At several times in his history, Bruce Banner's transformations into the Hulk were triggered by anger, or more generally stress. Banner would get angry about something, and transform into the Hulk, who would also be angry, though it seemed variable as to whether he was angry about the same thing as Banner, angry about something else, or just mad in general.
But I releazied, rather abruptly, that in various Essential Defenders collections, there were several scenes of the Hulk being calm, or even happy. Gerber had at least a couple, where the Hulk was trying to play with the little girl*, and the one where he was watching the deer frolic**.
The moments of calm don't last long, but thinking about it, I was surprised they were happening at all. I figured if Banner became the Hulk when he was angry, once that anger was expended, he'd revert to Banner.
What would the in-story explanation be? Hulk doesn't change back because Banner is there inside, and he's still angry about whatever it is that set him off originally, so he can't change back? Or is the Hulk on some level, probably unconscious, able to assert himself and block the change? Hulk doesn't like Banner, and when he's aware they're one and the same, he doesn't like being trapped within Banner, so he might naturally try to resist that. Which could be a source of stress for both, which might mean that even when the Hulk appears calm, he really isn't. Not inside, anyway.
Sounds as though they're being split into separate entities again, so at least they won't have to worry about that issue.
* Right before her father sees him and rushes the Hulk, worried his daughter might be harmed. Which angers the Hulk and leads to him wrecking their home.
** Moments later, a hunter killed the doe illegally, which lead to Hulk skipping that man across the lake like a stone, and bringing the orphaned "Bambi" to Dr. Strange's.
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2 comments:
Your explanation is a good one. (Although I always thought the big-dumb-laughing Hulk was goofy, although it showed him in an endearing light.)
I think the old TV show handled it well, showing the Hulk at times as more gentle, usually after a rampage as he was exhausted and winding down, so he's hold a kitten or look at his reflection in a lake, etc. but it usually marked the moment when he would start turning back to Banner.
I don't like the Banner/Hulk split -- my understanding has always been that they are NOT two separate individuals trapped in one body but two FACETS of the SAME person, so splitting them up should make each weaker (like that episode in Classic Trek when Kirk is split into an Aggressive Kirk and a Docile Kirk -- only the combined Kirk is ideal, with the flaws and strengths of each).
I also think the Hulk, and Banner, need to be likable. The Hulk is a misunderstood hero, a monster in the eyes of the world but a hero nonetheless.
I don't like turning him into a green-skinned Conan the Barbarian.
-- Nick
City of Kik
http://nickleshi.blogspot.com
Nik: I think you're dead-on about Banner and Hulk being parts of the same whole. So I don't know how this split will work. The last time they did it, I vaguely remember Banner getting seriously ill, and maybe anger made Hulk weaker? Not sure about that one.
Related to your bit about Hulk being perceived as a monster, that's why I thought it was a bad idea on Marvel's part to say the Hulk had killed X number of people in his rampages, as an excuse to launch him into space. Yes, it's more realistic, but it does make his being a hero that much harder to handle. I think Pak tried to poke a hole in that during World War Hulk, though, which was fine with me.
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