Warning! Spoilers ahead for Hulk: Grand Design - Monster #1!
While Captain America and Hulk are two of Marvel Comics' best-known Avengers, one of them constantly gets the short end of the stick. Since Hulk left the team early on in the comics, fans often point out that Hulk wasn't really an Avenger. Meanwhile, Captain America gets full credit for being one of the team's most loyal leaders. What fans don't know is that Hulk actually qualifies for one unique Avengers credential that not even Cap has achieved, despite what his MCU films evidence.
Hulk leaves the team only in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's second Avengers issue when the short-lived Space Phantom takes over Hulk's body. The Green Goliath claims that he can't trust his fellow teammates when he states: "I never suspected how much each of you hates me, deep down! I could tell by the way you fought me... by the remarks you made!" Hulk precedes to bounce away, only returning to the Avengers as a foe until issue #100 by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith.
In Jim Rugg's new comic, Hulk: Grand Design - Monster #1, Hulk revisits his brief history with the Avengers, proving he wasn't just part of the team but a founding member. The issue shows Hulk squaring off against his teammates as the Space Phantom takes over, retelling the moments from Avengers #2. While fans get to see Hulk in a recreation of Jack Kirby's awesome art from the 1960s, they might be wondering where Captain America is. At the time, Captain America was still a prisoner of the Arctic's freezing waters, making him not a founding member of the Avengers.
Despite the title of Captain America's MCU debut, Captain America: The First Avenger, Hulk actually has a better claim to this title than Steve Rogers himself. Before the iconic Star-Spangled Man with a Plan commands his teammates with inspiring rallies, Hulk actually sits in Captain America's chair as an actual "First Avenger." Hulk: Grand Design - Monster #1 has Hulk at the end of the table, remarking on how his fellow teammates should talk to him. It's funny to see Hulk be diplomatic as he establishes some boundaries and forever cements his relationship and camaraderie with Iron Man and Thor.
Even though Marvel and its fans acknowledge that it was incredibly short-lived, Hulk will always be one of the founding Avengers. It's funny how not even Captain America sits at the first Avengers meeting, but Hulk does. Hulk: Grand Design - Monster #1 is out now, and it's a fantastic start for anyone wanting to learn more about the lovable green and gamma-powered superhero or longtime lovers of the Merry Marvel Marching Society.