Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Incredible Hulk #22!Bruce Banner and theHulkhave been fighting for total control over their shared body practically since their Marvel Comics debut. While that constant internal conflict is usually pushed to the side in lieu of more pressing villainous threats, the storm still rages within their mind. But now, that conflict is finally over, as Hulk conquers his human half at long last.
In the solicitation forThe Incredible Hulk#22 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein, fans are given a first-look at the main cover (by artist Nic Klein) and variant covers (by artists Rogê Antônio and Mark Brooks, respectively), along with the official synopsis.
BANNER NO MORE?! Bruce Banner is now fully locked away within the body and mind of the INCREDIBLE HULK… no more than a memory of Hulk’s former self. But as Charlie, increasingly violently, loses control to her skinwalker alter ego LYCANA, she finds a way to seek Banner’s help within the Hulkscape. Can Banner help Charlie keep her newfound power without sacrificing her humanity? Meanwhile, Gamma-mutated people around the world are disappearing! Is ELDEST to blame? And what does this mean for the Incredible Hulk?
As the synopsis reveals, Bruce Banner has become trapped within Hulk’s psyche, which has become an elaborate,hellish world known as the Hulkscape. In fact, the synopsis clearly states that Banner has become little more than a distant memory of someone Hulk used to be associated with, nothing more. While Charlie (with her newfound Skinwalker alter ego, Lycana) might spoil Hulk’s victory, it’s important to note thatCharlie is Hulk’s sidekick, not Banner’s, and she only joined him after promising to make Banner’s life miserable. In other words, it seems like Bruce Banner might be permanently trapped within the Hulkscape.
Marvel Has Been Teasing Hulk’s Victory Over Banner for Some Time
Bruce Banner’s Fate is Horrific, but Not Too Surprising
Since the start of this currentIncredible Hulkrun, Banner and Hulk have been at odds. Hulk made it his mission to make life as miserable for Bruce as he possibly could, with his most effective method of torture being Hulk’s manipulation of the transformation process.Hulk made the process of transforming between their two forms excruciating for Banner, as his body is literally ripped to shreds every time it happens.
Not only that, but Hulk also developed his own pocket-dimension within his corner of their shared psyche, the Hulkscape. This world is crawling with gamma-mutants, each one more hellish than the last, and every one of them wants nothing more than to make Banner suffer. Indeed, every resident of the Hulkscape is a fraction of Hulk’s own anger towards Banner, meaning this space is literally Bruce’s personal hell.
Bruce Banner was warned by a fragment of Hulk’s consciousness that he wouldn’t be able to leave if he kept coming back, and it seems Hulk made good on that promise.
In a previous comic, Bruce found himself trapped in the Hulkscape after being hit by a truck. Since Hulk is the reason Banner is immortal, Bruce’s consciousness is only kept alive because of the Hulk, which is why he went to the Hulkscape while his physical body healed. When he was there, Bruce was warned by a fragment of Hulk’s consciousness that he wouldn’t be able to leave if he kept coming back. And now, it seems Hulk has finally made good on that promise.
Hulk is More Than Justified in His Treatment of Bruce Banner
Banner Did the Same Thing to Hulk During Marvel’s “Starship Hulk” Story Arc
The Hulk hates Banner to an extreme degree in this Incredible Hulk series because of how Banner treated Hulk duringMarvel’s “Starship Hulk” story arc. That comic saw Banner trapping Hulk’s consciousness in a metaphysical torture chamber after taking over Hulk’s physical body, piloting it like a ‘starship’, and siphoning the Hulk’s internal anguish to power it. Now, Hulk has finally gotten his revenge on Banner by doing practically the exact same thing to him.
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Hopefully, with Bruce Banner trapped in the Hulkscape, the two will finally be able to ‘call it even’, and become at least partial allies once again. However, the history between Hulk and Banner stretches back much further than the last few story arcs, so it’s possible they could never see eye-to-eye. But, as it stands, it really doesn’t matter either way, because Bruce Banner has effectively been taken out of the equation, asHulkfinally conquers his human half.
The Incredible Hulk #22by Marvel Comics is available August 04, 2025.
Hulk
The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. He morphs into a giant, green-skinned creature of immense strength and invulnerability when angered. Struggling with his transformations, Hulk allies with other heroes, battling villains while balancing his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.
