“Is he man or monster, or is he both?” was the question posed on the cover of the 1962 Marvel Comic The Incredible Hulk #1; a perfect description of the schizophrenic psyche of this future Marvel character. For fans of superhero comics, the Incredible Hulk has been an iconic figure for almost 60 years and even the uninitiated will be familiar with this angry green monster following the phenomenal success of the Marvel Avengers movies. Green? If it hadn’t been for a printing error, the Incredible Hulk would have only been gray (and perhaps not nearly so popular).
The Cover of Hulk Nr. 372 illustrated the struggle of his different personalities
The printing error not only changed the Hulk’s color, but also the way the story evolved in the comic – a modification that would have an impact on future incarnations of the Hulk. The need for an explanation of the color change opened the door to one of the defining characteristics of the Hulk: each of his various manifestations expresses an aspect of Banner’s psyche, determining the shy scientist’s complex transformations into the different personalities of the Hulk. Even the properties of his indestructible skin became the subject of later stories. The gray Hulk long remained a subliminal motif among Marvel fans, and in 1986, Bruce Banner’s alter ego manifested itself unexpectedly as “Joe Fixit,” a shifty gray Hulk who worked as a bouncer in Las Vegas. This was just one of several gray Hulk personalities, and only psychotherapy enabled Banner and his alter ego to gain control of the dissociative identity disorder that had been caused by childhood trauma.
Matt Draper Youtube channel
Matt Draper Youtube channel
Hidden within the schizophrenic ontology of the Hulk (and of Marvel Comics as such), attentive readers can thus find a complex analysis of very human traits. Where other Marvel characters battle with heartache, loss, alcoholism, trauma, or their identity, this uncontrollable superhero has come to symbolize inner rage, latent angst, stress, and unresolved psychological strain. And when the Hulk of the Marvel Cinematic Universe declares before his most spectacular transformation in the battle for New York, “That’s my secret – I’m always angry,” it becomes clear that only his intellect, and a small portion of love, keep the monster inside him in check. This is an important realization for any viewer confused by his or her own anger and irrational emotions. Maybe all of us are “sometimes gray, sometimes green, sometimes daft, sometimes keen,” and perhaps in this self-reflective insight lies our secret.