Contains SPOILERS for The Incredible Hulk: Blood Hunt #1Bruce Banner‘s latest transfiguration into the Hulk might be his most grisly ever, but it also serves as a reminder of Banner’s underappreciated strength. Considered a spiritual successor to Al Ewing and Joe Bennet’s Immortal Hulk, the Green Goliath’s newest series, The Incredible Hulk by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein, and Daniel Earls, regularly sees the body-swapping hero face off against hordes of twisted eldritch monsters. Whenever Banner hands the reins over to his other half, what ensues is a grotesque mutilation of the flesh as the Hulk bursts from Banner’s body.
Like scenes out of Alien, Bruce Banner has had to endure some harsh bodily butchering in order to let the beast loose. A tie-in to Marvel’s ongoing Blood Hunt event, The Incredible Hulk: Blood Hunt #1 (by Johnson and Earls) depicts a new transformation for the heroes that would leave the faint of heart queasy.
The comic follows Banner and the Hulk as they discover a vampiric Hell-pit hidden underneath a quaint Old Western town. But when it comes time for the Hulk to emerge, Banner experiences one of his most horrific transformations yet.
Bruce Banner’s Heart Shatters Every Time He Lets the Hulk Out
Seriously, His Heart is Literally Torn Apart
When Bruce Banner is made to be a sacrifice to a horde of bloodthirsty subterranean vampires, he calls upon his gamma-powered alter to appear and destroy the threat. What follows looks to be an agonizingly visceral and traumatic experience. As the Hulk grows in power, Banner’s chest is splayed open and his innards spilled onto the ground. The Hulk first emerges through the heart; as it grows, Bruce’s body is no longer capable of holding the green blood-pumping organ inside.
The gamma scientist’s chest ruptures open as the Hulk’s heart bursts from Banner’s sternum, shattering his ribs in the process. Soon, the rest of the Hulk’s body forms as his tissue pours from Bruce’s flesh, slowly consuming it until only the Hulk remains. If this version of the hulking horror feeds off of pain and rage, then his brutal birth from Banner’s body should be more than enough to fuel his strength. Moments like these really put into perspective the sheer level of endurance that both Bruce and the Hulk possess.
Related
Marvel Is Permanently Splitting Hulk & Bruce Banner into Separate People – Theory Explained
Hulk and Banner have had their differences, but the Jade Giant wants revenge for his alter ego’s treachery and Bruce is about to let him have it.
3
The Hulk’s Body-Horror Transformations Indicate a Deeper Strength
While the Hulk May Be Strong, Bruce Banner is Stronger
The Hulk is well-known for his ability to take a hit. In the duo’s gamma-powered form, they are nearly indestructible, and when on the verge of death, the Hulk’s body is always able to spring back into place. While the Hulk can easily endure the pain, Bruce Banner’s experience may be more harrowing. Bruce is visually shown to be writhing in agony every time his body is torn apart. Sometimes unable to scream while the Hulk crawls out of Banner’s mouth, all the frail-bodied scientist can do is suffer through the torture.
The true strength of the duo lies within Bruce’s ability to take the pain. Banner pays the price every time the Hulk is released. It’s Bruce’s body that endures the trauma of the transformation. While the scientist may rely on his other self in fights, the Hulk must rely on his partner’s ability to withstand the wretched metamorphosis so that the two can remain in anonymity when possible. Hulk’s power warrants the praise he gets, but it’s Bruce Banner who deserves the recognition as the true pillar of the pair’s strength.
Hulk
The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.
