Warning: contains spoilers for Immortal Hulk #44!
The Hulk’s latest devastating defeat could change his powers forever and make false the claim of his immortality. The Hulk is currently being assaulted on two fronts, by both the government strike team Gamma Flight (now staffed by the villains known as the U-Foes) and a cosmic entity known as the One Below All. The strongest Avenger is taken down by one, only to fall into the clutches of the other, creating a situation which may alter his power set for good.
As a series, The Immortal Hulk has made official the long observable fact that the Hulk will always return from death. As Bruce Banner's "Devil Hulk" persona rose to command his other selves, the switch between man and Hulk was formalized, with Banner taking the day and Hulk emerging at night - even if Banner had died before that point. Recently, the nefarious Leader killed the Devil Hulk and dragged Banner to his personal hell, leaving the Hulk's body under the stewardship of the Savage Hulk and Joe Fixit. Sadly, the duo were no match for the U-Foes, who came equipped with Hulk's version of kryptonite, destroying his body and sending him to the Below-Place. Usually, the Hulk would return to life soon after thanks to the gamma-powered Green Door - the force that allows for his immortality - but there's reason to believe that this time, that option may be off the table.
While the Jade Giant's unfortunate death wouldn’t normally be an issue for the immortal Avenger, the circumstances of his latest trip to the underworld are a bit different than his last few visits to the Below-Place. Over the course of the series, the Leader has been studying the Below-Place and the supernatural application of gamma energy, ultimately gaining the ability to close the Green Door, preventing gamma-powered individuals from returning to life. Now that the Leader has reached his endgame and been possessed by the One Below All - and with Banner trapped elsewhere undergoing endless torture - he has no reason to allow the Hulk to leave.
While Hulk's immortality has only truly been acknowledged in this series, Ewing has carefully connected the dots of the character's entire history, showing that he's always had this power, even though he hasn't known it. But the Green Door is still just a mechanism, and if the Leader has managed to close it for his old enemy, it may be that in heading for its final, fifieth issue, Immortal Hulk is finally saddling the Green Goliath with mortality. The Hulk would remain the strongest one there is, but a takedown like the one the U-Foes just handed out would be permanently lethal in future.
With a plan to steal the Hulk's form and devour reality, the One Below All was always going to put an end to the hero's resurrection abilities, and with Bruce Banner's personas scattered and trapped, it seems like the perfect moment to strike. Thankfully, there's still a chance for Hulk, as accessing the Below-Place at least opens up the opportunity of uniting the 'team' Devil Hulk had finally bullied and cajoled into working together. Hulk's most recent defeat offers the opportunity to win or lose his greatest battle for good, but may also be the Immortal Hulk team's way of robbing Hulk of an ability that any lesser creative team would struggle to make as compelling as it has been for the last forty-four issues.