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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Immortal Hulk #50, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Professional wrestling and superhero comics share a number of similarities, so much so that they can take pointers from each other. From sharing an episodic format to featuring larger than life characters, there’s a reason why there’s an overlap in the two fan bases.
As similar as wrestling and comics can be, it’s rare that they share storylines. It’s especially odd that any wrestling show would have anything in common with a comic like Immortal Hulk, which is steeped in body horror. Last week’s episode of All Elite Wrestling Dynamite shared a striking similarity with the ending of the groundbreaking Hulk series.
Immortal Hulk’ #50, by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett, features The Hulk and Joe Fixit battling the Leader and the demonic One-Below-All. The climax of the issue isn’t a fistfight between the Hulks and their grotesque opponents, but two frustrated monsters demanding answers from a dark god.
The-One-Below-All is revealed to be an aspect of The-One-Above-All, Marvel’s version of God. Instead of being awed by its holy presence, Fixit demands straight answers for why the world seems to be designed to hurt them. The-One-Above-All remains too cryptic for the Hulks, speaking about the duality that it and the Hulk embody.
The Hulk was created as a counterbalance, with the ability to destroy or create. Fixit doesn’t find any solace in this, writing off the idea that The-One-Above-All has any answers for them. The message seems to get through to the Hulk, though. He offers mercy to the Leader’s human form, the right hand to his world breaking left hand. The series ends with Bruce Banner walking off into the sunset, free to choose his destiny as a creator or destroyer.
Immortal Hulk #50 is the end of a series that began in 2018. Another story featuring a monster’s conversation with god is beginning in All Elite Wrestling. Miro, known to WWE fans as Rusev, recently lost his first singles match in AEW. It ended a 14 match winning streak, including six defenses of the TNT Title, AEW’s workhorse singles title. During his championship reign, Miro refers to himself as “God’s Favorite Champion.” He invokes his deity in his promos during his championship reign, too. That, and his nickname “The Redeemer” give his championship reign an air of religious zealotry.
Miro was built up as a monster heel during his undefeated streak, physically dominating his opponents and submitting most. Like any good villain, he has one glaring weakness, his surgically repaired neck, which can be softened up by use of a classic finishing maneuver, the DDT. After underdogs Fuego del Sol and Eddie Kingston nearly defeat him, Sammy Guevara is able to capitalize on it to win the TNT Title on the September 29 episode of Dynamite.
Miro’s first words after losing the title to Guevara were a departure from the average wrestling promo. Instead of speaking to a backstage interviewer like Tony Schiavone, Miro delivers his promo by himself. Drenched in shadows, he delivers his promo directly into the camera and to his god. He wants to know if he’s displeased his god or if he’s abandoned him as a cosmic joke. He finds the idea that he was given a “body of a granite and a neck of sand” particularly cruel.
Tying in another recurring element of his AEW promos, Miro mentions he hasn’t been able to face his wife (former WWE star C.J. “Lana” Perry) since he lost his title. In order to return to his wife and regain his god’s favor, Miro promises to be even more destructive than he was before. He also lays out simple terms for his deity; you will make me a champion, or you will make me an enemy. Between his delivery and the way he’s dominates AEW, it’s a serious threat.
Unlike WWE, AEW’s promos aren’t scripted by writers, so there is always the slim chance Miro was inspired to interrogate his god on camera by Immortal Hulk #50. If it not, it’s still interesting timing to see two different conversations with god in places you wouldn’t expect them in the same week.
Immortal Hulk’s is the culmination of the themes of a long-term storyline, while Miro’s legacy, presence and promo feel like a true threat to his god. Plus, Bruce Banner and Miro’s stories will continue. The Hulk has a new ongoing series debuting next month and Miro will surely remain in the mix in AEW. It will be interesting to see if they can make peace with their gods, and how much damage they’ll do along the way.
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