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The immortal Hulk is impossible to truly destroy or kill, with the modern Marvel canon revealing the Hulk will always return from beyond the grave (eventually). But now that Marvel has offered a glimpse into a dark future without Bruce Banner, fans finally understand the one way that the Hulk they know can finally die… and the sacrifice needed to make it happen.
The secret was first revealed in the pages of Timeless #1, on a doomed future Earth conquered by Moon Knight, and his dark patron god Khonshu. The one-shot comic didn’t actually spell out how every other superhero was defeated or killed, instead following the one hero left standing: Luke Cage, the hero once known as Power Man, and humanity’s last hope. Luke won the day by powering up with the strength of multiple heroes, including Hulk, exposing a dark fate for Bruce Banner.
Hulk Finally Died, By Giving His Blood To Luke Cage
Timeless (Vol 3) #1 by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly, Juann Cabal, Edgar Delgado
With most of the storytelling coming from the narration of this final battle for Earth, it is here that Luke’s full powerset is described. This Timeless variant of Luke Cage is not only the master of the Iron Fist, and the new host to both The Sentry and its dark opposite The Void, but also the powers of the Hulk. But how did Hulk’s power ened up being harnessed by Luke Cage? That answer comes later, when Luke’s mission continued into Power Man: Timeless #1:
“Poor Bruce Banner, hiding in the dyinfg rainforest, repeating mantras of peace… and testing new deaths that the Hulk never let stick until he bled into Luke’s veins.“
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Seemingly attemtping to find exile or refuge in this future, Bruce Banner did the same thing he has done in so many other comics and movies before: headed into isolation, meditating to keep the Hulk persona at bay. Of course, that is always impossible, especially when a power of such magnitude may be exactly what’s needed to destroy Earth’s greatest enemy. And while the comic doesn’t actually say whether Hulk’s blood was taken willingly or by force, the Bruce Banner version of “Hulk” the world knew has truly died. At a great price.
Hulk Can Die, If Another Host Takes On His Curse
Power Man: Timeless #2 by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly, Bernard Chang, Marcelo Maiolo
Both comics make sure to paint the role of ‘host of Hulk’ as a painful one, confirming that Luke Cage has now taken on the mystic responsibilities previously held by Banner. As host to the Hulk, any death simply means Luke must pass “through the Green Door,” journeying into the afterlife before being yanked back into his reconsituted body. In effect, fully accepting the curse from Bruce Banner, and leaving the mortal man to finally be able to live (or, presumably, die) in peace.
How completely this fulfills the idea of Hulk’s ‘dying’ will be up to individual comic readers, but Marvel has introduced a compelling wrinkle into this old riddle. When fans argue whether Hulk can ever be killed, are they referring to Bruce Banner, his other half, or the union between the two? If the ‘Hulk entity’ is immortal in a mystical sense, merely exhibited through Bruce Banner, as could be argued, then a means of killing its most famous host may be the only death possible.
Power Man: Timeless #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- First Appearance
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The Incredible Hulk (1962)
- Alias
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Robert Bruce Banner
- Alliance
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Avengers, Defenders, Horsemen of Apocalypse, Fantastic Four, Pantheon, Warbound, S.M.A.S.H., Secret Avengers
- Franchise
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Marvel
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