The Strongest Hulk Was Just Taken Over By His Arch-Nemesis
While the relationship between Bruce Banner and the child-like savage Hulk is the most well known, comic fans know that this only scratches the surface of Banner's multiple identites. There is a selfish gray Hulk named Joe, an intelligent one named Professor Hulk, with the strongest of them all being a noble warrior called the Green Scar. Unfortunately for the Hulk, the Green Scar just became more hindrance than help. In Immortal Hulk #37 the Green Scar was taken over by Hulk's arch-nemesis, the Leader.
Longtime comic fans will no doubt recognize the Green Scar from two of the Hulk's most memorable comic storylines, Planet Hulk and World War Hulk. Far from the unintelligent brute that Hulk is usually thought of, this Hulk was hardened into a noble warrior on the planet Sakaar. While not nearly as intelligent as Bruce Banner, this Hulk is capable of reason while also maintaining and even surpassing the Savage Hulk's raw strength. However, because this Hulk lost his family on Sakaar, he is more burdened by sadness and rage than any other incarnation of the character. It's for this reason that he has only made a handful of appearances during Immortal Hulk. However, that is bound to change in the aftermath of the Leader's latest scheme.
Currently, the Hulk is facing the aftermath of a gamma explosion caused by the Leader. As media is quick to blame the explosion on the savage Hulk, the team Gamma Flight comes to stop what they assume is a rampage. Despite the Hulk's protests that he's innocent, the Absorbing Man and his wife Titania assault him. While Hulk initially does well in the fight, things quickly go south.
As Gamma Flight member Puck charges a massive laser, Absorbing Man turns into a cloud of gamma radiation. Though Hulk initially fights back at Absorbing Man with a powerful clap, Absorbing Man is able to overwhelm Hulk with blasts of gamma radiation. As the Hulk is stunned, Puck blasts him with the laser, taking off his head. This opens up the famed Green Door that allows all gamma mutates to come back to life. However, the creature that walks out of the door isn't Bruce Banner or the savage Hulk, but a Leader controlled Green Scar.
While Leader has always been an intimidating Hulk villain because of his intelligence, taking control of the Green Scar gives him power to match that. As for what this means for Hulk's future, solicitations for the next issue give readers a tantalizing hint that none other than the chained up Devil Hulk will be the one to face off against the Green Scar for dominance. No matter who wins though, Immortal Hulk #37 points to the Hulk facing his toughest challenge yet.