Warning: contains a preview of The Immortal Hulk #49!
Al Ewing and Joe Bennett's acclaimed The Immortal Hulk is coming to a close with its final, 80-page issue #50, but there's still time for the Green Goliath to face off against the Avengers and Fantastic Four in an epic rematch. Hulk has fought the Avengers twice in his new series, with the team temporarily killing Bruce Banner in Immortal Hulk #7, and bringing maximum force to bear against Hulk and his allies in the recent Immortal Hulk #47. Sadly, these clashes have made it clear how little the Avengers are prepared to trust Hulk, treating it as vital to stop their former ally even as he works to combat a devastating threat to all life.
Hulk is heading for the Baxter Building in order to use the Fantastic Four's gate to the underworld, where he intends to face the One-Below-All and rescue Bruce Banner from the clutches of the Leader. But while it initially seemed Hulk would storm the building and catch Marvel's heroes unawares, a preview of the issue reveals that sadly won't be the case, as well as taking a hard look at the Avengers' hypocrisy in their attitude to the Hulk's mission.
As Hulk, She-Hulk, and journalist Jacqueline McGee head for the Baxter Building, McGee narrates the origin of the Fantastic Four, noting some key differences in the way the team are treated compared to the Hulk. McGee notes how out of place Hulk is in the lobby of the all-American superteam's base, even as the reader knows that the Thing has betrayed the trio, alerting the Avengers to their plan. She-Hulk is referred to as "our ambassador from the rarefied world of the super heroes, where every fight is a misunderstanding, where it can all be smoothed over with a little time or the right word in the right ear." But as the preview plays out, it's made clear that Hulk's big disadvantage is that he's never truly fit into the mold of the superhero, and while the Avengers may be able to forgive each other countless mistakes and betrayals, that understanding doesn't extend to the Hulk, because they never really accepted him in the first place. Enjoy the preview for The Immortal Hulk #49 - coming to retailers August 4 - below:
It's a chilling view of the Avengers as a paramilitary force there to enforce the status quo against those bold enough to demand real change. Among the numbers shown are Thor - who rapidly escalated the team's last confrontation with Hulk - and even Hawkeye, who executed Bruce Banner in Civil War II. Hulk has previously mocked the team for Captain America's claim that taking him down was a hard but necessary decision, contrasting his own radical mission to fight corrupt human institutions with the Avengers' more reactive role in protecting what already exists. Immortal Hulk has long been a nuanced discussion of how society configures its idea of monsters, and it's clear The Immortal Hulk #49 will continue that theme, depicting the Avengers not quite as villains, but certainly as a powerful in-group so sure they know best that they're ready to take the Hulk down despite the incredible importance of his mission.
Hopefully, the Hulk and She-Hulk can make their way through the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but even then, the Hulk will have to face the Fantastic Four. The Thing has so far been sympathetic to Hulk's current persona, and it's likely the issue will come down to some kind of ideological face-off between the Hulk as a true outsider and the Thing as someone far more invested in his ties to humanity. But before that can happen, Hulk will have to face the Avengers, knowing all the while that unlike Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and countless others, his personal revolt against the hero elite isn't likely to be forgotten any time soon.