The Green Goliath Cometh by Night!

"Mr. McGee don't make me angry...you wouldn't like me when I'm angry (spoken by Bill Bixby playing Dr. David Banner in "The Incredible Hulk" tv series). Anger and The Incredible Hulk; two things that have been associated in comicdom as strongly as Captain America and the red/white/and blue. Now, this is where things get interesting so sit back and enjoy and let Jubilant Jeff V tell you of a time, way back in the beginning of the shimmering silver age, when "The Green Goliath Cometh by Night!"

 

Though comicdom might find it hard to believe, there was a time when the Hulk was not simply "a big green angry rage monster" (Tony Stark, The Avengers). In fact, when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby collaborated and created The Incredible Hulk, rage had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Bruce Banner's transformation into the emerald behemoth. Instead of rage (a factor that to a certain extent was at least under Dr. Banner's control),the factor that initiated the Hulk metamorphosis was...sunlight! When darkness fell and the world of men lay down to rest, that is when The Green Goliath awakened to walk the earth! 

 

To complicate things further for Dr. Banner, Stan and Jack made it so that no matter where he was or what he was doing, when the sun set Dr. Banner would be no more. In Bruce's place would be THE INCREDIBLE HULK! The Incredible Hulk, a creature relentlessly hunted for the havoc that he was capable of wreaking upon the world; hunted by night like a vampire hunted by the mythical Van Helsing! The hunter of the Hulk had a name even almost as colorful as Van Helsing...the huntsmen known as "Thunderbolt" Ross 

The main problem with this hunt is that what Ross does not realize is that "what" he is hunting is really a "who" and that who (Bruce Banner) has no control over his Green Goliath counterpart, being completely unaware of his actions as The Incredible Hulk! Day after day Dr. Banner would awaken in terror, not knowing what havoc the Emerald Behemoth might have wreaked the night before! 

Stan and Jack's early run on the Incredible Hulk (#1-5) is some of my favorite collaborative work of the early silver age. I find Stan's stories enthralling and Jack's artwork magnificent! Through each of the five issues Jack changes how he draws The Hulk and I must say, I like that! You can see him tinkering, trying to find a style that matches the pathos of the issue just right and on that note I salute the shimmering silver age and The Green Goliath!