The official INCREDIBLE Hulk thread...........

[NightBeetle]

THE GREEN ZONE: Bigger, Faster, Stronger

CBR News: Hulk stories in general - and the Hulk stories you've been crafting over the past several years - often deal with the idea of "Might Makes Right." In terms of the Hulk, it's not just a catch phrase, since the conflict within the character and his conflict with the military industrial complex always plays with that core conceit. In what ways do "Fall of the Hulks" and "World War Hulks" tackle that basic ideal?

Greg Pak: I tend to think of those themes in terms of the classic Hulk dichotomy between hero and monster. Jeff nailed it when he said the Hulk is a character that everybody can relate to, because everybody has those feelings of pent up anger and frustration. Everybody can vicariously enjoy the Hulk Hulking out, because that's what we wish we could do at some point in our lives. But the next step to that in some of these stories, is that the kind of anger that makes us want to Hulk out is childish and stupid, and sometimes we've just got to grow up and learn you can't Hulk out. But other times, there's such a thing as righteous anger, and there are things that can only be solved when righteous anger is judiciously meted out.
At the same time, if you're the kind of person who says, "I am the righteous one, and I get to decide when and where to wield my wrath," you become a monster rather than a hero. There's a really thin line between how far you can go. That's a constant refrain in Hulk stories. It's a struggle for Banner right now, for the Hulk-less Banner. How far can he go? He's one of the most brilliant guys on the planet, and he thinks thinks he knows what's best, but how far can he go in making decisions for the entire world by himself before he's crossed a line to become a monster to everyone who sees him? Those are the same struggles that Skarr and Red Hulk deal with. Whenever you have a character with a capacity for world-changing action, and who also within him has that kind of rage, you have the potential for great heroism or great horror. That tension is one of the great things about the Hulk in general.

One of the elements that you guys have seemed to play with across the board during the past few years of Hulk stories is growing the Hulk cast. The X-Men and Avengers franchises have been built up with tons of guys for years, and even Spider-Man has a pretty large supporting cast, but I think this is the most people we've ever seen in the pages of the Hulk's world. Was this a gap in the Hulk series that you wanted to fill, or has it just been a natural introduction of a lot of elements?

Pak: There was an opportunity here, and I think each of us just ran with it. Here's one thing I'll say regarding Skaar specifically – as we were building the story of "Planet Hulk" I saw early where it was going to end and that there was a perfect little place there to create a Son of Hulk. I pitched it to Joe Quesada as Editor-in-Chief, and he immeadiately got it on the same level I did. He thought it would be a ton of fun, and we went for it. On the one hand, it's just fun to have a big, barbarian son of the Hulk rampaging on an alien planet. That would be a real fun story to write. But on a deeper level, I think the reason I was so drawn to it was because I knew eventually Skaar and his father would have to meet. Not only Skaar and the Hulk, but Skaar and Banner – and this idea that Skaar was going to have multiple incarnations that could interact in different ways with his father. There was just this ripe opportunity to introduce this question of family.

 

[Bruce Banner]

Better to end soon then stay too long. But it was refreshing to have Banner not be a victim anymore.

Your making me think of Seinfeld with that wording.

Your right it was refreshing to have him not be a victim. ( even thou I'm a fan of sad endings)

I just hope that that Bruce continues with his new attitude to a certain extent just to be a good role model for Skaar.

 

[MightyAvenge]

I really hope we get to see Geiger make an appearance. She is a gamma-spawned character. She has not been used often, but has some potential. She is basically the gamma version of Rogue. She is able to mimic the powers of any gamma-powered individual in her vicinity. She has the appearance of a female Doc Samson, Normal colored skin, green hair, and a red shirt w/ a lightning bolt in the center.

Hulk - She-Hulk
Rulk - She-Rulk
Samson - Geiger
Skaar - Lyra
A-Bomb -

 

[Obi-Ron]

I really hope we get to see Geiger make an appearance. She is a gamma-spawned character. She has not been used often, but has some potential. She is basically the gamma version of Rogue. She is able to mimic the powers of any gamma-powered individual in her vicinity. She has the appearance of a female Doc Samson, Normal colored skin, green hair, and a red shirt w/ a lightning bolt in the center.

Hulk - She-Hulk
Rulk - She-Rulk
Samson - Geiger
Skaar - Lyra
A-Bomb -

I'm guessing the Marlo Harpy (Marpy?) would be A-Bomb's female equivalent. Origin-wise more than powers.

 

[JewishHobbit]

I liked Geiger in the Initiative, but she'd be way cooler during this Hulk event with all the Hulks to play with.

 

[MightyAvenge]

yea i think Harpy would be a good equivilant to A-Bomb. Good people, thought dead, now myteriously powered by gamma.

Hulk - She-Hulk (OG and Green)
Rulk - She-Rulk (Both Red and Unknown)
Samson - Geiger (Apper to be normal w/ green hair)
Skaar - Lyra (Children of Hulk from f*d up homes)
A-Bomb - Harpy (The 2 oddballs)
Thing - Thundra (Rivals of the OG's)

Geiger would be pretty crazy if she was in the midst of all these gamma-powered individuals.
I wouldn't be suprised if the Intellegencia and/or MODOK have her captured and are experimenting on her, as a possible wild card when it comes to War of Hulks.

 

[Obi-Ron]

Blonsky needs to make a comeback. If he is not, in fact, the red Hulk.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

How would he have killed himself back in the first issue if he were?

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

With a gun.

 

[Colossal Spoons]

asssmart

 

[MightyAvenge]

Blonksi should be captive just like I think Geiger is. Blonski died, we know this. But other characters have died and comeback as well. As we all know death is now just a part of the overall story. As we have seen in Fall of the Hulks Alpha, the Intellegencia has at many times throughout their exsistance, helped villians "cheat" death. Blonski could just be another one of those villians. Even if Blonski was fully dead, the brainpower of the Intellegencia could somehow bring him back. Also if the Intelligencia created A-Bomb, which they did, I'm guessing they do infact have the Abomination in custody.

 

[MightyAvenge]

Who knows, we might get to see a cosmicly powered Abomination. Just as they created Rulk, with a mixture of Gamma and Cosmic Rays, maybe Abomination will be similarly powered. Abomination could be to A-Bomb, what Rulk is to the Hulk.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Blonsky needs to make a comeback.

Agreed.

 

[MightyAvenge]

He will.

 

[NightBeetle]

THE GREEN ZONE: Doc Samson & Smashing Stories

Greg Pak: The other funny thing that's always struck me about Doc Samson is that he kind of projects this image of being a noble psychiatrist who's going to help people. But what was one of the very first things he did when he first showed up in Hulk comics? He tried to make time with Bruce's girl! One of the very first things he did was this hilarious splash page where you see Samson taking Betty out on the town and driving around in convertibles and going to shows. Bruce was just kind of kicked to the curb. There's this little part of Samson where he wants something that the world hasn't given him. On many different levels, that cracks me up.

Jeff Parker: That seems to be the recurring thing about everybody who's around the Hulk. Everybody reminds me of Mark Waid's quote on fans and writers: "Everybody thinks they can do your job better than you." Everybody looks at the Hulk and thinks, "If I had that power, I could really do something with it." Banner is finally in the place in his life where he realized, "I could never control it. It is what it is." He's come to that acceptance, and it makes him a little wiser than everybody else who lives under this illusion that, if they had the atom bomb power, it would all be different somehow. And I think they're finding out that in many ways, everybody else would deal with it worse.

To wrap this up, I think one big thing that people are curious about is the mechanics of how this story will be rolling out. Jeph, you'll be staying on "Hulk" and Greg on "Incredible" with Jeff jumping in and out with other issues. As you're constructing this, how do all the pieces work together to make the story bigger and bigger without crashing down?

Pak: One of the things Jeph and I thought would be a blast to try and do would be to have "Hulk" and "Incredible Hulk" ship on the exact same day each and every month. I don't know if that's ever been tried in these kinds of crossovers. You're going to see these books progress where, if you want, you can pick up each book separately and not have to worry about everything because we're that good! [Laughter] But you're going to love reading both together as they're designed to pick up and reflect on what the other is doing in some very interesting ways. It's kind of like a double-barrel shotgun blast with multiple revelations coming that have multiple facets. It's a huge challenge to write, but it's a lot of fun, and we think the payoff is going to be really powerful.


Loeb: Certainly, one of the ways we approached it was that in any war, you have allies. And if you told the story of World War II from the point of view of America and, say, England – you'd be telling side-by-side stories, and you'd be telling sometimes the stories of the same battles, but you'd be telling them from different points of view. That's one of the things we're having fun with. There will be times when the stories will be very linked in the sense that Greg will be telling what's going on in his book as a kind of "Meanwhile..."

Pak: "...on the other side of the room!"


Loeb: Right. And at the same time, there will be stories that happen – because we really wanted to bring in the world of Marvel and places like Wakanda and the Baxter Building and Atlantis – where we're moving all around. There are missions that our characters will go on, and you'll see the pieces as they come together and build towards those moments in any big conspiracy where it looks like it's all going to fall apart, and that's where the end of the first big chapter is. There's a plan. They're moving towards it. They believe they'll be successful. And then something terrible happens, and all it does is make the situation worse. And that inevitably leads to whether or not there's any triumph in it all. And as in any good pulp story, it's going to get much worse before it gets better.

Pak: If it can get any better. Some of the great Hulk stories of all time are flat our tragedies, so who knows where we're going?

 

[random_havoc]

Just read my advanced copy of Fall of Hulks Gamma.

My thoughts on the issue:

Spoiler

It was filled with what I'm sure Loeb thinks are "twists", but which really are completely nonsensical and contradictory blatherings.

Amongst them are the fact that Betty isn't dead, nor is her husband. And The Red Hulk and Bruce Banner are working together.

Other contradictions include Red She-Hulk getting blasted by modok's laser and getting hurt by it (now, bear in mind she's been shown to be in red hulk's level of strength, so a laser even annoying her is laughable).

 

[Shockdingo]

*hangs head in defeat* And thus Loeb.... it begins....*runs head fist into massive steel plated cactus*
Random_Havoc, do they explain HOW the things you mentioned occur?

 

[random_havoc]

*hangs head in defeat* And thus Loeb.... it begins....*runs head fist into massive steel plated cactus*
Random_Havoc, do they explain HOW the things you mentioned occur?

Of COURSE not, it's LOEB!

What I just can't WAIT for, is how he's going to justify the Rulk thinking he needs banner's help, when he's already taken on gods and cosmic beings on his own.

 

[NightBeetle]

HULK #21
Written by JEPH LOEB
Pencils & Cover by ED MCGUINNESS
Variant by FRANK CHO
FALL OF THE HULKS CONCLUSION! Now allied with Banner and Skaar, the Red Hulk takes the battle back to the Intelligencia homebase…the last place anyone expected. With the future of the U.S. at stake, can the most dangerous Hulk triumph? Guest-starring the AVENGERS, the FF and the X-MEN…who are in for a shock ending you won’t see coming!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

INCREDIBLE HULK #608
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by PAUL PELLETIER
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Variant by FRANK CHO
Red She-Hulk back-up by HARRISON WILCOX & RYAN STEGMAN
FALL OF THE HULKS Conclusion! Years ago, the Hulk helped found the Avengers -- and then almost immediately smashed his way into becoming one of the Avengers' greatest nemesis. Now in the wake of the Intelligencia's crippling attack on the World's Mightiest Heroes, Bruce Banner's actually leading a group of Avengers -- but can he be trusted any more than his big green alter ego was back in the day? Plus, the reveal of the master plan of the Leader and M.O.D.O.K. and the true motivations of Skaar, Son of Hulk, in the stunning conclusion of the "Fall of the Hulks" and the shocking kickoff to the upcoming "World War Hulks" blockbuster! Plus: the conclusion of the Red She-Hulk backup story behind her first appearance!
40 PGS./Rated A …$3.99

FALL OF THE HULKS: THE SAVAGE SHE-HULKS #1 (of 3)
WOMEN OF MARVEL VARIANT
Written by Jeff Parker
Penciled by SALVA ESPIN
Variant Cover by JELENA KEVIC-DJURDJEVIC
32 PGS./All Ages …$3.99

FALL OF THE HULKS: RED HULK #3 (of 4)
Written by JEFF PARKER
Penciled by CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
FALL OF THE HULKS…A-BOMB STYLE! Rick Jones, formerly Hulk and Captain America’s sidekick, has become a hulking blue creature that can take a punch and melt into the shadows…powers he’ll need to survive the gamut of evil cooked up by M.O.D.O.K.! Join Jeff Parker (AVENGERS VS. ATLAS, THUNDERBOLTS) and Carlos Rodriguez as the event of the year HULKS on.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Hmm. I wonder if the Hulk/Banner will rejoin the Avengers when all of this is over.

 

[Shockdingo]

It would be interesting and kinda nice if handled well. IT sure beats returning to constantly being on the run in tattered purple pants.

Thanks for the previews guys! Man, with all the "Shocking" endings promised, I'm getting a little worried that more shock-value death or crap will pop up....hrrrrgh....

 

[Eros]

It appears as long as people buy them, loeb will keep "writing" these crap Hulk events But, his stuff isn't Justice League:Cry for justice Bad.

 

[Obi-Ron]

It appears as long as people buy them, loeb will keep "writing" these crap Hulk events But, his stuff isn't Justice League:Cry for justice Bad.

How did Speedy get "disarmed," anyway???? One page he's fine, the next...

 

[Silver Knight]

The cover to Hulk #608 is great, and I love Skarr's hair in the FALL OF THE HULKS: THE SAVAGE SHE-HULKS #1 (of 3) cover.

 

[NightBeetle]

REALM OF KINGS: SON OF HULK #2 (of 4)
Written by SCOTT REED
Penciled by MIGUEL ANGEL MUNERA SANCHO
Cover by ALEX GARNER
REALM OF KINGS
Hail Galactus, Herald to the Son of the Hulk?! As the SON OF HULK, Hiro-Kala, sets loose a chain of events that forever alters Jarella's World and threatens the entire sub-atomic Microverse, a vision reveals his future metamorphosis into a god-like being, with an enslaved Galactus at his control! As his dark destiny unfolds, Commander Rann and Princess Mari arrive on the planet K'ai, as Rann's obsessive quest to find an Enigma Force cure to his deadly radiation disease finally takes it's toll... but are they too late? BOOK II of “THE CONQUEST OF JARELLA’S WORLD”
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$3.99