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 

Thor in the MC2

With all the build up for Avengers: Endgame, I've elected to cover the MC2 incarnations of the films main cast. I figured the best place to start would be with the god himself, Thor.

The first of the original Avengers to appear in the MC2, Thor is revealed to be the Lord of Asgard in A-Next #1. When Loki attempts to steal the enchanted mace 'Thunderstrike' from Kevin Masterson, he transports the assembled heroes opposing him to the Isle of Silence on Asgard. However, Kevin ends up transformed into the heroic Thunderstrike when he leaps into Loki's magicks and saves the other heroes by summoning Thor to their aid with a huge signal in the sky.

Thor greets the assembled heroes with warmth, despite at first mistaking Kevin for his deceased father, Eric Masterson, the original Thunderstrike. After a celebration, Thor sends the heroes back to Earth using Mjolnir, leaving them with the parting words 'The planet spins! The page turns! And the world still needs heroes. May each and all prove worth of the privilege before you!'.

We don't see Thor for quite sometime until Last Hero Standing #4 when, as a result of Loki's scheme to end the Age of Heroes, Thor encounters his former teammate Captain America alongside other heroes stranded on Asgard. With the Hulk on a rampage thanks Loki's spell, Thor and Captain America discuss the latter's declining abilities and Cap reveals he intends to retire after this final mission (Last Hero Standing #5).

Thor transports the group of heroes back to Earth to confront the Hulk and find Loki. When Spider-Girl reveals Loki, Captain America confronts him as Thor battles the Hulk. Loki's spell is almost sealed by the spilling of fatal blood when Thor nearly kills Hulk. But thanks to Captain America breaking Loki's spell by destroying his dark crystal at the cost of his own life, the day is saved.

Thor banishes Loki to Limbo and the Hulk voluntarily exiles himself alongside the god of mischief to atone for the destruction he has caused. As Captain America lays dying Thor intervenes, combining Asgardian life force with the spirit and power of Cap's country channeled through Mjolnir to transform the heroes soul into a new star that will inspire generations to come.

In the sequel series Last Planet Standing, all of Asgard is threatened when Galactus launches an attack on the Realm Eternal, seeking the Odinsword in his quest to satiate his endless hunger. Despite Thor leading all of Asgard Assembled against Galactus and his Herald Dominas, Asgard is destroyed and Thor is taken captive by the world eater as survivors of the attack flee (Last Planet Standing #2).

Later, with Galactus' plan nearing it's completion, his Worldship containing energy from a thousand worlds is destroyed when energy from Captain America's Star overloads the containers, freeing Thor.  Thor arrives on Earth in time to witness Galactus and the Silver Surfer merge into a new being and reverse the destruction caused by Galactus.

While this is Thor's last present day on-panel appearance we do meet his daughter Thena on a mission for him in Avengers Next #2. We also learn that both Thor and his father Odin are attempting to revive Asgard using the Odin Power in Avengers Next #3 as well as glimpse a younger Thor in a flashback in this same issue.

And that's it for Thor in the MC2 at present. A more mature Thor, the loss of Asgard and the introduction of Thena certainly lend themselves to future stories, which I sincerely hope we get to see someday.

Until I learn to how to speak like the Asgardians, I remain


frogoat