Banner of War (marketed as Hulk vs. Thor: Banner of War) is a comic book event from Marvel Comics, a Spring 2022 Crossover between Thor (2020) and Hulk (2021). It is written by Donny Cates and with art by Martin Coccolo. It also serves as the 60th Anniversary storyline for both Thor and Hulk.
At the end of War of the Realms, Odin Borson abdicated and Thor became Asgard's new All-Father. Since then, Thor has struggled under the figurative and literal weight of the crown and a series of back-to-back crises — most of which were directly or indirectly his father's fault during his preceding reign. It's also not helping that the most recent crisis not only got Odin killed, but also left his spirit now bonded to Mjolnir.
Suffice it to say, the Mighty Avenger could really use an outlet (read: punching bag) for his considerable frustration and anger right about now — and he might just have it in the form of a certain 'friend from work' with his own share of anger management issues...
Meanwhile, at the end of Immortal Hulk, Bruce Banner had closed the Green Door forever and seemingly found a lasting peace with the Hulk and the rest of his alter egos...until all hell broke loose again. While passing through El Paso, Texas, Banner did something that got 17 people killed and left the Avengers screaming for their old teammate's head.
Banner's response to the El Paso Incident was to hijack his own body, locking the Savage Hulk's personality in the figurative trunk, and turning the Jade Giant into a 'Starship Hulk'. His goal was to leave Earth and remove the Hulk as a threat once and for all. But his colleagues, unwilling to let Banner escape responsibility so easily, gave chase.
Guess which Avenger caught up with Banner first?
So now, the Jade Giant and the God of Thunder are about to battle each other once again as they've done in years past. But this time, all bets are off and nothing's being held back. One way or another, this particular contest will finally settle once and for all which of them is really the Strongest Avenger...
- Hulk vs. Thor: Banner of War Alpha #1
- Thor (vol. 6) #25-26
- Hulk (Vol. 5) #7-8
Banner of War provides examples of:
- Arrogant God vs. Raging Monster: Inverted with Hulk as the Norse god of thunder and Thor as the gamma monster.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Thor tries to appeal to the Hulk, however, since it's Bruce in control he promptly tells Thor to shut up simultaneously slugging Thor in the face.
- Continuity Nod:
- Hulk and Thor's fight begins in the Black Hand of God, a severed Celestial Hand-turned-combat arena which Cates had introduced in his preceding Thor arc God of Hammers.
- Iron Man's latest Hulkbuster armor is the converted Celestial armor from Cates' King in Black (and which had reappeared early on in Hulk).
- Crossover: Between Cates' runs on Thor and Hulk. This also makes Banner the first Thor-centric event since War of the Realms and the first Hulk-centric event since Fall of the Hulks (not counting the Amadeus Cho-centric Weapons of Mutant Destruction during the Totally Awesome Hulk era).
- Faking the Dead: Thor and Hulk fake the latter's death at the end of the crossover.
- It's Personal: Thor and Hulk's longstanding rivalry, naturally. Iron Man's also very invested in this fight after Banner genuinely tried to kill him back in Hulk #1.
- Literal Disarming: Hulked-Out Thor rips Mjolnir-Wielding Hulk arm clean off. Luckily it wasn't the one holding the hammer.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Tony Stark's entry into the fight not only prevents Odin's spirit from shutting down the 'Starship Hulk' from inside, but sets off the chain of events that irradiates Gamma Thor.
- Pass the Popcorn: Utau the Watcher is literally snacking on popcorn while watching Thor and Hulk fight in the prologue.
- Resolved Noodle Incident: Thor #25 finally reveals what exactly happened in El Paso during the interim between the Al Ewing and Donny Cates eras of Hulk.
- Spirit Adviser: Since Odin's spirit is bonded to Mjolnir following the events of God of Hammers, he fulfills this role both with his son and to Banner once they begin working together.
- Talking the Monster to Death: When even the Yggdrasil fails to hold Hulked-Out Thor, it is Odin's spirit who stops him by apologizes to Thor and reminding his son that he loves him.
- The End... Or Is It?: Uatu implies that Black Winter might not be as dead as Thor thinks during his recap. Unfortunately, Uatu states THAT is a story for another time.
