The Incredible Hulk

The Hulk, a character with immense power and limited intelligence, has proven to be one of Marvel's most memorable heroes. His overt appeal lies in his embodiment of ferocious brute force. Yet there is more to the Hulk than meets the eye. Like the Sub-Mariner before him, the Hulk sometimes appears to be a villain, and his destructive rages allow readers to blow off steam of their own. At the same time, however, The Hulk's ugliness and limited intellect make him a pathetic figure. When he first appeared in 1962, writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby depicted the Hulk as a crafty monster, but the early decision to diminish his brain power somehow made him more attractive. For one thing, it provided a greater contrast with the creature's alter ego, Bruce Banner.

Another early change was also significant: at first the Hulk was a nocturnal being, summoned by the sunset, but before long, Banner's emotions became the trigger that transformed him into a rampaging beast. In short, symbolically the Hulk became force guided by feeling.

Bruce Banner, however, is almost pure intellect. He represents science in the service of the military, an alliance symbolized by his romance with a general's daughter. A researcher employed to create weapons for the government, Banner was out of touch with his feelings and unaware of his power; only when his "gamma bomb" turned him into the Hulk was he forced to confront his deeper emotions. And he needs his crude, embarrassing other self more than it needs him; when an experiment temporarily divided man and monster into separate entities with independent existences, Banner began to waste away.

On the surface, the Hulk may suggest the dangers of anti intellectualism, but when he lashes out mindlessly, he frequently finds the right target. His instinctive impulses serve as a reminder that our physical and emotional lives are not to be despised. And the ultimate irony, of course, is that brilliant Bruce Banner, builder of nuclear bombs, is actually far more dangerous than the brutish Hulk.

Disclaimer: This page is not officially connected in any way to the Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. All or any images used are scanned from Marvel Comics and are the property of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and are used without permission. All info from: "Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics".