Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Incredible Hulk #15!TheHulk’s catchphrase, “Hulk Smash”, is about as iconic as he is, as he says it in practically every adaptation (animated or live-action), as well as at least once per Marvel Comics story arc. The catchphrase is so intrinsic to the Hulk’s identity that even the most casual fan is well aware of it. However, even the most hardcore fan may not know where it originated, as it was just revealed that the Hulk’s catchphrase is actually 3600 years old, and belonged to an entirely different ‘Hulk’.
InThe Incredible Hulk#15 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Danny Earls, the Hulk is making his way to Las Vegas, as that is the location of the Eldest’s fortress - and it has been for thousands of years. In that fortress, the Eldest speaks with a lesser monster, telling them about her plans to defeat the Hulk and then use his connection to the One Below All to awaken the Mother of Horrors. The Eldest is confident that she will be victorious, recounting a time thousands of years ago when she encounteredthe first Hulk: the Fractured Son aka Enkidu.
3600 years ago, Enkidu made the same trek to the Eldest’s fortress that the Hulk is making in the present day. Enkidu was seeking a challenger strong enough to kill him, as he had grown weary of his eternal life. Indeed, immortality is a side effect of channeling power through the Green Door (as fans saw in The Immortal Hulk), andEnkidu was the first ‘Hulk’to do so. After killing some lesser monsters in his journey, one of the children the Enkidu saved expressed his gratitude by mimicking Enkidu’s heroic feats, shouting as he did so, “Enkidu Smash!”.
“The Hulkscape”: The Hulk Just Became an Entire Dimension, Revealing His True Form
The Hulk is widely recognized as a green, muscle-bound superhero and founding Avenger, however, his “Hulkscape” form proves he’s much more than that.
Marvel Comics Just Made Bruce Banner’s Connection to the First Hulk Even More Direct
Not only was the first Hulk attributed to the ‘smash’ catchphrase long before the current Hulk, but this comic also confirms a deeper connection between Enkidu and Bruce Banner. Enkidu wasn’t simply a gamma mutate that existed in the ancient past, he was the start of a long line of Hulks whose purpose it is to wander the Earth as the One Below All’s avatar, killing the monstrous spawn of the Mother of Horrors that plague the planet.
In essence, the Hulk isn’t unique to Bruce Banner, but is instead something he inherited. The process by which Banner became the Hulk is still unique, but the fact that he is a ‘Hulk’ is due to being chosen by fate to carry this ancient burden, one that began with Enkidu. And now, that connection has become even more direct, as even Hulk’s catchphrase originated with the Fractured Son, along with his very essence.
The Incredible Hulk is the Perfect Sequel to Immortal Hulk, & This Issue Confirms It
The Immortal Hulkby Al Ewing and Joe Bennett
This particular run ofThe Incredible Hulkhas felt like a follow-up toThe Immortal Hulksince the start, but that was primarily due to the pronounced horror elements and overall style of the story arc. However, with this issue alone, that connection became more based in ‘story’, not just ‘tone’. The One Below All was named specifically by the Eldest as the Mother of Horror’s cosmic rival, and the Eldest also confirmed that the Hulk (aka Enkidu) is an avatar of the One Below All, which is a direct follow-up toThe Immortal Hulk’s story.
What began as more of a ‘sequel’ based in a shared tone as opposed to a continuation of a particular story quickly became a direct continuation ofThe Immortal Hulk’s story, making this newIncredible Hulkrun even more special, as it’s taking elements from past story arcs and expanding on them rather than ignoring them entirely. And that includes the true origin of theHulk’s catchphrase, which this issue confirms originated 3600 years ago.
Hulk
The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.
