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The Starship Hulk has just torn its way through Marvel’s newest interdimensional gods, and Bruce Banner wasn’t even awake for the easiest fight of his life.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Hulk #2, available now from Marvel.
The Hulk has always been one of the most imposing figures in the Marvel Universe, but ever since Bruce Banner took control of his alter-ego he has been more frightening than ever. No longer content to sit on the sidelines as the Hulk leads the charge, Banner has set out on a brutal crusade of his own. Not only has he smashed his way through everything his former allies could possibly throw at him, but the Hulk has also just obliterated the latest interdimensional gods to step into the spotlight, and he still doesn’t even realize it.
Upon taking control of the Hulk completely, Bruce Banner somehow managed to split their collective being into distinct parts. Bruce’s own psyche piloting the Hulk’s body and the behemoth’s consciousness providing the rage that powers him, Banner has crashed through Tony Stark’s defenses to claim one of his former ally’s greatest inventions. Or rather, to step through it, as the massive armor crafted by Iron Man was merely a portal to places unknown. There was no telling what he would find upon entering the gateway, but now that has all been made clear in the pages of Hulk #2 (by Donny Cates, Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Frank Martin, and VC’s Cory Petit). It turned out that the dimension between realities that Bruce Banner just stumbled into had its very own superpowered protectors, though not even they stood a chance against the Starship Hulk.
Introducing themselves as the Alternate Universe Timeline Haphazard Operations Response & Intervention Team (with an unknown Y filling out the A.U.T.H.O.R.I.T.Y. acronym), the four heroes that the Hulk came across while asleep during his journey are obvious satirization of DC Comics’ own Authority. Originally part of the Wildstorm Universe, the titular team first appeared in 1999’s The Authority #1 by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch which saw them come together in the wake of the decimation of other superhero teams. The Authority quickly established themselves as immensely powerful and ruthlessly violent, traits that readers will never know if their Marvel counterparts shared. Apart from the vague, tongue-in-cheek references in their appearance to original members team members such as Apollo and Midnighter and their interdimensional base of operations, this Authority didn’t stick around long against the Hulk, even while he was drifting aimlessly as he slumbered.
Despite their best efforts to halt the Hulk’s approach, the heroes’ pleas fell on deaf, or rather sleeping ears, and they are soon enough torn to bloody shreds as the Starship Hulk careened into and subsequently through them. All the while, Bruce Banner’s psyche was asleep on the bridge of his mental vessel, genuinely not noticing nor realizing what has just transpired until he is roused from his slumber by the emergence of a more formidable obstacle. Seeing the Hulk come out on top of superpowered fistfights is one thing, but eradicating an entire squadron of heroes while unconscious serves as a gut-wrenching reminder of how much more dangerous Bruce Banner has made his alter ego in the past months.
Assuming Marvel’s take on the characters were in the same range of power as the proper Authority, Bruce Banner has just obliterated four heroes who could have gone toe-to-toe with the Avengers themselves. Of course, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have taken their own fair share of losses at the hands of the Hulk, but never before has he sleepwalked through them like they weren’t there at all. Here’s hoping whoever decides to stand in the Hulk’s way next can actually put up a fight, or at the very least make the decision to get out of the way instead.
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