Bruce Banner - The Hulk Appreciation 2021

[ChrisIII]

The night transformation ended a dozen issues or so ago, when Bruce seemed to be more aligned with Devil's goals.

The Savage Hulk also has appeared transformed from Joe and Bruce, although it sometimes seems to be more like willpower than anger/stress, although when Devil is heavily angered or experiences massive trauma (like when Red Harpy and Rick/Abomination messed him up) his persona changes to Savage Hulk, although the body stays the same.

[Somecrazyaussie]

with the new regime, I hope that more all new villains of different kinds come into play: monsters, scientists, dictators, etc. Various powers and origins beyond gamma-rays, too.

I agree. It has been awhile since we had a decent, new villain. Creating enemies for the Hulk is, I think, quite challenging because they either need to be 1. Physically as powerful (if not more so) than him, 2. Smarter,or 3. Have a power set that offers a significant challenge to him.

So what do you? You already have a physical enemy in Abomination. A smart one in The Leader. Ones with varied power sets - U-Foes, Zzzax, etc. Very hard to come up with something that is different and has trodden previous ground.

[king of hybrids]

The only Hulk still ostensibly under the nighttime rule at the moment is Rulk

[Vordan]

with the new regime, I hope that more all new villains of different kinds come into play: monsters, scientists, dictators, etc. Various powers and origins beyond gamma-rays, too.

Not sure whether or not Cates will want to use classic Hulk Rogues, I fell off Thor pretty quickly, has he been using classic Thor villains or just OCs? The one big Hulk villain Ewing hasn’t touched is Abomination (Emil Blonsky), so I’m hoping Cates takes a stab at revamping that guy. At least bring Blonsky back before you trash all the gamma mythology Ewing has built.

For new Rogues, Ewing’s gamma mythology leaves a pretty easy way to create new threats that can challenge Hulk.

[ChrisIII]

Ewing seemed to have tried one or two new Rogues here and there in the first year such as Del's father and of course TOBA, but yeah it seems he pretty quickly reverted to the regular Hulk rogues gallery, with the exception of Agger and Xemnu, and the gun arm guy.

Even Fortean was pretty much transplanted from Parker's Red Hulk. (Whatever happened to his rogues gallery and his LMD girlfriend anyway? They were just kind of left hanging)

The original Abomination was last seen I think as some kind of zombie but Blonsky's been through far worse.

[Dinosaur Hulk]

Well Ewing and IH weren't even nominated for Aisners this time. Can't say I'm surprised.

But you know what makes me angry? They are completely ignoring what Bennett and Ross are doing. Have they ever SEEN Alex Ross' covers for IH, Captain America, Avengers and others? It belongs in museums. This is art at it's finest. Bennett's splash pages too, but okay, maybe not everyone into gory stuff (which is weird, because they have Junji Ito on the list twice). Not even nominated. Wow. Just speachless.

[Vordan]

Was kind of surprised IH didn’t get any noms myself. Oh well.

[Kingkalamari]

Bummer, a serious snub but what can ya do. IMO Immortal Hulk will have a legacy that will look back on it in the same regards as Moore's Swamp Thing or Morrison's Doom Patrol. A very untouchable defining run.

[Intothevoid]

The Eisner thing isn't surprising, it's 100% because of the controversy with Bennett. It don't matter the people reading this know how good the book is and it will still be talked about for years and decades later just like Greg Paks Planet Hulk stuff.

Anyway these are unlettered previews of the free comic book day Avengers/Hulk




Two things i gotta mention...

1. I hope Ryan Ottley adjust his artwork because i am not really liking Hulk in these shots, his body proportions look more like the Kingpin than the Hulk, his body is too bulky, almost looks fat honestly while his head is tiny.

2. I am not a fan of Hulk just killing people indiscriminately that's not what Hulk does. Devil Hulk would kill people usually as a last resort but not in just large numbers, not under Ewing at least which is what i liked. Here he goes and punches each individual person to death, seems a bit silly... especially since this is a perfect opportunity for a thunderclap.

[ChrisIII]

Didn't Modok get an upgrade of sorts in the Red Hulk comics? Oh well, I suppose this is possibly a flashback or he's just been returned to his normal look due to bring in those more familiar with the more traditional Avengers game and the HULU show versions.


Not sure he's necessarily killing the AIM guys, possibly just severely injuring them like the guy in IH #1 and who knows how many others over the years.

Kind of hard to figure out what persona this is.

[Cth]

On a positive note, at least it seems like we're dealing with some intelligence behind whichever Hulk this is.

Since he's punching instead of thunderclapping maybe that's an indication it's Bruce in control.

As expected, this issue guest stars Blood Splatter. I hope they don't over use him, it seems like he was in every issue of Invincible

Of course, if he was throwing a full punch we'd see the guy explode.. that's usually why Fixit flicked people.. Devil found more creative ways to hurt people.. so punching seems like a Banner thing to do.

RE: MODOK.. yeah he got a spider like chair/legs.. no one used it unfortunately and still treat MODOK like a joke. I remember when he had Abomination terrified.. a guy that could beat the Hulk. Now he's a punchline. Still, it made for a great storyline when all the Avengers became MODOKs.. Hulk with a giant head and tiny arms

[ChrisIII]

Rick Abomination was pretty terrfying at first, especially with the face. Fortean, not so much, as it seems clear the thing was more like a sort of bio-suit which took away some of the body horror.

[Intothevoid]

Didn't Modok get an upgrade of sorts in the Red Hulk comics? Oh well, I suppose this is possibly a flashback or he's just been returned to his normal look due to bring in those more familiar with the more traditional Avengers game and the HULU show versions.


Not sure he's necessarily killing the AIM guys, possibly just severely injuring them like the guy in IH #1 and who knows how many others over the years.

Kind of hard to figure out what persona this is.

I'd be very surprised if he is not straight up just murdering them here, he doesn't look like he is holding back and they are spewing blood like crazy if they are surviving this, then i guess Hulk can't kill regular humans now? Because he doesn't look like he is concerned with whether they live or die.

As for the persona, it's impossible to tell at this point it could be any one except guys like Fixit or Professor Hulk obviously.

On a positive note, at least it seems like we're dealing with some intelligence behind whichever Hulk this is.

Since he's punching instead of thunderclapping maybe that's an indication it's Bruce in control.

As expected, this issue guest stars Blood Splatter. I hope they don't over use him, it seems like he was in every issue of Invincible

Of course, if he was throwing a full punch we'd see the guy explode.. that's usually why Fixit flicked people.. Devil found more creative ways to hurt people.. so punching seems like a Banner thing to do.

RE: MODOK.. yeah he got a spider like chair/legs.. no one used it unfortunately and still treat MODOK like a joke. I remember when he had Abomination terrified.. a guy that could beat the Hulk. Now he's a punchline. Still, it made for a great storyline when all the Avengers became MODOKs.. Hulk with a giant head and tiny arms

If he was thunderclapping wouldn't that be an indication of a more smarter Hulk? Since the smarter choice is to thunderclap in this situation rather than punch each AIM guy individually when there seem to be dozens, maybe hundreds of them there.

Banner used to flick or tap regular people when he was in control, Professor Hulk used to that a lot and he was the closest thing to Banner back then, so i don't think this is Banner, if it was then he has become a lot more brutal than he normally is.

[Kingkalamari]

I think the last time we saw MODOK was in West Coast Avengers as part of the Masters of Evil team in the book? At first he had a normal human body but returned to his classic look. I think they did a Otto on him where he was a mental template clone of the original MODOK, originally going by MODOK Superior in the spider-leg chair in Unbelieveable Gwenpool like others have mentioned.

Previews look pretty cookie cutter Hulk Smash stuff but imagine the FCB stuff will always be pretty tame. Would be cool if it's The Professor since we never saw him in IH, not holding my breath for anything tho since I'm really banking on the series being a status quo return for Hulk, pretty astonished seeing other platforms full of people relieved to have "normal Hulk" and not digging Immortal Hulk, ah well.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Incredible Hulk #339
“Native Son”

Cover Date: January 1988
Sale Date: September 15th, 1987
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Todd McFarlane
Inker: Jim Saunders II
Letterer: Rick Parker
Colorist: Petra Scotese
Editor: Bob Harras
Guest Stars/Supporting Cast: Rick Jones, Clay Quartermain, the Leader
Antagonist: Alex Woolcot, aka Ashcan
Synopsis: Open to a father and son joking around as they play video games. The father mentions that he has to go to work and the son is allowed to go with him…into a hidden door behind the fireplace. Cut to the local carnival, where Bruce Banner is trying to talk some sense into a bratty child named Sparky, and is rewarded with a kick to the shin for his trouble. Rick and Clay arrive and the discussion turns sour as Quartermain brings up Bruce’s father. There’s some psycho babble between Clay and Rick and we find out that the trio have made their way to Boulder, in hopes of finding Betty. Speaking of whom, we find Betty and Ramon in a hotel watching Wheel of Fortune and Betty complaining of nausea. Later on, we see Bruce transform into the Hulk and Rick make a futile attempt to bring up the topic of what’s more important; Betty or the gamma bombs. Hulk wasn’t having it and puts a fright into Rick. They then head to a 7-Eleven and stock up on Slurpees and sandwiches for a hungry Hulk. More talk and this leads to a SHIELD safehouse. A brief cut to Washington D.C. reveals the mysterious shadowy figure from the last few issues to be the Leader in his new form, and wishing for information on the gamma bombs. Back in Colorado, we find out that the trio have broken into the safehouse, which is also the residence of the father and son from page 1. The Hulk takes care of the dad, leaving the boy a nervous wreck and suddenly beginning to develop some sort of super power. Clay, Rick and the Hulk make their way further down into the safehouse and Clay makes an attempt to break into some highly classified files with no success. Instead, he digs up Betty’s charge card records just as the boy makes his presence known, glowing hands and all. Rick advises caution and the Hulk shrugs it off – until he’s blasted for his overconfidence. He howls in pain and disappears. Clay remembers who the boy is, Alex “Ashcan” Woolcot, who had an abusive scientist father. Alex had accidentally absorbed the properties of his father’s incinerating ray and accidentally killed him. An encounter with Spider-Man lead to Alex getting shot, surviving and being placed in custody of the agent at the safehouse. The Hulk makes his return and goes on the hunt, leading them back to the carnival from earlier in the day. Alex pleads for his life and something triggers memories of Bruce’s childhood. The Hulk has a change of heart and comforts him instead. They soon arrive back at the safehouse, with Alex revealing that the Hulk has invited him along on their quest. In the end, Alex decides to stay with his adopted father and the trio take off.
Commentary: PAD’s first acknowledgement of the abuse angle started by Mantlo (or Windsor-Smith), which is what he was dying to get to. I can’t remember why, but this issue eluded me for years also. I remember reading it at the store, but putting it back. Reasons why are forever a mystery. We also get a better look at the new Leader, jiffy pop head and that devilish grin.


Interesting to also find out that this panel of the Hulk scaring the **** out of Alex was originally a preliminary sketch for the cover of this issue. For whatever reason, they allowed Geiger/McCleod to do it.