In Advance of Hulk #23: Flashing Back to INCREDIBLE HULK #291

Fellas (and Ladies)--

In advance of reviewing tomorrow's HULK #23 with its origin of the Red Hulk, whose identity and history I prognosticated many months ago, here I go reviewing a key issue in the matter. Unfortunately, this book has never been reprinted, aside from digitally in the GIT Corp. "The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Collection" DVD, now sadly out of print. The reason for its inclusion should be clear soon enough:



INCREDIBLE HULK #291
"Old Soldiers Never Die!"
January, 1984
Writer: Bill Mantlo / Artists: Sal Buscema & Gerry Talaoc

If you've been following the ongoing "World War Hulks" storyline, you'll know by now that General "Thunderbolt" Ross stands revealed as the Red Hulk. How did he get there? The answers are coming in tomorrow's HULK #23. However, just before that issue hits, I think it's a good idea to go back and review this little gem: the only previous time the "origin" of General Ross has seen the light of day. Now 26 years old, this book is an obvious companion piece to HULK #23, and I have no doubt thanks in large part to writer Greg Pak's tremendous affection for Bill Mantlo's tenure on the book, this issue will be referenced, so it's a good plan to "study up."

At the onset of this issue, General Ross stands a defeated man. He knowingly went against the orders of the United States government, allying himself with M.O.D.O.K., setting free the Abomination from a top secret military installation and commanding him against the Hulk. Why was this act treasonous? The President himself had pardoned the Hulk for all previous activities since, at the time this issue was written, the creature now possessed the full faculties of Bruce Banner, the monster within repressed seemingly forever.



Writer Mantlo clearly set up this story to function as an epitaph, a coda to the career of General Ross. As he sits at his desk, deciding whether to inform his superiors of his treasonous actions, Ross reflects upon the long life he's lived. (In this story, he is identified as 67 years old.) He came from a line of military men, with his grandfather serving in the Civil War under Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, while his father fought during World War I in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He grew up hearing his father's tales of valor, and voraciously read every book on military history and strategy he could find. He enlisted in the military and graduated at the top of his class, and during his time there he met, romanced, and married his commanding officer's daughter, Karen Lee.

Ross didn't have to wait long after graduation to enter the trenches of war, as the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He entered the theater of war in the Pacific as a Captain, earning his still-current nickname for striking like a thunderbolt as he led his men into battle. He left World War II as a Major, and around that time, his daughter Betty was born. However, family obligations couldn't keep him from going back to war, with the conflict this time being Korea. He lived for war, and rose to Colonel, then General. Medals followed, and the war ended, which meant a return to a desk. He saw Betty grow up, having wished for a son but denied that. Years later, his wife Karen died, and instead of allowing Betty to comfort him, he sent her away. A military base was no place for a young woman, he argued; and besides, if he loved Karen as much as he loved the military, she might have still been alive.

Soon, of course, the government placed General Ross in charge of the G-Bomb project, which brought him in contact with Dr. Robert Bruce Banner. After having attended boarding school, Betty returned to her father, and found herself attracted to Banner, who was in every way the opposite of her father: a man of intellect, of kindness. We know what happened next, of course: Bruce Banner became the Hulk in the wake of the G-Bomb detonation, and General Ross regained a purpose, marshalling the military's forces against the green goliath. Having discovered Banner to be the very creature he intended to destroy, Ross redoubled his efforts to find his daughter a suitable husband, introducing her to Major Glenn Talbot. Banner briefly gained control over the Hulk, and he and Betty nearly married, only to lose control anew on their wedding day. Ross' resolve to kill the Hulk strengthened, and to that end, Hulkbuster Base was built. Soon afterward, time apparently healed Betty's broken heart, and she fell in love with Talbot, who married his commanding officer's daughter just like Ross had done before him.

But Talbot and Betty's marriage was not to be a happy one, for the Hulk often came between them. Talbot himself was presumed dead while on a mission to save Ross, but returned eventually, albeit in a vegetative state. The Hulk restored Talbot's psyche, but his marriage to Betty was irreparably damaged and the two divorced thereafter. Betty then realized she never stopped loving Bruce. The two resumed their relationship, while at the same time, torn over what he had done in pursuit of his own dreams, Ross resigned his command. Talbot wasn't deterred, picking up where Ross left off, having newly achieved a colonelship as well as control of the renamed Gamma Base. He chased the Hulk, whom he hated more than ever because he lost Betty to Banner, but only succeeded in destroying himself.



Shortly, Bruce Banner gained control over the Hulk anew. It wasn't what Betty wanted--she hoped for a cure over control--and she left, apparently for good. Ross became enraged that Banner had hurt his daughter, and once again donned his uniform. But it was too late, and the government pardoned the Hulk. Knowing in his heart that the Hulk would only return, more savage than ever (and how right he would later be!), he allied himself with M.O.D.O.K., thawing out the captured Abomination and setting him loose on the Hulk. The Abomination failed, and the whole plan came out, not just to the Hulk but also to Betty, who branded him with the word he never wanted to hear: "Traitor."

Confronted with the truth behind his actions--that his blind hatred for the Hulk overrode all rational thought--General Ross briefly contemplated suicide, but decided that was the "easy way out." The tougher, and more sensible road, was admitting his treasonous activities, and learning to live with his disgrace--in his words, "the toughest war this old soldier will ever have to fight."



Of course, General Ross wasn't finished with the Hulk after this issue. He would return to interfere in his daughter's wedding, by then a broken man. He again sought to kill Banner, contributing to events which returned the Hulk to his original, gray-skinned incarnation and briefly turned Rick Jones into a Hulk. He obtained the power of Zzzax, one of the Hulk's feared enemies, and later died. But fate wasn't through with him: the Leader resurrected him as the second Redeemer. Again dead, he was brought back for a third chance at life by the alien Troyjans, and was somehow reinstated in the military in spite of his previous treasonous activities. He and Banner reached a detente, but only until Betty died.

Oh, but all of these events are prologue. We'll find out how the dots connect tomorrow, and how the prior events I've described all contribute to the birth of the Red Hulk. That said, Bill Mantlo crafted a terrific "origin" for General Ross, the Hulk's greatest enemy. The story went a long way toward fleshing out the character back in 1984. It should be required reading for anyone looking at tomorrow's HULK #23 and wishing to see a counterpoint. I'm thinking the two books won't be as far apart as some out there would like to argue.

Join me...tomorrow.

Or Hulk will smash!

~G.

INCREDIBLE HULK #610 - The Review

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #610

Writer: "Gregarious" Greg Pak
Artists: "Princely" Paul Pelletier & "Dandy" Danny Miki
Colorist: "Fun-lovin'" Frank D'Armata
Letterer: "Simple" Simon Bowland
Cover: "Jazzy" John Romita, Jr., "Kinky" Klaus Janson & "Daring" Dean White
Assistant Editor: "Jiltin'" Jordan D. White
Associate Editor: "Naughty" Nathan Cosby
Editor: Mark "Enough of these nicknames" Paniccia

***SPOILERS*** inside if you go further!

He's baaaaaaaaack.

Wow, is that cover ever one big misnomer. I know practically every reader of the Hulk, myself included, predicted last month that it was Bruce's understandable anger over his son's near-slaying of Betty Ross Talbot Banner (say that name five times fast!) that would serve as catalyst for the return of the one, true Hulk, who would kick ass and take names while chewing no bubble gum as we headed toward the conclusion of "World War Hulks." It even looks that way on the cover. Doesn't it seem like Skaar and Red She-Hulk are looking on in horror as the change occurs right before them? So, my first admission is that I'm glad I was wrong. Greg Pak did not take the easy way out in this story. What could have in lesser hands been a farce instead wound up being a tense, packed-to-the-gills page-turner--and a strong contender for best single issue of this series, post-"Planet Hulk." Considering the stellar issues that came right after the reversion to the old numbering scheme, that's saying something.

At the beginning of this issue, Bruce tries in vain to help Betty heal from the battle wounds inflicted by Skaar. I have to guess that the "Sakaarian Oldforge Blade" Skaar used had some mystical properties that triggered the change from Red She-Hulk to plain ol' Betty, otherwise last issue's conclusion only makes sense to establish the identity revelation and then to propel the (brief) origin story that's presented in all of two pages herein. Most of the story we've guessed already: after nearly dying from gamma poisoning (here referred to as "cancer" which was only brought up in Bruce Jones' run, hmm), Betty ended up frozen by her father, then thawed by the Leader and M.O.D.O.K., who brought her back from the brink of death, cured her illness, then brainwashed her and turned her into the Red She-Hulk. The only truly new detail we get from the "origin" is that Betty's another confirmed split personality case in her gamma identity, which stirs echoes of her time as the Harpy. (It's worth questioning whether the gamma/cosmic ray mix brought about the split personality, or if Betty only developed the split personality based on some subconscious belief that irradiation makes you develop a split personality. Then again, our Betty has never been an especially well girl, psychologically speaking.)

Breaking up a fight between Red She-Hulk and Samson is the Hulked-Out Amadeus Cho. He's not hulked-out in the same way as the military men or heroes who the Intel exposed to the lethal cosmic/gamma ray cocktail, the radiation instead affecting his mind. (Can we call him Cho-D.O.K.? Or just Red Leader?) He and the rescued smartest men come up with their new plan, when the Leader and M.O.D.O.K. show up! But they're not alone...


Oh yes! What would a Leader storyline be without his awesome artificial creations, the Humanoids? It looks as if they've been "Hulked-Out" a bit, themselves. It doesn't matter, however, because Cho takes care of them in short order with the power of his mind!

This sequence also firms up the identities of the eight smartest men in the Marvel Universe--that is, if you count who the Leader considers the smartest. Of course, he considers himself above all, but the others (in his mind) were, in no particular order: Doom, Richards, Banner, Stark, Pym, McCoy, and T'Challa. Banner counters that Cho was "always" one of the smartest, and that his brain power has been further boosted by the cosmic/gamma rays, with the Leader's downfall to follow as result of his not having considered Cho a threat. Eventually, after a thrilling tete-a-tete with Banner, the Leader survives to scheme another day. (Or does he? Check out HULK #23 next week!) M.O.D.O.K. isn't quite so lucky. And Samson throws his lot in with the good guys again.

It's intriguing how the rest of the puzzle pieces fit together from here on in. How best to solve the puzzle of de-Hulking the heroes and the soldiers storming Washington? You have to find a receptacle for all that radiation so nothing goes kaboom, of course! And who absorbs massive amounts of radiation better than anybody else? Remember how a certain someone taunted Victor Von Doom some months back? "Say my name!"


Thinking about the final set piece of this issue, where Bruce Banner absorbs the radiation from the Hulked-Out Heroes and Soldiers, it became apparent to me that the scenes just before the big explosion, where Banner stands in poses reminiscent of his first gamma exposure in INCREDIBLE HULK #1, serve a larger purpose beyond just visually mirroring that important first story. Conceptually, it mirrors the origin of the Hulk as well! Consider that in the original story, Bruce Banner went out onto the test site to save one young boy he didn't even know from (as far as he knew) death, insodoing releasing the raging spirit that dwelled within him. Here in INCREDIBLE HULK #610 we have a play on that scenario: Bruce Banner, knowing full well that his actions will cause the rebirth of that same raging spirit, freely sacrifices his "cure" to save several of his friends in the superheroic community as well as two hundred A.I.Marines he doesn't even know. In one fell swoop, Greg Pak states unequivocally that Bruce Banner is and always has been a selfless man, a hero. Was there any doubt?

Also, it seems Banner isn't the only one who's into heroic sacrifices, as Leonard "Doc" Samson lays down his life so that the Cathexis Ray's effects may be reversed, the gamma removed from his body for the first time since INCREDIBLE HULK #193. Is it a "final" death? Probably not, but his sacrifice does redeem the character, even if the plot-logic of sending him off at the drop of a hat is ludicrous, with how his body even fixes anything a wonder. Ah, well. All in service to the larger narrative, right?

Speaking of larger narratives, I've got your "building for three years" one right here:


In the completion of the arc that began during World War Hulk, Bruce Banner again transforms into the epitome of anger--as shown by the massive energy output around him, this is the "World Breaker" incarnation of the Hulk first seen in WWH #5 and last seen, however briefly, in Skaar: Son of Hulk #12. This incarnation is also known to many as the "Green Scar," and his presence marks the thematic conclusion of nearly everything that's happened since that epochal storyline. Next issue, we'll see Father vs. Son, Hulk vs. Skaar. Somehow, I get the feeling that Banner isn't planning on Skaar killing the Hulk. (Not that it would happen. Whose book is this, anyway?)

We're coming on the perfect moment for the evolved "Green Scar" to thrive! I'm feeling the intense character growth the Hulk has undergone under Greg Pak's pen, and nothing would further the growth of the character, and evolve the dynamic of father and son, like the Hulk being able to apologize to his son, to be better than his own father was to him. Isn't that really what the Hulk is all about? Making it so that the sins of the father are not visited upon the son? He can make peace with Queen Caiera's memory and they can move forward together. After a damn good fight, of course!

So, maybe this wasn't so much a review as a deep analysis. I said before that this issue ranks among the best since restoring the old numbering, and perhaps it will stand as one of Greg Pak's best, period. Or maybe it's just leading toward next issue's conclusion, which stands to be pretty incredible as well. Paul Pelletier and Danny Miki did nothing short of excellent work this issue, as usual, and that two-page spread of the Hulk at the end is a treat, as is that final page. The colors of Frank D'Armata bring the whole shebang to life.

It's one great day to be a Hulk fan.

Rating: * * * * 1/2 (out of 5 stars)

~G.

(Next: HULK #23!)

RED HULK REVEALED IN HULK #22!

And I'm only going to spoil the NEXT to last page here:



Not sayin' nuttin'. No, sir.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

G.

Finally on Facebook & Twitter

Guys,

Not that anyone cares (and I intend to start setting up a more formidable online presence shortly!), but I can be located on Facebook & Twitter now, so expect more than your RDA of me over on those places.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/garymichaelmiller
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gary_m_miller

Tell your friends, and friends of friends, and people you hardly know. Maybe this is my key to ruling the world!

~G.

P.S.: New York Comic-Con in October!

Truly Worth a Thousand Words...

The cover to June's INCREDIBLE HULK #610...

Maybe just two words: "'Nuff said!"

~G.

The Path To "World War Hulks," Or: Get Up, Come On Get Down With The Silliness

Well, now.

Let me preface all of the following by saying that I haven't yet gone out onto the greater Internet to see what the range of opinions is on this week's twin "Fall of the Hulks" releases, Hulk #21 and Incredible Hulk #608. I didn't even speak with anybody at my local comic shop (this week it was All About Books & Comics in downtown Phoenix--click for the site)--I just grabbed my variants (the regular covers come in the mail next Tuesday) and ran. I read and re-read the books whilst waiting for my Toyota to be fixed (#$&@ recalls!), and now, finally, I'm home so I can let my thoughts be known.

The first thing I have to say is that these two issues, like the other two months' worth of adventures before them by Loeb & Pak, take place at roughly the same time, and in fact, they feature the majority of the same characters, with some overlap. I've always been a fan of this kind of storytelling device--using two books to tell two sides of the same story--and for that, I have to extend kudos. No, it doesn't matter which book you read first (and, for the record, Hulk #21 had that dubious honor for me). They both feature the key event at roughly the same place in both stories, from decidedly different angles. (SPOILER goggles on, henceforth.)

Both stories feature the grand assault on the Intelligencia's "Hellcarrier" (the SHIELD Helicarrier they stole after it crashed in Hulk #2, renamed by the that's-why-they-call-him Mad Thinker), with Hulk showing the Red Hulk's part of the assault (plus partner--more on him in a bit), and Incredible Hulk giving us Bruce Banner and his Avengers squad's side. The solicitation copy promised along the way we would learn Skaar's true motivations and the Intelligencia's true plan. I'm not sure this duo of issues showed either, I mean, I guess they showed the "what" of the Intel's plan, but the "why" has yet to be addressed, presuming it's anything other than the standard "bad guys want to rule the world" scenario.

Since I read it first, I'll go over the basics from Hulk #21 first also. The Red Hulk finds his way onto the Intel's Hellcarrier, huge duffel in tow, as he recounts how he and Banner first teamed up. The flashback and the ensuing monologue by the Red Hulk make it clear that their alliance began before Fall of the Hulks: Gamma, making it clear the two of them conspired to "kill" General Ross as their opening salvo against the Intel. Now, as most of you know, I don't think Banner would plot to kill Ross without Ross having done something absolutely dastardly (like commit murder), so I don't think Ross is really dead. (If you're asking, "So where is Ross?" I have to smack you in the forehead and refer you to my August blog post about Incredible Hulk #600 or my iFanboy.com article.)

After the flashback, the Red Hulk boards the 'carrier, but is ambushed by Awesome Andy--I mean, the Gammadroid, whom he defeats before being defeated by the Cosmic Hulk Robot (from the Eternals series as well as Red Hulk #1 and Incredible Hulk #606). MODOK reveals that he was duped all along. Originally, Red Hulk says, the Intel meant to use Banner to power their grand plan, since they already used him--together with the power of the Cathexis Ray that created Doc Samson--to create the Red Hulk. They also experimented on Rick Jones with the Cathexis Ray, producing A-Bomb (which almost-but-not-quite negates the theory about the ending of WWH directly producing Red Hulk, A-Bomb and Samson's new self, see later). Similarly, they needed Jen Walters (who was kidnapped in Incredible Hulk #600) as the power basis for Red She-Hulk. Now that Red Hulk absorbed Banner's Hulk, together with the energy he absorbed fighting Thor, the Silver Surfer, et al., the Red Hulk became the Intel's prime candidate to power the Intel's machinery.

What, then, is the Intel's grand plan? They use the power of the Cathexis Ray, turning it upon the Red Hulk, in so doing empowering not only a legion of A.I.Marines (another eyeroll-inducing name, courtesy Jeph Loeb) on an Arizona military base, and apparently another legion in Washington, DC, but also three teams of super-heroes invading the Hellcarrier with the ability to become Hulks. And Red Hulk states the Intel's plan is to use those Hulks to stage a military coup of the U.S. government.

Deadpool unzips himself from the duffel Red Hulk brought on board, having been brought there as Red Hulk's "Plan B" to stop the Cathexis Ray, but it's too late--all hell has broken loose. He does manage to sidestep Samson and free Red Hulk, but also manages to transform into--are you ready for this?--Hulkpool. (Yeah, I rather thought you were.)

Incredible Hulk #608, on the other hand, shows things from Banner's perspective. First, there's a rescue mission on an Arizona military base, where Banner apparently tries to rescue his wife, Betty--and runs into the believed-dead Colonel Glenn Talbot, who his BannerTech tells him is not a robot. At the same time, as the Intel watch the footage of the event, they are attacked on board the Hellcarrier--by Banner and his Avengers! Amadeus Cho has been using an image inducer to pass himself off as Banner...and, of course, Betty (who prefers "Miz Ross" to "Miz Banner) clocks Amadeus anyway, escaping with Talbot, who locks her into a secure bunker meant for the President before teleporting himself away. While trying to open the door, Cho talks with Bruce--who also states Talbot should be dead--and Cho refutes that he heas found evidence of Talbot being part of a black-ops program, but doesn't complete the thought. In short order, Bruce meets with Lyra, making it clear she's on his side (but where is Jen?) and Skaar confronts Bruce about working with Red Hulk. Bruce explains that he's deceived and used everyone--the Avengers and Skaar--in order to save the world and Betty--"because if any of you knew all the different angles I'm playing...you'd never trust me again." He also states that if his plan succeeds, Skaar will get his chance "to get the only thing [he] ever wanted from [Banner]."

Then, of course, the excrement hits the fan: Red She-Hulk shows up, attacking the Avengers and impaling Skaar with his own sword. Bruce manages to disconnect Reed and the others from the Liddleville device. He expects the Intel's plan to fail, but then the Cathexis Ray goes operational, transforming the A.I.Marines into Red Hulks, ready for their march on Washington. Skaar attempts to round up Bruce and escape but is thrown clear of the Hellcarrier, and Bruce sees mutated, Hulkish versions of Wolverine, Namor, War Machine and Captain Marvel...before everything fades out, one year later, and...well, my spoilers are just going to have to stop there!

There's not much to tell about the Red She-Hulk backup, except to say that, in the words of MODOK, "[A]s long as [the Red She-Hulk] remains under our control...we have nothing to fear from Bruce Banner...or the Red Hulk." Doesn't that seem to imply she's someone important to both men? Hmmm....

I do think the storyline is getting slightly silly (okay, maybe more than slightly), but it does seem we're going places. As both events occur at the same time, I think it's quite safe to state that Talbot is not the Red Hulk (unless the one seen with Cho and Betty is some kind of doppelganger that an EMP can't incapacitate, which I doubt). However I'm happy to say it still seems possible that Betty is the Red She-Hulk. It's only once she's seen for the final time, locked (?) in the bunker, that Red She-Hulk appears. Yes, it may be a false lead (She-Hulk, I am loath to admit, was nowhere to be found in either issue), and we may be picking up on exactly what Greg P. wants us to pick up on, that's true. But who makes a better fit for the Scarlet Smasherette at this point? Especially when considering what MODOK's said in the backup feature.

At this point, yeah, I'm asking "What now?" and "What the #@!&*?!" as well as "Why does Deadpool have to be in absolutely everything?" There were some strange pieces to this story...was Banner in a part of the ship immune to Hulkification? And why were the Intel draining the collective smarts of everyone? How much did they succeed? For that matter, why tease the eight smartest if they only used six? Bottom line, I do want to see how everyone gets out of this situation, and that, I suppose, is "mission: accomplished" for "Fall of the Hulks."

Now, on to "World War Hulks"...with, of course, a few more parts of "Fall of the Hulks" coming at us over the next month and a half to finish things up.

What do you think, sirs?

~G.

I Love Logic!

Compadres,

I love logic. And if that statement sounds tinged with more than a little sarcasm, then good for you! You know me better than most!

Now, on to the point, and I have one (not at the top of my head): it amazes me to no end when people take something like, say, the ongoing mystery of the identity of Red Hulk, and they start to make totally illogical guesses in a fashion that is akin to throwing excrement through a fan as a means to hitting a bull's-eye. More often than not, you're going to hit every other place but the bull's-eye, and you're going to make your housemates mad at you as they ask aloud why you can't use some other implement that's not nearly as messy (or, perish forbid, one that actually makes sense).

Is it my own understanding of the way mysteries work that makes me shake my head when I see the theories that permeate the Internet lately? The latest theories I've seen for the identity of the Red Hulk (with the names of the individual and the places I saw them not identified to protect the guilty) include Samuel J. LaRoquette (better known as the Leader's henchman, Rock), Philip Sterns (better known as the Leader's brother and the Hulk's enemy, Madman), SHIELD agent Clay Quartermain, and a henceforth-unnamed, previously-unmentioned son/blood relative of General Ross. And I've just heard that Red She-Hulk could be Diane Davids, better known as the Leader's minion, Ogress.

Out of the countless theories out there, few prove resistant to close scrutiny. I've refuted some of the above theories and the reactions have proved, well, very interesting. Some out there must think "argument" is something that must conjure another "a"-word, "anger." They retaliate with accusations and would rather blindly hurl insults about the quality or quantity of my research than defend their own theories. They seem to have forgotten that criticism isn't personal, that any flaws I point out aren't meant as attacks against the individual. If you hadn't considered a point or think you may have to revise a theory, then own up to it--don't hurl an insult!

I believe that Red Hulk's identity has already been alluded to time and again over the course of the series thus far. If this were an earlier era of Marvel comics, I might suspect the answer to be somewhere far outside the scope of writer Jeph Loeb's current tenure; however, since the story is meant to be collected and read as one lengthy arc, independent of the vast majority of Hulk canon, meant to be enjoyed by more than just the longtime fan, I would say otherwise. Also, the mystery of Red Hulk has been ongoing for over 2 years (Hulk #1 had a cover date of 01/2008) and still has gone unresolved. Hence, the payoff must be equal to or greater than the buildup, yet it must fit the clues given. If you put these ideas together, that means that the Red Hulk is someone well known to both characters in the Hulk's corner of the Marvel Universe and the fans. It also must be someone who has been at least referenced or name-dropped since Loeb's Hulk #1.

And right there, that eliminates all the alternatives suggested by those individuals I mentioned above, except one: Clay Quartermain. And if you think I think it's Clay Quartermain, all-around good guy, SHIELD operative believed killed on board the SHIELD Helicarrier in HULK #2, you've got another think coming. (For my money, Quartermain was killed by Leonard Samson because he would have recognized the situation surrounding the Red Hulk as too similar to when Ross became Zzzax--which Clay helped with way back when.)

I've also heard the excuse that the regular mystery rules don't apply because of Jeph Loeb, who, as the pundits put it, is so god-awful a writer that he will throw excrement at the printed page and whatever sticks, he'll write about. I think that is simply an atrocious way of looking at any writer. Jeph may not be my favorite writer, but I have to say he knows his way around a mystery (c.f. "Hush," "The Long Halloween," and "Dark Victory," among others). and I should think the vast amount of proof I've posted previously about Ross being Rulk should silence the staunchest critics.

General Ross is the most natural fit for the identity of Red Hulk. What would you have to alter about him to have him be the Red Hulk? So it calls in question some of his appearances during Loeb's own run, likely having a Life Model Decoy substituted for Ross at many key points. With virtually every other possibility, it causes the writers, Loeb and Pak, to have to create or amend large pieces of those characters' histories, and in the case of the "henceforth-unnamed, previously-unmentioned son/blood relative of General Ross," it requires them to actually invent a whole character out of nothing, purely to make a character who fits all the clues (and even then, Rick would never recognize someone we haven't even met, such as in Hulk #2--that's a false lead).

If Jeph Loeb is playing fair, which I believe him to be, then you can find the Red Hulk's true identity on this very blog, way back in August '09. The man himself has been quoted as saying that Hulk #600 provides the last of the clues necessary for one to figure the mystery out for himself--which is impossible if the mystery relies on past details, little bits of retroactive continuity, that were yet to be revealed in any Marvel comic.

Now, seeing the extra tidbits in the previews of Hulk #21 and Incredible Hulk #608, both due out next week, I would say yet another possibility was crossed off the list, and that's the big one everyone shouted about since the ending of Fall of the Hulks: Gamma. I called it a red herring then and my opinion remains the same.

Does anyone have any well-reasoned theories about Red Hulk being someone other than General Ross? If so, step on up! I am absolutely ecstatic to listen to your theories!

~G.

The Lost Art of the Anniversary Issue

Hey guys,

I've been thinking quite a bit on my way home from the weekly jaunt to the comic shop, wracking my brain. I'm not ready for my post on the "Fall of the Hulks" so far, but I would like to get one thing off my chest that has bugged me for the last few years, especially in light of 2009's onslaught of anniversary specials.

You know the ones--Incredible Hulk #600, Amazing Spider-Man #600, The Mighty Thor #600, Daredevil #500, even Captain America #600. And what do all of these issues have in common? With the exception of one, they're all pretty much either a standalone anniversary special, or else they are the beginning of a special new storyline. Only Daredevil #500 really was an anniversary issue that showed any real payoff, any dramatic resolution to a longstanding storyline or arc, and really shook things up for the next (I'm exaggerating here but you get the point) hundred issues.

And that brings me to my big point: I miss the days when anniversary issues weren't just an excuse to print a cover gallery and give a couple of extra mini-stories with some reprints thrown in the back. Does anyone remember the days when that big anniversary issue was used as the payoff to a storyline that lasted anywhere from the last six months to the last two-plus years?

Amazing Spider-Man #200 finished a storyline where Mysterio had been revealed to be behind the (faked) death of Aunt May at the "Restwell Nursing Home." After fighting through the Kingpin and Mysterio himself, Spidey found May Parker alive--and helpless before the burglar who had killed Uncle Ben back in Amazing Fantasy #15!

Fantastic Four #200 wrapped up the storyline that began in #191 with the breakup of the Fantastic Four. Everyone had their solo adventures throughout the next eight issues, facing diverse foes like Darkoth, Diablo, the Invincible Man, the Red Ghost, and more before coming in contact with the ultimate mastermind behind everything--Dr. Doom, who cloned himself and gave his "son" the combined powers of the Fantastic Four.

One of my favorites, Iron Man #200 returned Tony Stark in grand fashion as, fresh from recovering from the depths of alcoholism, he donned a new silver-and-crimson armor to take back his company from Obadiah Stane. This arc began all the way back in #161, and included Rhodey's donning the Iron Man armor for the first time in #169, an event that put him down the long and winding road to eventually becoming War Machine!

Incredible Hulk #300 capped off the "Hulk with Banner's brain" arc that started around #272, with Nightmare's haunting of Banner climaxing in a mindless Hulk incarnation rampaging all around New York City, climaxing in Dr. Strange banishing him to the Crossroads dimension.

Captain America #350 was also a milestone of sorts, wrapping up the storyline Mark Gruenwald instituted in #332 (with seeds going back to #323) where the U.S. government forced Steve Rogers to give up being Captain America. They gave the costume to John Walker, who previously appeared as the Superpatriot. Steve Rogers briefly became "The Captain" and in the final showdown, fought Walker, before discovering the Red Skull was again alive and well--and in a cloned body of Steve Rogers himself!

These are but a few examples I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there are more (and I'd appreciate it if anyone who loyally follows this blog would contribute their two cents). It's a shame that recently, the tides have turned and Marvel and DC both have apparently decreed that with rare exception, anniversary issues aren't to celebrate what came before and provide a slam-bang finish, but to start something new and bold. Now, I can see the point, to a degree--after all, you want this special round numbered issue to hook new readers, so the incentive is there to make the anniversary issue not the final part of a saga, but instead the first.

At the same time, I was raised on comics where there was that anticipation of a series inching closer to an anniversary, seeing everything start to fall in place as the issues went from x97, to x98, to x99...knowing there's a big payoff in the offing, somehow.

Does anybody else miss old school anniversaries like I'm describing?

~G.

Wow, Everybody's Been Asking...

...What I think about "Fall of the Hulks" so far. I've posted here and there on some boards but nothing really cogent. But I promise, within the next day or two, I'll provide updates on the 6 pieces of the puzzle that have been released since GAMMA, including tomorrow's RED HULK #2.

Cheerio!

~G.

Heroes 4 Haiti - Help out, guys!

Hey all,

On behalf of the one and only Greg Pak, Incredible Hulk writer par excellance, I would like to take the opportunity to invite you all to turn your attention to the disaster relief situation in Haiti. I know some of you out there in the good ol' U.S. of A. aren't doing so well, but our friends in Haiti, where the mother of all earthquakes hit just days ago, are doing a whole lot worse. Simply put, they need your help.

That's where Heroes 4 Haiti comes in. Visit http://www.heroes4haiti.com today and look at what you can do to help those in need. People in the comics industry like Greg, Dave McKean, Dean Haspiel and more are putting their works up for auction so folks like you and me can get some cool stuff in exchange for opening up our wallets and doing the work that really needs to be done (i.e. helping those in Haiti). You can also see information on the site so you can donate even if you can't afford the auctions. You can also auction your own items, link them from the Heroes site, and send those proceeds to any one of the charities requesting donations.

Here are some other links worth visiting:

Doctors Without Borders - whose charity Greg Pak's auctions will benefit!

Greg Pak's original Planet Hulk sketches - up on eBay right now for bidding, as you saw them at the back of the "Planet Hulk" trade collections!

Make a difference! Give today!

~G.

How shall I prove I was there?

No pictures, but then there's this keepsake from the "Planet Hulk" screening:



Do I have everyone's attention?

Yay! Almost a whole week early!

Did anyone go to New York's event? If so, did they give out free Incredible Hulk #606's?

~G.

Planet Hulk: The Web Event...

...will NOT be hosted here, although I'd love to do it.



I hope everyone's seen this: PLANET HULK, the animated Marvel film based upon the groundbreaking storyline by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan & Aaron Lopresti, will premiere in dual screenings in New York City and Los Angeles tomorrow, January 14th. They're asking comic fans with websites to "host" extended home versions of the event by streaming coverage on their sites.

I won't be streaming it. Sorry fellas! But that's only because I won't be here to do it. I'm going to be in L.A. at the premiere event. I wish I could say more, but really, I don't want to screw up my hookup. Suffice to say, I'll be hobnobbing with fellow Hulk fans in the area, and attending the Q&A following the premiere. I'll be back sometime Friday. Will I review the film? Maybe eventually.

Hulkamaniacs rejoice! Will a WORLD WAR HULK movie be far behind?

~G.

Fall Of The Hulks: Gamma - Commentary

Well, kids, here we go: it's Christmas (or the day after), and I've got an extra-special, well-deserved treat for everyone, including any new fans who might've happened by my blog as result of my mighty missive on the identity of Red Hulk over at iFanboy. (For those of you who haven't read that new and updated version of my theories, run, don't walk, to the hotlink above.) I've been asked many times on many message boards for my thoughts, so now, without further ado...

I'm going to experiment with something here, and that's not just a full review of this week's FALL OF THE HULKS: GAMMA by Jeph Loeb and John Romita, Jr., but also a page-by-page commentary of the book. Needless to say, here there be SPOILERS, and heavy speculation at not just the identity of Red Hulk, but also the remainder of FALL OF THE HULKS and even WORLD WAR HULKS, the event that follows the FALL.

Now, let's begin:



FALL OF THE HULKS: GAMMA
"Thunderbolt"

Pages 1-5: The story begins with Samson once more displaying his "C.S.I."-like talents to reconstruct the events that led to the death of "Thunderbolt" Ross which took place just before where this issue picks up. Obviously, this situation echoes the death of the Abomination, the event which started the current storyline in HULK #1--right down to the double-page splash which is meant to surprise and shock us.

Note also that the Samson who appears in this story is not the same Leonard Samson as in HULK #1, but the new, "evil" Samson who was introduced in HULK #6, whom we saw "Leonard" transform into in INCREDIBLE HULK #600, and who completed his odyssey of evil in the spotlight issue, HULK #18 last week. He's firmly on the side of M.O.D.O.K., which makes anything he says to Captain America (actually "Bucky" Barnes, formerly the Winter Soldier) and Ms. Marvel extremely suspect.

What we do know is that the Red Hulk and T-bolt did meet near the Washington Monument, they fought, and the Red Hulk delivered the "killing blow." T-bolt did fight in the Redeemer armor, which Samson notes as having been created by S.H.I.E.L.D., but which we know was actually designed by the Leader for use by Saunders, who served as his first Redeemer (INCREDIBLE HULK #343-345). (Interestingly, Ross was the second Redeemer, or rather, his reanimated, soulless corpse was employed by the Leader during the "Ghost of the Past" storyline in INCREDIBLE HULK #397-400. Ross was reanimated again by the alien Troyjans which led to his latest return in INCREDIBLE HULK #455.)

Speaking of Ross' resurrection, it is well known that he committed treason (INCREDIBLE HULK #287-290) in conspiring with M.O.D.O.K. and the Abomination. How did he regain his rank upon his resurrection? The story has never been told, although I suspect the hand of the Intelligencia. There's a story there...

Note also that Samson states that the fight between Ross and the Red Hulk was "personal."

Pages 6-7: Ross' body is airlifted away (still in the Redeemer armor) by men who wear military garb. Meanwhile, Samson comments that Ross "always thought with his ego instead of his brain." He wants to be sure the public believes Ross died a hero, but says going alone against the Red Hulk was tantamount to suicide. He then threatens to kill the Red Hulk himself, but is this threat born of Ross' death because he and the General were good friends (a friendship seen many, many times over the years) or does it have more to do with Samson's own betrayal of the Red Hulk ("Code Red" in HULK #14-17), or something else altogether?

The new Captain America, "Bucky" Barnes, notices one of the men from the "Air Force" as perhaps a familiar face from the past, but dismisses the possibility. We'll get back to this point later.

Pages 8-9: Outside Banner and Red Hulk, this is the first time we see Rick Jones as the new A-Bomb interacting with others in the superhero community. He talks with the former Captain America, Steve Rogers. (Oddly, Steve and Ms. Marvel both refer to his friend as "Banner," not "Bruce." What cheesed them off so much?)

Page 10: The funeral begins with a speech from Samson that establishes a few key details. He remarks that Ross has "no family left to speak on his behalf," which indicates that he is either unaware of any resurrection of Betty Ross, or chooses to hide that information from the public. (Eagle-eyed readers may remember he had a liaison with Betty when she briefly returned from death during Bruce Jones' tenure on the book, circa INCREDIBLE HULK vol. 3 #63-76, which may or may not have been a series of fantasy situations created by Nightmare to torture Banner. This issue and ALPHA's revelations that the Intelligencia procured Betty's body would shed doubt on the truth of those events.)

Ross' family here is revealed to be all military men, which fits with assertions in HULK #16 that the father of Red Hulk was a stern man who taught his son that indulgence meant weakness. Also reiterated here is Ross' marriage to Karen Lee (from INCREDIBLE HULK #291), with the added detail that Lee was his C.O.'s daughter, which lends comparison to Major Glenn Talbot and his failed marriage to Betty, his C.O.'s daughter.

Pages 11-13: As Samson notes Betty Ross as her father's proudest accomplishment, we cut to the first appearance this issue of the Red She-Hulk, telling how "fun" it would be to attend the funeral. For some, the cut as Betty's name is told is a clear hint toward the popular theory that Red She-Hulk is, in fact, Betty Ross returned from death. This scene does little to discourage that theory, as M.O.D.O.K. notes how "impractical" such an appearance would be. When she counters that "Samson got to go," M.O.D.O.K. tells her "That's an entirely different set of circumstances and you know it." (Perhaps with those circumstances being that she is presumed dead by everyone in attendance at the funeral?) She rebuffs him, saying that she's "had enough" of "being told where [she] can go and where [she] can't," perhaps lamenting how difficult it has been, being a general's daughter.



Then we see Lyra, the daughter of the Hulk, putting in her first appearance. (Obviously, then, the person she met at the end of INCREDIBLE HULK #605 took her to M.O.D.O.K.) She and Red She-Hulk have a quick antagonism. Red She-Hulk clearly doesn't like her for some palpable reason. If she knows Lyra is the spawn of the Hulk and Thundra, but doesn't know the circumstances...well, do you see where I'm going with this?

Oh, and before we switch scenes: note how M.O.D.O.K. emphasizes Ross' "death" in bold. We'll get back to this later, again.

Page 14: Captain Simon Savage was head of the Leatherneck Raiders, a ragtag team that operated between WWII and the Korean War. There's not much else to say, but that Loeb shows his appreciation for older Marvel history by bringing in older folks who have served in the military to lend gravitas to the funeral proceedings.

Pages 15-18: Speaking of military service, it's a seldom-recognized fact that Ben Grimm and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four served during WWII. What's that? They don't look old enough? Okay, at least he was a test pilot, and we'll phase out the rest of the 1960s topical references. Here he eulogizes Ross to demonstrate his Air Force credentials, and to spotlight his obsession with the Hulk. Ben correctly identifies Ross as the driving force that led to the first fateful meeting between the FF and the Hulk (FANTASTIC FOUR #12), and draws parallels between T-bolt and the Hulk, and another famous hunter and his prey: Captain Ahab and Moby Dick. Of course, Ahab never caught the whale, either...and it drove him to the depths of insanity.

And, finally, we're back to non-military, in Rick Jones, who takes the podium to introduce the man at the centerpiece of the upcoming drama: his best friend, the one who wouldn't have had such an exciting life if Rick had never driven out onto the G-Bomb test site...Bruce Banner.

Pages 19-22: Right away, Bruce wastes no time in establishing himself as the same smart cookie we know from Pak's INCREDIBLE HULK so far, having uploaded his own pictures among Samson's batch. He brings up Betty's picture and talks about how Ross loved her but could never say the words, a touching moment.

Bruce also brings up, for only the second time in the entire narrative since Loeb's HULK #1, the man Ross would have preferred to be his son-in-law--and who, for a time, was: Colonel Glenn Talbot. When Bruce tells of Talbot's capture in Russia some years ago (INCREDIBLE HULK #166-188), the new Cap takes audible notice. Of course, rather transparently, this scene connects to Page 7 and the mystery individual whom Bucky recognized. Likely, they are one and the same. But wait, didn't Talbot die in INCREDIBLE HULK #260...?

Breaking down in tears as he continues, Bruce talks about Betty's death and how it drove Ross further into melancholia. "His world turned upside down," he says. "Maybe something broke apart inside of him. That part of his heart that Betty held together. He would've done anything to get her back." Would he really? Perhaps the proper question isn't "Would he?" but rather, "Did he?"

In closing, Bruce mentions an uncanny irony--that now that he can no longer become the Hulk, Ross, the one who chased him the most, has passed on.

And then, the casket is led away...

Page 23: A 21-gun salute closes the book on the funeral. Bruce and Rick depart while Samson appears clearly livid that Bruce dared show his face.

Pages 24-25: Ah, it's the moment that's been hinted at, with the files from INCREDIBLE HULK #604, the flashbacks in ALPHA, and with Bucky and the attention to a certain army colonel in the funeral itself: both Betty Ross and her ex-husband Glenn Talbot are in fact alive, and they show up at General Ross' gravesite, alone, to pay their respects. It's a remarkable scene for a number of reasons, as Talbot has been dead since 1981, and Betty since 1998. It's intriguing also that they appear together, as they divorced long before the Colonel's death, and Betty of course married Bruce some years later.



Hence, we're left with some pretty interesting questions: How did Talbot survive his "final battle" with the Hulk? Did M.O.D.O.K. assist in returning Talbot to life if he in fact died? How has he retained his military rank and uniform? Why is Betty with Talbot instead of making her way back to Bruce? Is Betty brainwashed? Why do they let the world believe them both to still be dead?

Obviously we haven't seen the last of Betty or Talbot, and their returns will be a big part of FALL OF THE HULKS and WORLD WAR HULKS.

It does bear mentioning that Talbot has always been a favorite among Hulk fandom for the identity of Red Hulk. He does fit many of the clues that are out there, and truthfully, one of the only reasons I'd eliminated him from contention was the fact that he was quite dead when the curtain rose on HULK #1 two years ago. I still believe it would be a cheat to have him show up out of the blue only to stand revealed as the Red Hulk as it violates a key convention of mysteries.

At the same time, I wonder from his dialogue this issue if Talbot really could be Red Hulk. He promises Betty that he will help her find the truth about how her father died. Now, if he is the Red Hulk, then wouldn't that mean he's keeping that fact from Betty? I'm not so sure I see something like that being in Glenn's character, but I could be wrong.

Similarly, does Betty's angsting this issue preclude her from being Red She-Hulk? Again, I don't think so, because as we all know, how you express yourself may be totally different between your regular self and your gamma-irradiated self. Some aren't even aware of what their other identities do.

Pages 26-27: Alas, we're back to Samson and the Intelligencia. These pages have divided fandom as they would seem to cast the most doubt on Ross actually being the Red Hulk, which is of course my longstanding, all-but-proven theory. Judge for yourself, but I think nothing has changed.

Samson puts forth the idea that the Red Hulk didn't work alone when he killed Ross, if only because "killing Ross doesn't fit his profile." He points an accusatory finger at the Leader, who "had a hand in [the Redeemer armor's] creation" and "even got Ross to wear it back then." Of course, M.O.D.O.K. surmises that the Red Hulk's actions were designed to sow discord among them. He also states that Red Hulk knows "the most intimate details" of their plans and "how Ross, in particular, was crucial to them." "With the general's murder," he says, "he's fired the first shot...now we shoot back." We then see the assembled Intelligencia, ready, it seems, to go after the Red Hulk.

The supposition that fans have made is that just because the Intelligencia refers to Ross as above, the Ross that "died" cannot be anyone but the real Ross. While this idea certainly has merit, you have to ask: does the book work as well without the scene? Could Loeb have afforded to drop it? And could there be another, subtler way to hint that Ross is not what he seemed? Note that every time Ross' name is mentioned, it's in bold, as is "murder." There's a special emphasis...sort of like if one were to use quotes around the words. Let's face it, if Ross name were quoted every single time it appeared here, that would be a pretty good indicator all was not as it seemed. Ah, well, we'll have to wait and see.

If Ross is Red Hulk, we have to ask: why is having Ross able to be seen a vital detail of their plans? Or, why is it so vitally important to have the Red Hulk seen alongside Ross? And what is this plan, anyway?

Dollars to doughnuts, with Ross officially "dead" they are now cut off from his military contacts and resources. Red Hulk has eliminated further infiltration with a Ross LMD henceforth.

Pages 28-29: Here we are at the closing pages, where just as in HULK #1, Loeb throws the readers a loop, and does it using Bruce Banner. It was hinted at heavily at the end of HULK #17, but now we have confirmation: Red Hulk did the "unexpected" thing and chose to ally himself with Bruce Banner. The implication atop that is that Bruce Banner was complicit in, and perhaps even orchestrated, the death of General Ross.


Now, yes, it's true that Bruce Banner has been acting a bit loopy of late, perhaps even slightly villainous (c.f. his giving Tyrannus the Gammadome tech in INCREDIBLE HULK #605 among other bits), but really, this ending should be a red flag to anyone who didn't yet accept this point from everything earlier in the issue:

General Ross is not dead. Bruce Banner and Red Hulk faked his death.

It's a few things besides the fact that Banner is involved that make me think this way. Remember also that General Ross has already died twice before (INCREDIBLE HULK #330 and 400), and twice been resurrected. He fills an important role in Hulk lore. There's no point in killing him. And, oh yes, this is Pak's Banner, to a "T."

Also, note the dialogue between Banner and the Red Hulk, with the references to Ross' funeral. "Did you believe those things you said at the funeral?" Who would ask that? The answer is, someone who either cares about Ross, or Ross himself. (And how did he know what was said at the funeral, anyway?)

I will even go forward to cement the idea that Ross' death has been faked, that Ross is Red Hulk, and the "plan" is still very much moving forward. After all, let's say that we at least agree that Red Hulk and Banner conspired to fake Ross' death. The body was taken by the "Air Force"--which I would actually presume to be a front for the Intelligencia (which may mean that Talbot is allied with them!); or at the least, the Intelligencia would have agents able to verify the body's authenticity in ways the regular military might not. So, granted the Intelligencia would spot a fake: if the Intelligencia were working with the "real" Ross, and they detected a fake substituted by Banner, game over! Hence, either the Intelligencia's "Ross" was an LMD and it died, or Banner was complicit in murdering the real Ross. Which do you prefer? And why else would the Intelligencia know Ross was fake unless...the real Ross was the Red Hulk?

Still, what we have is Bruce Banner and Red Hulk, joining forces clandestinely, with Banner's old secret lab armed to theteeth with Sakaarian weapons (as well as the gun that killed the Abomination--take a look on the wall!). It may look bad, but if we've learned one thing about Bruce Banner under Pak--he's got a plan for everything and everyone. (Who actually believes he's preparing Skaar to really kill the Green Scar?)

Whew. This post took a few days longer than I thought it would. I'm beat. What do you think, sirs?

~G.

PS: What makes me think it's all going to come back to this page from HULK #3?



PPS: "Eeeeeeeenteresting" dept.: If you check the Handbook entries in back, She-Hulk and Red She-Hulk have the exact same stats. Spooky.

I Love Marvel Masterworks!

Y'know, I have lately come to really enjoy collected editions of Marvel (and DC, and Image) titles. I was always keen on the periodical format--still am, as my growing collection of all things Hulk will attest--but since Marvel seriously stepped up their trade paperback and hardcover program some years ago, I find myself increasingly awash in new and interesting trade collections. (Or is that "old and interesting," considering my affection for pre-1990s material?)

I remember the first times I saw hardcover Marvel collections, and I still have one of the two original volumes: Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt and Marvel Masterworks, Vol. 1: The Amazing Spider-Man. I couldn't believe a company would actually make these available in such a superlative format. They were a rarity, to be sure, and I had to beg and plead Mom and Dad to buy them for me (I was 8 or 9, I think, and these books were $20-$30 when the average comic cost only 75 cents). These things were keepsakes!

Only periodically would I buy any softcover or hardcover edition over the intervening years. A Marvel Masterworks, Vol. 8: The Incredible Hulk here, a Wolverine by Chris Claremont & Frank Miller trade there. It's hard to believe that now, hardcovers are overwhelming the apartment, burgeoned by the Marvel Masterworks program that has just released its 128th volume (!) and oversize hardcovers I've bought and had autographed and sketched by the likes of John Romita Jr., Kaare Andrews, Khoi Pham, Dan Brereton, Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Wagner, Joe Quesada, and even Stan Lee.

And you know, 2009 has been a banner year for these hardcovers!

Keep in mind, I've often thought certain collections should be published, but to see the Masterworks program pick up to the point where these books would become available, it's just a dream come true. (An expensive dream, but one onetheless.) Of course, back in the day I first wanted these, I wanted softcovers in color, then later Essentials in B&W, but now that I've been bitten by the hardcover bug...well, things just don't get better than the below:


I remember reading The Infinity Gauntlet back in the 1990s, and around the time of its first sequel, The Infinity War, Marvel rereleased the Warlock special editions from the early 1980s that collected Jim Starlin's first cosmic opus. I had to wonder why these books weren't in a trade collection much like the Life of Captain Marvel trade that I'd picked up to catch up on the character of Thanos some months previous--after all, those books were first collected in a similar 5-issue series in the 80s.

Back in 2007, I bought the first collection of Warlock, the original incarnation revamped by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane. I have had a soft spot over the years for "Counter-Earth," the world created by the High Evolutionary on the opposite side of the sun from the regular Marvel-Earth, and that first collection had the tale of its creation and development. It's also a Marvel riff on "Jesus Christ Superstar." I still heartily recommend that first Marvel Masterworks volume starring Warlock, but volume 2, Starlin's, is where the series and character hit their stride. I highly recommend it.

Then, of course, there's the next little gem, even more remarkable for its release last month.


Deathlok--a book far ahead of its time. Before Gibson's Neuromancer, before Blade Runner, before Robocop or Terminator came this guy, the original soldier trapped inside the body of a cybernetic killing machine, against the backdrop of a dystopic, not-too-distant future. Remarkably, this book includes every appearance of Deathlok from his debut in 1974 through the conclusion of his adventures, alongside the Star-Spangled Avenger himself in Captain America #288. (The alternate timeline was, apparently, finally closed off in the next issue of Cap, #289, which is not included herein, chiefly because it doesn't feature Deathlok.)

These books are a lot of fun, and it shows the strength of the Marvel line that some of the new Masterworks featuring material from the 1970s are some of the series' strongest offerings. I look forward to seeing the inevitable release of future volumes like Iron Fist Vol. 1 and Black Panther Vol. 1 (the latter because I have always wanted to read the old Jungle Action stories by Don McGregor and Billy Graham). (By the same token, I'm not holding my breath for Man-Wolf Vol. 1.)

I heart my Masterworks!

~G.

Didn't I tell you guys?

And don't these few panels speak volumes?




I've been saying for a while now that General Ross is the #1 contender for Red Hulk, and he has been since the release of #600 pretty much sealed the deal for me. But remember if you will my parting words about the coming of Red She-Hulk, and her identity.

It looks like I might be right.

Who else would have the dramatic impact that Greg Pak and Jeph Loeb both say she (and presumably her alter ego) will carry in to the book? Who else would shake up the status quo so much? Who else would have genetic traits that would allow her the same type of mutation as her father?

And who else would be a likely candidate who satisfies the requirement of being someone who has at the very least been referenced once during Loeb's run thus far? Domino, whose tattered leathers she seems to be wearing, doesn't fit the bill--she's not from the Hulk's side of the MU and hardly fits the paradigm Loeb has set up. She's a decoy and will reappear in #17, mark my words. Victoria Hand may have the hair, but hasn't been referenced in Loeb's run to any substantial degree and is not a Hulk character at the core (not nearly). Marlo Jones hasn't been seen or referenced lately. Jarella was shown as dead in #10, and that would be a game-changer, for sure, but the memories don't match up as she's not from Earth. Who else is a female from the Hulk's previous life? Kate Waynesboro is accounted for in Pak's book, while April Sommers, Angela Lipscombe, Susan Jacobson, and others are pretty much one-off characters, all unreferenced by Loeb.

No, the only outlier, who is from a later generation than Red Hulk (suggested by their conversation in #16), who's been experimented upon previously by MODOK, friendly with Doc Samson, and would really shock Banner, Hulk, and Hulk fans?

The only answer, friends...is Betty Ross Talbot Banner.

I said it before Red She-Hulk was introduced, and I'm saying it again now.

~G.

STAN "THE MAN" LEE...'NUFF SAID!

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1 SIGNED BY STAN LEE!



What d'you think, sirs?

Yep, it's mine! The day was fantastic (or is that incredible?) from beginning to end. I lined up about an hour after arriving at Pittsburgh Comicon. Both my autograph tickets were in the 400's. Before coming to the booth I had the folks at the CGC booth carefully remove the case from my INCREDIBLE HULK #1 that already had a 4.5 Universal grade. They put it in a Mylar and I had to be very careful carrying it around the convention floor (in a bag of course!). The other book I had was my first edition copy of the Marvel Masterworks Vol. 8 hardcover from 1989 which was already signed by Dick Ayers a few years ago at Mid-Ohio. When I finally came up to Stan, I was hoping I wouldn't be nervous.

Stan was every bit as gracious as you'd think, and if he didn't like being there for fans, it sure didn't show. He greeted me with an enthusiastic "Hi!" and I told him how great it was to meet him and what a terrific character he had created in the Hulk. He thanked me and began signing my books. I had him personalize the Marvel Masterworks (see pic). As for the INCREDIBLE other book, he signed it in silver ink which looks great against the background. I only saw him for about a minute face-to-face, but it was an experience I wouldn't soon forget. The occasion was particularly memorable since I'd had to tell him my name to have him personalize the Marvel Masterworks, and as I left and we shook hands, he told me thanks and called me by name. Say what you want about Stan, but The Man is a class act.



So today I finally got my CGC Signature Series verified INCREDIBLE HULK #1, still graded 4.5, and just had to share it with you all. This one's the holy grail! Without further ado...



~G.

Fun With ComicArtFans.com!

Hey guys,

I am totally beat. After returning from the 2009 Pittsburgh Comicon with new sketches and about 4 new books (hello, Superman Vs. Spider-Man Treasury!), I'm back. Before I return to work I thought I would upload all the new sketches to my ComicArtFans.com page. This year's sketches include Bug (from the Micronauts), Adam Warlock, Deathlok the Demolisher, She-Hulk, Firehawk, and a few of Satana, the Devil's Daughter. I also updated earlier years where necessary and added my 2008 commissions by the likes of Herb Trimpe and Chris Burnham. Check 'em out!

Oh, and yes, I did meet Stan Lee on Saturday morning. I have two items he signed. One's a first edition Marvel Masterworks Vol. 8: The Incredible Hulk #1-6 from 1989. The other....well, you'll see it as soon as it returns from CGC.

~G.

Somewhere That's Green: Greg Pak talks Incredible Hulk #601 at ComicMonsters.com

An excerpt:

"At a certain point during the 'Planet Hulk' saga, Banner and the Hulk bonded. The Hulk may have been the dominant personality, but Banner was with him all the way. And as we learned when Banner helped the Hulk crush Strange's hands in issue #3 of World War Hulk, Banner shared the Hulk's fury and desire for vengeance against the Illuminati. But it remains to be seen just what Banner thought of the Hulk's untrammeled fury by the end of World War Hulk."

You can find the rest of the interview by yours truly at http://www.comicmonsters.com/features-1039-Greg_Pak_talks_The_Incredible_Hulk.html. Greg Pak's website is http://www.pakbuzz.com. The Incredible Hulk #601 hits store shelves on August 26th.

~G.

My First & Last Word on Glenn Talbot & Other Rulk Guesses

I do want to get one thing off my chest. This is in response to some postings made out there that state the identity of Red Hulk must unequivocally be either Glenn Talbot (Betty's ex-husband and late subordinate to General Ross), or Igor Drenkov/Starsky/Sklar/whatever his last name is this week (a.k.a. the spy who refused to halt the countdown back in Incredible Hulk vol. 1 #1). Regardless of what I say, I know there are people who are going to believe those rationales better than my own. So, a word, if I may.

I just don't think it's "playing fair" if Red Hulk turns out to be someone Loeb has never directly referenced since (his and McGuinness') Hulk #1. It's not the way traditional mysteries work, and it's not the way Loeb's mysteries work in particular. Look at Batman: The Long Halloween--when you get to the end, the clues and characters were there all along to suggest who the "Holiday" killers were; with Batman: Dark Victory, the sequel, the clues and character of "The Hangman" were also there from the beginning. The same holds true with the Batman "Hush" mystery (in fact, he introduced the character who would be Hush in the first issue of the storyline). Even the most famous of Marvel villain mysteries, Roger Stern's oft-maligned Hobgoblin mystery in the Spider-Man titles, ultimately came back to characters introduced in the early part of his run (not to mention that Kingsley's brother was cleverly inserted as a double for Kingsley to avert suspicion!). Looking at the current series the same way, it would stand to reason the identity of the Red Hulk is someone who has already appeared in the series since Loeb began telling his tale.

In other words, it's not Talbot, and it's certainly not Igor. (Oh, I have other reasons for stating it's not them, and you can read some, between the lines, in my previous post.)

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

~G.

"Who Is The Red Hulk" - The Long Version

Fellas,

About a week ago, on The Incredible Hulk Message Board, I wrote a pretty lengthy, stream-of-consciousness missive on my thoughts--and recent epiphany--regarding recent events in the Hulk monthly book, esp. the identity of the much-maligned "Red Hulk" character. Right after my post, Mike Banks, owner of Samurai Comics in Phoenix, AZ, asked me if he could host a version of those selfsame thoughts on his site. I agreed, and tweaked the article over the next couple of days. The version I gave him was a condensed version of the following, the full enchilada, the one that was TOO LONG to publish anywhere else. You lucky readers'll see the full, unedited version below--about 1,500 words LONGER than the one on the Samurai site (that everyone's linking to). Enjoy, and, as always, your comments, rips and tears, are appreciated.


"Who Is The Red Hulk?"
(Or: No, Really, Who Is The Red Hulk?)

A Review of THE INCREDIBLE HULK #600 (Marvel Comics, $4.99)
By Gary M. Miller

Well, my friends, THE INCREDIBLE HULK #600, the much-maligned but eagerly-anticipated return to the original numbering, arrived on Wednesday. And while the opinions of the issue throughout comic shops and on the Internet has been mediocre at best, there's one thing virtually everyone can agree on: 14 issues into Jeph Loeb's tenure on the book (12 of HULK, one of KING SIZE HULK, and this issue), we still don't have an answer to the question posed above.
Or do we? First, a disclaimer: you're about to read an article penned by a Hulk fan of twenty-odd years, owning virtually every appearance of the Green Goliath ever published. (Supplemented, of course, by the INCREDIBLE HULK COMPLETE COLLECTION DVD, now, sadly, out of print!) I read the issue in question, and suddenly started connecting all the dots. While I won't say writer Jeph Loeb has suddenly turned "Plan Nine From Outer Space" into "Citizen Kane," he's gone a long way toward dispelling my doubts about a clear direction for the "Red Hulk" story.

Without further ado, now's the time to put your patented Spoiler Goggles on--to tell the whole story, I have to disclose all the details of INCREDIBLE HULK #600, as well as bring out the hidden points from the remainder of Loeb's run, and even before...all the way back to INCREDIBLE HULK #1 from 1962!

Of course, I'll begin where INCREDIBLE HULK #600 begins--the ending of WORLD WAR HULK. The majority of the cast as pictured on the first few pages' flashback to those final moments of the crossover are right where artist Ed McGuinness has them. As the Hulk rages, Doc Samson, the (fatally?) wounded Rick Jones, and General "Thunderbolt" Ross are front-and-center. Tony Stark prepares his satellites, noting that he "hasn't measured the effects of the combined rays" and targets the Hulk, enveloping him in a crimson band of radiation, with the others--plus She-Hulk, per Loeb--right in front of him. The result: Banner is human and comatose, and Ross helps S.H.I.E.L.D. agents load him onto a helicopter, bound for the Mojave Desert, where a new Gamma Base stands. Three miles below, Bruce Banner awakens in a chamber, bathed in red light once more.

Since then, we've seen the murder of Emil Blonsky, longtime Hulk villain the Abomination, at the hands of a Hulk-like individual in Russia. The new villain beat Blonsky to a bloody pulp before pulling a S.H.I.E.L.D.-issue giant gun and killing him. A group headed up by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Tony Stark, consisting of Maria Hill, "Thunderbolt" Ross, Leonard "Doc" Samson, and She-Hulk, examined the scene while fighting off Russia's own super-team, the Winter Guard. Ross broke up the fight, having discovered a young survivor, muttering the same word over and over: "Red." Meanwhile, Rick Jones awoke in another area of Russia, shirtless, pants in tatters, wondering "[W]hat've you gotten yourself into this time?"

Over the next few issues, the questions come fast and furious. Ross takes Samson to see Bruce Banner, awake, alert, and more than willing to investigate this new "Red Hulk." With Ross, Samson, and She-Hulk aboard, the Red Hulk attacks the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and a computer virus set loose on the 'carrier steals all relevant information on the Hulk. The Helicarrier crashes, Iron Man is mortified, and the three missing people after the crash are Ross, Samson, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and old Hulk supporting cast member, Clay Quartermain. Later, Quartermain's corpse is found in the wreckage, as is a gamma radiation-soaked, shredded coat belonging to Samson. Meanwhile, Rick finds his way to Gamma Base and sees Rulk's human self transform...before Rick himself becomes the new, blue-skinned, armored Abomination! Rick falls in battle, but the tremors from their clash free Banner, who changes into the more classic "savage" Hulk and is trounced by Rulk in a battle that spans all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Thor interrupts Rulk from killing Hulk, and is himself defeated and left in space, as the new Abomination rescues Hulk, who realizes Rulk's weakness ("The madder Red Hulk gets...the hotter Red Hulk gets!") and beats him. As the Hulk leaves, Abomination--or "A-Bomb" as he seems to prefer--transforms back to Rick, and tries to warn Hulk of Rulk's identity, but is silenced by Doc Samson, now long-haired once more, with the thunderbolt insignia from his costume now scarring his bare chest. He tells the unconscious Rick it's "not [his] destiny" to be telling such things, and carts him off while Ross taunts the unconscious Rulk for his failures.

Of course, there's more, but little is relevant to the question at hand. Rulk fought a Wendigo during his travels to Russia to kill the Abomination, drawing the vengeful ire of a pack of mutant Wendigoes that traveled to Las Vegas, where the Hulk (in gray and green varieties) defeated them with help from Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and Brother Voodoo; and She-Hulk, humiliated by Rulk aboard the Helicarrier, organized a new version of the Lady Liberators in a vain attempt to capture Rulk and learn his identity. Then, Rulk revealed he could absorb energy while he met a time-tossed version of the Defenders alongside his own group called "The Offenders." He killed them all, but the Elders of the Universe who initiated the contest restored the status quo. Rulk, at the end, stated: "I realize now that I've left you even worse off than dead. With a broken heart. Just as you left me, Banner..."

That brings us to INCREDIBLE HULK #600, where we can begin assembling the pieces. Therein, She-Hulk ropes Ben Urich into the mystery of "Who is Rulk?" and Ben in turn involves Peter Parker, the spectacular Spider-Man. They travel with Doc Samson to Gamma Base, which stands revealed as not a S.H.I.E.L.D. installation at all but a front for Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M., longtime foes of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and its insidious leader, with whom the Hulk has had a few dealings: the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, alias M.O.D.O.K.! Banner and the new A-Bomb are both captured there (though we're not sure how Banner came to be captured--he was fine when last we saw him, whether it be in HULK #12 or SKAAR #12). Samson "hulks out," Rulk appears from nowhere and must battle Spider-Man, and finally, Banner becomes the Hulk, only to have Rulk absorb all his gamma energy, leaving him cured before the base erupts in a ball of gamma-green flame. Rulk keeps Samson and the She-Hulk at the center of the explosion while A-Bomb leaps free with Banner, and Spider-Man frees Urich. Later, Rulk finds and threatens Urich if ever he should start to reveal that which he learned at Gamma Base. The mystery, Urich says, is about much more than who Rulk is.

Now, as much as I had reasoned before, INCREDIBLE HULK #600 exploded my theories about Red Hulk, but also, more importantly, it consolidated those theories. It provided the missing pieces of the puzzle, perhaps not as apparent to everybody.

What were our earliest clues to the identity of Red Hulk? Clearly, it was his first major act of violence, that being the brutal murder of the Abomination, Emil Blonsky. Per Doc Samson, it was "premeditated," it was "punishment." Of method, motive, and opportunity, we have to look at the one not covered by the "sudden" gaining of incredible amounts of power. Who had the motive to kill the Abomination? Obviously, the answer is, someone who lost someone or something as direct result of the Abomination's actions, and/or someone who felt partially responsible for his actions or origins in the first place. This fact alone should narrow the playing field. The Abomination was a spy at Desert Base (TALES TO ASTONISH #90, 1967; retold in KING SIZE HULK #1, 2008) when he exposed himself to gamma rays. Chiefly, he has become known in recent Marvel history as the murderer of Bruce Banner's wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Ross Talbot Banner (INCREDIBLE HULK #466, as revealed in INCREDIBLE HULK #468, both 1999). Who loved Betty enough to exact this manner of vengeance upon her killer?

From there, the clues among the first several issues are plainer. In HULK #2, during the siege of the Helicarrier, Samson separated himself from Ross, who was with Clay Quartermain when Iron Man found them. Now, in the same event, someone introduced a virus into the computer systems. I don't think it was Rulk at all. Based upon INCREDIBLE HULK #600, Doc Samson now transforms--I have to guess thanks to M.O.D.O.K.'s fooling with the satellites that took down Hulk during WWH--into a larger, longer-haired version of himself, albeit with a more evil personality, who is in collusion with M.O.D.O.K. and can hide things from his alter ego. It was this Samson, on board the Helicarrier, who left the tattered shirt, and who used the virus at the direction of M.O.D.O.K. (As shown during Bruce Jones' run on the Hulk, Samson is no slouch when it comes to espionage and surveillance.) This same Samson shows up at the end of #6 and makes off with Rick Jones, bringing him back to Gamma Base, where we see him in #600. Meanwhile, his short-haired other self remains ignorant of his other self's activities but is markedly shorter-tempered than usual (see #1).

Remember the retinal scanner that identified both Doc Samson and General Ross at the entrance to Gamma Base in HULK #1? It appears again in HULK #3 during the fight between Rulk and A-Bomb, positively identifying Rulk but unable to complete its statement before Rulk pulverizes it. At the very least, this means Rulk's human self is a member of the Base staff; at most, it means that Rulk is one of these two men!

Also, during the battle, the Base's defenses are activated, resulting in the emergence of several "Harpy" robots which Rulk destroys. This is one clever hint at this to come, as it serves as a reminder of the past, since the original Harpy was Betty Ross Talbot, off a nervous breakdown (INCREDIBLE HULK #168, 1973). What isn't so easy to recall is who initiated Betty's transformation into the Harpy: none other than M.O.D.O.K., then on a crusade to defeat the Hulk (spanning #167-169).


He reasoned that the Hulk's power could put a stop to his plans in the future, so it was best to deal with him sooner than later. How? "All I would have to do is bombard human subjects with larger doses of gamma rays than Bruce Banner received, until I create a creature stronger than the Hulk! However, to survive that much radiation, the successful subject must have a conditioned tolerance to gamma rays--he must be someone who has spent years living or working around gamma experiments--and--the second condition--it must be someone whose mind I could easily control, so that I would not risk being turned upon like Dr. Frankenstein!" The Harpy's appearance, then, was the first sideways hint of M.O.D.O.K.'s involvement.


During Rulk's first battle with the Hulk, then, comes the strongest hint as to his identity, as we see Rulk's worldview as shaped by Banner and his monstrous other self: "I'm going to choke the life out of you. Ending years of ruining other people's lives! [...] You wanted to be left alone when you went to war with the entire planet? Trashed half of New York City? [...] But you've never had a friend like me." And, most importantly: "Don't pass out on me yet. I'm not interested in that milksop Banner." Plus: "They might just give me a medal for doing this." And: "For years, all I've wanted was to destroy you."

The dialogue clues that flesh out Rulk continue in his battle with Thor in #5: "I've actually studied you, Thor. I don't mind telling you that your battle skills are legendary. But, like Attila, and Genghis, and even the green Hulk--there is always a battle where one man falls and the other doesn't." Another clue in #6, in battle with Hulk: "You will never understand what it takes to be in battle." Of course, you can add the made-up braggadocio between Rulk and the Wendigo in KING-SIZE HULK #1 which brings things into, perhaps, even clearer focus: "Where I come from, we don't tolerate mistakes. Unfortunately for you--that means I'm going to have to make an example out of you. Otherwise, it'll be seen as a sign of weakness. And that's something THIS Hulk will never show anybody." After these quotes, I was confident that the Red Hulk was a military man, committed to showing strength at any cost, scoffing at weakness. And, hey, where have I heard the word "milksop" in conjunction with the Hulk before--?


Oh, yes! "Thunderbolt" Ross used the word to describe Bruce Banner in his very first appearance, way back in INCREDIBLE HULK #1! But all those clues don't make sense when you consider that General Ross was seen on-panel alongside Rulk in HULK #6. What's more, Ross was in the next room in the Helicarrier when one attacked Tony Stark in #2...

And so, a lot of old time Hulk fans out there have taken to casting Red Hulk as Colonel Glenn Talbot--Betty's late ex-husband and General Ross' right-hand man...who was killed nearly 30 years ago (INCREDIBLE HULK #260, 1981) and whose name or likeness haven't even been shown in the whole of Loeb's run. So where's the fun in the mystery when most casual fans reading the book wouldn't know who Talbot is? To say nothing of Red Hulk's human identity talking to Rick Jones at the end of #2. (Human Rulk: "I thought you were dead." Rick: "You thought wrong. What a shock.") Would Rick underplay the scene as much as he obviously did here if he saw Talbot, who as far as he knew, had been dead for years?

So, even still, Ross would seem to be among the least likely suspects. That is, until you take into consideration INCREDIBLE HULK #600. I remembered a line from when Bruce Banner was in captivity by what we then thought were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (KING-SIZE HULK): "I wonder how many S.H.I.E.L.D. Life Model Decoys would descend on me if I got a paper cut." Then, in #600, Doc Samson: "Those aren't S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Gamma Base is not U.S. military....They're upgraded Life Model Decoys. L.M.D. Human skin. Organs. All on an adamantium frame."

Bingo! Those weren't S.H.I.E.L.D. agents at Gamma Base. And it wasn't really General Ross in either of the above instances where he was shown beside or near Rulk. It was a Life Model Decoy programmed by M.O.D.O.K. so that the real "Thunderbolt" Ross could be in other places...as Rulk. (Interestingly, look at pages 5 and 24: Banner at the end of WWH is inverted on the later page when he is cured. Who's in the same spot as Rulk on page 5? Ross!)


The above revelation, then, brings everything else forward, along with presenting hints at the future of Loeb's HULK series. Ross has years of previous low-level gamma exposure, making him a key candidate in a repeat performance of what he attempted with Betty years before. The game was set for the creation of A.I.M.'s gamma super soldiers: M.O.D.O.K., as noted in #600, used Stark's satellites, "[refracting] cosmic energy to interface with Banner's gamma-irradiated cells," and they struck Hulk (who was temporarily rendered comatose and, I should think, incapable of metamorphosing), Rick (whom they cured of his mortal injuries and transformed into the blue-skinned A-Bomb); Doc Samson (who turned into the split-personality "Samson" as shown in this issue); General Ross (who became Rulk); and She-Hulk, who is the only one who has, to date, remained unaffected. (Note that Loeb draws attention to all five's exposure to the red rays in the opening pages of #600.)


Each one of those affected so far seems to possess some qualities inherent to Banner, i.e. a split personality at least, and some similarity to particular of Banner's personalities (A-Bomb as the savage Hulk, and Rulk as Fixit). It's likely the energy as filtered through Banner responsible. And when Ross met Rick at the end of #2, I'm sure the dialogue quoted a few paragraphs above rings true. (When carted away at the end of WWH #5, he probably looked dead.) I'm confident, however, something will happen to She-Hulk in the aftermath of Rulk's having exposed both Samson and She-Hulk to the gamma explosion at the end of #600.


But, back to Rulk: the fact that Ross is Rulk and hence is in collusion with M.O.D.O.K. brings up echoes of more previous storylines. It was M.O.D.O.K. who helped Ross to commit treason the first time around, releasing (ironically in context of Loeb's story) the Abomination from Project Earthfall to help kill the Hulk and give control of A.I.M. back to M.O.D.O.K., aims which failed in both respects (INCREDIBLE HULK #287-291, 1983-84). He definitely colluded with M.O.D.O.K. prior to his becoming Rulk, as he directed Banner to be taken aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter that brought him to Gamma Base. In that copter he sat beside a mustachioed gentleman (thought by some to be Glenn Talbot) who later appears at Gamma Base beside his L.M.D. in #600.

(Come to think of it, the collusion between Ross and A.I.M. is symptomatic of something possibly far, far bigger. Is A.I.M. in cahoots with some aspect of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the latter--all the way up to Tony Stark and Maria Hill--to not notice that Gamma Base isn't one of their own facilities but one belonging to their enemy?)


Some other points arise with the revelation of Ross as Rulk. As above, Ross has always had trouble separating his emotions regarding the Hulk from his duty to his country, for better sometimes (immediately following his resurrection by the Troyjans during Peter David's tenure, c.f. INCREDIBLE HULK #456 and 462, 1997-1998), but mostly for worse. Ross hates Banner for marrying Betty and letting her die, more even than he hates the Abomination. Blonsky may have sealed her doom, but if Betty hadn't been around Banner for so long, she would never have contracted the gamma poisoning that led to her hospitalization in the first place.

Betty's death led to Ross' gradual reversion to type. How deep did his pathological hatred of the Hulk run? In the past it led to his treasonous activities I referenced earlier, and it led to his employing the assistance of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Clay Quartermain in possessing Zzzax so he could use its power to destroy the Hulk (of which there were also two at the time; see INCREDIBLE HULK #326-327, 1986-1987).


At the time, it was remarked: "One thing's certain--his hatred of the Hulk...his fanatical desire for vengeance against the creature...makes him ready to brave any danger. That can only work in his favor!" So, obviously, Ross has some experience in obtaining superhuman power...and not using it well, either. If Ross made the connection that Quartermain would recognize the similar events, then it's no question that he would have killed him. It's a fair point, too, that the General Ross who was with Quartermain in #2 was an L.M.D., which brings up the natural question: just when has the Ross we've seen since WWH been the L.M.D., and when has it been the real Ross? (Fun, too: the Ross L.M.D. drops a hint in #2, making reference to Hulks that are "Red. Green. Or blue," curious since there is a "blue Hulk" of sorts--Rick's A-Bomb.)

So, after this issue, are M.O.D.O.K. and the gamma super soldier plan gone for good? I doubt that. For one, we know M.O.D.O.K. (or, potentially, those above M.O.D.O.K.) had a purpose to keeping Banner dosed with gamma rays, otherwise he wouldn't have freaked when Rulk sucked his power away ("No! You have no idea what you are doing!"). I'm sure we'll see him again en route to Loeb and McGuinness' epic finale beginning in HULK #19 next year.

Now we know who Rulk is, as the clues are just too pervasive to not treat as truth. It's a cheat that Loeb employed use of an L.M.D. to cover his tracks, I'll give that. Now I'm finally anxious to see where the storyline goes from here, with what becomes of Rulk, She-Hulk, Samson, and M.O.D.O.K. in the wake of the events of #600. I'm stymied, though, as to what an individual as so obviously powerful as Rulk (only stopped by an enraged Hulk, and Galactus!) needs from M.O.D.O.K. It's the one conceit I have that still doesn't make the whole thing "work." But oh, the big positive: it could just be that Ross has, in curing Banner of his curse, freed the most lethal weapon he could. After all, the only thing holding back Dr. Bruce Banner's smarts has historically been the threat of the Hulk himself. Now, all of Banner's intelligence can be concentrated on designing newer technologies to take down the Red Hulk. The roles of Ross and Banner as hunter and hunted are effectively reversed. As the man said it himself, "Banner is the strongest one there is!"

Of course, there's no doubt that by the end of Loeb's own story, Banner will again change into the Hulk, but which Hulk is going to be the debate to rage through 2010.

And Betty will return. Mark my words.

As Red She-Hulk.

On to HULK #13, and INCREDIBLE HULK #601, and beyond.


For Further Reading: THE INCREDIBLE HULK vol. 1 #1; TALES TO ASTONISH vol. 1 #90; THE INCREDIBLE HULK vol. 2 #167-169, 260, 287-291, 326-327, 456, 462, 466, 468, 600; WORLD WAR HULK #5; HULK vol. 2 #1-12; KING SIZE HULK #1.