TheHulkhas no shortage of insanely powerful villains that want nothing more than to see him fall. Some villains are able to match his immense strength, like the Abomination or Red Hulk, while others use superior intelligence to defeat him, like Gargoyle or the Leader. However, there’s one villain that easily stands above the rest as the Hulk’s all-time best, both in terms of physical threat and personal significance - and I can’t believe he gets absolutely no love from Marvel.
The Hulk villain in question is none other thanBruce Banner’s own father, Brian Banner, who made his debut inThe Incredible Hulk#267 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema. Brian was an abusive alcoholic, who would verbally and physically assault both Bruce and Bruce’s mother. Usually, Brian would simply neglect Bruce, but when he did address him, he would angrily call Bruce a monster. The psychological torment Bruce was under throughout his childhood led tothe formation of his multiple Hulk personas, which were eventually given life after Bruce was exposed to gamma radiation.
Brian was as much responsible for turning Bruce into the Hulk as the gamma explosion, and his dark influence over Bruce’s life didn’t stop there. When Bruce was just a kid, Brian killed Bruce’s mom right in front of him in a fit of drunken rage. While Brian was acquitted, Bruce knew what he saw, and he never forgave his father. The lingering rage finally boiled over when Bruce actually killed his father, which was a memory Bruce blocked out for many years, and contributed even more to his repressed rage that would later come to fuel the Hulk’s strength.
Brian Banner Continues to Be Underutilized in Hulk Stories
Brian Banner has Been aHulkVillain in Stories IncludingChaos War&Immortal Hulk
Brian Banner doesn’t just exist as a villain in Bruce’s past, he also has played villainous roles in modernHulkstories. InChaos War, Brian is one of thesouls resurrected by the Chaos King, and he even got a gamma-powered upgrade in the physical world by becoming a serpent-like hulking monster known as Guilt Hulk. As Guilt Hulk, Brian became a physical threat to the Hulk, wielding the strength to make Bruce’s super-strong alter ego feel as weak and scared as Bruce did as a kid.
Another modern Hulk story featuring Brian as a villain isThe Immortal Hulk, where Brian’s soul becomes trapped in the Below-Place after the events ofChaos War, and he becomes possessed by the One Below All. Using the power of the One Below All, Brian has the ability to possess gamma-mutates in the physical world, tormenting Bruce through those closest to him. Brian literally becomes a ghost that haunts Bruce from beyond the grave, making his villainous presence felt even more significantly.
I’ll admit it, this might all seem like Brian is actually well utilized in Marvel Comics, but that’s not really true. Honestly, Brian played a minor role inChaos War, and amounted to little more than a cameo before Hulk ‘overcame his fear’ and reduced Brian to ash. Then, inImmortal Hulk, Brian ended up getting overshadowed by boththe Leader and the One Below Allitself, not to mention the plethora of other villains featured in that series. Sure, he was there, but Brian was super underutilized in these stories, just as he is in Marvel Comics as a whole.
Brian Banner is the Perfect Villain for the Hulk, & It’s Time Marvel Sees That
Brian Banner Needs to Be a Main Hulk Villain in a New Story Arc
It is absolutely crazy to me that Brian hasn’t been Hulk’s main villain in any lasting or significant way. How many times have fans read stories where the likes of the Abomination or the Leader acted as Hulk’s main antagonist over the years? Yet whenever Brian is a villain, he’s usually secondary at most. Brian has deep, personal connections with both Bruce and Hulk, he knows how to exploit his son’s weaknesses like no other villain can, and he even has his own ‘Hulk’ form, making him the greatest physical, mental, emotional and just overall threat to Hulk in Marvel.
Hulk’s New Transformation Marks His Most Horrific Look Yet
The Hulk has experienced no shortage of horrific transformations in his more recent Marvel Comics stories, but his latest one might be the worst yet.
It makes way more sense for Brian Banner to be the Hulk’s main archenemy, especially when compared to his other villains like the Abomination or the Leader. Brian is the personal nemesis Hulk actually deserves, as opposed to a Russian spy who hates him or a smart guy who won’t leave him alone. Yet Brian never gets the credit he’s earned as a truly repugnant and immensely significantHulkvillain - and I really can’t believe it.
Hulk
The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.
