What does Marvel have against the Hulk?

[gravage]

Lifetime Hulk fan here. I've been collecting his book since the early 80's. I don't think there's a single character I identify with more.

The new Immortal Hulk series started out great. The Hulk was powerful, he was triumphant. He was intelligent. It was a nice change of pace. Then, it was as if Ewing decided that it was time to just beat him down and never stop. Devil Hulk was effectively shoved to the side. We got "Big Guy" AKA the dumb hulk, a child who lashes out and just got stomped by everyone. Now Devil Hulk is supposedly dead and every book seems to be about the Hulk getting stomped by someone or the Leader's plans just further screwing him over. How did we go from a Hulk who hit Thor so hard he gave him a concussion to a Hulk who can't catch a break and gets defeated by everyone?

My problem with this is, it's historically how Marvel has treated him. In alternate universe stories like the Last Avengers Story (and many others), the Hulk is usually a Villain or just soundly defeated somehow. Even in mainstream continuity, he's rarely given his due. He gets to be awesome for like one or two books and then it's like even Charlie Brown can beat him up. Even the Maestro series, which I seriously looked forward to, has been disappointing in this respect. He got trashed by Hercules and never even really got to have a comeback fight against him. He was supposed to be the strongest he had ever been as Maestro and I don't feel like that was even demonstrated in the series (so far) at all.

I know he can't win all the time. I know there has to be a conflict and high stakes. But it just seems like Marvel likes to use his power level as a standard for other characters to defeat, to show how powerful they are in relation. He rarely gets to shine.

I looked at the solicitations for the next several issues of Immortal Hulk and it does not look like it's going to get any better. There's a fight with the U-Foes, which solicits them hunting a "weakened" Hulk. Oh boy. He has been "weakened" for about 12 issues now. When do we get a full power Hulk back doing what he does best? Who would have liked to see a full powered Devil Hulk fight the U-Foes? I would have. The last good fight he had with them was during the Professor Hulk run.

[The_Last_Czarnian]

Could be worse. I hear Ewing's run, all told, will go down as one of the greats.

My favourite character, Sentry, had the character development in his last mini pretty much forgotten about and not corrected by editorial, just so they could feed him to Knull...

[JudicatorPrime]

What exactly does "weakened" mean? Did they strip him of his x-factor, i.e., the madder he gets the stronger he gets? Is he still incredibly intelligent, or did they scale him back to his "normal" savagery with animalistic cunning? Or is it somewhere in between?

FWIW, I always thought of Hulk as more a force of nature than anything, like a hurricane. But not every hurricane is categorized the same. Some are more powerful than others. We're probably just entering a phase where the writers don't need him to concuss gods with a punch. I wouldn't make too much of it.

[MichaelC]

...Are...are you serious?? Hulk is one of the most protected sacred cows in Marvel. Everyone turns into an idiot around him so his one-dimensional powerset can beat them. And he is usually presented as being in the morally superior position, jobbing characters trying to stop his rampages both physically and morally.

[Phoenixx9]

Just read comics long enough and you will find that all characters experience this at one time or another and the length of time depends on many factors, outside of fan ability to change. Continue to support and love your favorite character(s).

[davew128]

I had no problem at all with Maestro losing to Hercules. Its been a long time since he's been portrayed as the powerhouse he is. It was also explained in-story that the reason he won so easily is because Banner was in control.

[your_name_here]

There’s nothing wrong with what’s going on in Immortal Hulk. It’s always darkest before dawn and all of that...

[kevlon]

...Are...are you serious?? Hulk is one of the most protected sacred cows in Marvel. Everyone turns into an idiot around him so his one-dimensional powerset can beat them. And he is usually presented as being in the morally superior position, jobbing characters trying to stop his rampages both physically and morally.

I love the Hulk but I have to agree with this ^^^

[PCN24454]

...Are...are you serious?? Hulk is one of the most protected sacred cows in Marvel. Everyone turns into an idiot around him so his one-dimensional powerset can beat them. And he is usually presented as being in the morally superior position, jobbing characters trying to stop his rampages both physically and morally.

I also second this.

[Triniking1234]

I don't get this complaint. Hulk has been treated well since Pak gave us Planet Hulk. There was that nonsense during Fear Itself and Civil War 2 but Hulk recovered from that.

[The Cool Thatguy]

...Are...are you serious?? Hulk is one of the most protected sacred cows in Marvel. Everyone turns into an idiot around him so his one-dimensional powerset can beat them. And he is usually presented as being in the morally superior position, jobbing characters trying to stop his rampages both physically and morally.

Ewing's Hulk is awesome...but yeah. Everyone tries to outmuscle Hulk, and any destruction caused by trying to bring him in is placed at their feet, regardless of internal logic.

[9th.]

Hulk is doing just fine and better than a lot of characters that are slowly fading into obscurity because they have no solos.

[Anthony Shaw]

...Are...are you serious?? Hulk is one of the most protected sacred cows in Marvel. Everyone turns into an idiot around him so his one-dimensional powerset can beat them. And he is usually presented as being in the morally superior position, jobbing characters trying to stop his rampages both physically and morally.

I feel the same way.

As a kid, I remember being pissed when Daredevil needed hospitalization after trying to stop one of Hulk's rampages.

[ChrisIII]

I think Devil (and now Bruce) might've been sidelined so there could be a bit more focus on "Joe" who has now also replaced Banner as the Hulk's human form.

[SplinteringHeart]

I think I get where gravage is coming from: frustration at Hulk being such an outsider and a foil to many other characters instead of having a home somewhere in 616...but there can only be room for Hulk in the world if he's "intelligent Hulk"..he is though the outsider, the Frankenstein's monster...

In his own title at least what Ewing seems to be doing is a thorough examination of the Hulk's psychosis..his "split personalities", looking again at the trauma of Bruce's childhood inflicted by his father....

I am starting to find it hard going now, Ewing's run is becoming like a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces to be put in but just more keep popping out again!

We'll have to see where it goes now after 41 issues, I'm sure Ewing has an end game, but who the hell knows when that's coming and where it goes to for the character..