Hulk smash!

[andrewfarago]

I'm making my way through The Essential Hulk #6 right now. These are black-and-white collections from Marvel that reprint 20-30 comics on paper stock that's just above newsprint quality, and the price point is pretty low compared to just about anything else in American comic shops, with 500+ pages setting you back $20 (as opposed to the

Comments

[feech]

It depends... when people capture the Hulk, aren't they looking to tap into his powers without -- eyeroll-- being destroyed themselves? In those cases, I would think they would have used a material which is designed to keep the gamma-radiated part of his metabolism busy while he's unconscious.

[altiloquent]

that panel is amazing

[jaderabbit]

I think he can't relax when he's being held prisoner. I mean, could you? Think about it.

[andrewfarago]

So he's aware on some subconscious level that something's wrong if he's been knocked out against his will? That's possible.

Sometimes he changes back when he gets knocked out, though. It's almost like they're making it up as they go along or something, but that couldn't be it.

[feech]

"So he's aware on some subconscious level that something's wrong if he's been knocked out against his will?"

I like that explanation. It fits his personality.

[adam_0oo]

This is a pretty good explanation.

[andrewfarago]

There's got to be something other than pure rage sustaining the transformation, right? Otherwise, yeah, every time the Hulk eats an ice cream cone, enjoys watching the sunset, or drinks beers with Dr. Strange or Spider-Man, he'd just fizzle out and turn back into Banner. The fact that guys like The Ringmaster can hypnotize him into a docile state without changing him makes me think that there's no hard and fast rule behind the change.

[sirspamdalot]

This picture from a Marvel story conference answers most questions about '70s continuity.

[roblewmac]

they never gave a good reason. Sometime in the 70s they decided to avoid writting banner