I can’t believe the Hulk’s best villain isn’t getting any love from Marvel

The Hulk has no shortage of insanely powerful villains who want nothing more than to see him fall. Some villains are able to match his immense strength, such as the Abomination or Red Hulk, while others use superior intelligence to defeat him, such as Gargoyle or the Leader. However, there is one villain who clearly stands out from the rest as the best Hulk of all time, both in terms of physical threat and personal importance – and I can’t believe he gets no love at all from Marvel.

The Hulk villain in question is none other than Bruce Banner’s own father, Brian Banner, who made his debut in 2011 The Incredible Hulk #267 by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema. Brian was an abusive alcoholic who verbally and physically attacked both Bruce and Bruce’s mother. Normally Brian just neglected Bruce, but when he spoke to him he would angrily call Bruce a monster. The psychological torment Bruce endured throughout his childhood led to the formation of his multiple Hulk personalities, which eventually came to life after Bruce was exposed to gamma radiation.

Brian was as responsible for Bruce’s transformation into the Hulk as the gamma explosion, and his dark influence on Bruce’s life didn’t end there. When Bruce was a child, Brian, in a fit of drunken rage, killed Bruce’s mother right in front of him. While Brian was acquitted, Bruce knew what he saw and he never forgave his father. The lingering anger eventually boiled over when Bruce actually killed his father, a memory that Bruce repressed for many years and which further contributed to his repressed rage that would later fuel the Hulk’s strength.

Brian Banner continues to be underused in Hulk stories

Brian Banner was a Hulk Villain in stories including Chaos War & Immortal Hulk

Not only did Brian Banner exist as a villain in Bruce’s past, he also played villain roles in the modern day Hulk stories. In Chaos WarBrian is one of the souls revived by the Chaos King, and he even received a gamma upgrade in the physical world, becoming a snake-like, giant monster called the Guilt Hulk. As the Guilt Hulk, Brian became a physical threat to the Hulk, using the power to make Bruce’s super-strong alter ego feel just as weak and scared as Bruce did as a child.

Another modern Hulk story with Brian as the villain is The Immortal Hulkwhere Brian’s soul is trapped in the Under-Place after the events of Chaos Warand he is possessed by the One among all. Using the power of the One Under All, Brian has the ability to possess gamma mutants in the physical world and torment Bruce at the hands of those closest to him. Brian literally becomes a ghost, haunting Bruce from beyond the grave, making his villainous presence even more felt.

I’ll admit it, this may all seem like Brian is actually being used well in the Marvel comics, but that’s not really true. To be honest, Brian played a minor role Chaos Warand was little more than a cameo before Hulk “overcame his fear” and reduced Brian to ash. Then, in Immortal HulkBrian was eventually overshadowed by both the leader and the One Below All itself, not to mention the multitude of other villains featured in this series. Sure, he was there, but Brian was completely underused in these stories, just as he was in Marvel comics as a whole.

Brian Banner is the perfect villain for the Hulk, and it’s time for Marvel to realize that

Brian Banner needs to be the main Hulk villain in a new storyline

To me, it’s absolutely crazy that Brian wasn’t consistently or meaningfully Hulk’s main villain. How many times have fans read stories that featured the likes of the Abomination or the Leader as Hulk’s main adversaries over the years? But whenever Brian is a villain, he’s usually secondary at best. Brian has deep, personal connections to both Bruce and the Hulk, he knows how to exploit his son’s weaknesses like no other villain, and he even has his own “Hulk” form, making him the greatest physical, mental, emotional and overall threat turns into Hulk in Marvel.

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It makes a lot more sense for Brian Banner to be the Hulk’s main nemesis, especially compared to his other villains like the Abomination or the Leader. Brian is the personal nemesis that Hulk actually deserves, as opposed to a Russian spy who hates him or a smart guy who won’t leave him alone. Yet Brian never receives the recognition he deserves as a truly repugnant and extremely important human being Hulk Villain – and I really can’t believe it.

Hulk

The Hulk, a Marvel Comics superhero created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, is physicist Bruce Banner transformed by gamma radiation. When he becomes angry, he transforms into a giant, green-skinned creature with enormous strength and invulnerability. Hulk struggles with his transformations, teams up with other heroes, fights villains, and balances his intellect with uncontrollable rage, making him a central figure in Marvel’s universe.