Warning: Contains spoilers for The Incredible Hulk #16! The Hulk Has been a prominent hero in the MCU since the beginning of the established universe, meaning that he has no shortage of iconic moments throughout. However, one line of dialogue uttered by the Jade Giant definitely stands out as perhaps the most quotable, and as it turns out, that line has a deep-cutting connection to Hulk Learn in Marvel Comics that fans would never expect.
in The Incredible Hulk #16 by Philip Kennedy Johnson and Danny Earls, readers are thrown into the ancient past of 3600 BC, when the first Hulk called Enkidu tracks down the Eldest to challenge the eldritch monster to battle. Like the modern Hulk, Enkidu is the champion of the One Under All, which is the source of every Hulk’s power. The One Below All and the Mother of Horrors (essentially the god of all monsters) are ancient rivals, which makes the fight between Enkidu and the Elder even more epic.
While the Elder initially gains the upper hand by possessing Enkidu, the First Hulk summons the raw power of the One Under All himself to defeat the Elder seemingly once and for all. After receiving a massive power upgrade, Enkidu smashes the Elder into the ground. At this point in the history of the Elder Monster, the Elder is revered as a god, although Enkidu proves her worshipers misguided, as after he defeats her, Enkidu looks down at the Elder and says, “bad god“.
MCU’s Hulk ‘stole’ his “Pony God” line from Enkidu
Hulk calls Loki a “puny god” after defeating him in the MCU Avengers (2012)
Even though the Hulk technically said “bad god“To Loki in the MCU before Enkidu said it to the oldest in the comics (in terms of release date), the MCU’s Hulk represents the modern iteration of the character, while Enkidu is the first Hulk in Marvel history, meaning the MCU’s Hulk ‘stole’ the line from his Marvel Comics ancestor, but regardless of who said it first, the most significant thing about it is the fact that both Hulks said the line at all.
In the MCU, Hulk calls Loki a “bad god“After he took him down so easily at the end of the movie, which is basically what happened between Enkidu and the Elder. It’s as if the MCU’s Hulk, through some mystical sense of gamma memory from a past life, remembers Being in a similar situation with an almost identical result, and because of that, he says the exact same thing when he achieves victory. It’s a cool little detail that gives this line striking significance in Hulk lore.
Hulk has a history of smashing ‘Pony Gods’ in Marvel Lore
The Elder and Loki are far from the only ‘clear gods’ Hulk has taken down in his Marvel career (comics or otherwise). The Hulk has won many battles against Marvel gods, including the likes of Thor, Hercules, and even the One Under All himself after Thunder knocked the deity into oblivion. Hulk has also beaten other characters with the strength of cosmic gods, such as Gladiator and Sentry, which only further proves how immensely powerful the Hulk really is. However, he never seems as powerful as when he stands over the battered body of a literal god.
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Hulk’s many victories over Marvel gods are easily his most impressive, and they become even more so when the Hulk knows how much better he is than the supposedly divine beings, which he makes clear by calling them a “bad god“After they beat. And now, Hulk has done exactly that twice, once in the MCU and once in the form of Enkidu, giving this iconic MCU line a deep-cut connection to Hulks Marvel Comics study.
The Incredible Hulk #16 by Marvel Comics is now available.