HULK versus RULK
Blood Red (Marvel)
Where: Hulk #6 When: November 2008
Why: Jeph Loeb How: Ed McGuinness

The Story So Far...
Investigation into the shooting-murder of gamma-irradiated Russian superhuman, Abomination, reveals an unexpected twist: a gun-toting assasin dubbed, Red Hulk!

The powerhouses of the Marvel Universe are drawn into battle as the Red Hulk continues his murderous rampage across the globe! Having defeated regular Hulk grapplers; Iron Man and She-Hulk; the Red Hulk inevitabily comes face-to-face with the original when his battle with a newly transformed Rick Jones, aka; A-Bomb, frees Bruce Banner from a military cell.

In a clash that threatens to destroy San Francisco via the resulting earthquakes, the two Hulks clash in an epic, gamma fuelled showdown.
Shockingly, "Rulk" proves the superior in every respect, over powering and out-fighting his predecessor with bone-shattering results! Fortunately for the city by the bay, the battle attracts the attentions of the Norse god of thunder, Thor! However, even the endless gulf of space fails to contain the fury of Rulk, who defeats and escapes Thor, making an uncontrolled descent to Earth! If Rulk survives his fall back to Earth, the Hulk will be waiting...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Rulk 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Rulk 3 (Explosives)


- Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a slight and insignificant scientist, lives slavishly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, as funded by the United States military.
Though Banner justifies his goals as means for peace, he becomes one of America's leading weapons designers after inventing a gamma radiation bomb.

During preperations for a test launch in the desert, Dr. Banner spots a reckless youth on the testing ground, and in a moment of magnificence, knowingly throws himself on a bullet that would grant a far crueller fate than death.
Bitterly aware of the Communist conspiracy of his fellow scientist, Banner struggles to usher he and the boy to safety while his colleague continues to countdown the launch.

After succumbing to an ordinarily lethal doses of gamma radiation, Dr. Banner soon finds himself undergoing a horrific transformation. Originally by night, but soon triggered by rage or unease, Banner discovers the superhumanly strong alter-ego within himself, dubbed simply - the Hulk!
As the Hulk, Banner's brilliance is reduced to a childlike lumbering, while his slight frame conversely comes to possess size, strength, and durability never before imagined.

Hulk has no specific known weaknesses, but is fiercely protective of the few who earn his favour. Though generally good hearted, Hulk is prone to wild rages and varied personalities, particularly provoked by any challenge to the identity of his persona, particularly where matters of his physical dominance are concerned. This provocation comes to the fore when he encounters his red counterpart, "Rulk," with whom he shares an immediate hatred. Hulk is able to sense Rulk at a great distance, detecting his unique gamma radiation.

- The creature known as "Rulk" remains a mystery to the heroes he bedevilled in his early appearances, but his true identity is known to a select few, namely those who helped create him in secret -- Thunderbolt Ross and Doc Samson.

Created into a world that had already survived an intelligent Hulk's declaration of war, and successfully imprisoned a powerless Bruce Banner; Rulk made his debut not battling against the green goliath he was designed to oppose, but rather, in Russia, where he used advanced weaponry to kill Hulk's nemesis, Abomination.
This activity brought Rulk's existence to the attentions of many interested parties, including then-Director of SHIELD, Tony Stark. The Red Hulk subsequently rampaged through Wendigo, Stark's SHIELD Helicarrier, She-Hulk, and Stark himself in his Iron Man guise, before butting heads with A-Bomb (Rick Jones) in a clash that freed and revived Bruce Banner in a familiar child-like state, as Hulk.

Rulk possesses strength, speed, and endurance to rival any of Bruce Banner's transformations, minus any of the customary strength fluctuations associated. Instead, Rulk's rages trigger an increased emission of radiation, and intense heat. Red Hulk also differs in maintaining a cunning intelligence, and combat training, complimentary to his aggressive and sadistic manner.

Math: Draw Ranking: Hulk (#5)

What Went Down...
Emerging from the massive crater caused by his landing, Rulk finds the Hulk waiting eagerly for a rematch. Despite getting the jump on his Red nemesis, Hulk finds the tables quickly turned, having his chokehold countered with a kangaroo-esque dropkick!

Hulk resists his opponent's following advances, declaring his intent with a straight shot to the face and a short uppercut. His simplistic babblings reveal a desire for vengeance, maybe even justice, as according to his own confused perspective. Alas, this grander goal fails to save him from the Red Hulk's persistent bullying.

Rulk brings his massive hands colliding together with Hulk's skull sandwiched between. The devestating blow stuns the green goliath, leaving him wide open to a crossing hook that punctuates Rulk's merciful offer to kill him quickly. It's a threat the raging Rulk might have followed through, if not for an interruption...

Returned from his defeat in space, the mighty Thor lets his blessed hammer, Mjolnir, do the talking for him. With the hammer's enchantments restored by the weight of Earth's gravity, Thor unleashes his full fury upon the Red Hulk, launching an attack with unforgiving blows to the jaw and knee!

A-Bomb, the gamma-mutated Rick Jones, arrives on the scene while Hulk recovers from the blows he already suffered. Watching Thor collide with his newest nemesis, the Hulk declares himself the only one who can beat his crimson doppelganger. It is unclear if his inflection is of capability, or right.

As he so often has throughout his partnership with Bruce Banner/Hulk, Rick Jones provides vital clarity to the jade giant, providing him with a course of deduction that inspires in the simpleton, a strategy!

Hulk launches himself between Thor and Red Hulk, tackling his dark mirror amidst a field of crackling lightning. A-Bomb stays the thunder god's hammer, explaining to him the necessity for Hulk to overcome this challenge alone. Thor reluctantly steps aside, allowing Hulk a final chance at personal redemption.

Having, by his own admission, nearly suffered defeat by Thor's hand, the Red Hulk rallys to once again get the better of his opponent. Rulk delivers a verbal spray, mocking Hulk's inability to strategize in battle, while pounding away at his mid-section with two devestating body blows!

Rulk smoulders a little more with each blow as he unleashes a storm of punches and rage, his irradiated body converting both into radioactive heat. As his body reaches breaking point, the Red Hulk learns a harsh lesson in Hulk's cunning.

Dazed by the build up of heat, Rulk throws a final punch that puts him on the ropes. With that, an enraged and empowered Hulk unleashes the entirety of his strength on an exhausted Rulk that sends the villain hurtling through the air as a result of one single knock-out punch!

Green Hulk is strongest one there is.

The Hammer...
Supplying the vital assist is Thor and A-Bomb, but I give you the last man standing -- Hulk!

As you might've noticed from the post-date, we're continuing our overdue look back on the characters that finished 2008 on top, here on the Infinite Wars. In an effort to speed the process up, we won't be featuring the entire top ten as originally planned.

It's very fitting that we managed to stay on target with the Hulk however, as he's currently starring in Marvel's direct-to-video animated double feature, Hulk Versus. It seems very unlikely that anyone would not know, by now, that the shorts bring Hulk into fully animated battles with two of his classic sparring partners -- Wolverine and Thor.

A site like ours is uniquely primed to appreciate the simplicity of a project like Vs, but the beauty is in the story that goes much farther than a simple case of superhero smackdown. This is where Hulk Vs outshines it's most recent comics counterpart, launched in 2008 with Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.

Anyone tracking the weekly shipping lists would've seen our excitement for the new series turn quickly to dismay. Hulk has meandered from month-to-month, serving little plot to accompany it's chain of headlining superhero match-ups.
As already mentioned, we are somewhat uniquely skewed to appreciate a series dedicated to the exploits of warring superpowers, but even the Comic Book Fight Club demands more of a story - and battle - than an endless parade of foes.

The greatest crime committed by Loeb is arguably the detachment of the series from events that recently occurred in the Greg Pak event-epic, World War Hulk.
Despite being presented as a similar action-adventure to the current line-up; World War Hulk actually managed to invest in the relationships of characters, exploring aspects that could have potentially redefined the basic landscape of the Hulk universe upon the hero's return from space (Planet Hulk).

More frustrations come from one of the few plot points explored in the series, the secret identity of a new "Red Hulk." Rulk, as he has come to be known, remains obscured from readers, despite promises that by this sixth issue, the truth would be known. Writer Jeph Loeb claims enough information was revealed to make assumptions, but a year later, the series still makes very little effort to come clean with the identity of it's character. This isn't necessarily an inherent problem, but given the series' reliance upon this mystery as it's core story, readers are more than entitled to feel frustrated.

I could not rightly described "Hulk" as a good comic.
Having had a few tastes over the Christmas break, however, I do find myself reassessing because, as frustrating as the construction of the series might be, it isn't necessarily a bad comic, either...

Despite clashing with some of Marvel's most iconic heroes, the entirety of Rulk's contribution lies within the pages of Hulk issues, touching the Marvel Universe in only imaginative ways. Rulk appears curiously comparable to Loeb's 2002 DC creation, Hush, in that they have both been shallow creations bound almost exclusively to the relevance of their initial stories. Not explicitly revealing Rulk's identity might even be a response to the volume of negativty expressed toward Hush's anti-climactic reveal, contrasting Loeb's use of ambiguity in more popular Batman tales, like The Long Halloween.

If I'd been reading all along, I imagine I'd still feel the negativity I had writing previous monthly release blurbs. With only a couple of tastes to go on, however, I find I'm enjoying what I read despite myself. Picking random issues to browse leaves little important information to be pondered, this is obviously a plodding comic of little longterm significance. I don't have all the pieces to try to draw my own conclusions about the status of Rulk's mystery identity, but I also don't feel that's really an interesting enough topic to rectify.

If you're an avid Infinite Wars reader, then you might find the positive.
Observing Marvel's past forty years of superheroes in a context comparable to an oversized fighting competition, we see Rulk in a different light.
He's the young raging bull, fixing to be a contender before any of us are ready to accept him. Part of me wants to go back and track the fights through every issue, just to capture Rulk's meteoric rise through the battling ranks of the Marvel Universe. That, for the time being, is where the value of the character lies.

Ed McGuinness is a joy to behold.
His bold, clean lines compliment the bulky giant-size aspects of Hulk and all of his current supporting characters. I'd be inclined to say he's honed his craft to surpass anything he could've achieved ten years ago, (ie; Deadpool #4).


Unfortunately, I would have to cast some doubt on Dexter Vines, whose inks don't seem to serve the artwork as well as others have. I find I prefer a very slick and confident black on McGuinness' work, but against some colour choices, the blacks look occasionally too heavy handed, and then a little bit liney.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Have an insatiable lust for combat? A morbid curiosity about the Red Hulk's identity? Get the whole story in one gut-busting block with the first trade, available soon! You'll find that, along with many other collections of varying quality, in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe! By using purchase links provided on the site, you not only benefit from Amazon's service and prices, but also help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars. Which means more fighting! Hey, speaking of which, why not pick-up "Hulk Vs" while you're at it, now on DVD!

US MILITARY versus HULK
(Marvel)
Where: World War Hulk #3 When: October 2007
Why: Greg Pak How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
After an emotionally unstable Scarlet Witch unleashes her powers in an event that threatens reality, and tears Earth's mightiest heroes apart; a secret sect of superhero powers dubbed, The Illuminati, are forced to reconsider the potential threats they harbor within their own number.

Recognising the erratic rampages of the Hulk as a longstanding and overlooked threat on their back porch, the group, though morally divided, conspire to lure the jade giant into a craft that will rocket him into deep space. Their message is one of peace, but for the Hulk, it is the beginning of a dark period in his existence.

After crash landing on the planet Sakaar, the Hulk becomes a gladiatorial warrior amidst an ethnically diverse alien community. He rises through the combative ranks and recovers from his initial wounds to become the new ruler of Sakaar, leading a rebellion by might. As King, Hulk would find love and sire an heir to his throne, but his happiness would sour when the ship that brought him to Sakaar detonates in an explosion that kills thousands, and sets off an environmental chain of events that would destroy the planet.

Rallying the survivors, the Hulk leads his Warbound to Earth where he seeks revenge against Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Dr. Strange, and the other heroes he believes responsible for the carnage. Hulk gives the innocent time to clear, and swiftly takes Manhattan, leaving the military no choice to turn their weapons to New York City.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: General T. Ross 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Hulk 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: General T. Ross 4 (Arsenal)


- In his career as a life-long military man, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross's defining moment would come as head of the Gamma Bomb Project, designed to test and develop a new radioactive weapon for the United States.

Sabotage during the testing phase of the project would result in the mass exposure of one of the scientists working on the project, Dr. Bruce Banner. The accident would radically alter Banner's genetic composition, giving birth to the rampaging behemoth that would become Thunderbolt Ross' green whale; the incredible Hulk.

The Hulk's constant ability to overcome and escape military opposition has earned Thunderbolt Ross his share of disgraces. In the pursuit of his foe, Ross has held memberships with SHIELD, Hulkbusters, and even allied himself briefly with the gamma irradiated villain, the Leader, which would eventually result in his dishonorable discharge for treason. Even so, General Ross prevails in parallel to his violent counterpart, always ready to step into battle with the Hulk.

- Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a slight and insignificant scientist, lives slavishly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, as funded by the United States military.
Though Banner justifies his goals as means for peace, he becomes one of America's leading weapons designers after inventing a gamma radiation bomb.

During preperations for a test launch in the desert, Dr. Banner spots a reckless youth on the testing ground, and in a moment of magnificence, knowingly throws himself on a bullet that would grant a far crueller fate than death.
Bitterly aware of the Communist conspiracy of his fellow scientist, Banner struggles to usher he and the boy to safety while his colleague continues to countdown the launch.

After succumbing to an ordinarily lethal doses of gamma radiation, Dr. Banner soon finds himself undergoing a horrific transformation. Originally by night, but soon triggered by rage or unease, Banner discovers the superhumanly strong alter-ego within himself, dubbed simply - the Hulk! As the Hulk, Banner's brilliance is reduced to a childlike lumbering, while his slight frame conversely comes to possess size, strength, and durability never before imagined.

Hulk has no specific known weaknesses, but is fiercely protective of the few who earn his favour. Though generally good hearted, Hulk is prone to wild rages and varied personalities, including the calculating persona adopted during his time on the planet Sakaar, where he adopts a military savvy.

The Math: Hulk Ranking: Hulk (#5)

What Went Down...
With Mr. Fantastic and Black Bolt among the many heroes already felled; General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross takes grim responsibility for taking down an opponent he has watched through many revolutions. For Ross; World War Hulk is the event he has spent decades attempting to avert, and anticipated as leaders have continued to pardon the Hulk at his changing whims.

A rain of missiles fired from attack copters signal the military's entry into the skirmish. In the middle of a ruined Manhattan street, the Hulk does not see the attack coming. It does not seem to matter much.

The spray of munitions leaves the Hulk bathed in his own blood, but the raging warrior remains unmoved by the military forces. With a defiant leap, Hulk launches himself at one of the passing choppers, using the power of his bulging muscles to crush the machine in a mid-air bearhug!

Hulk's mid-air attack is cut-short as the jade giant suddenly stops.
Watching on, General Ross and his men are unaware of the struggle beginning within the Hulk, as Dr. Strange makes his astral presence felt in the battle. [That, however, is a battle for another day, folks!]

Having plummeted to Earth in a trance state, Hulk experiences an out-of-body experience within his own mind, courtesy of Strange. The Warbound are forced to protect their fearless leader, forming a protective phalanx around him, until he emerges once more with the bile of vengeance on his breath!

The behemoth throws himself into the heart of the battle, this time turning his destructive attentions to the earthbound machines of war used by the military. Like so many times before, Hulk effortlessly bends the metals of their tanks, turning their weapons against them in the most barbaric of ways.

A tank canon quickly becomes a giant-sized club for the rampaging Hulk, who smashes through three tanks, before launching the barrel as a missile that destroys a hovering chopper.

Soldiers move in bravely to face the Hulk at the frontline, but their bullets do little to phase the target. With a simple clap of his mighty hands, the Hulk sends a shockwave that fells the entire platoon of puny humans.

Renewed fire from the above suddenly pours down upon the Hulk as General Ross personally interjects from a mounted gun turret aboard his helecopter. Like all other weapons used in the skirmish, it proves ineffective in stopping the Hulk, who once again uses his powerful limbs to leap skyward.

Ross meets his arch-nemesis without fear, drawing a pistol as they both tumble at the whim of gravity. With nothing but animosity for the Hulk; Ross unloads his entire clip point blank into Hulk's eye, declaring the infinite scope of a military dedicated to rising again and again in pursuit of Hulk's death.

They fall, and fall, until they hit the ground.
What happens during impact is unclear, but against all odds, Thunderbolt Ross survives. An act of fate, or perhaps a mercy from an incredible Hulk who, despite his volitile nature, remains a force for good.

Bruised and beaten, Ross joins the Warbound's prisoners in the gladiatorial arena of Madison Square Garden. World War Hulk continues...

The Hammer...
Better late than never!
As is plainly evident, Hulk walks away with yet another comprehensive victory against the establishment, after dismantling the toy soldiers of the US Military!

Much like the feature film that debuted in June; it probably helps to know you aren't in for a complex psychological analysis when you approach World War Hulk. That, however, as previously noted [World War Hulk #5], is not to say that there aren't some interesting underlying elements beneath all the smashing, bashing, and destruction of New York City!

For many fans, it's Sam Elliot's performance as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross that provides the resounding voice of approval for Ang Lee's otherwise maligned feature film, Hulk. With that in mind, it was always going to be a point of comparison when William Hurt stepped into the role for the detached 'sequel.'

One finds many cues from Elliot's Ross in the pages of World War Hulk, which I find quite interesting. It's here on the page that we're explicitly reminded of the distance put between Ang Lee's version of Thunderbolt Ross, and what we knew from the source material. Like so many others, Elliot's Ross marks one of the few examples where license taken might be more favourable than the original version of a character.

The iconography of a starchy moustache and militant dedication to destroying the Hulk remain much the same, but it's Elliot's physicality that brings new life to the role. Traditionally a bellowing, pudgy General in the comics; Elliot's Ross becomes far more present in every battle, despite rarely engaging the Hulk personally. I'm inclined to think to Frank Miller's intentions as he describes them for Jim Gordon in Batman: Year One. It's his notion of making Gordon Captain, rather than commissioner, to give the illusion that he was fighting on the frontlines as much as Batman, that helps infuse the relationship between supporting and lead with a sense of tangibility and importance.

While Ross' role is of antagonist, I feel the same can be said for making him a physical presence as a commanding officer. It not only places Ross stylistically in range of action pieces, but also alludes to a more even footing in the arch-rivalry between two very big, but very different, characters.

William Hurt reverts the character back to less involved roots.
Perhaps as is in the inclination of the actor, he appears to approach the role with a characteristic distance that only further emphasises the differences between his, and the far more involved Sam Elliot version of the character.

Hurt ultimately takes this more traditional role in an effort to facilitate the graduation of Emil Blonsky from soldier, to Hulk's sinister gamma-irradiated counterpart, Abomination. In this respect, it's easy to forgive the structural shift in the Thunderbolt Ross character, but that can't change personal preference.

Inspite of the endless cycle of reptition, I still kinda like Thunderbolt Ross.
[Greg] Pak deserves credit here for painting one of the most pragmatic and agreeable versions of the Ross character in years. As is the case across the entire series, he fleshes out the superhero-fight vehicle by investing in the [not-so] subtlties of the characters. His Ross becomes less arbitrary than previous versions that provide abstractions of establishmentarian figures and sentiments of brainless war mongers -- instead embodying a damned soul who sees what we, the reader, do not.

For a book like this, Pak rather cleverly references the tumultuous history of the Hulk, recalling his shifting roles as hero and villain, and the concessions that have had to be made to allow that. For those of us who still indulge in the heroic qualities of Hulk - perhaps even now in Jeph Loeb's post-WWH romp - Pak's Ross is the counter balancing realist. He sees the constant threat the Hulk has represented (and fulfilled) over the decades, and manages to remain unmoved by incidental, or trinket, efforts to the contrary.

Unfortunately changing whims, and the luxuries afforded to 'superstar' creative teams, mean this Ross has quickly been undermined by certain qualities in the recent Red Hulk series. As with the film, I'm pretty willing to forgive these shifting tones, but again, they do little to change my personal preference.

As Warren Ellis jetisons from his run on Thunderbolts - one can't help but see potential for the post-Norman Osborn team! It was the Baron Zemo-led team who got their start antagonising Hulk in their first appearance [Incredible Hulk #449], and despite a lasting association with the green goliath, the team has remained unassociated with General Ross against all odds! Could it be time for a promotion for the former overseer of the Hulkbusters?...

I've said nothing of Romita Jr's pencils which are at their bombastic best here, fully indulged with sweeping splash in a series with an explicit premise. Those like me who are typically not fans of Romita's excessive use of lines might find the grimey destruction of New York a welcome justification for the dirty style. Ultimately, love it or not, you have to acknowledge a certain skill for the entertainment quality of JRjr's work here. Together with Pak's underrated effort to elaborate on the smash fest, the team are quite successful!

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 5

Enjoyed Edward Norton and the CG troop in "Incredible Hulk"? Tittilated by the prospects of a Hulk/Iron Man showdown? Want to know more about Hulk's mindless rampages through the Marvel Universe? If you've been unconvinced until now, hopefully the Infinite Wars has helped sway your decision. By using Amazon purchasing links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Which is good for everyone! Except puny humans who hurt Hulk... What won't hurt are the low prices you'll find on World War Hulk, and all other titles reviewed and available in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe! Hulk is cheapest one there is!!! Grrr!

THE HULK versus THE US MILITARY
(Universal Pictures/Marvel)
Where: Hulk When: June 2003
Why: Ang Lee, Michael France, John Turman, James Schamus How: Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Eric Bana

The Story So Far...
Man's insatiable thirst for knowledge is rivaled only by his damning addiction to destruction. So comes about the research of docile scientist, Dr. Bruce Krenzler, a geneticist working with Betty Ross and Rick Jones in an effort to harness the regenerative process found in nature.

Unbeknownst to Krenzler, his own DNA hides within it the secret of a past life, and the designs of a prerendered destiny. Having been experimented on as a child by his true father, David Banner, Bruce's blood contains within it the secrets to unlocking the hidden power that lurks beneath his human facade. A twist of fate accidentally produces the keys to unlocking Banner's hidden strength when he saves the young Rick Jones from a mechanical malfunction in a nano distributor machine.

With the net of his forgotten childhood closing in, Banner finds whenever he is stressed, angered, or afraid, the green-eyed monster within bursts free of his puny prison to become the incredible Hulk! With his secret exposed, Bruce becomes the subject of suspicion and fear, but even as forces conspire to destroy the Hulk, the true villain hatches machinations decades in the making.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: General Ross 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Hulk 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: General Ross 4 (Arsenal)


- Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a slight and insignificant scientist, lives slavishly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, as funded by the United States military.
Though Banner justifies his goals as means for peace, he becomes one of America's leading weapons designers after inventing a gamma radiation bomb.

During preperations for a test launch in the desert, Dr. Banner spots a reckless youth on the testing ground, and in a moment of magnificence, knowingly throws himself on a bullet that would grant a far crueller fate than death.
Bitterly aware of the Communist conspiracy of his fellow scientist, Banner struggles to usher he and the boy to safety while his colleague continues to countdown the launch.

After succumbing to an ordinarily lethal doses of gamma radiation, Dr. Banner soon finds himself undergoing a horrific transformation. Originally by night, but soon triggered by rage or unease, Banner discovers the superhumanly strong alter-ego within himself, dubbed simply - the Hulk! As the Hulk, Banner's brilliance is reduced to a childlike lumbering, while his slight frame conversely comes to possess size, strength, and durability never before imagined.

Hulk has no specific known weaknesses, but is fiercely protective of the few who earn his favour. Though generally good hearted, Hulk is prone to wild rages and varied personalities, including the calculating persona adopted during his time on the planet Sakaar, where he adopts a military savvy.

- In his career as a life-long military man, General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross's defining moment would come as head of the Gamma Bomb Project, designed to test and develop a new radioactive weapon for the United States.

Sabotage during the testing phase of the project would result in the mass exposure of one of the scientists working on the project, Dr. Bruce Banner. The accident would radically alter Banner's genetic composition, giving birth to the rampaging behemoth that would become Thunderbolt Ross' green whale; the incredible Hulk.

The Hulk's constant ability to overcome and escape military opposition has earned Thunderbolt Ross his share of disgraces. In the pursuit of his foe, Ross has held memberships with SHIELD, Hulkbusters, and even allied himself briefly with the gamma irradiated villain, the Leader, which would eventually result in his dishonorable discharge for treason. Even so, General Ross prevails in parallel to his violent counterpart, always ready to step into battle with the Hulk.

The Math: Hulk Ranking: Hulk (#5)

What Went Down...
Glenn Talbot, Bruce Banner's rival for the affections of Betty Ross and experimentation with human regeneration, takes full advantage when Banner reveals the symptom of his accidental gamma exposure. When Banner is taken into custody, Talbot seeks to extract a sample of the Hulk's altered DNA, but to do so, must first provoke the change in Banner without endangering himself and others.

Awakening the beast proves easier than expected, but when the Hulk's burly hide proves resistant to Talbot's sampling drills, he quickly breaks free of the shackles containing him. Emergency protocol to subdue the Hulk upon escape soon fails when the behemoth's strength is again underestimated. A flood of knock-out gas proves ineffective, inspiring only a violent sneeze from the monster.

It's not long before Hulk escapes into the labyrinthine underground tunnels of the military facility. Talbot mobilizes his people to pursue the Hulk, calling upon the wealth of defensive resources at his disposal to ensure the non-lethal detainment of his specimen. His efforts fail to curtail the attentions of General Thunderbolt Ross, who orders an immediate evacuation of the contract sector, an order blatantly defied by the zealously determined scientist.

With his sector in an unauthorized lockdown, Talbot defiantly heads into the field to obtain his much desired sample. The Hulk, contained by a super durable constrictive foam, grows increasingly frustrated by his predicament, which includes the continued antagonism of Talbot's sadistic pleasure in his pain.

Hindered by injuries sustained during a previous encounter with Dr. Banner's dark side; Talbot finds himself overwhelmed by the sheer charisma of Hulk's will. Even with his extremedies tethered, the Hulk is able to knock Talbot off his feet.

The scenario provides Talbot with the necessary provocation to justify more extreme methods of detainment, but as he soon learns, even this escalation is over estimated. An explosive cartridge is easily deflected by the Hulk's super musculature, repelling the bullet back from where it came.
Talbot is engulfed in the resulting flames.

With the interfering scientist now a bitter footnote; General Ross is able to commandeer the facility, ordering a complete lockdown.

Codename "angry man" escapes the tunnels, entering the main hall where his statuesque dimensions are given greater freedom of movement. The dire situation forces the General to order the evacuation of personel, and the deployment of heavy weaponry to curb the beast's rampage.

The military's weaponry proves ineffective, and with the risk of mass casualty and further damage to the base, General Ross is forced to concede to more evasive maneuvers. Strategic lighting is used to lure the Hulk to the desert above, where the military hope to have better luck with more destructive missiles.

On the surface, the Hulk takes full advantage of the wide open spaces provided by the desert. His incredibly powerful limbs launch him into an aerial escape, making for a quick getaway from the puny humans that attack him.

Hulk finds himself landing in a long since abandoned military village, which provokes a flood of vague memories of a previous life. The ghost of his alter-ego emerges from within his raging mind, unearthing the day Bruce Banner witnessed his mother's accidental death by his father's hand. The confusion of the moment is compounded when suddenly his childhood home explodes, sending him airborne with the force of the shockwave.

The Hulk witnesses his own magnificent capacity for healing, just as a faint popping in the sky alerts him to the military's continued assault. The aerial missiles fan out in the sky, bringing down an artistic shower of war.

Hulk again launches himself, leaving behind the now pot-marked planes of this forgotten memory. His leap brings him to the arid dunes of the desert, where he tumbles uncontrollably upon landing. The strange landscape plays host to the continued nightmare of the military's faceless assault, interrupting the barren tranquility with yet more variations on cannisters of explosives.

The explosions push the Hulk tumbling further down the dunes, where the sandy flats reveals an incoming cavalcade of tanks. They fire in unison, sending another hail of artillery at the besieged giant. The Hulk disappears behind the curtain of sand that splashes with each impact, masking the effect of their weapons.

The soldiers soon realise their work continues as the Hulk emerges in a far less neutral stance. With guns blazing, the soldiers and tanks meet the Hulk's charge head-on, their influence continuing to be ultimately ineffectual against the raw power of the gamma-irradiated scientist.

The Hulk shrugs their gunfire off, and collides with one of the tanks, knocking it over like a child playing with a toy. Capsized, the vehicle is defenseless, as the Hulk hoists it by the barrel and swings it like an oversized hammer toss!

In full battle mode, the Hulk lets loose an animalist roar, before turning his attentions to the next tank in his wake. He leaps onto the front of the warmachine, this time isolating the moving turret section that houses the soldiers. With a mighty tug the Hulk yanks the section free, while ignoring a barrage of machine gun fire from the remaining two tanks.

He shakes the driver and his fellow free of the cab, just as one of the other tanks fires a shell that would have ensured their demise. It penetrates the isolated piece of tank, and knocks Hulk off his feet.

Growing stronger with each provocation, the Hulk recovers in an instant!
Enraged, he turns the tank cab into a weapon, dragging it by the barrel to be used as a club against his opposition. He repeatedly swings at the tank, shaking it with the unimaginable pounds of pressure of his super human swing.

With only one remaining tank, the Hulk marches toward an end to the fight with muscles taut. He grapples with the last remaining gun barrel, and with incredible strength he bends it backward toward the driver's cab in a final act of irony.

With his enemies smashed, the Hulk takes flight once more, leaving the puny humans with the thought provoking fact that each soldier escapes with his life, and minimal injury. Coincidence, or insight into the true nature of the incredible Hulk? Such a question is not the concern of a military commited to the containment, or destruction, of this accident of their own making.

The Hammer...
And the winner of the battle, if not the war, the incredible Hulk!

Whoof! These movie reviews always manage to take a lot of out me, but I'm pleased with how easily this isolated snap shot broken into a managably smaller piece. Those of you who recall the film may need to be reminded that this skirmish is neatly concluded, right before General Ross seeks a Presidential order of executive powers, allowing for later rematches in the film. So, before you freak out, we can conclusively confirm this as an individual entry in the Hulk's battle log.

Moving on; we have something of a convergence of themes today!
What character would be more suitable for an entry on St. Patrick's Day than mean green himself? Not only that, but last week we were given the first glimpse of a trailer for the upcoming Incredible Hulk feature, which, for the most part, has been flying somewhat under the radar, eclipsed by hype surrounding Iron Man and The Dark Knight.

With a couple of vague themes in mind, I decided to open up the vote to you, the readers. We typically have at least a hundred people moving through the site every day, so it was with thorough bemusement that two of you decided we'd go the way of this year's move stars, rather than discussing super teams. Just to remind you all, you don't need to be registered to vote in site polls, or comment on entries, so feel free to make yourself heard!

This might be the perfect entry to do so, considering the ire the Ang Lee directed film has inspired. I'm going to give you plenty to shout about by declaring my resounding support of the film! I couldn't possibly deny blemishes in the over complication of Bruce Banner's backstory and largely unpleasant presence of Nick Nolte, but for the most part, I'm a fan of this picture.

One of the many criticms of the film came from the quality of a CG Hulk.
In selecting stills for this entry, I as always attempt to convey the story in the best light possible, but also kept in mind the point I hoped to make about the CG. "Shrek-Hulk" is a term bandied about by many fans who feel computer generation left the Hulk less than convincing, but it's my hope some of these warbound stills reveal a very realistically respectful approach to filming the Hulk as a living entity.

Hulk emerged in a period I would argue was crucial to the evolution of modern cinema. The post-Matrix 00's mark a period where both the industry and viewer alike come to recognise CG manipulation as a complimentary device to practical effects, rather than the utopian vision of a universal solution to cinematic fantasy. With many contemporary examples of practical wizardry, [such as League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's suit driven Mr. Hyde], one might say Lee's all-digital approach was radically against trend, at the time. I believe in some capacity this contributed to the establishment of a negative perception surrounding the digital Hulk, which boasted not only a phenomenal budget, but also the laborious application of high end technology, and motion capture.

DVD watchers will already know about Ang Lee's intimate involvement in developing the Hulk's abilities to emote, and while I wouldn't say expression was anywhere near as impressive as the characters interactions with environment and actors, it's an admirable instalment in CG quality.

St. Patrick's Day Top 25
[Characters Wearing Green]
#1 Hulk (Marvel)
#2 Sub-Mariner (Marvel)
#3 Green Lantern (DC)
#4 Green Arrow (DC)
#5 Iron Fist (Marvel)
#6 Hawkman (DC)
#7 Rogue (Marvel)
#8 Dr. Doom (Marvel)
#9 Robin (DC)
#10 Guile (Capcom)
#11 The Spectre (DC)
#12 Green Lantern (DC)
#13 Jean Grey (Marvel)
#14 Martian Manhunter (DC)
#15 Aquaman (DC)
#16 Guy Gardner (DC)
#17 Lyja (Marvel)
#18 Ganthet (DC)
#19 Sayd (DC)
#20 Drax (Marvel)
#21 Maul (Wildstorm)
#22 Banshee (Marvel)
#23 Tara (Marvel)
#24 Thin Man (Marvel)
#25 Green Lantern (DC)[Ang] Lee's vision for the character is a very unusual blend of genres. The minutia of the tale obviously benefits from some assemblance of tangible science-fact, but inherent in the character is the fantastic qualities characterized in four-colour fiction.

Lee combines elements of various styles of action, showcasing tropes of conventional superhero film brawls; military maneuvers; and general action movie violence.
The merging of these qualities, as well as the underlying psychodrama of Bruce Banner, makes for a fairly well rounded representation of the Hulk's story.

Another common complaint registered by fans is a perceived lack of Hulk-style action. This seems to buck against a typical desire to see comic book films display the maturity of the medium, and it's ability to convey depthier stories than mindless fist fights and super powers. It also fails to give credit to Lee's dedicated approach to representing the Hulk's classical struggle with Thunderbolt Ross and his military, along with the psychological qualities ingrained in the source material.

One can't help but think of the precedence of influential Hulk writer, Peter David, whose own work is well regarded for dancing between big action and psychological drama.

In the span of this entry I'm not sure I can provide quality enough discourse to sway opinions of this film. Especially when noting the very real negatives that exist; such as convolutions in the Hulk's new origin, and the unnecessarily complicated backstory that further confuses Bruce Banner's identity, with the supposed pay off being a garbled confrontation with his Absorbing Man-styled father. While these elements leave intact the desire to see Hulk's exploits fighting super-villains realised on the big screen; I don't feel they undermine the more admirable qualities of the movie, such as the skirmishes with the military.

I'm reticent about this new sequel.
Incredible Hulk is smart enough to dance around the issue of the much maligned first film, completely recasting, without overwriting the original film. Already evident is the fact that this is a distinct departure from Ang Lee's vision.
Early stills show iconography familiar from the 1970's TV series, as well as elements familiar to comic-reading fanboys.

Edward Norton's intrusions on the script, though concern making, show some endearing qualities, such as the inclusion of Doc Samson; albeit, depicted by less than exciting casting in TV's, Ty Burrell. Also promising is the presence of one of Hulk's most famous villains, the Abomination, and strong rumors of appearances by Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, and a Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury, all allegedly building toward a Hulk/Iron Man film, or even a big screen Avengers.

I can't help but feel we're wrapping this entry up, even though there's still so much to be discussed. Thrilling is the prospect of Marvel pioneering the big screen crossover in ways never quite realised, particularly with the promise of feature casting that includes Downey, Jackson and Norton all in the one picture! This makes a particular statement while DC toils away on a Justice League film that not only distances itself from existing franchises [ie; Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins], but also promises a cast fit for a forgettable TV movie.

Of course, much like the duality of Banner and Hulk, there's a flipside to the barely publicized Hulk sequel. Turmoil in the script suggests a power struggle that could easily jeopardize an ensemble picture, and a story that ultimately sounds far less involving than Ang Lee's character-driven two-hour epic.
More specifically, the trailer projects early indications of a disappointing legacy left by Ang Lee's box office failure. The disappointingly dumbed down action movie many fans called for seems front-and-centre, while the budget-blowing exploits of the first film leave this one with a CG Hulk and Abomination that truly are less than convincing. Fingers crossed the latter is merely a symptom of typically rear ended post-production.

You'd be forgiven for not knowing that Incredible Hulk hits cinemas in June, sandwiched between Iron Man (May) and The Dark Knight (July). I have no doubt we'll be talking a lot more about the Hulk around that time, but for now, we wait with reticent hope that inexperienced director, Louis Leterrier, can deliver the goods that many feel the Oscar winner Ang Lee did not. I have my doubts, but we shall see.

The Fight: 5 The Film: 5

Having toted the genius of Lee Falk, you've got to give it up to ol' Stan and Jack. Together they created a monstrous character part Jekyll & Hyde, part Frankenstein's Monster, and all commentary on the futility of war as Hulk smashes his comparatively morally grey military opposition time and time again. A contrast to Iron Man's pro-war establishmentarian approach, making the two characters perfect philosophical rivals! If you want to get a heads up on the action that's yet to come, or feel you might have passed the Hulk movie up without fair prespective, why not head over to Amazon? By using purchase links provided on the Infinite Wars, you help fund future military experimentation!