce Banner - The Hulk Appreciation 2021

[Immortal Hulk]

Oh damn, that looks like Skaar shadowed out on Gamma Flight #2's cover.

It's definitely a possibility. And when it's mentioned that they're are characters people are calling for since the beginning of Immortal Hulk, Skaar has been one of them. Actually, people still ask if He's going to appear in this run.

[ChrisIII]

Wonder if Rick/Del will also show up in Gamma Flight, as they appear to be no longer the influence of the Leader, although not exactly back to normal either.

[Cth]

It's definitely a possibility. And when it's mentioned that they're are characters people are calling for since the beginning of Immortal Hulk, Skaar has been one of them. Actually, people still ask if He's going to appear in this run.

I think that's referring to Gamma Flight spinning off into their own book.

And count me out if Skaar's involved. If they keep him as a Shadow Kid, maybe but Clone Hulk with a Sword is so incredibly boring I think I'd prefer Jason Aaron to write the main title than bring back that character.

The potential was realized when Banner was separate and had to deal with having a kid, and after all the stuff he's been through with the Immortal run and dealing with family and self issues there's nothing else to explore IMO.

Still, it's Ewing and if anyone can make Skaar interesting and something more than Cho Hulk v2 with a sword. I'm just tired of all the Hulk clones over the years, he's supposed to be a reflection of Bruce's unique mental trauma and all gamma creatures have generally followed that pattern.

[Hulkbanner12]

It's definitely a possibility. And when it's mentioned that they're are characters people are calling for since the beginning of Immortal Hulk, Skaar has been one of them. Actually, people still ask if He's going to appear in this run.

This list of people that fit right with this kind of story in my opinion is Lyra, and Skaar. I want both of them to have a word with their father. That scan definitely looks like skaar.

[Kingkalamari]

Wonder if Rick/Del will also show up in Gamma Flight, as they appear to be no longer the influence of the Leader, although not exactly back to normal either.

They are, in one of the prieview images in the reveal of Gamma Flight we see them. I'm not sure what capacity they are though, imagine part of the story will be trying to fix them.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

If I'm remembering correctly, the Abomination/Tyrannus was later undone in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Annual #23, with Emil becoming him again. It featured the She-Hulk as a guest star.

Here's some excerpts from that issue (Liefeld art):

https://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/4589038.html

Yup. He gets his butt handed to him by Wonder Man in WCA #25 next, and I'm blanking on what he did after that...

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #325
“The New Hulk!”

Cover Date: November 1986
Sale Date: August 5th, 1986
Writer: Al Milgrom
Artist: Steve Geiger
Inker: Bob McLeod
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Bob Harras
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Bruce Banner, Betty Banner, Rick Jones, Doc Samson, the Hulkbusters, Clay Quartermain, Thunderbolt Ross
Synopsis: Open to the stated-cast attending the funeral of Carolyn Parmenter out in the New Mexico desert. LaRoquette lashes out at Banner and Samson, blaming them for her death but cooler heads prevail. On the way back to Gamma Base, Bruce and Betty have an exchange about the current situation as Rick, looking sickly and pale, looks on. Meanwhile, SHIELD agents are transferring an old Hulk foe, Zzzax, into a chamber for reasons not yet known. Dusk approaches and Banner is placed in a prison cell, as there is concern that the transformation will take place at night once again. During the night, Zzzax manages to cause an electrical short and SHIELD agents are unable to monitor Banner’s situation. Miles away, a super strong brute in tattered clothing is lumbering down the highway. He destroys a semi and lumbers back to Gamma Base. Hours later, power is restored and Quartermain and Samson enter Banner’s quarters to find him asleep, but in tattered clothing. More exposition and we get a surprise appearance from Polly, last seen in issue #314, to tell Samson that he’s been fired from the university he was teaching at. Quartermain offers him a job with Gamma Base and they go to find Banner being smacked around to encourage a transformation. All reading appear normal and they celebrate Banner’s apparent cure. Rick, hiding around the corner, quietly and nauseously celebrates, as Betty hesitates to believe her husband is cured. Her father storms in, telling her not to believe any of it and he’s soon escorted away to a research lab. Later on, a long-haired green creature breaks out of Banner’s cell and heads to a nearby town, laying waste to everything. Quartermain, Samson and Betty spend the rest of the night chasing the brute from the town to the middle of the desert. As they approach, a very confused Banner in tattered clothing is trying to explain everything when a long-haired green Hulk lands, gathers Banner and leaps away.
Commentary: A long-haired GREEN HULK? But it’s not Banner. What the heck is going on? Steve Geiger is apparently the new artist and it’s a kick in the pants. McLeod’s inks are a treat too. And why in the hell did they bury Parmenter in an isolated part of the desert instead of a cemetery in the nearby town???

[Immortal Hulk]

Still remember when I bought this comic here in Brasil!

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Still remember when I bought this comic here in Brasil!

I actually prefer this over the green version. It fits the look he'd just gone thru...

[Immortal Hulk]

I actually prefer this over the green version. It fits the look he'd just gone thru...

I have to agree with you here. Actually, I think it looks much better.

[Jness]

I think that's referring to Gamma Flight spinning off into their own book.

Actually the solicit is directly referencing the repeated requests for a particular character to *appear* in Immortal Hulk (meaning they had not). As the poster above mentioned, the two that come to mind most immediately are Skaar or the Hulks daughter, with some long shots going out to:
* the Emil Bionsky version of the Abomination
* the Professor Hulk

The silhouette *definitely* is more Skaar than any of the other three though.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #326
“Desert Heat”

Cover Date: December 1986
Sale Date: September 9th, 1986
Writer: Al Milgrom
Artist: Steve Geiger
Inker: Joe Rubenstein
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Bob Harras
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Betty Banner, Doc Samson, Clay Quartermain, “Thunderbolt” Ross
Villain: Zzzax
Synopsis: Dawn in the New Mexico desert reveals the Hulk and Bruce Banner hurtling through the air. Yes. They appear to be separate beings again. But this Hulk is thinner, with long hair and green. The Hulk lands and a confused Banner begins bombarding the brute with questions. Suddenly he cries out in pain and transforms into Rick Jones. Banner is flabbergasted and we get a recap of the last couple of issues along with an explanation on what has happened to Rick and Bruce himself. Rick became a Hulk by absorbing gamma radiation from Banner during the Nutrient Bath accident, resulting in the Hulk reverting to his original gray-skinned form. In a nutshell; less gamma meant a smarter, weaker gray Hulk. More gamma meant a duller, stronger green Hulk. As to why Rick became a green Hulk? Well, it’s been established that gamma rays affect everyone differently, sooooo, we’ll go with that. More banter between Bruce and Rick, who is now expressing horror at becoming a Hulk (whereas back in #269, he was trying to do it on purpose!) Bruce vows to help find a cure for Rick and the two try to make their way to the old desert hideout before sundown. Back at Gamma Base, we see a distraught Betty try to encourage some action on finding her husband. Ross hits up Quartermain about going forward with “conditioning” and we see Ross strapped into a contraption next to Zzzax. The purpose is to infuse Ross with Zzzaz’s living electricity! Back in the desert, Bruce and Rick are succumbing to the heat and both begin to hallucinate; Banner flashing back to his traumatic childhood and Rick seeing two Hulks battling it out, with only one coming out as the victor. Cut back to Gamma Base, and the Ross experiment quickly backfires, as Zzzax absorbs Ross’ mind and escapes, intent on finding and killing the Hulk. Hours later, we see Bruce and Rick in front of the old cave just prior to sundown. The fever dreams wasted precious time, and as the two shake hands in solidarity, they both transform into their hulking alter-egos. The Rick Hulk quickly loses control while the Banner Hulk maintains his sinister, brutish intelligence and a lopsided battle ensues. How long they fight is not clear, as Zzzax approaches and strikes at both brutes. The Rick Hulk is able to recover, but the Gray Hulk has reverted back to Banner – with Zzzax vowing to kill this new creature.
Commentary: My nostalgia glasses are fogging up with this batch of issues. I enjoyed the hell out of #321 to 327. The thrill of the hunt, the engaging story (at 10 ½, yeah, I loved it!!), the artwork…I was just stepping into a whole new world of comics, whereas before it was just a casual “Oh hey, Transformers or G.I. Joe at Circle K, can I get that?” I vividly remember going Back-To-School shopping at Shopko for jeans, and while my mom scoured the racks for Levis in a size they didn’t regularly carry. BAM! There’s #326, and I’m in awe of seeing a green and gray Hulk duking it out. We find the jeans and I get my comic…with the promise of mowing the lawn when we get home. Geiger still on pencils, but I preferred McLeod over Rubenstein as the inker. Again, while Milgrom gets beat up for his art, his story is pretty decent. The explanation for the green-to-gray reversion is solid. There’s no MPD/dissociative identity disorder in play here. It’s Bruce Banner and the Hulk. ONE Hulk. The color change is a representation of how much gamma radiation Banner had in his body. Less gamma equals a smarter, yet smaller and weaker gray Hulk, while more gamma equals a dull-witted, larger and stronger green Hulk. I know in one of the letter columns, they explained that the Hulk had reached a saturation point to where he wouldn’t grow in size/strength any further. Which is a good thing, he’s the Hulk, not King Kong. Oh, and a Fat-Head Alert on pages 1 and 3.

[Immortal Hulk]

COVER RECREATION RICK BUCKLER HOMAGE-Ruy Jose inks. This one is stunning.

[Immortal Hulk]

A variant by the great Ron Lim.

[Uggha]

COVER RECREATION RICK BUCKLER HOMAGE-Ruy Jose inks. This one is stunning.

I hope they don't off or get rid of Bruce/Hulk again! I took a long hiatus during the Cho/Hulk run. I wasn't interested then in a Hulk wannabe and I won't be this time either.
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