It’s hard to be Hulk. The gamma giants have had it really rough recently in the Marvel Universe but change is coming for those who go by the famous name. Death, resurrection, incarceration, traumatization – it all hit one or more of the extended Hulk family but Marvel Fresh Start marks more change for the Green Goliaths.
Bruce Banner was killed. Jen Walters was near fatally smacked by Thanos. Rick Jones was executed. A Hulk/Wolverine hybrid is now on the run.
The Immortal Hulk emerged this week. Marvel’s Fresh Start initiative marks a return to glory for one Hulk and a new beginning for another.
Here’s our countdown of Hulks and what’s next for each.
Bruce Banner
The original Hulk is back but he’s no longer Incredible. He’s Immortal. Bruce Banner was killed by Hawkeye in CIVIL WAR II. Since a human Banner took that fatal gamma arrow he’s been resurrected by The Hand and Hydra Captain America in SECRET EMPIRE. The Green Goliath is back again as The Immortal Hulk in AVENGERS NO SURRENDER. Hulk is back thanks to the cosmic games of the Grandmaster and Challenger. The monster will then star in a horror themed IMMORTAL HULK series by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett. Is Banner trapped somewhere in there?
She-Hulk
Jen Walters is a successful attorney after serving in Avengers and Fantastic Four. After surviving an attack by Thanos, Jen reverted to her once savage persona and headlined the Hulk title. As Fresh Start begins, Jen is back in control and will rejoin Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in a revamped THE AVENGERS by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness.
Amadeus Cho
The teen genius and superhero sidekick cured Banner and took the gamma and control as THE TOTALLY AWESOME HULK and co-founded THE CHAMPIONS. With Banner’s return and Cho losing control – is the heroic teen becoming a monster outlaw?
Weapon H
The new Hulk on the block was emerged in the “Weapons of Mutant Destruction” crossover between TOTALLY AWESOME HULK and WEAPON X. H-Alpha ( real name Clayton) is a hybrid of Hulk and Wolverine who broke from his evil creators’ programming to become a rogue hero in his own spinoff book.
Red Hulk
General Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross was Banner’s father-in-law who relentlessly hunted the Hulk. Ross became a gamma powered red monster after a deal with Modok. Ross’s daughter Betty even became a Red She-Hulk and member of the Defenders. The Ross’s are Hulks no more. Robert Maverick became the Red Hulk of the U.S. AVENGERS and is caught up in the action of AVENGERS NO SURRENDER that could mean his smashing days are ending.
Skaar
The son of the Hulk and an alien warrior woman from PLANET HULK hasn’t been seen since he came to Earth following Banner’s death.
Rick Jones
The sidekick who played a critical role in Banner’s transformation into Hulk once became the gamma powered A-Bomb but recovered. Jones was executed by Hydra Steve Rogers in SECRET EMPIRE. With Rick’s deep connections to Hulk, Captain Marvel and The Avengers – not to mention all his shared former powers – could Fresh Start mean a Fresh Start for the most famous superhero sidekick in the Marvel pages.
Back to Bruce Banner…
Immortal Hulk is just the latest transformation for Banner. He’s been Gray Hulk, Savage Green Hulk, Gray again as Joe Fixit – a Vegas bouncer, Hulk’s body/Banner’s brain as leader of the Pantheon (my personal favorite), Doc Green and Kluh – a strange inverted version of the goliath during the AXIS event and of course the Maestro – an evil Banner from an alternate future who ruled the planet.
By Editor