The Leader in the MC2

 

Marvel Studio’s newest film, Captain America: Brave New World is days away from release and I personally cannot wait to see it. Once again, I’m going to tie today’s MC2-related post into an aspect of Brave New World, with a look at the so-far unseen mastermind behind the film’s plot. This is a brief look at The Leader in the MC2.

 

First appearing in Tales to Astonish #62 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Samuel Sterns aka The Leader is one of the Incredible Hulk’s greatest villains thanks to his gamma-gifted superhuman intelligence. The following issue presents our first full look at the mega-cranial megalomaniac with Tales to Astonish #63 detailing the Leader’s origin as a lowly labourer who was bombarded by gamma rays in an accident which transformed him, turning his skin green and causing his head to enlarge to accommodate his vastly increased brain and intellect.

 

In the MC2, the Leader only made one appearance, in Amazing Spider-Man Family #3 when Alexsei Sytsevich aka The Rhino and Peter Parker aka Spider-Man discuss the expenses of paying for medical treatment and they bond over their common lack of money, both working job to job. Aleksei mentions some of the ‘bad bosses’ he’s worked for including the Beetle, Doctor Octopus and the Leader, the latter of which refers to the events of Incredible Hulk #124 and Incredible Hulk #157-#159.

 

In the Incredible Hulk #124, The Leader revives the unconscious Rhino and subjects him to further gamma treatments to enhance his strength, providing him with a new Rhino suit and sending him to attack Bruce Banner during his wedding to Betty Ross.  During the encounter, the Leader accidentally hits the Rhino with his gamma ray device, causing the Rhino to charge him, resulting in an explosion which seemingly kills them both.

 

The Leader would later control the comatose body of the Rhino in another plot against the Hulk that leaves Jim Wilson (relative of Sam Wilson aka the Falcon) injured and ultimately led to both the Hulk and Rhino on a rocket headed for the High Evolutionary’s Counter-Earth. As a result of the rocket’s shuttle explosion upon their return to Earth, the Rhino would become permanently bonded to his Rhino suit (Incredible Hulk #157-#159). This event, apparently occurred during the Incredible Hulk #159 and was implied in Thing #24 and confirmed in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #10, would become Alexsei’s driving motivation in several stories that followed. No wonder Rhino considers The Leader a bad boss!

That’s it for the Leader in the MC2, but it’s nice to see the connections to Marvel’s past woven throughout the MC2. I’m very soon heading to an early screening of Captain America: Brave New World, so let’s see how that bulbous brain looks on the big screen!

 

Until I leave a huge Russian guy stuck in a Rhino suit after leaving him in a coma because I wanted to ruin my arch-enemy’s wedding, I remain

 

frogoat

Hulk in the MC2

With all the build up for Avengers: Endgame, I've elected to cover the MC2 incarnations of the films main cast. For this entry, we'll be looking at the green-skinned giant himself, the Incredible Hulk!

Bruce Banner makes his MC2 debut in A-Next #3 where we learn that he's retired to Denver, Colorado and has a son named David. Bruce indicates he is finally rid of his alter ego for good and hasn't seen Doctor Strange in years. When Strange appears unexpectedly to reform the Defenders, he takes complete mental control of Banner and forces Bruce to once more transform into the Hulk.

 Pitted against the newly formed next generation of Avengers, Hulk remains under Dr Strange's control until a hit from Stinger's...erm...stingers breaks him free of the spell (A-Next #3). It's also worth mentioning that this is where Dr Strange informs Doc Magus that the Hulk has a destiny to fulfill. While the action ends there, J2 #3 expands on the fight between J2 and the incredible Hulk and ends with the two demonstrating mutual respect for one another. 

It seems Banner is back to transforming into the not-so-jolly green giant but he appears to maintain some control over the Hulk if not retaining all of his intelligence, as he shows up in J2 #12, accompanying his fellow Defenders into the Crossroads of Infinity on a mission to rescue J2 and Doc Magus and the original Juggernaut and in Wild Thing #0 helping Wolverine, Dr Strange and Wild Thing against a pack of Wendigos.

After this though, the Hulk doesn't appear for a while, finally re-emerging in Spider-Girl #86-88 where he briefly battles Apox the Omega Skrull before being sent into space. There he is rescued by the Earth Sentry and Nova and accompanies them to the Skrull Worldship and is present when the Skrulls surrender. 

Anyone who's read some of my recent posts knows what happens next. During the events of Last Hero Standing, Hulk is enthralled by Loki's spell and goes on a rampage against several of the Earth's heroes. Finally freed when Captain America breaks Loki's connection, Hulk narrowly avoids death at Thor's hands. Devastated by the fresh destruction he has wrought after his years rebuilding his life, the Hulk joins Loki as he is exiled to Limbo by Thor.

Now, that should have been the last time we see the Hulk in the MC2, but eagle eyed readers may have noticed a magical energy duplicate created by Sylene in Avengers Next #4-#5. Either this is an artistic error or confirmation that the Hulk found a way back to Earth. After all, Hulk is strongest one there is!

Hulk's exile leaves it up in the air who's looking after his son, David. Perhaps Betty Banner (formerly Betty Ross) is alive and well in this reality? Perhaps Bruce's cousin She-Hulk is raising her nephew? We may never know!

Until I find a form of gamma radiation that turns my genes green, I remain

frogoat