Marvel Admit Bruce Banner Is Not the Best Hulk

While Bruce Banner’s Hulk is beloved by generations of Marvel fans, another version of the character avoids the hero’s biggest problems.

The Hulk from Marvel Comics treads an uncertain line between genius and chaos, as his rational mind as the scientist Bruce Banner can be overtaken by his monstrous alter ego at a moment’s notice. As one of Marvel’s many scientific accidents, the Hulk represents the unsteady relationship between science and superheroism in the Marvel Universe. While Banner’s scientific genius led him to work with gamma rays in the first place, it also permanently changed his identity forever.

Keeping the Hulk under control is no easy feat, and is one that Banner has struggled with for decades in his publication history. As one of the smartest people in the Marvel Universe, Bruce Banner has never been keen on appeasing the angry green monster inside of him. The dramatic challenge of utilizing his intellect alongside his baser instincts as the Hulk is one of many reasons why the Hulk has been a mainstay in Marvel Comics since his debut in 1962.

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Still, while Bruce Banner is the most popular iteration of the Hulk, Amadeus Cho’s version eclipses the original with his ability to retain his brains and humor while in monster form. Created by writer Greg Pak and artist Takeshi Miyazawa, Amadeus Cho is a Korean American teenager who also happens to be the eighth smartest person in the Marvel Universe. Headlining his own series, Totally Awesome Hulk, by Pak and artist Frank Cho, and later leading the New Agents of Atlas team, Amadeus has offered a completely different side to the Hulk that surpasses many of the problems that plagued Bruce Banner. In fact, he recognizes himself as the best version of the character.

Amadeus Cho is the best Hulk because he does not carry the same risks that Banner’s does, because he still retains control over his mind and body. That, however, does not negate the fact that he still has the same capacity for destruction that the character is known for. In Totally Awesome Hulk #3, whilst fighting the giant Fin Fang Foom, Amadeus was knocked out and thrown into the ocean (written by Greg Pak, art by Frank Cho, colors by Sonia Oback, letters by VC’s Cory Petit). Worried that he will have to cede his self-control in order to defeat Fin Fang Foom, Amadeus had a realization: “You’re the Hulk. The best Hulk there’s ever been. Because you’re in control. No matter how impossible the job is… no matter how angry you get… you’re in control.“

While Amadeus carries the same anxieties as Bruce Banner about having control over himself as the Hulk, he still is able to keep a steady hand on the wheel during critical moments. This is partly due to the fact that he does not see the Hulk as something to be feared, but instead something to be celebrated. For Amadeus, his dual identity as both a scientist and the Hulk allows him to accomplish things he wouldn’t otherwise be able to if he was just one or the other. Sure, Amadeus’s Hulk has massive destructive potential, but he always has the potential to save dozens of people by combining both his intellect and his brawn.

Amadeus Cho’s Hulk has gotten him into trouble, but for the most part, his powers have enabled him to jump head first into situations where his help is needed. Because he sees the Hulk as a benevolent being on a fundamental level, he has a much healthier relationship to him than Bruce Banner does. This difference in perspective has allowed Amadeus to show the Marvel Universe that the Hulk can be a reliable hero, as he showcases the very best parts of the character.

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