Hulk in Avengers question...

Catsi strung together a *series* of coherent sentences?!This is surely a sign of The Coming Storm!

(*lopes off to play with a squeaky gavel*)


((Maybe Nemmie made a Catsi Automaton! Ya! THAT *must* be the answer! *whew!*))

It's like this:

WAAAAYY back in 1962 the first issue of the Hulk came out, and he was colored Grey. Or at least supposed to be, back then maintaining grey scale was problematic and in some panels he looked red-orange, yellow, green, red, grey, etc. So for issue 2 it was decided that Hulk should be another color and they chose green, and recaps of Hulk's origin were RETCONNED into him being green at the start and not grey.

Hulk's personality/intelligence would vary at the time, he was Banner but very brutish and easily angered. After 6 issues the book was cancelled and the Hulk appeared in Tales to Astonish with Ant-man and the Wasp having stories of their own in that book as well. Hulk's personality still fluctuated a lot and for a time extreme stress would turn Banner into the Hulk, but if the Hulk got too enraged he would revert to Banner. Massive exposure to atomic energy altered them so that we had Savage Banner for a short time, (Banner's body, Hulk's rage), eventually things settled into rage turning him into the Hulk and calming down would revert the change, and Hulk would soon become the classic "HULK SMASH" mentality.

Years later they began to hint that Banner was a multiple personality head case, and i efforts to cure himself via gamma rays, and being exposed in space to even more gamma rays and being sent back to Earth via a gamma powered teleporter, we ended up with Banner Hulk for a time. This was Banner in control of the changes and retaining his full intellect but with a small caveat, if he got too angry as Hulk, the savage Hulk would start to show until Banner calmed down.

Eventually things worsened and we had a mindless Hulk due to Banner's mind effectively shutting down for a time. Dr. Strange banished Hulk to a dimensional crossroads in the hope that Hulk could find a place to be happy. Banner slowly returns and Hulk gets back to Earth but is subdued by Doc Samson with a mental assist from Banner. Samson then splits them, but the process is flawed and we end up with a totally Banner-less Hulk on the rampage that took every Avenger at the time to face, and Banner was dying. Hulk eventually started dying too and they were merged by Samson, but thanks to interference from General Ross who sent Rick Jones into the chemical vat that was being used to merge them, Rick Jones emerged as a version of the Hulk and we got the original Grey Hulk back.

Grey Hulk is smarter then Green, but not as smart as Banner. Grey's strength is lower then green's and he can build up power as he gets mad but it takes him longer then green. On the other hand, Grey is cunning, clever and is Banner's repressed ego, he can and will do things that Banner won't and is the version of the Hulk mostly likely to kill. (he hasn't though). Rick Jones was soon cured and we had only the Grey Hulk and Banner. Their transformation was automatic at sunset with Grey emerging and sunrise with Banner returning and it was clear they were different personalities. Even if they were underground and couldn't see a clock, the transformation would still happen somehow.

Eventually as Banner hops a train to get to where Betty was at, he has a run in with Mr. Hyde, an ironic confrontation as the character of Mr.Hyde is part of the basis of the creation of the Hulk. Hyde is lecturing Banner on the darkside of the human mind and that he should revel in the power of the Hulk, and then he states that the real reason the transformation happens at sunset is that Banner is ashamed of the grey hulk and what he represents. This seems to touch a nerve and though the sun was still out (albeit setting), grey hulk emerges and fights Mr. Hyde.

To add further fuel to the split personality issue as Banner is approaching where Betty was at, he is captured (it's daytime) by a character in a special vehicle that has been pursuing him. THe driver comments that he has him bagged (literally in a plastic bag) and that Banner looks furious enough to leap out of his skin. Ironic words indeed for in keeping Banner from Betty this rather enraged Banner and he literally DID tear out of his skin as the GREEN HULK returned. However inside Green's head we can see Banner and Grey arguing. In a later encounter, Grey prevented Banner from getting angry enough to release the green hulk and told Banner to get unashamed him now in order to save Betty. Banner agreed and Grey Hulk came out.

Doc Samson eventually does some rapid hypno therapy to Banner and his minds that shows us Banner's childhood and how his dad was drunk, abusive and how his dad killed his mother(murder 1) in front of his eyes as a kid. As a kid Banner never reacted or showed emotion, hence all the problems Banner would have later. Samson's therapy ended with the three personas merging into a merged Hulk. Power of Green, attitude of Grey, brains of Banner. Of course this wouldn't last.

As it stands now in the comic thanks to Planet Hulk and World War Hulk we have what is referred to as the Gravage Hulk. Power of Green, mostly the grey's intellect and attitude with Banner as a moderating influence and Gravage and Banner are basically living as a timeshare. However we also have had a new version of the Hulk emerge at the end of WWH and he's back again in the latest issue. This version has only been seen twice and only when his close friend Rick Jones was badly wounded.....this version of the Hulk glows a bright green and is so powered with rage that one tiny footstep will shatter tectonic plates and cause massive quakes. This is known as the WORLDBREAKER HULK.

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

The original characterization aside (I'm talking his very first appearance as gray and grouchy), the Banner and Hulk personae agreeing to work together has resulted in a Hulk that personality-wise is closer to the Joe Fixit personality, albeit green. Said personality is, like I said, closer to his early characterization such as in the first issues of the original Avengers comic.

The 'savage' Hulk came a little later and frankly that wouldn't work in a series like this where they want him as a regular member.

It's worth noting this isn't a perfect fusion of Banner and Hulk personalities, since Banner has agreed to take a back seat. Normally, that is attributed to the 'Professor Hulk' persona, who retains Banners genius and intellect, but none of his emotional hangups, most of the Hulks strength, and a generally more 'handsome' and less brutish appearance.


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