The world of comic book superheroes is filled with characters, but only the Incredible Hulk stands out as a hero defined by his rage. And it turns out Hulk's temper is so world famous, even the heroes of the DC Universe know he's one person you do NOT want to make angry.
It's one of the longest running jokes in comics that, despite Marvel and DC being completely separate in movies, each universe's heroes exist, in some form or another, in their competitors'. Whether it's Iron Man referencing Superman, or Thor witnessing the DC Universe's death, every instance proves a treat for fans. But nothing beats the time Martian Manhunter was consumed by his rage, and with all manner of monster at his disposal, chose to express his anger... by becoming Marvel's Hulk. Yes, really.
The story was told in the crowd-pleasing Martian Manhunter series by John Ostrander and Dough Mahnke. Set during J'onn J'onzz's days with the Justice League International, the comic offered several glimpses into the Martian's memories in a multi-issue story called "Revelations." Not one to ever make himself look falsely flawless, J'onn decided to show one of his less admirable episodes in Issue #24. Specifically, the day Booster Gold and Blue Beetle decided to play a prank on their green-skinned teammate by hiding his beloved Choco Cookies (DC's stand-in for Oreos). But they didn't just hide the cookies in their headquarters -- they bought out every Choco Cookie for a mile, in all directions. Needless to say, J'onn was not pleased.
It speaks to Martian Manhunter's love of Choco that the typically calm, and level-headed leader loses his cool. And considering Martian Manhunter is DC's most powerful hero, he needs to remain in control. But as Booster and Ted Kord watched the surveillance feed of J'onn in the closest convenience store, the fun ended. Having shape-shifted into the form of a brown haired man in a white dress shirt and slacks, the discovery of no Choco Cookies leads J'onn to go through a full and unmistakable 'Hulk-Out.'
Sure, both heroes are big and green, meaning some resemblance is unavoidable. But the reference to Marvel's famous jade giant continues, as J'onn remains in the musclebound form (with only his pants remaining), and sees his blind rage numb his mental functions, as well. His screams of "Bring J'onn Cookies!" and "J'onn Crush!" are so out of character they only really make sense as a reference, with only J'onn's smooth scalp to tell him apart from Hulk. Thankfully, his rage is quelled. Although Blue Beetles attempt to calm J'onn with his version of Hulk's movie lullaby fails completely, the duo lead their frenzied friend -- bounding leap by leap, despite J'onn's ability fly -- to their warehouse of Choco Cookies. Having his fill, the Martian Manhunter DC fans know returns.
Sure, this encounter may not pack the same historic punch as Superman (sort of) wielding Thor's hammer, or the time Wonder Woman fought X-Men's Storm. But it's worth it to remember: if you take Martian Manhunter's cookies, he's going to get angry. And you won't like him when he's angry, either.