Information about The Hulk

The Incredible Hulk
Promotional art for The Incredible Hulk vol. 3, #92 (April 2006) by Bryan Hitch.
Marvel Comics First appearance The Incredible Hulk vol. 1, #1 (May 1962) Stan Lee Jack Kirby
Characteristics Alter ego Robert Bruce Banner Team affiliations Warbound Avengers Defenders Secret Defenders Fantastic Four Pantheon The Order Notable aliases Joe Fixit, The Green Scar, The World Breaker, Two-Hands, Harkanon, Haars, Holku, The Eye of Anger, The Sakaar'son, War Abilities Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability Regenerative healing factor, Ability to see astral forms, Radiation absorption, Transformation, Resistance to mind control, Genius level intellect in certain incarnations.

The Hulk (Bruce Banner) is a fictional anti-hero appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Hulk first appeared in The Incredible Hulk vol. 1, #1 (May 1962). He has since become one of Marvel Comics' most recognized characters.

After physicist Dr. Robert Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he created, he was transformed into the Hulk, a raging monster. The character, both as Banner and the Hulk, is frequently pursued by the police or the armed forces, often as a result of the destruction he causes. While the coloration of the character's skin varies during the course of its publication history, the Hulk is most often depicted as green. In forty years, he has battled virtually every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe. He has been featured in a number of animated series, a feature film directed by Ang Lee, and a television series with spin-off television movies starring Bill Bixby as Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk.

Publication history

Debut and first series

In the Hulk's debut appearance in The Incredible Hulk #1, by writer Stan Lee, penciller Jack Kirby and inker Paul Reinman, the Hulk was gray rather than his later longtime trademark green. Writer and Marvel editor-in-chief Lee had wanted a color that did not suggest any particular ethnic group.^[1] Colorist Stan Goldberg, however, insisted to Lee that the coloring technology at the time could not present the color gray clearly or consistently, resulting in different shades of gray, and even green, in the issue. So in issue #2 and after, Goldberg colored the Hulk's skin green.^[2] Reprints and retellings of the Hulk's origin during the next two decades feature him with green skin from the beginning, but starting with vol. 2, #302 (Dec. 1984), the Hulk was again shown as having been gray in flashbacks to early appearances. This was confirmed in vol. 2, #318 (April 1986), which states that the Hulk was gray at the time of his creation. All subsequent reprints of the first issue have reinstated the original gray coloring. In early stories, Banner becomes the Hulk at sunset each day, but he later transforms whenever he becomes angry or panicked. Another method was shown in Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), featuring the Hulk's first battle with The Thing; Banner intentionally uses a gamma ray machine of his own design to transform into the Hulk. Many early Hulk stories involve General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross trying to capture or destroy the Hulk with his U.S. Army battalion, the Hulkbusters, at his side. Ross' daughter, Betty, loves Banner and criticizes her father for pursuing the Hulk. General Ross' right-hand man, Major Glenn Talbot, also loves Betty and is torn between pursuing the Hulk and trying to gain Betty's love more honorably. Rick Jones serves as the Hulk's friend and sidekick for a time. Later, another teenager, Jim Wilson, also befriends the Hulk.

The original series was canceled after six issues, with the finale cover-dated (March 1963). Lee had written each story, with Kirby penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth. The character immediately guest-starred in Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), and became a founding member of the Avengers for a brief two issues of that superhero team's eponymous series (Sept. & Nov. 1963); he returned as an antagonist in issues #3 & #5 (Jan. & May 1964). He then guest-starred in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964).

Around this time, co-creator Jack Kirby received a letter from a college dormitory stating the Hulk had been chosen as its official mascot. Kirby and Lee realized their character had found an audience in college-age readers.

Tales to Astonish

The Hulk starred again in his own feature in the "split book" Tales to Astonish, beginning with issue #60 (Oct. 1964). This followed his appearance in the previous issue as the antagonist for Giant-Man, star of the book's other feature. These new stories were initially scripted by Lee and illustrated by the seldom-seen team of penciler Steve Ditko and inker George Roussos. Other artists later in this run included Jack Kirby from #68-84 (June 1965 - Oct. 1966), either doing full pencils or, more often, layouts for other artists; Gil Kane (making his Marvel Comics debut, under the pseudonym "Scott Edwards", in #76; Bill Everett (inking Kirby, #78-84); and John Buscema (one of his earliest Marvel assignments). "Split books" were common in the 1960s, again due to the aforementioned distribution deal.

This early part of the Hulk's run introduced the Leader, who would become the Hulk's archnemesis, and the Abomination, a gamma being stronger than the Hulk. Additionally, in issue #77 (Mar. 1966), the Hulk's identity was rendered public knowledge.

Giant-Man's popularity in the title waned, and he departed the book after issue #69 (July 1965), replaced by Namor the Sub-Mariner beginning with #70 (Aug. 1965). When the distribution deal with DC ceased, the Hulk took over the book, which was re-titled beginning with issue #102 (Apr. 1968). It ran under that name until March 1999, when Marvel restarted the series with a new issue #1.

Late 1980s through late 1990s

Peter David became the writer of the series in 1987 (issue 331), beginning a run that lasted nearly 12 years. David's run altered Banner's pre-Hulk characterization and the nature of Banner and the Hulk's relationship. Originally, Banner was written as a normal but shy man whose negative emotions (the normal, repressed anger that all humans have) found expression through the Hulk; David, however, turned Banner into a victim of dissociative identity disorder (DID) who had serious mental problems long before he became the Hulk. David expanded on earlier stories by Roger Stern and Bill Mantlo that established that Banner had suffered child abuse, writing that it fostered a great deal of repressed anger within the character, which in turn triggered a latent case of DID. This was first examined in issue #312. In issue #377, Doctor Leonard Samson engages the Ringmaster's services to hypnotize Bruce Banner and force him, the Savage Hulk (Green Hulk) and Mr. Fixit (Gray Hulk) to confront Banner's past abuse at the hands of his father, Brian Banner. Upon finally facing this abuse, a new, larger and smarter Hulk emerges and completely replaces the "human" Bruce Banner and Hulk personae. This Hulk is a culmination of the three aspects of Banner. He has the vast power of the Savage Hulk, the cunning of the gray Hulk, and the intelligence of Bruce Banner.

In 1998, David followed editor Bobbie Chase's suggestion to kill Betty Ross. In the introduction to the Hulk trade paperback Beauty and the Behemoth, David said that his wife had recently left him, providing inspiration for the storyline. Marvel executives used Ross' death as an opportunity to push the idea of bringing back the Savage Hulk. David disagreed, leading to he and Marvel parting ways. His last issue of Hulk was #467, his one-hundred and thirty-seventh.

Relaunch

Joe Casey succeeded David as writer, shortly followed by John Byrne, for a second volume of the series penciled by Ron Garney re-titled Hulk. Byrne experienced creative differences, leading to his departure before the first year was over. Erik Larsen and Jerry Ordway briefly filled scripting duties in his place, and the title of the book soon returned to The Incredible Hulk with the arrival of Paul Jenkins.

Jenkins wrote a story arc in which Banner and the three Hulks (Savage Hulk, Gray Hulk, and the Merged Hulk, now considered a separate personality and referred to as the Professor) are able to mentally interact with one another, each personality taking over their shared body. He also created John Ryker in issue #14, a ruthless military general in charge of the original gamma bomb test responsible for the Hulk's creation and planning to create similar creatures.

Bruce Jones followed as the series' writer, and his run features Banner using yoga to take control of the Hulk while he is pursued by a secret conspiracy and aided by the mysterious Mr. Blue. Jones focused on a horror theme with the Hulk as a fugitive. He appended his 43-issue Incredible Hulk run with the Hulk/Thing: Hard Knocks limited series, which Marvel published after putting the ongoing series on hiatus.

Peter David, who had initially signed a contract for a six-issue Tempest Fugit limited series, returned as writer when it was decided to make the story, now only five parts, part of the ongoing series instead. David contracted to complete a year on the title. Tempest Fugit revealed that Nightmare has manipulated the Hulk for years, tormenting him in various ways for "inconveniences" that the Hulk had caused him. After a four-part tie-in to the House of M crossover and a one-issue epilogue, David left the series once more, citing the need to do non-Hulk work for his career's sake.^[3]

Planet Hulk

In the 2006 storyline "Planet Hulk" by Greg Pak, a secret group of superhero leaders, the Illuminati, consider the Hulk an unacceptable potential risk to Earth, and rocket him into space to live a peaceful existence on a planet uninhabited by intelligent life. The Hulk realizes what is happening, and his subsequent rampage causes a trajectory malfunction, and the spacecraft crashes on the violent planet Sakaar. Weakened by his journey, he is captured and eventually becomes a gladiator who scars the face of Saakar's tyrannical emperor. The Hulk becomes a rebel leader and later Sakaar's king.

World War Hulk

After uniting the previously divided factions, the vessel that brought the Hulk to Sakaar explodes, killing millions in Sakaar's capital, including his queen, Caiera, and their unborn child. The damage to the tectonic plates almost immediately destroys the planet and kills most of its population. The Hulk, enraged, returns to Earth with the surviving Sakaar citizens, and his allies the Warbound, as a king seeking retribution against the Illuminati.

Personality and behavior

Throughout the character's history, writers have varied their portrayal of the Hulk widely. He has been described as differently as a clumsy, stupid brute who stumbles into adverse situations and lashes out, to a dedicated schemer seeking confrontation for personal gain, and from a cool, collected consciousness capable of advanced science and leadership to an easily manipulated engine of destruction.

The Hulk initially was characterized as a separate entity from Bruce Banner, a symbol of inner rage and Freudian repression; a distillation of his anger that gradually developed its own personality and memories separate from Banner's. Later stories attributed the Hulk to repressed emotions caused by childhood abuses by Banner's father. At various times, writers have explored stories of mergers of the personality traits of Banner and Hulk. Some incarnations have evinced the mental cuity to engage in criminal enterprise, others had Banner's vast factual knowledge, and yet another had Hulk as Banner's mind in the Hulk's body, while Hulk's mind was in Banner's body.

Due to retroactive continuity established by writers Bill Mantlo and later Peter David in the 1980s, Banner is said to suffer from dissociative identity disorder, which stems from the child abuse he had suffered early in life. The Hulk has many incarnations, each representing a different aspect of Banner's psyche.

Bruce Banner

Throughout the Hulk's published history, writers have continued to portray Bruce Banner in similar fashions, showing an emotionally-repressed genius and prodigy, possessing a mind so brilliant that it cannot be measured on any known intelligence test^[4]. Banner designed the gamma bomb which causes his affliction, transforming him, under different writers, into different versions of the Hulk. These transformations are usually involuntary, and most often, writers have tied the transformation to emotional triggers, especially rage and fear. As the series has progressed, different writers have adapted the Hulk, changing Hulk's personality to reflect changes in Banner's physiology or psyche.

Savage Hulk

The "classic" Hulk, the Savage Hulk possesses a very limited intellect and typically refers to himself in the third person. He has been referred to as the "id" or "child" aspect of Banner's full character. He frequently reiterates an urge "to be left alone" from those hounding and attacking him, but has appreciated and been very loyal to his friends. It has been proposed that if the authorities simply let the Savage Hulk escape to the wilderness and isolation he desires, that much less damage would result, as any attack simply angers him, boosting his strength, and leads to reactive retaliation.

Characterized by his extraordinarily bulky, muscular physique, his green skin and his loping, ape-like gait, the Savage Hulk is instantly recognizable. As a result, this version is famous for destroying portions of urban and rural areas during rampages after he's been attacked, while uttering "Hulk Smash!" towards his enemies.

Gray Hulk/Joe Fixit

The Gray Hulk, the original Hulk incarnation, later returned and worked for a time as a Las Vegas, Nevada enforcer called Joe Fixit. He has average intelligence, although he occasionally displays knowledge and intellectual ability normally associated with Bruce Banner. He is hedonistic, cunning, arrogant, crafty, sadistic, and distant with a hidden conscience. In most of his Las Vegas appearances, he appears only at night. He has been referred as the "teenager" or "ego" aspect of Banner's full personality. According to the Leader in The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #333, the Gray Hulk persona is strongest during the night of the new moon and weakest during the full moon; this aversion to sunlight and moonlight vanished when the Gray Hulk's night-induced transformation trigger is later removed. Although he is the smallest of the Hulks, the Gray Hulk towers over the average human. He prefers to dress in tailored suits and his base strength level is the lowest of all the primary Hulk incarnations. However, this strength level can grow as he gets angry, but at a much slower pace than the other Hulk incarnations. Despite his lower strength, Gray Hulk is able to use cunning and strategy in fights to gain the upper hand against foes expecting the Savage Hulk persona.

Merged Hulk/The Professor

The merging of Bruce Banner and the Savage and Gray Hulks in Incredible Hulk #377 (written by Peter David), the Merged Hulk is later retconned into The Professor. The Professor, rather than being a merging of the three core personalities, was interpreted as a fourth, separate personality that represented Banner's ideal self. The primary difference between the two is that the Merged Hulk demonstrated aspects of the Banner, Grey Hulk, and Savage Hulk personalities (also possessing Banner's intelligence, Joe Fixit's cunning, and the Savage Hulk's size and strength), while the Professor did not. The Merged Hulk is even prone to uttering "Hulk smash!", which is the Savage Hulk's most common catch phrase. The Merged Hulk is an associate and leader of the team of superheroes called the Pantheon. Despite his exaggerated musculature, the Merged Hulk had a relatively normal-looking face, resembling Bruce Banner's, and straight-backed posture that gives him the appearance of being the tallest and least bestial Hulk incarnation. The Professor's personality is defined during Paul Jenkins' run as a "revelation" that the Merged Hulk is not actually a merging of the three personalities but rather a separate personality altogether. Unlike the Merged Hulk, the Professor is physically distinguished by having a pony tail, which the Merged Hulk did not. Jenkins justified this by retconning into the Hulk's continuity a new character named Angela Lipscomb (modeled after Jenkins' own girlfriend) who knew more about Bruce Banner than even Doc Samson. Lipscomb confronted Doc Samson with her observations of the Professor and Doc Samson validated them, despite events presented in previous issues to the contrary.

Mindless Hulk

Nightmare, in an attempt to find new ways to hurt his enemy Doctor Strange by going through his friends, penetrated Bruce Banner's mind and discovered his influence had an unexpected side effect; a new personality began to develop out of Banner's worst visions of the Hulk (Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #298; Sleepwalker). At this period in Banner's life, he had just gained control over the Hulk's body, but was constantly on alert and terrified that the Hulk, which he saw as nothing but a savage and destructive beast, would break free once more when the world least expected it. Far from being identical with the original Hulk, this version was based on a nightmarish imagination made of all of Banner's worst fears and ideas of his former alter ego. Nightmare continued to manipulate and increase his influence, allowing this dark incarnation to gradually rise to the surface. It finally became its own personality after Banner made his "psychic suicide", allowing it to break free of Banner's domination. Eventually, with the assistance of three creatures created by his subconscious, (Glow, Goblin, and Guardian), this Hulk gained the ability to speak and behave much less savagely. Since then, this personality has not been seen again, and it has been suggested that it is no longer a part of Banner's personality. In Web of Spider-Man #7, a part of the Hulk, with the assistance of Doctor Strange, entered the Dimension of Nightmare as a similar manifestation as Mindless Hulk, threatening to kill him. Nightmare was forced to seek out Spider-Man's help, as this Hulk was destroying the whole domain. Spider-Man eventually pushed the Hulk into another realm, but he pulled Nightmare in with him. Nightmare has since been seen still alive, but this Hulk seems to have disappeared.

Guilt Hulk

The Guilt Hulk, also known as "The Beast", is another of Bruce Banner's personas, though this one created by his regret.^[5][6] The Guilt Hulk originally manifested itself in Banner's mind as his father and tormented him by forcing him to relive memories of his traumatic childhood. Eventually, the Guilt Hulk was defeated by Banner himself.

The Guilt Hulk later returned after Betty's death, now much more powerful because of Banner's emotionally fractured state. After brutally beating the Professor and Joe Fixit, the Guilt Hulk was eventually subdued again by the Savage Hulk.

Due to its monstrous size, the Guilt Hulk was physically very powerful. It also possessed claws and spikes all over its body. The Guilt Hulk also showed the ability to breathe fire on one occasion.^[7]

Devil Hulk

The Devil Hulk is the malevolent personality of Bruce Banner, personifying all of Banner's resentment at the way he is treated by the world.^[6] He is also an enemy of the Hulk, constantly threatening to escape confinement in Banner's mind and destroy the world that has tormented and abused them, simultaneously leaving nothing intact that Banner holds dear. He first appeared when Banner was dying of ALS, and Banner used a machine to travel into his own mind and make a deal with the three dominant Hulks that they would gain control of his body once the disease became too much for him to bear. The Devil Hulk was revealed at this point, but escaped a short while afterwards when the machinations of General Ryker shattered the barriers keeping the Devil Hulk imprisoned. He was contained long enough for a cure for Banner's condition to be found, before finally being contained in Banner's subconscious. Devil Hulk appears as a boss in video game. He was later explained as a figment/hallucination created by Nightmare.^[9]

The Green Scar

The Hulk of the 2006-2007 "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk" story arcs is a cunning and more powerful version than the previous incarnations.^[10] His rage is at its most focused, due to meditation training by his ally Hiroim.^[11] This incarnation has extremely high durability, as evidenced by his ability to withstand Black Bolt's voice, whereas the Savage Hulk could not.^[12] He has had training in combat arms, including broadswords, spears, and battle shields, and is a capable leader and strategist.

Powers and abilities

Main article: Powers and abilities of the Hulk

The Hulk possesses the potential for near limitless levels of physical strength,^[13] depending directly on his emotional state, particularly his anger, spawning the famous quote: "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets". He is also extremely resistant to physical damage, psychic assaults, temperature extremes, and is completely immune to disease and poisons. He can breathe underwater, survive unprotected in space, and when injured, heals from almost any wound within seconds. His powerful legs allow him to leap into lower Earth orbit or across continents^[14]. His durability, healing, endurance, and possibly speed, likewise increase in relation to his temper^[15]. He also has certain mental powers, which allow him to "home in" to his place of origin in New Mexico, and to see and interact with astral forms.

As Bruce Banner (and the Merged/Professor Hulk), he is considered one of the greatest minds on Earth. He has developed expertise in the fields of Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Physiology, and has a PhD in Nuclear Physics.

Related characters

Main article: List of Hulk supporting characters

Other versions

Main article: Alternate versions of Hulk

Hulk in popular culture

Over the past four decades, the Hulk has been reflected in numerous aspects of popular culture, from being referenced in cartoons, including The Simpsons and Family Guy, sketch comedies like The Young Ones and Saturday Night Live, and even film. Further, the Hulk has been examined by writers, including Up, Up, and Oy Vey!, discussing the Jewish links in his creation, and The Science of Superheroes, examining the flaws of his powers in science.

In other media

Main article: Hulk in other media

Bibliography

• The Incredible Hulk #1–6 (Marvel Comics, May 1962–March 1963)
• Tales to Astonish #59–101 (Marvel Comics, September 1964–March 1968)
• The Incredible Hulk #102–474 (Marvel Comics, April 1968–March 1999)
• The Incredible Hulk Annual #1–20 (Marvel Comics, 1968–1994)
• The Incredible Hulk #-1 (Marvel Comics, July 1997, ISSN 0274-5275)
• Hulk #1–11 (Marvel Comics, April 1999–February 2000)
• The Incredible Hulk #12–76, #77–present (Marvel Comics, March 2000–September 2004, January 2005–present)
• Hulk Weekly #1–69, Marvel UK title published between 1979–1981. Features new material produced by the likes of Paul Neary and Steve Dillon.

Collections

• Hulk Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 1 Written by Peter David; Pencils & Cover by Todd McFarlane; collects Incredible Hulk #331-339 Vol. 1.
• Hulk Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 2 Written by Peter David; Penciled by Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, & Jeff Purves; collects Incredible Hulk #340-348 Vol. 1.
• Hulk Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 3 Written by Peter David & Steve Englehart; Penciled by Jeff Purves, Alex Saviuk & Keith Pollard; Collects Incredible Hulk #349-354 Vol. 1, Web of Spider-Man #44 and Fantastic Four #320.
• Hulk Visionaries: Peter David Vol. 4 Written by Peter David; collects Incredible Hulk #355-363 Vol. 1 and Marvel Comics Presents #26 and #45
• Incredible Hulk: Dogs of War Written by Paul Jenkins; Penciled by Ron Garney and Mike McKone; collects Incredible Hulk #12-20 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 1: Return of the Monster Written by Bruce Jones; Penciled by John Romita, Jr.; collects Incredible Hulk #34-39 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 2: Boiling Point Written by Bruce Jones; Penciled by John Romita, Jr.; collects Incredible Hulk #40-43 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 3: Transfer Of Power Written by Bruce Jones; Penciled by Stuart Immonen; collects Incredible Hulk #44-49 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 4: Abominable Written by Bruce Jones; Penciled by Mike Deodato, Jr.; collects Incredible Hulk #50-54 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 5: Hide In Plain Sight Written by Bruce Jones; Penciled by Leandro Fernández; collects Incredible Hulk #55-59 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 6: Split Decisions Written by Bruce Jones; Penciled by Mike Deodato Jr.; collects Incredible Hulk #60-65 Vol. 2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 7: Dead Like Me Written Bruce Jones & Garth Ennis; Pencils by Doug Braithwaite & John McCrea; collects Incredible Hulk #65-69 Vol. 2, and Hulk Smash #1 and #2.
• Incredible Hulk Vol. 8: Big Things Written Bruce Jones; Pencils by Mike Deodato, Jr.; collects Incredible Hulk #70-76 Vol. 2.
• Hulk: Tempest Fugit Written by Peter David; Penciled by Lee Weeks & Jae Lee; collects Incredible Hulk #77-82 Vol. 2.
• House Of M: Hulk Written by Peter David; Penciled by Jorge Lucas & Adam Kubert; collects Incredible Hulk #83-87 Vol. 2.
• Hulk: Planet Hulk Prelude Written by Daniel Way; Penciled by Keu Cha & Juan Santacruz; collects Incredible Hulk #88-91 Vol. 2.

Footnotes

References

• Marvel.com: Hulk
• Comic Book and Strip Service: Incredible Hulk, by Stan Lee
• Grand Comics Database
• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators

External links

• The 1982 Incredible Hulk Cartoon @ Toon Zone
• Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards
• Hulk Library
• Engine of Destruction
• Doug's Incredible Hulk Comic Page