Warning: contains spoilers forWerewolf by Night#4!
Marvel has just made a surpriseMCUstar its new version of theHulk, and now all he needs to do is kill the original. The Hulk, fueled by anger and rage, has left a trail of destruction across the Marvel Universe. He is in a class of his own,but as seen inWerewolf by Night#4, the titular character has received a rage-induced upgrade.
Werewolf by Night#4 is written by Jason Loo and drawn by Sergio Davila. The Werewolf,along with Elsa Bloodstone, is being held prisoner by Ka-Zar in the Savage Land. Suddenly, a giant monster emerges from the ground, and rampages through the Land. Ka-Zar’s forces are powerless, but Elsa suggests he free the Werewolf to help. The Werewolf, in a stage of sheer rage, manages to kill the monster… as well as many others. Angered, Ka-Zar exiles them from the Savage Land,setting them on a course to meet the Hulk in the next issue.
The Marvel Hero Most Like the Hulk is…Werewolf by Night?
The Werewolf and the Hulk Share A Lot in Common
Since his first appearance over 50 years ago, the Werewolf, like the Hulk, has fought to contain and check his savage impulses,with varying degrees of success. The product of a familial curse, as opposed to gamma radiation, the Werewolf has recently struggled even harder against his darker side, particularlyafter the events ofBlood Hunt, which saw Jack Russell go down his darkest path yet, one still playing out in the pages of his new solo title. Elsa Bloodstone, his best friend and should-be lover, is trying to help Jack in his fight against his nature.
Yet just as the Hulk’s attempts at solitude often met with failure and disaster, so did the Werewolf’s, leading him to cause as much death and destruction as the monster he was fighting.
The Hulk would often flee humanity, taking refuge in distant corners of Earth, either to be left alone or seek a cure for his condition,and as seen inWerewolf by Night#4, Jack is taking a page out of Bruce’s playbook by fleeing to the Savage Land.The Werewolf believed the answers to lifting his curse were to be found there. Yet just as the Hulk’s attempts at solitude often met with failure and disaster, so did the Werewolf’s, leading him to cause as much death and destruction as the monster he was fighting.
The Werewolf Is Becoming Even More Like the Hulk
The Werewolf is Fighting a Losing Battle for His Humanity
The Werewolf has taken on additional Hulk-like traits sinceBlood Hunt,ones that make him even deadlier. While he was always on the huge side, recent months have seen the Werewolf “bulk up,” developing huge amounts of muscle mass and taking on an even more feral appearance. This change in the Werewolf’s body has been accompanied by a marked shift in his mental state as well. Like Banner and the Hulk, Russell loses his humanity when he transforms into the Werewolf. Each phase of the full moon brings existential dread to Jack Russell.
Hulk Finally Wins as Marvel Lets the Hero Conquer His Human Half at Long Last
The Hulk and Bruce Banner have been at war over control of their body in Marvel Comics for decades, and now, the Hulk has finally claimed victory.
Recently, however, Russell has descended even further into savagery when he makes the transformation into the Werewolf. As seen inWerewolf by Night’sfirst issue, someone, or something, brutally slaughtered some people Russell had befriended. While the issue left it vague whether Russell really did kill them, it nevertheless helped establish that he is losing control–and it could be only a matter of time before he actually does kill someone innocent. This is a fear that Banner lives with as well, giving the two monsters even more in common.
The Hulk Has a Monster Problem Right Now Too
The Mother of Horrors Is Making the Hulk’s Life Miserable
The Hulk has been dealing with monsters like the Werewolf himself in the pages of his own title. The Mother of Horrors, an ancient, primordial evil, has been gathering Earth’s monsters together, to lead them against the Hulk, who she views as “the Fractured Son.” The Hulk has already fought several monsters, and now one more is in his sights. WhileWerewolf by Night#4 does not draw a connection between what is happening to the Hulk and to the Werewolf, the possibility is there. The Mother of Horrors could be behind the Werewolf’s recent changes.
The Werewolf is slowly losing control, and a fight with the Hulk just might be what it takes to push him completely over the edge.
These changes have made the Werewolf a new, supernatural version of the Hulk, and now he is set to collide with the Jade Giant next month.This battle promises to be one of the biggest, and most violent, in recent Marvel history. The Werewolf is slowly losing control, and a fight with the Hulk just might be what it takes to push him completely over the edge. If so, then the Hulk will have his work cut out for him as he tries to kill the Werewolf, whose recent upgrades put him in nearly the same class.
Can the Werewolf Defeat the Hulk? Is it Even Possible?
Despite the Werewolf’s Recent Upgrades, the Hulk Still Has the Edge Over Him
Even though the Werewolf is gaining in power and strength, he will still have his work cut out for him whenhe fights the Hulk. While the Hulk possesses seemingly limitless strength, powered by his anger, the Werewolf does not. It would be no problem for the Hulk to simply wear Russell down. The Hulk has also proven difficult to kill, whereas one well-placed silver bullet can do the Werewolf in. Despite these disadvantages, this surpriseMCUstar will prove a worthy adversary for theHulk.
