The Ultimates #3 is written by Deniz Camp and drawn by Juan Frigeri. The Ultimates travel to a Pacific Island, where the Indigenous population is subjected to gamma experiments. These people have warped into horrifying, grotesque monsters–and a series of text pieces reveals that Bruce Banner, here called “The Director,” was behind it all. Banner and his allies made big promises to the island’s inhabitants and then promptly betrayed them. The issue ends with a new version of She-Hulk joining the Ultimates.
The Hulk also learns of the Ultimate’s actions–and jumps into action.
Marvel's New Ultimate Line, Explained
The New Ultimate Universe Was Created by One of the Last Survivors of the First Version
An evil Hulk is crucial to both incarnations of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, but the current incarnation, called “the Legendary Hulk,” may be the worst of the lot. He was created in part by the Maker, one of the last survivors of the original Ultimate Universe. Seeking to recreate his lost world, the Maker finds an alternate Earth and begins tampering with its heroic destiny. For example, he prevented Peter Parker from obtaining his spider power until well into adulthood. The Maker also installed a series of ruling families to help him oversee his perfect new world.
The Maker is in actuality the original Ultimate Reed Richards, who later went mad.
The Maker, for all of his intellect, did not account for Howard Stark, who managed to seal the tyrant away in his city for a period of 18 months. During this year and a half period, Howard’s son Tony must assemble a superhero army to be ready to defeat the Maker once and for all when he returns. The Maker’s Council, including the Legendary Hulk, framed Tony and his team, giving the world at large the impression they were terrorists. Now, not only must Tony stay ahead of the law, but he must prepare to fight the Maker.
Marvel's New Ultimate Line Has an Evil Hulk
The Legendary Hulk Is Vastly Different From the 616 Version
The Maker tampered with many heroes’ origins, such as Spider-Man, Thor and Ant-Man, but the Legendary Hulk’s origin is the same, up to a point. In The Ultimates #2, it was revealed that Banner was still caught in the gamma bomb explosion, just like on Earth 616. So far, Marvel has not revealed if the specifics of the origin, such as Rick Jones or Igor the saboteur, are still intact in the new Ultimate Universe. The new Ultimate Doctor Banner was still interested in gamma research, but seemingly went about it in a very different way.
The Legendary Hulk, on the other hand, became a master of Zen meditation, and even headed up his own religious order.
The real difference between Earth 616 Hulk and his new Ultimate counterpart is in what happens after the gamma bomb explosion. On Earth 616, the Hulk becomes an unstoppable force of nature, and a monster never to be tamed. The Legendary Hulk, on the other hand, became a master of Zen meditation, and even headed up his own religious order. How exactly the Hulk achieved this state of “enlightenment” has yet to be revealed, but the Maker was most likely involved.
The Legendary Hulk Conducted Experiments on Innocent People
Tony Stark Tries to Create a "Hulk Army"
On the surface, the Legendary Hulk may seem to be a “good guy,” leading a Buddhist sect, but in reality, he is just as much in the Maker’s pocket as anyone else on the Council. At the end of The Ultimates #3, aware of the team’s arrival at the Pacific Proving Grounds, the Legendary Hulk says he “is getting angry.” So far, fans have not seen the Legendary Hulk go on a rampage. Instead, this Hulk seems more calculating and manipulative. The Legendary Hulk is a game master, and the perfect addition to the Maker’s Council.
The proof of the Legendary Hulk’s evil is laid bare in The Ultimates #3. When Lejori, the new Ultimate She-Hulk, meets Tony and company, she outlines in gruesome detail the effects Banner’s experiments had on her family and friends. She relates stories of men sprouting wings, and in agony, trying to fly away. One victim is nothing but a walking, hyper-sensitive nerve system and another is a big-brained, catatonic child. Tony is horrified, and pleads with Lejori to let him and the Ultimates help. Having heard this before, she only agrees to help when sure of Tony’s sincerity.
Camp and Frigeri hold nothing back in their depictions of the horrors that Director Banner visited upon the people of the island. The issue is peppered with text pieces, made to resemble briefings, that delineate further Banner’s atrocities. The final piece, written by an unknown associate of Banner’s, reveals the real truth: everyone, from the island’s inhabitants to the guards to the other scientists, were all Banner’s pawns. Banner brought them all there to fulfill his agenda of building a gamma bomb. It is highly ironic then, that Banner would also become a gamma monster–and maybe the worst of all.
The Legendary Hulk’s motivations are still unknown, but it is possible that this Bruce internalized the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father in a vastly different fashion.
Some of the Legendary Hulk’s origin is still up in the air, but it was known the Maker let Banner be caught in the gamma explosion, calling it “necessary.” Marvel has also not made it clear if Director Banner was working for the Maker prior to becoming the Legendary Hulk. The text pieces make no mention of the Maker, implying that Banner was already an evil and disgusting individual. The Legendary Hulk’s motivations are still unknown, but it is possible that this Bruce internalized the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father in a vastly different fashion.
The Legendary Hulk's Origin Is Also Rooted in Real World Concerns
The experiments Director Banner was performing in the Pacific have their roots in the real world. During the mid-20th century, the United States conducted atomic testing in the South Pacific, with the radiation having adverse effects on inhabitants of the nearby islands. In addition, the United States Army also tested bombs near Indigenous communities in America, and the people suffered similar fates to those in the Pacific. The motivation for these experiments was the then-current Cold War between America and the Soviet Union, with the threat of “mutual assured destruction” hanging over everyone.
The 616 Hulk, and many other Silver Age Marvel characters, were the products of radiation. The fear of nuclear war, and the potential deadly effects of the fallout, were very much on the minds of people when the 616 Hulk debuted. The same year the Hulk first appeared, America was engaged in the Cuban Missile Crisis, which almost brought the world to the brink of atomic destruction. Characters like the Hulk tapped into these atomic age anxieties and gave them life. In this fashion, Director Banner is an indictment of the politics of the Silver Age.
He Pushes the "Evil Hulk' Idea to Its Extreme
Beyond the political aspects, Director Banner is proof that the new Ultimate Universe will be a far cry from not only Earth 616, but the original Ultimate line as well. The Legendary Hulk gives a facade of peace and serenity, but is deep down an evil person. The Ultimates #3 makes it clear that Banner was not a good person even prior to his transformation. The cruel irony is that Banner became a god while the people he tested live lives of desperation. Director Banner is the ultimate evil Hulk, taking the concept further than ever.
The Ultimates #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
The Ultimates #3 (2024)
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| | - Writer: Deniz Camp
- Artist: Juan Frigeri
- Colorist: Federico Blee
- Letterer: Travis Lanham
- Cover Artist: Dike Ruan & Neeraj Menon
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