Dr. Bruce Banner: physician, scientist, turned into a brutish green rage monster after being exposed to gamma rays while saving a young Rick Jones from a nuclear test.
But what if Bruce's mind was spared from these gamma rays? In one such universe, Bruce Banner retained his intellect and personality, albeit still trapped within the body of the Hulk. Escaping from his chamber with Rick, Bruce heads back to his lab and apprehends his traitorous partner Igor. Bruce and Rick soon run into Betty Ross, who learns about Bruce's predicament. Bruce and Betty strike up a romance, but is hampered by Bruce's nightly transformations into the Hulk. General Ross discovers the two's relationship, but eventually promises to help Bruce find a cure for his condition.
As time passes, Bruce and Betty's relationship deepens and the two become married, with few knowing about Bruce's secret. The Fantastic Four eventually reach out to Bruce, hoping to use the gamma radiation emitted from the Hulk to transform Ben Grimm back to normal. The experiment is a success, and with Ben no longer being the Thing, the Fantastic Four soon go their separate ways. Bruce is eventually tapped to help Reed Richards in his research, eventually attracting the attention of Charles Xavier. Together, the three focus their efforts on scientific advancements instead of superheroics.
That all changes when Galactus arrives in Manhattan, planning on devouring the Earth. Powerless against his might, Bruce, Reed, and Xavier use a device called the Psychotron to merge themselves into a single entity: X-Man. Swatting aside a confused Ben Grimm, X-Man confronts Galactus and defeats him in a psychic battle. Once X-Man splits apart, the three scientists discover that they no longer have their powers. They soon discover that Ben has transformed back into the Thing, now more powerful and brutish thanks to his exposure to X-Man's immense power. And thus, the Thing becomes a brutish monster hunted by the military, with Bruce powerless to do anything to help him.
What If... the Hulk had the Brain of a Troper?
- 11th-Hour Superpower: For most of the story, Bruce's transformations are triggered by the Sun going down, just like in the early issues of his series. However, once Galactus invades, that's what finally causes Bruce's anger to trigger his transformation, shortly before he loses his powers for good.
- Bittersweet Ending: Galactus is repelled and the Earth is saved, but at the cost of Bruce, Reed, and Xavier permanently losing their powers. Worse yet, their actions have caused Ben to turn back into the Thing and turned him into the monster the Hulk was in the original timeline.
- De-power:
- Ben Grimm is cured of his condition that turned him into the Thing thanks to Bruce and Reed using the gamma rays emitted by the Hulk. Ben remains human for a good while, until an exposure to the gamma rays from X-Man mutate him into a more monstrous version of the Thing.
- Bruce, Reed, and Xavier all end up permanently losing their powers after being briefly merged together as X-Man.
- For Want Of A Nail: The Avengers and X-Men never form because of Bruce keeping his intelligence as the Hulk, while the Fantastic Four eventually break-up once Ben is turned back into a human.
- Fusion Dance: Bruce Banner, Reed Richards, and Charles Xavier merge their bodies and minds together to form X-Man, a being so powerful it's capable of driving Galactus away from Earth.
- Happily Married: Bruce and Betty have a happy domestic life free from the problems the Hulk would normally bring. Having your husband turn big and green at night is far from the biggest problem in the world, after all.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Thanks to the power emitted during their experiments, Bruce, Reed, and Xavier accidentally end up attracting Galactus to Earth much earlier than in the original timeline.
- When the three scientists merge to become X-Man, they swat aside Ben Grimm so they can confront Galactus. That exposure to X-Man ends up mutating Ben, transforming him into a more Hulk-like version of the Thing.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Apparently, Banner as Hulk’s is fried greens.
