The Hulk is often seen as Marvel’s most monstrous hero, but many only know him as a large, green, angry figure. Originally, however, the Hulk was conceived as a truly villainous character, embodying the darkest side of humanity, much like the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Over time and through various adaptations, the Hulk became more complex and heroic, a change generally seen as positive. However, sometimes this transformation goes too far, resulting in a Hulk that feels too tame and loses the edge that made the character compelling.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe often simplifies the Hulk’s character, showing little of Bruce Banner’s struggle to control his transformations and often treating it as a comedic element. While there’s speculation that the upcoming *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* might revisit the classic, powerful Hulk, the comics are already taking the character in a surprising new direction. Marvel has recently made a major change to the Hulk’s story: the villainous Eldest has become the new Hulk, leaving Bruce Banner powerless and tasked with finding a way to defeat her.
The Infernal Hulk Is Born
Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run on Incredible Hulk centered around a villain called the Eldest, who desperately wanted to steal the Hulk’s power. She needed his strength and gamma energy to break a seal holding the Mother of Horrors – essentially the mother of all monsters – captive. Throughout the story, she relentlessly pursued the Hulk across the country, sending waves of monsters to attack him. But the Hulk earned his reputation as the strongest one there is, and he kept fighting. Finally, in a desperate attempt to win, the Eldest took control of the Abomination and challenged the Hulk to a final, all-or-nothing battle.
The Hulk was much stronger than Abomination and quickly defeated him, but the Eldest wasn’t giving up. She repeatedly tried to take over Hulk’s body, but Doctor Voodoo’s spell blocked her attempts to control Bruce Banner. Realizing she didn’t need Banner after all, she focused on controlling Hulk directly. She manipulated flesh and form to separate Hulk and Banner, finally allowing her to possess the Hulk. Ironically, Hulk had been trying to break free from Banner throughout the entire conflict, and only when it was too late did he understand how much he actually relied on his human side.
The Eldest harnessed the Hulk’s strength to break the seal containing the Mother of Horrors, but was horrified to discover a decayed corpse instead of the powerful being she expected. Refusing to accept this failure, she consumed the remains of her mother, absorbing her dark power and adding it to the Hulk’s. Unleashed from her prison, she now intends to destroy the world with her own terrifying might.
A Return to Monstrous Form
The Infernal Hulk offers a compelling blend of classic and new for fans. It brings the Hulk back to his original, frightening form – a truly unstable villain who wants to destroy everything. This version also allows Bruce Banner to return to his roots as a good person tormented by the Hulk. Early comics portrayed Banner as a kind and selfless man, a victim of an accident who always tried to help others – he even designed the gamma bomb to avoid causing deaths.
Over time, as the Hulk became more of a hero, Bruce Banner became increasingly troubled. He often found himself acting as the villain, sometimes just as often as the hero, making his morality seem random for many years. However, he’s now clearly moving towards being a hero again. This comic brings back the classic Hulk dynamic: the Hulk causes destruction, and it’s up to Banner to control him and save the day.
The focus on horror elements allowed for a natural path for the Hulk to become a villain once more. Now, Banner has to save the Hulk, but he’ll face the most dangerous version of him ever. Hopefully, this direction in the comics will lead to a more wild and unpredictable Hulk in future movies.
Incredible Hulk #30 is on sale now!
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2025-10-17 20:14