Marvel Mondays (Just Barely): World War Hulk

It’s that time again. That’s right, it’s MARVEL MONDAYS. I am going to write about the 616, the Ultimate, etc. At three weeks this is the most consistent post I’ve done. Sorry, DC.

Anyway, this Monday it’s all about World War Hulk. Now, I don’t know how man people out there read Incredible Hulk #106 or World War hulk Prologue: Worldbreaker (read my review here) but I thought both issued were excellent. Besides catchy dialogue (I love that Amadeus Cho) and sweet action, both issues did a superb job in seeding emotional arcs that will most likely have an impact on the event. I just want to touch on a couple things, of course full of speculation and guessing.

Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk Will Be A Big Deal

Featured in both issues, Jen is set up to be a main player in the storyline because she is the only who hasn’t taken a side. In a world where everyone else has decided to with or against the Hulk, Jennifer is left undecided. She’s had family betrayed, she’s been depowered yet this isn’t enough to push her from notion of justice, the notion of right. She can see both sides to the argument and it keeps her inactive. A character, changed, a decision made, these are interesting plots to watch over the course of the summer and you know Pak will draw it out for as long as possible.

In the end, I think Jennifer is going to side with the Earth against her cousin. Mostly because of this panel:


Watching the Hulk tear apart anything and anyone to get his revenge will convince her that Doc Samson is correct. I see a Hulk against She-Hulk fight, with each side getting angrier, each side getting stronger. Ultimately, Hulk will win and She-Hulk will revert to her human form. That’s when the true x factor of this tale will come in, Bruce Banner.

Bruce Banner Will Show Up.

The doomed scientist has only popped up a couple times in the last few months. Who knows what he has been doing while trapped on the inside. As of late control of the body has been portrayed as a struggle between the two. Maybe Banner has been muscling up mentally. Perhaps, he has been biding his time to jump into dominance. However, I'm not so sure that if he does resurface we'll see him siding with the Earth. The aliens were just as kind to the notion of the Bruce Banner as they were to the Hulk. This could suggest that Banner still sides with the invaders. An army of super strong aliens led by an angry scientist could be even more formidable.

The Hulk Will Be Betrayed.

Both Pak and David worked in the notion of the Hulk as the lonely anti-hero. Seems like every time he manages to form a meaningful friendship or relatonship it inevitably ends with pain and sadness. The Hulk will always walk off into the sunset alone…or be blasted into space. The fact that he is bringing back a group of people who are bonded; who are pledged will make this predicted treachery even worse. I figure there are two candidates.



Elloe: The former leader of rebellion has had her own issues with the monsters of Sakaar. There is a clear division between the stone men and bugs versus the almost human “pinkies.” In fact, Hulk had to make both monster and alien defend themselves against his wrath to create peace. Seeing Hulk and his creature pals tearing up a world inhabited by beings almost like her could be too much. After all, “two hands” stick together.

Miek: This is where my money is. Miek has already openly rebelled against Hulk on more than one occasion. His character arc was to go from Jar Jar Binks-esque comedic support to a terrifying leader in his own right. Angry about Hulk’s calmness and peace loving ways, Miek tried to stir up all of his ire by showing the video of the Illuminati’s betrayal. This didn’t work and Miek was forced to sulk off. Could he have, would he have sabotaged Reed Richard’s spaceship insight Hulk’s lust for violence? See, I’m betting on this; the returned Bruce Banner realizes that Reed Richards would not build an engine that, even damaged, could cause that much destruction. Then Banner will get all pissed off, Hulk out, and end up destroying his friends. It would be beautiful and there are enough hints to suggest that it could happen.


I got two more guesses:

1) Iron Man will, somehow, redeem himself as the Judas superhero. I'm thinking he takes a hit for Spider-Man or Luke Cage. Something, so that the rest of the heroes might still hate him, but will at least respect him for his heroic actions.

2) Hulk is going to be a total douche to Amadeus Cho. The boy genius is too idealistic about the hero. I see the Hulk treating him in such a way that this will be crushed and that Cho will become a wicked Hulk villain. That is all.