History Characters / MarvelComicsBruceBanner

* AssholeVictim: Thanks to being a CosmicPlaything, Bruce Banner just can't stop running into assholes who go out of their way to make the poor guy mad. Naturally, they all have it coming.

* AllAmazonsWantHercules: The Hulk has this effect on women much like Herc does. Just ask Caiera. And Thundra. And ''Umar''.
* TheAllSolvingHammer: Despite the catchphrase, this is actually sorta downplayed. There are plenty of times where Banner or one of his alternates has to rely on cunning, strategy, mind-games, or even choosing to forgive someone and walk away to save the day. But with that said, it is ''mind boggling'' how many people, aliens, Gods and cosmic beings Hulk has managed to defeat just by hitting them really, really hard.
* AlternateIdentityAmnesia: Changes, but usually Hulk and Banner do not share memories.
* AlwaysABiggerFish: He might be Earth's strongest superhuman, but in most cases he can't match cosmic entities - as Gaea, the Phoenix Force, Dormammu, ComicBook/{{Galactus}}, and most prominently Zeus have proven. It does work both ways, though: many super-strong aliens and even gods have arrived on Earth only to find that there's a Bigger Fish right here.

* ArchEnemy: The Leader, the Abomination and Gen. Thunderbolt Ross. One could even make a case about Hulk being [[EnemyWithin Banner's.]]
* ArrogantGodVsRagingMonster: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] depending on what version of the Hulk is fighting. As Bruce Banner has DID and many alters, each Hulk has different traits. Joe Fixit is WeakButSkilled compared to the other hulk as he's a cunning and dirty fighter, The Professor is a JackOfAllStats while [[GeniusBruiser retaining Bruce's intellect]], World Breaker Hulk is easily strong enough to best most gods but his power tends to be uncontrollable and dangerous to everyone around him, of course then there's... The Devil/Immortal Hulk. The Immortal Hulk is more like a god or a demon in that he has explicitly mystical qualities, has resurrective immortality, can be dismembered and still move his bits and pieces which will rejoin if free and close together, can see into souls and smell the lies on people, and is so strong he can crack Thor's skull and beat him with one punch. Then again it may not be a SubvertedTrope in the immortal Hulk's case as he is very intelligent and enjoys BreakThemByTalking along with being a SoftSpokenSadist to his enemies.
* AssholeVictim: Most people who get beat up by the Hulk usually have it coming. Bruce Banner just can't stop running into assholes who go out of their way to make the poor guy mad.

* TheBerserker: The Hulk is practically rage incarnate.

* AntiHero: Considering that the Hulk has a very "Hollywood version" of [[SplitPersonality Multiple Personality Disorder]], with a heavy dose of DependingOnTheWriter on top, it shifts wildly from incarnation to incarnation, individual interpretations thereof, and even deliberate CharacterDevelopment. However, roughly speaking, the incarnations go as follow:

* CosmicPlaything: Banner and the Hulks have lived a life of marvelous adventure that's mostly awful as every happy moment seems doomed to end in heartbreak and estrangement. To their added frustration, they learn at the very end of ''Immortal Hulk'' that they are meant to act as [[spoiler:avatars for the One Below All]] at the behest of the [[spoiler:One Above All]] to wreck beneficial destruction where it's needed even if what they cherish winds up as collateral damage for the sake of the greater good.

* GeniusBruiser: The amount of genius depends which personality is in control, though quite a few of them incorporate Banner's smarts, their own cunning or a mixture of the two. Even [[DumbMuscle the Savage Hulk]] can be shockingly clever when the situation calls for it.

* HairTriggerTemper: While he's not exactly a bad guy, this is the reason he tends to get into so many battles with other superheroes. It takes very little to piss him off, so you're basically walking on eggshells when he's in your presence for the entire time.

* HeroWithBadPublicity: In fact, it would be very hard to find anyone in the Marvel Universe with ''worse'' publicity who could still be considered a hero. But you really can't blame anyone.

* ItCanThink: The greatest folly one can have when facing Hulk is to assume that he's completely mindless and dumb. He really, ''really'' is not, and can be quite cunning when facing against an opponent he can't immediately pulverize.
* ItsPersonal: The Hulk is usually one of the Marvel heroes most averse to killing anybody. HOWEVER,
** The demon [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Nightmare]], however, is an exception. What did the villain do you ask? Well, in order, he drove Hulk mad and exiled him from humanity after finally being accepted; later killed his unborn child and raped his wife; later still turned his existence into nightmarish reality-distortions for years. Hulk's response? He ripped off Nightmare's head and stuck it on a spear.
** There was no long lost love between Hulk and Abomination, but once Emil killed Betty, the two fights that occurred between them has Hulk literally caving his face in.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Again, this varies from personality to personality, but at the least the Savage Hulk is usually gentle, helpful, and compassionate when not provoked, and won't bother you if you don't bother him. Joe Fixit is the exception, being a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk.

* LetsYouAndHimFight: Various heroes have been unlucky enough to cross the Hulk's path, including ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}, ComicBook/IronMan and the heroes who make up part of his regular rogues' gallery (see below). It's not an experience any of the other guys would care to repeat.

* {{Misblamed}}: InUniverse, the Hulk is frequently blamed for the damage his fights cause, even though he's rarely the one who started it.
* MonsterModesty: Hulk is the main offender but many of his enemies (Abomination) or his allies (Skaar) utilize this trope.

* MusclesAreMeaningful: The Hulk is among the strongest individuals in the Marvel Universe, and is ripped as hell.

* SplitPersonality: One of the most famous in history.
** Dr. Bruce Banner is a different person when transformed into the Hulk. The comics take it to extremes, with different versions of the Hulk with different personalities: in addition to the traditional "Savage Hulk", there also developed a sneaky, amoral version called Joe Fixit (who was grey, like in the Hulk's first appearance). Eventually, the personalities were integrated into the "Merged Hulk", but this was {{retcon}}ned to be just another personality, the Professor (who had Banner's brainpower, Fixit's cunning, and most of Savage Hulk's strength).[[note]]The Professor seems to be based on Billy Milligan's ability to voluntarily integrate everyone in his system; he called this state "the Teacher". Other multiples report being able to integrate at will and ''don't'' recommend it, agreeing with Billy that "the whole is less than the sum of the parts."[[/note]] Some sources have interpreted these personas as representing different stages of Banner's life; the Savage Hulk is the immature child who wanted to be strong enough to protect Bruce's mother from his abusive father, Fixit is the moody teenager Bruce never let himself be, and the Professor represents the adult amalgamation of all his other experiences.

** Memorably displayed during Marvel's ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' limited series, when the heroes are trapped under ''a mountain range'' with the Hulk (barely) keeping them from being crushed. As the Hulk starts to weaken, Reed Richards begins insulting him for being useless DumbMuscle, which irritates the Hulk to become stronger. Of course, considering that he nowadays ([[RuleOfCool somehow... look he can punch through reality, just go with it]]) holds together collapsing planets even when calm...

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: None of the personas like each other, but have to stay together to survive. Although Bruce and Professor Hulk seem to be at least the most amenable since the latter represents Bruce's ideal self.
* ThouShaltNotKill: Not an absolute version, and he makes exceptions for any thoroughly malevolent EldritchAbomination, OmnicidalManiac, and such, or as a very last option if too many other lives depend on it, but contrary to popular belief (due to that he loves to rumble and smashing inanimate objects), and similarly to ComicBook/SpiderMan, the most heroic Hulk incarnations (including Banner, Savage Hulk, the merged version, and likely the Green Scar), are as close as the Franchise/MarvelUniverse gets, or at the very least far more so than the majority of the heroes. He really, ''really'' hates to kill, and has [[FriendTOAllLivingThings repeatedly gone into a panic or been brought to tears at times when he hasn't been able to save bystanders]]. It takes ridiculous extremes to get him to that point. Lampshaded by his son Skaar who considers him extremely "[[ARealManIsAKiller weak]]" in this respect. Of course, [[TokenEvilTeamMate Joe Fixit]] doesn't have that problem, although he seemed to avoid using lethal force during the Dale Keown run/towards the end. The Immortal/Devil Hulk likewise doesn't, being more than willing to kill if he feels it deserved.

* TheWhyWaitCombatant: The Hulk has never been one to stand on ceremony. Once the Hulk determines that someone is an adversary, the closest he comes to hesitation is to deliver his Battle Cry "Hulk smash!" before pounding the bejesus out of his opponent. The Tao of Hulk is essentially "Hitting solves everything."

** This is consistently what makes Hulk such a hated opponent for most of his enemies; trying to predict him is a lesson in futility. He's a force of destruction that's an expert at going underground and popping up when least expected. He has connections in the most unexpected places possible to plumb for information. For as much as his other personalities hate each other they nicely compliment each other and round out Banner's skill set (Banner is a genius, Joe is StreetSmart, Hulk is TooDumbToFool, ect). Even the laws governing how his powers work are inconsistent ''in universe'' as much as they are out of them, so even the long list of [[LogicalWeakness Logical Weaknesses]] seen above can't be relied upon. This is why two of the people who hate Hulk the most are military genius Thunderbolt Ross and GambitRoulette master The Leader; plan all you want, but Hulk will find a way to smash your plots.
** Tragically this is a massive problem for Bruce Banner's personal life. His lack of stability and failure to escape all the insanity that comes with his condition makes him a nightmare to live with. His relationship with Betty is a long, complicated mess, Leonard Samson's attempts to introduce an orderly solution for his Hulk status all flounder, and his super-hero allies are just as likely to try and arrest him as they are give him a place to sleep.
-->'''Samson:''' "Once you're ready" you said. Nobody's ever ready.
* WouldHitAGirl: Your gender doesn't matter to the Hulk. If you're presenting yourself as an opponent or if you piss him off, you'll get what's coming to you. Just ask [[PowerIncontinence Va]][[PsychoForHire por]], [[TheVamp Moon]][[ManipulativeBastard stone]], [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident M]][[{{UsefulNotes/Suicide}} e]][[BizarreAlienBiology r]][[NinjaPirateZombieRobot c]][[DependingOnTheWriter y]], or [[DoubleAgent Ani]][[GenderBender mus]]! There are times when even She-Hulk has found out the hard way.

* FullFrontalAssault: Occasionally his MagicPants fail him and he's forced to battle in the nude; this is generally reserved for the more savage incarnations of the Hulk, especially when he's the threat, not one of the protagonists.

* GeniusBruiser: The amount of genius varies on which personality is in control, although they have been known to borrow one another's skills if necessary. Even the Savage Hulk is a CombatPragmatist who can use the environment to his advantage, and despite declarations, he is ''not'' just "'''HULK SMASH!'''"

During the battle with ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, Banner had Jean Grey of the X-Men bring out the Savage Hulk in order to stop the villain, during which Onslaught managed to split the Hulk into two beings: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. However, when the Fantastic Four, most of the Avengers, and (albeit against his will) Dr. Doom sacrificed themselves to stop him, so did the now-separate Banner, which resulted in him being among them being saved and [[ComicBook/HeroesReborn reborn in a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards]]. However, the Hulk was still around and now without Banner and his morals and unlike the other times Banner was separated from the Hulk, this Hulk still had a mind, but without Banner, he was effectively a merger of the Savage Hulk and Joe Fixit -- including their worst impulses, not helped by the fact he still suffered from having shrapnel in his head due to the actions of Savage Banner. This Hulk briefly served Apocalypse as the Horseman of War (see below), after the villain removed the shrapnel.

When Banner (and the others) did return, he was merged back with the Hulk, but this Hulk was still the main Hulk for a time, just now with he and Banner able to transform back and forth between forms and now tempered by Banner.

During the battle with ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, Banner had Jean Grey of the X-Men bring out the Savage Hulk in order to stop the villain, during which Onslaught managed to split the Hulk into two being: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. However, when the Fantastic Four, most of the Avengers, and (albeit against his will) Dr. Doom sacrificed themselves to stop him, so did the now-separate Banner, which resulted in him being among them being saved and [[ComicBook/HeroesReborn reborn in a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards]]. However, the Hulk was still around and now without Banner and his morals and unlike the other times Banner was separated from the Hulk, this Hulk still had a mind, but without Banner, he was effectively a merger of the Savage Hulk and Joe Fixit -- including their worst impulses, not helped by the fact he still suffered from having shrapnel in his head due to the actions of Savage Banner. This Hulk briefly served Apocalypse as the Horseman of War (see below), after the villain removed the shrapnel.

During the battle with ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, Banner had Jean Grey of the X-Men bring out the Savage Hulk in order to stop the villain, during which Onslaught managed to split the Hulk into two being: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. However, when the Fantastic Four, most of the Avengers, and (albeit against his will) Dr. Doom sacrificed themselves to stop him, so did the now-separate Banner, which resulted in him being among them being saved and [[ComicBook/HeroesReborn reborn in a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards]]. However, the Hulk was still around and now without Banner and his morals and unlike the other times Banner was separated from the Hulk, this Hulk still had a mind, but without Banner, he was effectively a merger of the Savage Hulk and Joe Fixit -- including their worst impulses, not helped by the fact he still suffered from having shrapnel in his head due to the actions of Savage Banner. This Hulk briefly served Apocalypse as the Horseman of War (see below), after the villain removed the shrapnel.

* TheDreaded: While not a villain, the Hulk is typically treated as being as every bit as much a threat as any of the Marvel universe's major villains when heroes clash with him.

* DependingOnTheArtist: Under the pencils of Mike Deodato in the main book, this Hulk's pants during his Bannerless phase were reduced to tattered blue shorts. Every other artist -- and even Deodato in the ''Hercules Unleashed'' one shot-- depicted him with the classic purple pants, a fact kept Banner and this Hulk remerged.
* FightingYourFutureSelf: This Hulk's first battle after remerging with Bruce was the Maestro controlling the Destroyer armor.

* WorldsSmartestMan: He's certainly in the running. Since he's usually too busy being the Hulk though, he doesn't exactly have the luxury for self-improvement. Likewise, most of his competitors have easy access to some of the the most sophisticated technology known to man, whereas Bruce remains on the lamb for years. That being said, Bruce can still give them a run for their money in scientific knowledge, and he remains their superior in radiation expertise.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: A DownplayedTrope as this generally only applies to Banner and those close to Banner, but there are instances where he will show shades of this even beyond the very few people he personally cares about. A notable exception is Peter Parker, after ''Immortal Hulk: Great Power'', being genuinely touched by how Peter chose to stay with Banner when he transformed, making sure that he wouldn't have to be alone since that's the one thing that he ''can't'' do for Bruce. Before he leaves, he tells Peter that he's a good man. Additionally, while he has a generally dim view of humanity, he does get filled with righteous indignation when seeing the horrible things that people do that have given him such a dim view. He generally goes out of his way to punish people who have done terrible things and he does it partially out of respect for the innocent victims.

** In ''Immortal Hulk: Great Power'', he's positively friendly with Peter after the other man genuinely and pleasantly surprised him by choosing to stay with Bruce while he transformed and faded away, thanking him for performing the one act of kindness that Hulk ''can't'' manage and telling him that he's a good man.

* AntiHero: Roughly a PragmaticHero on Sakaar/basically a more responsible version of the Savage Hulk. Views are split about whether he was provoked into UnscrupulousHero or NominalHero during ''World War Hulk'' (compare a sovereign nation being annihilated, and then strictly retaliating by going after those responsible, without any Hiroshima or civilian casualties involved), although despite his RoaringRampageOfRevenge casuing very inconsiderate property damage, he is still less bloodthirsty than the majority of pragmatic heroes.

* DeathSeeker: Seriously considered letting a missile do him in at one point of ''Tales to Astonish'' issue #59.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Brian Banner accused Bruce of this ever since he was a toddler. It's obvious though, that his father was simply being jealous and paranoid towards Bruce's immense intelligence.

* AesopAmnesia: Finally accepted the Hulk (and vice-versa), as well as coming to terms with their past in "Incredible Hulk Vol 3 13"; to the point of outright relinquishing the cure for their condition. Sadly, later writers undo this completely.

* DeathSeeker: On his worse days, Bruce has tried to take his own life, or get someone to take it for him. Small wonder, considering how badly he's suffered over the years. This is actually Deconstructed in ComicBook/ImmortalHulk, which goes into Bruce's overwhelming depression at multiple failed suicide attempts, self-loathing, and his basic human need for some form of love and optimism. Savage Hulk cites this as yet another reason he hates Bruce, claiming, "Banner would rather die than let Hulk live."

* StatusQuoIsGod: Several writers who were in charge of writing years-long sagas tried to make Banner start to accept his Hulk personas, or outright having embraced them already, as some form of closure to his character at the end of their run - Greg Pak, after World War Hulk, being one of them - that of course never sticks, someone else will wipe the state clean for whatever is next for Banner and all his Hulks to be at odds against each other.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Brian Banner accused Bruce of this ever since he was a toddler. It's obvious though, that his father was simply being jealous and paranoic towards Bruce's immense intelligence.

* HulkSpeak: The {{Trope Namer|s}}.

During the battle with ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, Banner had Jean Grey of the X-Men bring out the Savage Hulk in order to stop the villain, during which Onslaught managed to split the Hulk into two being: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. However, when the Fantastic Four, most of the Avengers, and (albeit against his will) Dr. Doom sacrificed themselves to stop him, so did the now-separate Banner, which resulted in him being among them being saved and [[ComicBook/HeroesReborn reborn in a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards]]. However, the Hulk was still around and now without Banner and his morals and unlike the other times Banner was separated from the Hulk, this Hulk still had a mind, but without Banner, he was effectively a merger of the Savage Hulk and Joe Fixit -- including their worst impulses, not helped by the fact he still suffered from having shrapnel in his head due to the actions of Savage Banner. This Hulk brief served Apocalypse as the Horseman of War (see below), wherein the villain remnoved the shrapnel.

* AwfulTruth: He's the first to learn that Brian Banner's death was really an AccidentalMurder by Bruce and is horrified by it, refusing to believe it.

* DeathSeeker: This Hulk, while still resisting the influence of Mercy, wanted to die and Dr. Strange confronts him what's happening to him, he only says "Good," and leaps away, refusing to hear Strange say that he'll take the world with him.

* WeirdnessMagnet: The Hulk is this, especially in the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Ages.]] Even when he had successfully eluded the military and anyone else who might be chasing him, he would inevitably just blunder into a landing alien spaceship, or try to take a nap in a cave and discover it's a supervillain's hideout, or try to find privacy on a desert island only to find it's full of monsters, etc... when all the poor lug really wants is some peace and quiet.

* OtherMeAnnoysMe: During his takeover of Duck Key, another Hulk, one from a universe he fight with the Maestro ended with Janis and other rebels where killed and he was forced to kill the Maestro himself (and stayed to fix things before realizing he was becoming no better than the Maestro and tried to return to his own universe), tried to talk him down, but the Hulk doesn't want to hear it and fight him.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: When the Hulk smacks Rick Jones into a wall, crippling and nearly killing him as a result and Janis yells at him for it, along with the return of the hallucination of Brian Banner returns and gloats about "being right" about Bruce, resulting in Hulk ripped off the armor Apocalypse gave him and fleeing from Cairo in horror at his actions.

During the battle with ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}, Banner had Jean bring out the Savage Hulk in order to stop the villain, during which Onslaught managed to split the Hulk into two being: Bruce Banner and the Hulk. However, when the Fantastic Four, most of the Avengers, and (albeit against his will) Dr. Doom sacrificed themselves to stop him, so did the now-separate Banner, which resulted in him being among them being saved and [[ComicBook/HeroesReborn reborn in a pocket universe created by Franklin Richards]]. However, the Hulk was still around and now without Banner and his morals and unlike the other times Banner was separated from the Hulk, this Hulk still had a mind, but without Banner, he was effectively a merger of the Savage Hulk and Joe Fixit -- including their worst impulses, not helped by the fact he still suffered from having shrapnel in his head due to the actions of Savage Banner. This Hulk brief served Apocalypse as the Horseman of War (see below), wherein the villain remnoved the shrapnel.

* DependingOnTheArtist: Under the pencils of Mike Deodato in the main book, this Hulk's pants during his Bannerless phase were reduced to tattered blue shorts. Every other artist depicted him with the classic purple pants, a fact kept Banner and this Hulk remerged.