Earth’s most brilliant scientific minds, Dr. Bruce Banner was always quiet and reserved. Never brash or spontaneous, it wasn’t until his involvement in an experimental Gamma Bomb test that Banner would unleash his inner self. A young teenager named Rick Jones had wandered onto the test site and Banner rushed out to save him. He was able to move Rick to safety but was caught in the blast. Though he survived, Banner was mutated by the Gamma rays. At first he would change into a large, gray, Frankenstein-like monster during the night and revert to his human form at dawn. However he would soon change further to become the green skinned Hulk. By this point it would not matter the time of day as the transformation would activate as a result of increased adrenaline in Banner. The Hulk has appeared in several incarnations. The savage, green-skinned Hulk is the most common and seen presently. Banner has also transformed into a grey-skinned version dubbed “Joe Fixit”. In this incarnation, the Hulk maintained a human level of intelligence but lacked any morale compass leading to his employ as an enforcer in Vegas. A second green-skinned Hulk has been shown from time to time also. This particular version is known as the “Professor” due to the fact that he maintains Banner’s level of intelligence following transformation.

A being of raw power and anger, the Hulk’s power was no more evident than in the recent comic book “World War Hulk”. Prior to the Marvel Civil War, a group of leaders within the superhuman community exiled the Hulk off of Earth. Instead of landing on a serene and peaceful planet as was originally intended, the Hulk's transport went off course and landed on the planet Sakaar. He is captured and forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena for the ruler of Sakaar, the Red King Angmo-Asan. Eventually injuring and scarring the King, the Hulk would become a leader in the rebellion and successfully usurp the throne of Sakaar. However his reign as king was short-lived as the ship that brought the Hulk to Sakaar explodes resulting in the death of millions including Caiera, the Hulk’s queen, and their unborn child. Blaming the Illuminati, the Hulk returns to Earth to exact his revenge. He ceases his assault and reverts to his Banner form after he learns it was one of his alien allies that allowed the ship to explode. However the information comes after the near destruction of Manhattan and the imprisonment of many of Earth’s heroes.

The Hulk is a manifestation of Bruce Banner’s inner rage, but more than that he is an uncontrollable force of nature. He possesses a level of strength that is only surpassed by certain cosmic beings and godly figures in the Marvel universe. What is perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Hulk’s strength grows as he gets angrier. Among his many feats of strength, the Hulk has destroyed an asteroid twice the size of Earth with a single punch and held together the tectonic plates of Sakaar literally holding the planet together. Along with his strength, the Hulk is far more durable than most heroes having withstood nuclear explosions and the vacuum of space. His durability is far more limited than his strength, but the Hulk is still able to survive powerful attacks through the use of an enhanced healing ability. Like other Marvel characters such as Wolverine, Sabertooth and Deadpool, the Hulk is capable of recovering from nearly any injury in an incredibly short amount of time.

Not including the Hulk in the original Marvel Ultimate Alliance was certainly a downer for fans of the green goliath (I’m not talking about the guy on the can of peas), but the Hulk did end up being part of the downloadable content made available a short time after the game’s release. Featured along with 3 other heroes and 4 villains, the Hulk was a tank, pure and simple. Every one of his attacks had some sort of special characteristic be it a knock down or stun effect or simply having a large damage radius. He also had a debuff ability, Roar, that frightened enemies for a short amount of time. Fury was an interesting buff power which physically had the Hulk grow in size as well as raising his speed, power and defense. With Hulk likely returning in Fusion, expect him to have similar attacks. His character will be built to deal punishment to anyone foolish enough to take on the Marvel hero.