History TearJerker / TheIncredibleHulk

* The Incredible Hulk (1968) Issue 189 ends with the Hulk leaving his kind friends, not because they rejected him, but because ''their acceptance was too much for a so-called monster like him to bear''.

--> '''Narrator''': As much as Hulk wanted to... Hulk could not stay in this place of new friends... new happiness. It was not right. Hulk had looked into Katrina's eyes... and Hulk had seen a man there... a good man... strong... gentle... but still a man! And Hulk... Hulk is only a ''monster''!
He's crying while leaving the village, and his friends don't even know why.

:He's crying while leaving the village, and his friends don't even know why.

::He's crying while leaving the village, and his friends don't even know why.

He's crying while leaving the village, and his friends don't even know why.

--> Katrina: You are not ''ugly'', Hulk... you are ''gentle''... you are ''beautiful''... and you are '''loved'''.
--> Narrator: As much as Hulk wanted to... Hulk could not stay in this place of new friends... new happiness. It was not right. Hulk had looked into Katrina's eyes... and Hulk had seen a man there... a good man... strong... gentle... but still a man! And Hulk... Hulk is only a ''monster''!

** The B-plot has Betty dealing with a man nicknamed "Chet", who has AIDS as well and is quickly spiraling down the DespairEventHorizon. Betty tries her damnedest to get "Chet" to get some sort of help. At the end of the story, he reveals that he had a girlfriend and had sex with her before he learned what he had. Betty begs him to go find her and tell her what's going on, only to realize that [[DrivenToSuicide he's on train tracks]]. She begs him to tell her her name and he tries to... [[YankTheDogsChain only for "Chet" to muse the train is moving awfully fast]].

* In issue #165, the Hulk fights his way free of a MadScientist named Captain Omen and leads the mutated deep-sea dwelling children of Omen and his followers to the surface they have been denied their entire lives. It's initially a happy scene, with the mutates reveling in the sun and wind, and Hulk enjoying a rare moment of pride and contentment, literally musing that he has done a good thing... and then the revelry changes to shock and horror as the mutates [[PopGoesTheHuman start exploding into bloody kibble]]. It turns out that Captain Omen and his crew forbid their children from returning to the surface because the same mutant physiology that lets them survive the incredible pressure at the ocean's floor makes them biologically incompatible with the lighter pressure of the surface -- [[PoorCommunicationKills they just never told their children this]]. The last survivor, Captain Omen's son, lasts long enough to flee back to his father's submersible and beg to be allowed back inside, but is refused; Captain Omen and the other crew are are all sick from the temporary pressure change themselves, and if the environment inside is disturbed again, they'll die. So the sub sinks back into the ocean whilst the last mutate bangs at the door, thinking to himself that his father has ''got'' to change his mind and let him in, he ''won't'' just let his only son die... but he's dead wrong. The last shot is of the Hulk, alone on a gore-slick beach, scared and confused, completely unable to comprehend how it all could have gone so wrong.

[[AC:[[Film/TheIncredibleHulk Film]]]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_incredible_hulk_tearjerker.jpg]]
* The opening credit sequence depicting Bruce's accident, his ensuing rampage as the Hulk, and the aftermath in which an enraged General Ross orders him to keep his distance from Betty, who was injured during the whole affair.
** [[https://youtu.be/xwrkR3PELJ8 The alternate opening scene]] of the movie is even worse. We see Bruce climbing to the peak of a mountain, [[DrivenToSuicide pull out a gun]], and just as he cocks the hammer back, his eyes turn green and the big guy wakes up.
*** Also, if Bruce's rant during ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' is anything to go by, it would seem that this scene is {{canon}}.
---->'''Bruce:''' I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy ''spat it out!''
* Bruce having a trauma-induced flashback to the campus incident.
* Bruce trying to make love to Betty, only for his heart rate monitor to act up, showing that he can't even do that.
----

[[AC:[[Series/TheIncredibleHulk 1977 series]]]]
* Elaina Marks' death in the pilot movie. She doesn't even get to say a proper goodbye to David himself, since it's the Hulk who gets to watch her die. She tearfully wonders who will take care of him and then confesses her love, before passing away. The Hulk screams to the heavens in anguish.
** Later, when standing over her gravestone, David (with no memories of her last moment with him as the Hulk) says that he always loved Elaina. And he thinks she loved him back, "although you never said it."
* At the climax of the second part of "The First", Dell Frye's Hulk, seemingly out of sheer spite, throws the last remaining sample of the serum that would've cured both him and David on the ground, destroying it completely. David's [[DespairEventHorizon reaction]] is especially powerful; he's spent the last couple years running, fearing the beast inside of him coming out, and he had finally found salvation....only for it be taken away...by another person just like ''him'', no less. All he can do now is cry....and then the "Hulk out" music starts...
-->'''David:''' ''[his eyes wet and green-white]'' No! [[BigNO NO!!]]
* If David crying is already sad, things get sadder when ''the Hulk'' [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness cries]]. It happened in the pilot episode, after the Hulk realizes that Elaina Marks is dead, despite his efforts to save her.
** Similarly, he cries when he arrives too late to save a murdered girl in "Of Guilt, Models and Murder".
** And in "Married", when David's wife dies as a result of a disease.
** The only situation in which Hulk's tears aren't related to death is in "Homecoming", as his father, with whom David had just made peace after years of estrangement, tells Hulk to go away (in order to protect him from persecution), but Hulk wants to be with his father.
* The LonelyPianoPiece, entitled "Lonely Man," which plays at the end of most episodes is widely considered to be one of the saddest pieces of music ever composed.

[[AC:1996 series]]
* In "Innocent Blood", in an effort to save a dying Bruce by getting him worked up enough to Hulk out, Betty and Rick are in tears as they're forced to yell at him and lie that they think he's a destructive monster who has ruined their lives, that they wish he never existed and they never want to see him again. In the end, their effort to [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim break his heart in order to save him]] works, but their harsh words hit Hulk hard and he's taken them to heart. Rick and Betty try to explain they didn't mean any of the things they said, but Hulk doesn't understand and leaves, feeling alone and rejected by his two closest friends.
-->'''Hulk:''' Betty. Rick. Friends.\\
'''Betty:''' ''[starting to cry]'' No, Hulk. We're not friends. I'm frightened of you. You're destructive and... I don't love you, I hate you! ''[begins sobbing]'' \\
'''Hulk:''' Hate Hulk?\\
'''Rick:''' ''[also crying]'' You've ruined our lives, man. You've ruined everybody's life! We wish you'd just... just go away. Just leave us alone.\\
'''Hulk:''' No. No. Rick? Betty?\\
'''Betty:''' You're a monster. I never want to see you again. Do you hear me? Never!\\
'''Hulk:''' BETTY!
* The scene in "Mortal Bounds" where Gargoyle sadly examines his restored face and laments that he will have to return to his deformed self in order to survive.
** The scene where [[ComicBook/{{Thor}} Don Blake]] reveals that the antidote to the virus won't be ready in time to save Betty, driving Bruce to tears. Happily, it becomes a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} when Gargoyle arrives and gives Bruce the rest of the antidote the two of them created earlier, saying that even a hideous troll like himself can perform a good deed.
* In "Darkness and Light Part 3", when Hulk's mindless rage is broken by his concern for a possibly-injured Betty, he asks her why she lied to him about how she'd never hurt him and flees further into the desert, leaving Betty to believe Hulk blames her for his pain.

* The scene where [[ComicBook/{{Thor}} Don Blake]] reveals that the antidote to the virus won't be ready in time to save Betty, driving Bruce to tears. Happily, it becomes a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} when Gargoyle arrives and gives Bruce the rest of the antidote the two of them created earlier, saying that even a hideous troll like himself can preform a good deed.

** Later, when standing over her gravestone, David (with no memories of her last moment with him as the Hulk) says that he always loved Elaina. And he think she loved him back, "although you never said it."

* At the climax of the second part of "The First", Dell Frye's Hulk, seemingly out of sheer spite, throws the last remaining sample of the serum that would've cured both him and David on the ground, destroying it completely. David's [[DespairEventHorizon reaction]] is especially powerful; he's spent the last couple years running, fearing the beast inside of him coming out and he had finally found salvation....only for it be taken away...by another person just like ''him'', no less. All he can do now is cry....and then the Hulkout music starts...
--> '''David''' ''[his eyes wet and green-white]'': No! [[BigNO NO!!]]
* The LonelyPianoPiece (entitled "Lonely Man") which plays at the end of most episodes is widely considered to be one of the saddest pieces of music ever composed.

[[AC: 1996 series]]
* In "Innocent Blood", in an effort to save a dying Bruce by getting him worked up enough to hulk out, Betty and Rick are in tears as they're forced to yell at him and lie that they think he's a destructive monster who has ruined their lives, that they wish he never existed and they never want to see him again. In the end, their effort to [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim break his heart in order to save him]] works but their harsh words hit Hulk hard and he's taken them to heart. Rick and Betty try to explain they didn't mean any of the things they said but Hulk doesn't understand and leaves, feeling alone and rejected by his two closest friends.

* The scene in "Mortal Bounds", where Gargoyle sadly examines his restored face and laments that he will have to return to his deformed self in order to survive.

* In "Darkness and Light Part 3", when Hulk's mindless rage is broken by his concern for a possibly injured Betty, he asks her why she lied to him about how she'd never hurt him and flees further into the desert, leaving Betty to believe Hulk blames her for his pain.

* The sequence that plays during the opening credits, depicting Bruce's accident, his ensuing rampage, and the aftermath in which he an enraged General Ross orders him to keep his distance from Betty, who was injured during the whole affair.
** [[https://youtu.be/xwrkR3PELJ8 The alternate opening scene]] of the movie is even worse. We see Bruce climbing to the peak of a mountain, [[DrivenToSuicide pull out a gun]], and just as he cocks the hammer back, his eyes turn green and the big guy wakes up.
*** Also, if Bruce's rant during ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' is anything to go by, it would seem that this scene is canon.
--->'''Bruce:''' I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy ''spat it out!''

'''Betty:''' ''[starting to cry'' No, Hulk. We're not friends. I'm frightened of you. You're destructive and... I don't love you, I hate you! ''[begins sobbing]'' \\

** The scene in "Mortal Bounds", where Gargoyle sadly examines his restored face and laments that he will have to return to his deformed self in order to survive.
** The scene where [[ComicBook/{{Thor}} Don Blake]] reveals that the antidote to the virus won't be ready in time to save Betty, driving Bruce to tears. Happily, it becomes a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} when Gargoyle arrives and gives Bruce the rest of the antidote the two of them created earlier, saying that even a hideous troll like himself can preform a good deed.

--> '''David (his eyes wet and green-white):''' No! [[BigNO NO!!]]

* The LonelyPianoPice (entitled "Lonely Man") which plays at the end of most episodes is widely considered to be one of the saddest pieces of music ever composed.

[[AC:[[Series/TheIncredibleHulk Series]]]]

* Bruce trying to make love to Betty, only for his heart rate monitor to act up, showing that he can't even do that.

* At the climax of the second part of "The First", Dell Frye's Hulk throws the last remaining sample of the serum that would've cured both him and David, destroying it completely. David's [[DespairEventHorizon reaction]] is especially powerful; he's spent the last couple years running, fearing the beast inside of him coming out and he had finally found salvation....only for it be taken away...by another person just like ''him'', no less. All he can do is cry....and then the Hulkout music starts...

--> David (his eyes wet and green-white): No! [[BigNO NO!!]]

* At the climax of the second part of "The First", Dell Frye's Hulk throws the last remaining sample of the serum that would've cured both him and David. David's [[DespairEventHorizon reaction]] is especially powerful; he's spent the last couple years running, fearing the beast inside of him coming out and he had finally found salvation....only for it be taken away...by another person just like ''him'', no less. All he can do is cry....and then the Hulkout music starts...