The Hulk
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The Hulk is a comic book character you wouldn't want to play around with, but The Hulk progressive video slot from CryptoLogic is a game you should play no matter what! Part of the "Marvel Heroes" line of themed video slots, this game looks, plays, and pays great.
The pay in for this game is variable. Coin sizes range from 0.05 all the way up to 5.00, so you have a big price range to choose from. Since it takes one coin to activate each payline, a max bet for this game can be as high as 45.00 or as low as 0.45, it is up to you!
The theme for this game comes straight out of the comics, so anyone familiar with those will feel right at home playing this video slot. But for people who don't know the comics, don't worry, the game plays so well it doesn't matter. First of all, there are nine different paylines crossing the game's five reels, and 12 different symbols are available to make dozens of winning combos. The variety makes for fun play, and for lots of ways to win!
Two of the game's symbols have special powers. The Hulk Logo symbol is a wild symbol, and every time you complete a combo with one or more of these symbols, your payout is doubled! The other special symbol is the Hulk symbol. This is a scatter symbol, and not only does it pay out when you get two or more of them, but hit three or more and the bonus game is unlocked! The bonus game in this video slot is lots of fun. As Hulk, you get to smash tanks and helicopters for big money. The animations in the bonus game are fun, and it usually pays out very well.
This is a progressive slot, which means there is a big prize to be won. Unlike many progressive video slots, the Progressive Jackpot in this game is not won by hitting a certain combo. Instead, it shows up at random times, so you could win it with any spin, no matter how much you pay in! But keep in mind that the more you bet, the more often the Progressive Jackpot will pop up, so don't bet too low.
The Hulk is an excellent overall video slot. Its theme is great, and the graphics, sounds, and animations go very well together, and make for an exciting gaming experience. The bonus game is lots of fun, and the Progressive Jackpots are huge! Go play it now!
Betting Limits
0.50 ($/£), ($/£)1, ($/£)5 maximum.
GAME : The Hulk
The Reels…
All symbols pay left to right in consecutive order (reels 1 to 3) only. Only the centre line counts towards the Radioactive Cash Ladder. Wins are paid in accordance with the Radioactive Cash Ladder. Highest win only on the pay-line will be awarded.
The Game…
Press the 'Start' button to spin the reels. If a win occurs during normal play, you can collect the win by pressing the 'COLLECT' button, or you can gamble the win by pressing the 'HI/LO' button to play the 'HI/LO' gamble. If you guess a 'HI/LO' gamble correctly, you will progress up the Radioactive Cash Ladder by one. You then have the option of collecting your win (COLLECT), gambling your win (HI/LO) or exchanging your win for The Super Hulk Feature Board (EXCHANGE). If you guess a 'HI/LO' incorrectly, then you will lose the gamble, and will return to normal play.
Nudges…
During play, up to 4 'Nudges' may be awarded at anytime - these give you the chance to make a winning line by moving the reels!
When 'Nudges' are awarded, the 'NUDGE' button below each reel will flash, and the number of nudges awarded will flash in the Nudges Ladder. Press the 'NUDGE' button to move the selected reel one position down. Repeat on your selected reels until all nudges have been used up. If a win occurs from a 'Nudge', all remaining Nudges will be lost, and the win sequence will begin.
Holds…
During normal play, 'Holds' may be awarded at any time - these give you the chance to hold in place the symbols you want, and thus increase your chances of spinning in a win! When holds are awarded, the 'HOLD' button below each reel will flash.
Press the 'HOLD' button to hold the reel above it (you can choose not to hold a reel - simply ignore the holds, and press START to continue).
Press the 'START' button to spin the reels that are not held.
Radioactive Cash Ladder…
Any win you spin in through normal play will be displayed on the Radioactive Cash Ladder. To climb the Radioactive Cash Ladder successfully, you must guess whether or not the next number The Hulk is holding will be higher or lower than the current one. If you guess correctly, you move up one rung of the Radioactive Cash Ladder.
If you guess incorrectly, then you will lose the gamble, and return to normal play.
You can COLLECT your winnings at any time, or can EXCHANGE to play the feature board. If you successfully gamble up to the highest level on the Radioactive Cash Ladder, you will automatically collect and win the jackpot amount.
Hi/Lo Gamble…
Any prize on the Radioactive Cash Ladder can be gambled upon, by using the 'HI/LO' buttons. Select 'HI' or 'LO' if you think the next number shown by The Hulk will be higher or lower than the current number shown. If a successful gamble is achieved, you will climb the Radioactive Cash Ladder by one position. If the gamble is unsuccessful, then you will lose the gamble, and you return to normal play. You can gamble 'HI' or 'LO' until you decide to either COLLECT, EXCHANGE, or you lose the gamble.
The Feature Boards…
There are 2 feature boards that you can play.
The Hulk Feature Board
Is triggered when 3 'Radioactive Symbols' logos appear anywhere, on separate reels in the reel window.
The Super Hulk Feature Board
Is triggered when 3 'Radioactive Symbols' logos appear on the pay-line. Press the 'Start' button and The Hulk will determine the number of squares you will be moved around the Feature Board you are on. Each Square on the Board is unique and descriptions are listed on the next page.
Feature Board Squares
* Start Your starting Square
* X2 Multiplies your Radioactive Cash Ladder Value by 2
* X3 Multiplies your Radioactive Cash Ladder Value by 3
* X5 Multiplies your Radioactive Cash Ladder Value by 5
* X10 Multiplies your Radioactive Cash Ladder Value by 10
* 5 Adds ($/£)5 to your Cash Pot
* 10 Adds ($/£)10 to your Cash Pot
* 15 Adds ($/£)15 to your Cash Pot
* Add Feature Moves you one rung up the Radioactive Cash Ladder
* Lucky Dip Plays the 'Lucky Dip' Ladder Feature
* Cash Attack Plays the 'Cash Attack' Ladder Feature
* Hi-Lo Plays the 'Hi-Lo' Ladder Feature
* Triple Test Tube Plays the 'Triple Test Tube' Ladder Feature
* Turbo Cash Plays the 'Turbo Cash' Ladder Feature
* Boost Boosts you around the Feature Board to another square
* Cash Boost Boost you up the Radioactive Cash Ladders
* Lucky Ladders Plays 'Lucky Ladders'
o Press the 'Stop' button to stop on the feature Ladder
and Play that
o Ladder Feature Game
* Safe Banks your Cash Pot total into the Safe Bank
* Extra Life Gives you an Extra Life
* Plus 1 Moves you one more square along the Feature Board
* Radioactive Symbol Collect three of these to upgrade to The Super Hulk Feature
Board
* ? Press Stop to trigger one of the four options
* Knockout End of the Feature Round, to lose your Extra Life
* Jackpot Win the Jackpot!
The Cash Pot…
The Cash Pot shows the current amount of cash you could win, if you were to press the COLLECT button. Note that you must press COLLECT in order to bank the cash.
The 'Cash Pot' is comprised of:
* The current Radioactive Cash Ladder value (X by any
multipliers you have landed on).
* PLUS any Cash Value square you land on in The Super Hulk Feature game.
The Safe Bank…
Landing on the 'Safe' Square during Feature Play transfers the amount you have won in the Cash Pot' to the 'Safe Bank'. This amount cannot be lost and will be awarded when the feature game concludes. If a Ladder Feature game is played and the amount won is less than the amount in the ‘Safe Bank’, the ‘Safe Bank’ is still won.
Extra Life…
An 'Extra Life' is awarded when landing on this square. Landing on 'Mere Mortal', losing a 'Yes/No' gamble or losing a 'Hi/Lo' gamble will result in the loss of the 'Extra Life' - you can then carry on until you either lose a gamble, or decide to collect.
Radioactive Symbol Squares…
Landing on the 'Radioactive Symbol' square lights up one 'Radioactive Symbol' logo.
If you light up 3 of these logos, you will automatically gain entry to 'The Super Hulk Feature' Board.
Question Squares '?'
Press the 'Stop' button when landing on the '?' square to choose one of the following 4 options:
1. Hi/Lo
Choose whether you think the next number The Hulk holds will be higher or lower then the current one. A correct guess allows you to carry on around the board, and an incorrect guess returns you to normal play.
2. Yes/No
Press the 'Stop' button to choose either 'Yes' or 'No'. 'Yes' will allow you to carry on around the board, 'No' returns you to normal play.
3. Game Over
Returns you to normal play.
4. Radioactive Symbol
Upgrades you to 'The Super Hulk Feature'
Note that in 'The Super Hulk Feature', the 'Radioactive Symbol' option is swapped for a 'Continue' option - hit this and you continue with the game.
The Radioactive Cash Ladder
Any win obtained, whether in normal play or on the feature board, will be displayed on the Radioactive Cash Ladder. Before your next spin, you can choose to collect the amount lit on the Radioactive Cash Ladder. Alternatively, when you are playing in either of the Feature Boards, you can choose to exchange the amount lit for the corresponding game next to it.
The games that can be played include:
Lucky Dip
Click on the Squares to reveal symbols. Match 3 symbols, and you win the corresponding amount for those symbols, as shown in the pay-table.
Cash Attack
The Message Box at the top of the screen flashes cash amounts continuously until you hit the STOP button. Pressing the STOP button reveals a cash amount. Press 'STOP' when you think the largest cash amount is displayed.
Do this 3 times, and your prize is the sum of the 3 cash amounts in the Message Box!
Hi/Lo
The Hulk versus Abomination. Select either 'Hi' or 'Lo' for The Hulk to punch Abomination. Abomination will either block the punch, or will miss and will get hit.
Each hit reveals a cash amount. You have 6 attempts to hit Abomination. You win the total amount of cash prizes revealed!
Triple Test Tube
Choose 3 of 9 Test Tubes. Each Test Tub selected reveals a prize.
Turbo Cash
The Radioactive Cash Ladder will begin to light up in a random fashion. Simply press the 'Stop' button when you think the light is nearest the top rung of the ladder. The higher the light when stopped, the bigger the cash reward!
Hulk Rage
You get 5 free spins of the reels. During each spin, the number of 'The Hulk' symbols you spin in are counted up. This number is then multiplied by the Radioactive Cash Ladder rung you were on when the feature started.
(For example… cash rung = ($/£)10, no. of 'The Hulk' = 4, total won = ($/£)40).
Hulk Smash
The harder you hit your opponent, the bigger your prize! Press the 'Stop' button to stop the Hulk Smash Power Bar at the highest level possible. A prize is awarded for the strength of the Hulk Smash. The Hulk then smashes a Tank and the people inside the Tank flee. The total prize is the Hulk Smash Prize multiplied by the number of people who flee the Tank. (For example… Hulk Smash Prize = ($/£)10, Number of People who fled the Tank = 8, total won = ($/£)80).
Profile
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 in May 1962. As one of the most prolific and longstanding personas for the company, Wizard magazine named the Hulk Marvel Comics' 7th "Greatest Character of All Time" in 2008.
The Hulk is cast as an emotional and impulsive alter ego of the withdrawn and reserved physicist Dr. Bruce Banner. The Hulk appears shortly after Banner was accidentally exposed to the blast of a test detonation of a gamma bomb he invented. Subsequently, Banner will often involuntarily transform into the Hulk, depicted as a giant, raging monster, leading to extreme complications in Banner's life. In Hulk: The Incredible Guide, Stan Lee revealed that the Hulk was a combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein.
While the coloration of the character's skin varies during the course of its publication history, the Hulk is most often depicted as green. As the Hulk, Banner is capable of immense feats of strength, which increases with his feelings of rage and anger. Anger is a common trigger of Banner's transformation. A common storyline is the pursuit of both Banner and the Hulk by the police or the armed forces, due to the destruction he causes.
The Hulk character has since been depicted in various other media, most notably by Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk in a television series and three television movies, by CGI in Hulk (2003), and in The Incredible Hulk (2008), as well as in three animated series and various video games.
Publication history
Debut and first series
The Hulk debuted in The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962), by writer Stan Lee, penciller and co-plotter Jack Kirby, and inker Paul Reinman. In the first issue, the Hulk was grey. Writer and Marvel editor-in-chief Lee had wanted a color that did not suggest any particular ethnic group. Colorist Stan Goldberg, however, had problems with the grey coloring, resulting in different shades of grey, and even green, in the issue. Stan Lee picked the uncommon color, green. From issue #2 (July 1962) on, Goldberg colored the big brute's skin green.[3] Green was used in retellings of the origin, even to the point of reprints of the original story being re-colored, for the next two decades. The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, #302 (Dec. 1984), reintroduced the grey Hulk in flashbacks set close to the origin story. This was reaffirmed in vol. 2, #318 (April 1986), which showed the Hulk was grey at the time of his creation. Since then, reprints of the first issue have displayed the original grey coloring.
The original series was canceled after six issues, with the finale cover-dated March 1963. Lee had written each story, with Kirby penciling the first five issues and Steve Ditko penciling and inking the sixth. The character immediately guest-starred in Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), and months later became a founding member of the Avengers appearing in just the first two issues of that superhero team's eponymous series (Sept. & Nov. 1963), and returning as an antagonist in issues #3 and #5 (Jan. & May 1964). He then guest-starred in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (July 1964).
Around this time, co-creator Jack Kirby received a letter from a college dormitory stating the Hulk had been chosen as its official mascot. Kirby and Lee realized their character had found an audience in college-age readers.
Tales to Astonish
A year and a half after the series was canceled, the Hulk became the backup feature in Tales to Astonish in issue #60 (Oct. 1964). In the previous issue, he appeared as the antagonist for Giant-Man, star of the book. These new stories were initially scripted by Lee and illustrated by the team of penciller Steve Ditko and inker George Roussos. Other artists later in this run included Jack Kirby from #68-84 (June 1965 - Oct. 1966), doing full pencils or, more often, layouts for other artists; Gil Kane, credited as "Scott Edwards", in #76 (Feb. 1966); Bill Everett (inking Kirby in #78-84, April-Oct. 1966); and John Buscema. Marie Severin finished out the Hulk’s run in Tales to Astonish; beginning with issue #102 (Apr. 1968) the book was retitled The Incredible Hulk, and ran until March 1999, when Marvel canceled the series, and then restarted the title with a new issue #1.
This run of stories introduced readers to recurring villains such as the Leader. and the Abomination, another gamma-irradiated being, but stronger than the Hulk; they would become the Hulk's arch-nemeses. In issue #77 (March 1966), the Hulk's identity became publicly known.
1970s
The Incredible Hulk was published through the 1970s and also made guest appearances in other titles. Writers introduced Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk, who was featured in a title of her own. Banner gave some of his blood to Walters in a transfusion, and the gamma radiation affected her, but she maintained most of her intellect. Banner’s guilt about causing her change became another part of his character.
Writers changed numerous times during the decade. At times, the creative staff included Archie Goodwin, Chris Claremont, and Tony Isabella, Len Wein handled many of the stories through the 1970s, working first with Herb Trimpe, then in 1975, with Sal Buscema, who was the regular artist for 10 years. Harlan Ellison plotted a story, scripted by Roy Thomas, for issue #140 (Jun 1971), "The Brute that Shouted Love at the Heart of the Atom".
In 1977, Marvel (under its Curtis Magazines imprint) launched a second title, The Rampaging Hulk, a black-and-white comics magazine. The Hulk stories here were editorially stated to be set between the end of his original, short-lived solo title and the beginning of his feature in Tales to Astonish. After nine issues, the magazine was retitled The Hulk! and printed in full color. Near the end of the magazine's run, it went back to black-and-white. Back-up features included Bloodstone during the Rampaging Hulk issues, and later Moon Knight and Dominic Fortune.
1980s and 1990s
Following Roger Stern, Bill Mantlo took over the writing with issue #245 (March 1980). His Crossroads of Eternity stories, which ran from issue #300 (Oct. 1984) to #313 (Nov. 1985), explored the idea that Banner had suffered child abuse. Greg Pak, a later writer on The Incredible Hulk volume 2, called Mantlo's Crossroads stories one of his biggest influences on approaching the character. After five years, Mantlo and artist Mike Mignola left the title for Alpha Flight, and writer John Byrne worked on the series, followed briefly by Al Milgrom, before new regular writer Peter David took over.
David became the writer of the series with issue #331 (May 1987), marking the start of a 12-year tenure. David's run altered Banner's pre-Hulk characterization and the nature of Banner and the Hulk's relationship. David returned to the Stern and Mantlo abuse storylines, expanding the damage caused, and depicting Banner as suffering dissociative identity disorder (DID). David's stories showed that Banner had serious mental problems long before he became the Hulk. David revamped his personality significantly, giving the Grey Hulk the alias 'Joe Fixit', and setting him up as a morally ambiguous Vegas enforcer and tough guy. David worked with numerous artists over his run on the series, including Dale Keown, Todd McFarlane, Gary Frank, Liam Sharp, Terry Dodson, Mike Deodato, Jr., George Pérez, and Adam Kubert.
In issue #377 (Jan 1991), David revamped the Hulk again, using a storyline involving hypnosis to have the splintered personalities of Banner and Hulk synthesize into a new Hulk who has the vast power of the Savage Hulk, the cunning of the Grey Hulk, and the intelligence of Bruce Banner.
In the 1993 Future Imperfect miniseries, writer David and penciller George Pérez introduced readers to the Hulk of a dystopian future. Calling himself the Maestro, the Hulk rules over a world where most of the heroes have been killed, and only Rick Jones and a small band of rebels fight against The Maestro’s rule. Although The Maestro seemed to be destroyed by the end, he returned in The Incredible Hulk #460 (Jan 1998), also written by David.
In 1998, David followed editor Bobbie Chase's suggestion to kill Betty Ross. In the introduction to the Hulk trade paperback Beauty and the Behemoth, David said that his wife had recently left him, providing inspiration for the storyline. Marvel executives used Ross' death as an opportunity to push the idea of bringing back the Savage Hulk. David disagreed, leading to his parting ways with Marvel. His last issue of Hulk was #467 (Aug 1998), his 137th.
Also in 1998, Marvel relaunched The Rampaging Hulk, this time as a standard comic book rather than as a comics magazine.
Relaunch
Following David's departure, Joe Casey took over as writer though the series' relaunch after issue #474 (March 1999). Hulk vol. 2 began immediately the following month, scripted by John Byrne and penciled by Ron Garney. Byrne departed before the first year was over, citing creative differences. Erik Larsen and Jerry Ordway briefly filled scripting duties in his place, and the title returned to The Incredible Hulk vol. 3 with the arrival of Paul Jenkins in issue #12 (March 2000).
Jenkins wrote a story arc in which Banner and the three Hulks (Savage Hulk, Grey Hulk, and the Merged Hulk, now considered a separate personality and referred to as the Professor) are able to mentally interact with one another, each personality taking over their shared body. During this, the four personalities (including Banner) confront yet another submerged Hulk, a sadistic Hulk intent on attacking the world for revenge. Jenkins also created John Ryker in issue #14 (May 2000), a ruthless military general in charge of the original gamma bomb test responsible for the Hulk's creation, and who plans to create similar creatures. Ryker's actions briefly result in Banner becoming the sadistic Hulk before the four other personae subdue the beast.
Bruce Jones followed as the series' writer, and his run features Banner using yoga to take control of the Hulk while he is pursued by a secret conspiracy and aided by the mysterious Mr. Blue. Jones appended his 43-issue Incredible Hulk run with the limited series Hulk/Thing: Hard Knocks #1-4 (Nov. 2004 - Feb. 2005) , which Marvel published after putting the ongoing series on hiatus.
Peter David, who had initially signed a contract for the six-issue Tempest Fugit limited series, returned as writer when it was decided to make the story, now only five parts, part of the ongoing series instead. David contracted to complete a year on the title. Tempest Fugit revealed that Nightmare has manipulated the Hulk for years, tormenting him in various ways for "inconveniences" that the Hulk had caused him, including the sadistic Hulk Jenkins had introduced. After a four-part tie-in to the House of M crossover and a one-issue epilogue, David left the series once more, citing the need to do non-Hulk work for his career's sake.
Planet Hulk and World War Hulk
In the 2006 crossover storyline "Planet Hulk" by writer Greg Pak, a secret group of superhero leaders, the Illuminati, consider the Hulk an unacceptable potential risk to Earth, and rocket him into space to live a peaceful existence on a planet uninhabited by intelligent life. After a trajectory malfunction, the Hulk crashes on the violent planet Sakaar. Weakened by his journey, he is captured and eventually becomes a gladiator who scars the face of Sakaar's tyrannical emperor. The Hulk becomes a rebel leader and later usurps Sakaar's throne through combat with the red king and his armies.
After Hulk's rise to emperor, the vessel used to send Hulk to Sakaar explodes, killing millions in Sakaar's capital, including his pregnant queen, Caiera. The damage to the tectonic plates destroys the planet and kills most of its population.
The Hulk, enraged, returns to Earth with the remnants of Sakaar's citizens, and his allies, the Warbound, seeking retribution against the Illuminati. After laying siege to Manhattan, New York City, the Hulk learns one of his allies was responsible for the explosion. He reverts to his Bruce Banner form and is taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.
Retitling and new Hulk series
As of #113 (Feb. 2008), the series was retitled The Incredible Hercules, still written by Greg Pak but starring the mythological demigod Hercules and teenage genius Amadeus Cho.
Marvel also launched a new volume of Hulk, written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Ed McGuiness. The series opens with an investigation into the appearance of a new, red Hulk, and reveals that Bruce Banner is no longer comatose, and is imprisoned by the U.S. military until he transforms and escapes and confronts the Red Hulk.
Characterization
Bruce Banner
The core of the Hulk, Bruce Banner has been portrayed differently by different writers, but common themes persist. Banner is a genius but emotionally withdrawn in most fashions. Banner designed the gamma bomb which causes his affliction, and the ironic twist of his self-inflicted fate has been one of the most persistent common themes. Arie Kaplan describes the character thus: “Bruce Banner lives in a constant state of panic, always wary that the monster inside him will erupt, and therefore he can’t form meaningful bonds with anyone.”
Throughout the Hulk's published history, writers have continued to frame Bruce Banner in these themes. Under different writers, his fractured personality led to transformations into different versions of the Hulk. These transformations are usually involuntary, and often writers have tied the transformation to emotional triggers, such as rage and fear. As the series has progressed, different writers have adapted the Hulk, changing Hulk's personality to reflect changes in Banner's physiology or psyche. Writers have also refined and changed some aspects of Banner's personality, showing him as emotionally repressed, but capable of deep love for Betty Ross, and for solving problems posed to him. Under the writing of Paul Jenkins, Banner was shown to be a capable fugitive, applying deductive reasoning and observation to figure out the events transpiring around him. On the occasions that Banner has controlled the Hulk's body, he has applied principles of physics to problems and challenges and used deductive reasoning.
The Hulk
During the experimental detonation of a gamma bomb, scientist Bruce Banner rushes to save a teenager who has driven onto the testing field. Pushing the teen, Rick Jones, into a trench, Banner himself is caught in the blast, absorbing massive amounts of radiation. He awakens later in an infirmary, seeming relatively unscathed, but that night transforms into a lumbering grey form that breaks through the wall and escapes. A soldier in the ensuing search party dubs the otherwise unidentified creature a "hulk".
The original version of the Hulk was often shown as simple and quick to anger. His first transformations were triggered by sundown, and his return to Banner by dawn. However, in Incredible Hulk #4, Banner started using a Gamma ray device to transform at will. In more recent Hulk stories, emotions trigger the change. Although grey in his debut, difficulties for the printer led to a change in his color to green. In the origin tale, the Hulk divorces his identity from Banner’s, decrying Banner as "that puny weakling in the picture". From his earliest stories, the Hulk has been concerned with finding sanctuary and quiet, and often is shown reacting emotionally to situations quickly. Grest and Weinberg call Hulk the "...dark, primordial side of [Banner's] psyche." Even in the earliest appearances, Hulk spoke in the third person. The Hulk retains a modest intelligence, thinking and talking in full sentences, and Lee even gives the Hulk expository dialogue in issue six, allowing readers to learn just what capabilities the Hulk has, when the Hulk says, “But these muscles ain't just for show! All I gotta do is spring up and just keep goin'!" In Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics, Les Daniels addresses the Hulk as an embodiment of cultural fears of radiation and nuclear science. He quotes Jack Kirby thus: "As long as we're experimenting with radioactivity there's no telling what may happen, or how much our advancements may cost us." Daniels continues "The Hulk became Marvel's most disturbing embodiment of the perils inherent in the atomic age."
Though usually a loner, the Hulk helped to form both the Avengers and the Defenders. He was able to determine that the changes were now triggered by emotional stress.
Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963), featured the Hulk's first battle with the Thing. Although many early Hulk stories involve General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross trying to capture or destroy the Hulk, the main villain is often, like Hulk, a radiation based character, like the Gargoyle or the Leader, along with other foes such as the Toad Men, or Asian warlord General Fang. Ross' daughter, Betty, loves Banner and criticizes her father for pursuing the Hulk. General Ross' right-hand man, Major Glenn Talbot, also loves Betty and is torn between pursuing the Hulk and trying to gain Betty's love more honorably. Rick Jones serves as the Hulk's friend and sidekick in these early tales.
Stan Lee and others have compared The Hulk in these early tales to the misunderstood creature Frankenstein's Monster, a concept Lee had wanted to explore. Lee remembers, "I had always loved the old movie Frankenstein. And it seemed to me that the monster, played by Boris Karloff, wasn't really a bad guy. He was the good guy. He didn't want to hurt anybody. It's just those idiots with torches kept running up and down the mountains, chasing him and getting him angry. And I thought, 'Wouldn't it be fun to create a monster and make him the good guy?'"." Wondering how to bring a new twist to Mary Shelley's classic character as imagined by director James Whale in 1931, Lee recalled another favorite from his childhood: Robert Louis Stevenson's half-man/half-monster, depicted in director Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 classic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. "I combined Jekyll and Hyde with Frankenstein," Lee tells, "and I got myself the monster I wanted, who was really good, but nobody knew it. He was also somebody who could change from a normal man into a monster, and lo, a legend was born." Lee also compared Hulk to the Golem of Jewish myth. In The Science of Superheroes, Gresh and Weinberg see the Hulk as a reaction to the Cold War and the threat of nuclear attack, an interpretation shared by Weinstein in Up, Up, and Oy Vey. Kaplan calls Hulk ‘schizophrenic’.[18] Jack Kirby has also commented upon his influences in drawing the character, recalling as inspiration the tale of a mother who rescues her child who is trapped beneath a car.
In the 1970s, Hulk was shown as more prone to anger and rage, and less talkative. Writers played with the nature of his transformations, briefly giving Banner control over the change, and the ability to maintain control of his Hulk form.
Hulk stories began to involve other dimensions, and in one, Hulk met the empress Jarella. Jarella used magic to bring Banner’s intelligence to Hulk, and came to love him, asking him to become her mate. Though Hulk returned to Earth before he could become her king, he would return to Jarella's kingdom of K'ai again.
When Bill Mantlo took on writing duties, he led the character into the arena of political commentary when Hulk traveled to Tel Aviv, Israel, encountering both the violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Jewish Israeli heroine Sabra. Soon after, Hulk encountered the Arabian Knight, a Bedouin superhero.
Under Mantlo's writing, a mindless Hulk was sent to the "Crossroads of Eternity", where Banner was revealed to have suffered childhood traumas which engendered Bruce's repressed rage.
Having come to terms with his issues, at least for a time, Hulk and Banner physically separated under John Byrne's writing. Separated from the Hulk by Doc Samson, Banner was recruited by the U.S. government to create the Hulkbusters, a government team dedicated to catching Hulk. Banner and Ross married, but Byrne's change in the character was reversed by Al Milgrom, who reunited the two personas, and with issue #324, returned the Hulk to his grey coloration after a second visit to K'ai and his one time love, Jarella.
Shortly after returning to Earth, Hulk took on the identity of "Joe Fixit," a shadowy behind the scenes figure, working in Las Vegas on behalf of a casino owner, Michael Berengetti. For months, Banner was repressed in Hulk’s mind, but slowly began to reappear. Hulk and Banner began to change back and forth again at dusk and dawn, as the character initially had, but this time, they worked together to advance both their goals, using written notes as communication as well as meeting on a mental plane to have conversations. In The Incredible Hulk #333, the Leader describes the Grey Hulk persona as strongest during the night of the new moon and weakest during the full moon. Eventually, the green Hulk began to re-emerge.
In issue #377, David revamped the Hulk again. Doctor Leonard Samson engages the Ringmaster's services to hypnotize Bruce Banner and force him, the Savage Hulk (Green Hulk) and Mr. Fixit (Grey Hulk) to confront Banner's past abuse at the hands of his father, Brian Banner. During the session, the three identities confront a ‘Guilt Hulk’, which sadistically torments the three with the abuse of Banner’s father. Facing down this abuse, a new, larger and smarter Hulk emerges and completely replaces the "human" Bruce Banner and Hulk personae. This Hulk is a culmination of the three aspects of Banner. He has the vast power of the Savage Hulk, the cunning of the grey Hulk and the intelligence of Bruce Banner.
Peter David then introduces the Hulk to the Pantheon, a secretive organization built around an extended family of super-powered people. The family members, mostly distant cousins to each other, had codenames based in the mythos of the Trojan War, and were descendants of the founder of the group, Agamemnon. When Agamemnon leaves, he puts the Hulk in charge of the organization. The storyline ends when it is revealed Agamemnon has traded his offspring to an alien race to gain power. The Hulk leads the Pantheon against the aliens, and then moves on.
Shortly after, Hulk encounters a depraved version of himself from the future, called Maestro. Thrown into the future, Hulk finds himself allied with Rick Jones, now an old man, in an effort to destroy the tyrant Maestro. Unable to stop him in any other manner, Hulk uses the time machine that brought him to the future to send the Maestro back into the heart of the very Gamma Bomb test that spawned the Hulk.
In 1998, David followed Editor Bobbie Chase's suggestion, and wrote a storyline centering on the death of Betty Ross. Betty has radiation poisoning, and desperate to save her, General Thunderbolt Ross worked with Banner, hoping to save her, but they fail, and Betty dies. Following this, David left Marvel, following a conflict about the direction of the series.
In 2006 Greg Pak introduced the Planet Hulk story arc, which opened with a cabal of Earth’s superpowers, called Illuminati, sending Hulk into deep space to protect the Earth from his destructive rampages after his involvement in the destruction of the Godseye Satellite orbiting Earth. Hulk’s rocket, intended for a desolate, empty planet, instead crashed onto Sakaar. On Sakaar, Hulk rises from slave to king leading a rebellion, and finds love with a wife, Caiera. Shortly after, the rocket that brought Hulk to Sakaar malfunctions and explodes, setting off the planet’s destruction. Following the death of his wife, unborn child, and hundreds of millions of innocents, Hulk gathers some survivors and heads to Earth to exact revenge.
In World War Hulk, Hulk along with an alien invasion force, confronts and defeats the members of the Illuminati and several of Marvel's major superhero teams, but he later surrenders and is captured. Bruce Banner is later seen in custody in a military facility where General Ross and Doc Samson seek out Bruce Banner's help with the emerging mystery of a new Red Hulk.
Artistically, the character has been depicted as progressively more muscular in the years since his debut.
Powers and abilities of the Hulk
The Hulk possesses the potential for near-limitless physical strength depending directly on his emotional state, particularly his anger. This has been reflected in the repeated comment "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets." His durability, healing, and endurance also increase in relation to his temper. The Hulk is also extremely resistant to most forms of injury or damage, including physical, psychic, environmental extremes, and is immune to disease and poisons. His powerful legs allow him to leap into lower Earth orbit or across continents. He also has less commonly described powers, including abilities allowing him to "home in" to his place of origin in New Mexico, and to see and interact with astral forms. He has been shown to have both regenerative and adaptive healing abilities, including growing tissues to allow him to breathe underwater, surviving unprotected in space (yet still needing to breathe), and when injured, healing from almost any wound within seconds, including regenerating lost mass.
As Bruce Banner (and the Merged/Professor Hulk), he is considered one of the greatest minds on Earth. He has developed expertise in the fields of biology, chemistry, engineering, and physiology, and holds a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. He possesses "a mind so brilliant it cannot be measured on any known intelligence test".
In The Science of Superheroes, Lois Grest and Robert Weinberg examined Hulk’s powers, explaining the scientific flaws in them. Most notably, they point out that the level of gamma radiation Banner is exposed to at the initial blast would induce radiation sickness and kill him, or if not, create significant cancer risks for Banner, because hard radiation strips cells of their ability to function. They go on to offer up an alternate origin, in which a Hulk might be created by biological experimentation with adrenal glands and GFP.
Charles Q. Choi from LiveScience.com further explains that unlike the Incredible Hulk, gamma rays are not green - lying as they do beyond the visible spectrum, gamma rays have no color at all that we can describe. He also explains that gamma rays are so powerful (the highest form of light and 10,000 times more powerful than visible light) that they can even create matter- a possible explanation for the increased mass that Bruce Banner takes on during transformations. "Just as the Incredible Hulk 'is the strongest one there is,' as he says himself, so too are gamma ray bursts the most powerful explosions known."
List of Hulk supporting characters
Over the long publication history of the Hulk's adventures, many recurring characters have featured prominently, including his sidekick, Rick Jones, love interest Betty Ross, and her father, the often adversarial General Thunderbolt Ross.
Interpretations in popular culture
Hulk in other media
The Hulk character and the concepts behind it have been raised to the level of iconic status by many within and outside the comic book industry. In 2003 the Official PlayStation magazine claimed the character had "stood the test of time as a genuine icon of American pop culture."
The Hulk is often viewed as a reaction to war. As well as being a reaction to the Cold War, the character has been a cipher for the frustrations the Vietnam War raised, and Ang Lee said that the Iraq War influenced his direction. In the Michael Nyman edited edition of The Guardian, Stefanie Diekmann explored Marvel Comics' reaction to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Diekmann discussed The Hulk's appearance in the comic book Heroes, claiming that his greater prominence, alongside Captain America, aided in "stressing the connection between anger and justified violence without having to depict anything more than a well-known and well-respected protagonist." Asked by Naomi Klein if a new Cold War was imminent, Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez cryptically replied: "The geopolitics of the world will be like the Incredible Hulk comics, where he tenses himself before the transformation."
In Comic Book Nation, Wright alludes to Hulk's counterculture status, referring to a 1965 Esquire magazine poll amongst college students which "revealed that student radicals ranked Spider-Man and the Hulk alongside the likes of Bob Dylan and Che Guevara as their favorite revolutionary icons." Wright goes on to cite examples of his anti-authority symbol status. Two of the most notable are "The Ballad of the Hulk" by Jerry Jeff Walker, and the Rolling Stone cover for 30 September 1971, a full color Herb Trimpe piece commissioned for the magazine. The Hulk has been caricatured in such animated television series as The Simpsons Robot Chicken and Family Guy, and such sketch comedy TV series as The Young Ones. The character is also used a cultural reference point for someone displaying anger or agitation. For example, in a 2008 Daily Mirror review of an Eastenders episode, a character is described as going "into Incredible Hulk mode, smashing up his flat".
The 2003 Ang Lee directed Hulk film saw discussion of the character's appeal to Asian-Americans. The Taiwanese born Ang Lee commented on the "subcurrent of repression" that underscored the character of The Hulk, and how that mirrored his own experience: "Growing up, my artistic leanings were always repressed -- there was always pressure to do something 'useful,' like being a doctor." Jeff Yang, writing for SF Gate extended this self identification to Asian-American culture, arguing that "the passive-aggressive streak runs deep among Asian Americans -- especially those who have entered creative careers, often against their parents' wishes."
Alternate versions of Hulk
Over the decades that Marvel has published Hulk, the company has featured versions of the Hulk set in alternate realities and histories, as well as other forms of art, such as the manga style. (Credit: Wikipedia).
Hulk's Revenge
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Media Man Australia Hulk Hogan profile
2003
Rumor: November 2003 - Hulk Hogan Vs Jeff Jarrett in the NWA!? see the Media Man Australia interview with Bill Behrens
Article: The Great Yankee Promoters, by Greg Tingle
Hogan still rules the WWE. Hogan wrestles McMahon at Wrestlemania 2003. Official Wrestlemania website
20th August 2002
WHEN WILL HULK HOGAN RETURN?
The last image WWE fans may have of Hulk Hogan - at least for the immediate future - is one of a battered, bloodied and aged Hulkster struggling to make it to his feet and leave the ring.
Whether Hogan is really down for the count, however, most likely hinges on his future business dealings with WWE owner Vince McMahon. Reports that began to surface last week indicate that Hogan and McMahon are once again at an impasse, with money and an exhausting schedule at the core of the dispute.
Hogan's last-minute removal from the recent Australian tour placed an unfortunate blemish on the company's otherwise wildly successful event, with a number of excuses given for his absence. Hogan had been heavily advertised for the tour, but was scratched from the event when it was announced, for storyline purposes, that Hogan had been injured by Brock Lesnar in a Smackdown match that was taped on Aug. 4 in Richmond, Va.
Official sources said they were concerned that the 16-hour plane ride to Australia would be too stressful on Hogan's legitimately ailing back, while others hinted that Hogan wanted to spend his 49th birthday with his family.
More recent reports, however, claim Hogan confronted McMahon over payment for the tour, with Hogan arguing that making the trip Down Under was beyond any regular appearance and that he should be paid accordingly. McMahon then made the decision to pull Hogan from the tour.
Hogan also reportedly was angered by statements made by the WWE crew while in Australia.
WWE executive vice president Roger Marment, who apologized for Hogan not appearing at the Australian event during a press conference, claimed it was Hogan's desire to attend, but added that he was 49 years old that weekend and didn't know how much longer he would be wrestling. The Rock then added that he thought Hogan was "52 years old," a remark that reportedly drew Hogan's ire.
Hogan has not been booked for any future dates with the company, including next Sunday's Summer Slam pay-per-view.
Hogan's return to the WWE earlier this year after an absence of nearly a decade generated mixed reviews. A widely panned reformation of The NWO was followed by a highly successful reception for Hogan's Wrestlemania match with The Rock, but a lackluster title victory over Triple H and a weak run as champ marked what likely will go down as Hogan's final hurrah as the company's top player.
His track record the past couple of months, however, has been exemplary, with Hogan receiving credit for helping elevate younger talent and cleanly putting over stars such as Kurt Angle and the 25-year-old Lesnar, who left Hogan in a bloody heap at the Smackdown in Richmond.
14th August 2002
HOGAN OFF FOR A WHILE?
Dave Scherer of 1wrestling.com today broke the story reporting that Hulk Hogan
might be off WWE TV for the foreseeable future until the financial problems
with him and the company get sorted out. Scherer says that the problem first
came around when Hogan asked McMahon what was the bonus pay for the Australia
event, and McMahon, without giving an answer, pulled the plug on the Hulkster.
Should be noted that Hogan, since returning, did everything the company asked
him and even worked with stars who weren't main event material, giving them
the much needed rub by someone of his star power. When he'll be back is a question
that cannot be answered right now, but even if it's time for Hogan to leave,
rest assured that there's still one match left for him to do, and we all know
which one it is.
14th August 2002
Hulk Hogan supported by Wrestling Fans despite off WWE TV and no show in Australia (credit 1wrestling.com)
Hulk Hogan was not at Smackdown last night and, as it appears right now, will not be part of WWE programming any time soon. As we reported last week, despite the publicly stated reasons for Hogan not making the Australian tour (WWE said he had a sore back and wanted to spend his 49th birthday at home with his family), the real reason Hogan was not at the show was because of financial concerns.
In essence, Hogan reportedly wanted to know what his payoff would be for making the 16 hour trip to Australia beforehand and Vince McMahon's response was to pull him from the show. As I have heard it, McMahon felt that this was "just another house show". Hogan's position was said to be that making a super show like that was not part of his basic deal. Instead, he viewed it like a pay-per-view, where the talent gets a payoff over and above their regular money. With the incredible amount of money that WWE made on the show, it's hard to take issue with Hogan's point of view.
All I can surmise is that in the current financial climate, where WWE's revenues are not what the company had expected them to be due to the sluggishness of their business, McMahon chose to not bring Hogan on the tour rather than pay him a bonus. Or, it's possible that McMahon didn't think that Hogan had any right to ask in the first place.
At a press conference in Melbourne last week, WWE gave the reasons mentioned above to explain why Hogan was not at the show, even though he had been heavily promoted as a focal point of the event. Sources close to the Hulkster told us that when Hogan heard that the company was making him out to be a broken down old man, it incensed him, no doubt because it was a way of running him down to the public.
The irony of all of this is that on his current tour
in WWE, Hogan has done everything asked of him by the company, and then some.
He has been very easy to work with, has been accommodating to the young talent
backstage and put them over and given guys the rub on camera. In comparison
to some of the other big WWE names (past and present), Hogan has been a joy
to work with and from all accounts, very straightforward (read, "not manipulative)
in his dealings with the company. That, perhaps, was mistaken for weakness by
McMahon and possibly Jim Ross (who is in charge of talent relations). In the
past, Hogan had always been someone who "protected his turf", much
like many of the top guys do today, but on his current run he had stepped into
more of an "elder statesman" role and had received a lot of respect
for
doing so.
On last week's Smackdown, an angle was filmed where Brock
Lesnar destroyed Hogan and left him laying in the ring. It appears that will
be the last image of Hogan fans will have for a while. I expect he will be back
eventually, possibly in a few months, but after the way he was treated this
time around, and not rewarded for putting the company first, it wouldn't
surprise me if he is more out for himself when he comes back. And if he is,
who could blame him?
14th August 2002
Hulk Hogan off WWE TV
Hulk Hogan was not at the SmackDown tapings last night, nor will he be part of WWE television for quite some time. As I mentioned last week, despite WWE claiming Hogan missed the Australian tour for back pains, the real reason centered around financial issues.
Hogan basically saw the show as something special, not a regular house show and considered it to be much like a pay-per view. He saw two 16 hour flights and show to work on the other side of the ocean, and felt he should receive a bigger payoff than usual as it is not part of his deal with the company to do things of that nature. WWE made an incredible amount of money with that show, it's hard to believe they would make such a big deal out of giving a 49 year old man a better payoff for being willing to fly around the world the day before his birthday.
Hulk Hogan was said to be even more upset with how Vince McMahon handled it by pretty much making Hogan out to be an old-beaten man to the press. He felt it was a way of McMahon running him down to the public because he didn't get his way.
Hogan has been a changed man, words you hear a lot these days with guys like Shawn Michaels. Hogan used to be considered a political player, much like HHH and Nash, in that he protected his spot on the company no matter what it took. Since returning to WWE he has been a great person to work with backstage, and more than willing to put over any young talent that is asked of him.
It appears as though the crushing at the hands of Brock Lesnar we saw a few weeks ago on SmackDown! will be the last time we see Hulk Hogan for several months. He will be back eventually, but it doesn't seem like it's going to be anytime in the near future.
WWE Changes and Hulk Hogan not coming to Australia (announced on RAW at "last minute")
Australian fans upset over Hogan not coming down under
Madison Square Garden 10th July 2002
Reborn and Runnin' Wild Again (Hogan returns to Madison Square Garden in July 2002)
Smackdown! 4th July 2002
Edge and Hulk Hogan win the WWE Tag Team Championship (4th July 2002)
Backlash 2002
Hulk Hogan vs HHH "The Game" Hunter Hearst Helmsley for the WWF Undisputed Title
Wrestlemania 18
Hogan Vs The Rock!
The match we never thought we would see will happen at WWF Wrestlemania 18!
The Rock & Hulk Hogan match at WrestleMania 18 wrestler Interviews
March 2002
HOGAN VS RIKISHI TONIGHT!
2nd March 2002: Fans in the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, FL., will witness Hogan's first match in a WWF ring since leaving the Federation back in mid 1993 tonight. Hogan will wrestle Rikishi in a match billed as a 'special attraction' on the 9-match show.
February 2002
Hogan and the NWO returns to WWF TV at the Pay-Per-View No Way Out. Hogan grants WWF.com an interview
25th January 2002
Hogan resigns with the WWF. This will be the rebirth of the NWO in the WWF, that is expected to bring the company to the next level.
September 2001
Speculation that Hogan has met with McMahon regarding a return to the WWF
Mid 2001
Hulk Hogan is currently in litigation with WCW regarding creative control of his character etc. Hogan has not wrestled or been on TV for many months. For updates on the situation, examine the links and wrestling news pages.
Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is unquestionably the most famous wrestler the world has ever known. He is now rewriting wrestling's future as the leader of the New World Order (nWo). After making the industry what it is today, Hulk is doing things his way. Dressed in nWo black, "Hollywood" Hogan, along with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, have staggered World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to challenge for supremacy.
Before Hogan cast off his famed "yellow and red" for nWo black, he burst on the WCW scene with much fanfare in June '94. Hulkster quickly made an impact by winning the WCW World Heavyweight title from "Nature Boy" Ric Flair at Bash at the Beach, one of the best pay-per-views in WCW history.
At 6'7", 275 lbs, Hogan has always done things in a big way. "Hulkamania" had already begun when Hogan defeated Iron Sheik in Madison Square Garden to claim his first world championship in 1984. In one of his most memorable bouts, Hogan body slammed 7'4", 500 lbs. Andre the Giant before an indoor record crowd of 93,000 at the Pontiac Silverdome. Packing arenas from coast-to-coast, Hogan rocketed the wrestling business to tremendous popularity in the 80's and powers a multitude of new fans into the 90's. No other wrestler has impacted American culture like Hogan. His signature bandanna, fiery eyes, blond mustache and rippling biceps that tear T-shirts to shreds created a larger than life persona beyond the squared circle. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan has transcended wrestling stardom. He is a genuine American icon.
Hulkster first made his screen debut as Thunderlips, tossing Sylvester Stallone out of the ring in the movie "Rocky III." He also appeared as himself at the request of Steven Speilberg in the move "Gremlins II." From there Hogan pinned down leading roles in "No Holds Barred," "Suburban Commando," "Mr. Nanny" and "Santa With Muscles." He also starred in the action-adventure movie version and syndicated series "Thunder in Paradise," as ex-Navy SEAL for hire, R.J. "Hurricane" Spencer. Always animated in the ring, Hogan provided his voice for the highly successful animated series "Hulk Hogan Rockin' Wrestlin'," which aired for three seasons. More recently, his music bass playing talents hit the right chords on the select Records release "Hulk Rules, Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band," a collection of rock, pop and ballads that rose to the top-ten among the Billboard children's chart.
Hulk Hogan is a "real" American hero. Despite his busy schedule, he always finds time to visit with ailing children through the Make-A-Wish and Starlight Foundations as the most requested celebrity of these youngsters. Hulk Hogan and his wife, Linda, take a special pride in their two children, daughter Brooke and son Nicholas. Born Terry Gene Bollea, Hulk Hogan was a part time body builder, part time bouncer, very part time musician and full time bank teller.
The story has it -and separating fact from reality is difficult in the world of pro-wrestling - that one night while working as a bouncer Hogan met up with wrestler Jack Brisco who immediately saw the potential of this golden haired 6ft 5 inch 300 pounder. Hogan trained with legendary Japanese wrestler Hiro Matsuda and made his debut in 1978 as Terry 'The Hulk' Boulder. For a short time he was joined in tag team matches by his 'brother' Eddie Boulder ( Ed Leslie), an old friend of Hogan's who later became better known as Brutus Beefcake a.k.a Butcher a.k.a the man with no name a.k.a Zodiac. In 1979 Hogan joined the WWF as a heel yet in spite of this fact, the crowds loved him, and in pro-wrestling there is nothing of less value than a heel who isn't hated, so he left the WWF to tour Japan. Hogan was a huge hit in Japan. He fulfilled his desire to be a rock star by recording an album, he starred in a comic book and made nineteen successful tours of the country.
In 1981 Hogan returned to the USA to wrestle for the struggling AWA once again he began as a heel but with the incredible response he drew from the crowd the promoters had no option but to turn him face. Hogan's popularity was such that it was only a matter of time before he would be snapped up by one of the two main promotions McMahon's WWF or the Crockett family's NWA. Like circus, pro-wrestling tends to be a family affair and the McMahons and Crocketts ruled the two biggest promotions in the USA. It was also a regional thing with each family having clearly defined borders which were respected by the other promotions.
In 1981 all that ended thanks to Hulk Hogan and cable TV. Pro-wrestling was made for Television, it is relatively cheap to produce, takes place in a confined space, mostly indoors and has its own self created cast of colorful characters of the type that television loves. And unlike most sport pro-wrestling leaves nothing to chance. In the early days of television in both the US and Australia pro-wrestling was part of the staple diet. Now in 1981 for all the same reasons pro-wrestling became major part of the rapidly growing cable industry and Vince McMahon Snr and son Vince Jnr saw it as a way of expanding the WWF across the US and then on to the rest of the globe. It was the time of the Iranian hostage crisis, the spectra of Vietnam was still fresh in their collective memory. America was down. For blue collar America this was compounded by the raising rate of unemployment and the take over or disappearance of many US companies in the face of foreign competitors. In pro-wrestling McMahon Snr. had installed as WWF champion 'The Iron Sheik" (Khosrow Vaziri) a former Iranian Olympic wrestler whose character complete with traditional Arab head dress and curled up pointy toed shoes raised heat right across the USA via cable and in the stadiums. The Iron Sheik not only beat his American opponents, he humiliated them and their country including desecrating the holy of holies the US flag. Enter Hulk Hogan, Recently returned from his huge success in Japan. Hogan's new found face character was perhaps best summed up in the words of what was to become his theme song. I am a real American, fight for the right of everyman I am a real American, Fight for what's right, fight for your life. On January 23 1984 in Madison Square Garden Hogan bearing the US flag and a crucifix dangling around his neck ran into the ring and to the accompaniment of a fanatical capacity crowd easily defeated the Iron Sheik to win the WWF world championship.
Blue collar America needed a hero so one was invented. He spoke of his pride in being American reinforcing the almost xenophobic national pride of his fans. He urged the "little hulk-a-maniacs" out there to work hard, be honest and say their prayers. It was just what a jaded blue collar American audience wanted to hear. America was still great and if they all worked together and fought for what they believed in then the USA was still the greatest nation on earth. Hogan transcended wrestling. He became a regular on the talk show circuit, preaching his "commandments", train hard eat your vitamins and say your prayers'. He appeared in cartoon form on Saturday morning television and in movies. Hogan was articulate, witty and effortlessly maintained character.
Hogan Facts
April 29, 1985: Appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated next to the swimsuit issue, the magazine is the year's best seller.
Is married and has three kids
Early in his wrestling career was a regular in Japan and AWA, usually wrestling as a "heel"
(Thanks to WCW.com and 1wrestling.com for some of the information in the above article)
Updates
"Mean" Gene Okerlund comments on Hulk Hogan not coming to Australia in 2002
Hulk Hogan interview after defeating HHH April 2002
Hulk Hogan is injured in return to WWF April 2002
Hulk Hogan vs Brock Lesnar WWE 8th September 2002
Hulk Hogan and Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Hulk Hogan returns to WWE June 2002