The story of the Hulk isn’t a complicated one – a man versus monster, Jekyll and Hyde-meets-Frankenstein formula – but in the past, it’s been taken to all sorts of dizzying extremes. From Sci-Fi and Fantasy epics to work as a Las Vegas nightclub bouncer, the Hulk has been placed in all manner of ridiculous-on-paper situations, but somehow they all work. Here are the best storylines, all of which should be available collected. Planet Hulk/World War Hulk – When some of the world’s most powerful heroes – Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Dr. Strange and Black Bolt – decide to deal with Hulk once and for all, the solution they come up with is fairly simple – capture him, deposit him on an unpopulated planet and let him live out his days in peace, harming no-one. Unfortunately, things don’t go so well – the Hulk is knocked off course, and lands on Skaar, a war-torn planet where he’s made into a gladiatorial slave. In a year-long Conan-esque epic, the Hulk escapes captivity and fights his way to the top, eventually become the benign ruler of Skaar. Peace is short-lived, though, when the ship that brought him to Skaar explodes, taking the planet’s core – and Hulk’s pregnant wife – with it. Returning to Earth, he exacts brutal vengeance on those that caused his misery. Together, these two stories represent the best of “Hulk Smash!” action, in a unique, fantasy-inspired fashion. It’s not at all a definitive take on the character, but it can’t be denied that it is an amazing adventure. Hulk: The End – Another story about the Hulk in the future, as told (again) by Peter David. This time, the idea is a hypothetical “final” Hulk story, as Banner sits alone on the post-nuclear wasteland of Earth, his resistance to radiation having allowed him to survive the war that killed everyone else. It’s an introspective character piece with a back-to-basics incarnation of the Hulk, and it really proves just what Banner and the Hulk’s relationship is with a final, brutal twist. Illustrations are by Dale Keown, one of David’s definitive Hulk collaborators. If you’re just after a single 22 page comic to read, then try some of these out for size:Incredible Hulk #300 – It’s Hulk Vs. the Marvel Universe as a newly-Bannerless Hulk goes on a mindless rampage, fighting every hero who crosses him to a standstill, with dimensional exile the only solution they can eventually come up with. Incredible Hulk #417 – It’s Rick Jones’ Bachelor Party, all the guests are super-heroes, and that can only mean one thing: hilarity ensures. One of Peter David’s most fondly remembered issues, with good reason. James writes Alternate Cover every Monday at Den Of Geek. His previous column can be found here.
