Fan frenzy as The Hulk turns 60 this May.
The embodiment of power, force, strength and stealth, The Hulk was introduced on May 10 in 1962 via Marvel’s first comic. One of the many Avengers, The Hulk continues to evolve with gripping shades, adding masses of fans to its kitty with every passing year.
No longer ‘always angry’
Saumya Sumu, a Delhi University student and a Marvel fan said that Hulk has changed a great deal over the years. She explained how the Hulk has evolved over the years with respect to emotions. Bruce Banner and Hulk, in the beginning, were always fighting with each other over control. While Banner was gentle, his inner beast- Hulk, was constantly raging with anger and frustration. As seen in Endgame, Bruce combined the Hulk’s strength with his intelligence where he transforms himself into Professor Hulk.
Kishley, a Marvel fan explained how the character of Hulk has been constantly experimented with over the years. Several characters like She-Hulk, Professor Hulk, Maestro, Green Scar and Red Hulk have been experimented to give Hulk a new form with a changing avatar, he said.
The classic
Nidhi, a student says that the fact that Hulk is one of the original characters created by Stan Lee LINK adds a lot of substance to its status as a classic comic book superhero and in its current form in the The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). She explains the storyline around Hulk and how it is darker compared to all the other Avengers. “There are comic book storylines in which the Hulk has alter-egos because Bruce Banner had Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The Hulk being a classic superhero comes from his complexity- he is a founding avenger,” she said.
The tussle
A lot of fans and their disappointment can be traced to the tussle between Marvel and the Universal Studios regarding the rights to Hulk. “I think this is the reason why there is no solo movie about him. But I feel MCU has reduced him to a sidekick, given him extremely inconsistent storylines and erased so much of the dark and complex history of the character,” said Nidhi. She said that The Hulk is also one of the very few characters without a rival, as the storyline has been revised.
Detective Comics (DC) has struggled with movies but their comics are still amazing, whereas a lot of marvel comics simply cater to the MCU stories, said Nidhi. “DC also treats its female characters a bit better, the storylines are more detailed and frankly the superheroes are iconic,” she added.
