Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Incredible Hulk #18! The Avengers literally since the formation of the team, but that doesn’t mean Hulk always gets along with his fellow superheroes, especially those who he’s been featured alongside in the MCU. The Hulk is constantly at odds with the rest of the Avengers in Marvel Comics, though one in particular has recently become his greatest enemy. And now, for the first time, Hulk finally has the chance to smash the one Avenger he hates most.

In The Incredible Hulk #18 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Nic Klein, and Danny Earls, the Hulk has been defeated by the Eldest, and it’s all Bruce Banner’s fault. Previously, the Hulk was traveling with a new sidekick named Charlie, who encountered a monster called Frozen Charlotte, and got herself turned into a porcelain doll. In order to restore her physical form, Banner makes a deal with the Eldest (an eldritch beast that commands all the monsters on Earth), trading the Hulk’s flesh for Charlie’s.

Of course, making a deal with Eldest comes with more than a few catches. When Charlie was restored, she was held captive by Eldest, who used her to manipulate Hulk and Banner further. Not only that, but now that Eldest has possession of the Hulk, she can open an ancient prison and release the Mother of Horrors, bringing about the end of the world. To toy with both Hulk and Banner, Eldest uses her newfound control over the Hulk to manifest Banner in the real world through the Hulk’s flesh - and the Green Goliath rips him out like a tumor.

The Hulk is Finally Able to Smash the 1 Avenger He Hates Most: Bruce Banner

The Eldest Allowed Hulk to Attack Banner in the Real World

The Eldest pulls Bruce Banner from the Hulk’s mind into the physical plane through the Hulk’s skin. By doing this, Eldest allowed Bruce Banner and the Hulk to both physically exist at the same time (even if they still technically shared a body). This gave Hulk the incredibly rare opportunity to inflict pain on Banner directly, something he’s been dying to do since the start of this comic book run.

In the previous Hulk run, Bruce Banner trapped the Hulk within their shared psyche, tortured his mind, and took control over his physical body. Banner piloted the Hulk as one would a ‘starship’, and when the Hulk finally broke free of Banner’s control, he wasn’t too happy. Hulk took every chance he could to hurt Banner, but he could never simply do the one thing he really wanted to do: smash Banner. Hulk uses his fists to solve his problems, which is why his current conflict with Banner has been so frustrating - and why this moment is so satisfying.

This Isn’t the First Time Hulk and Banner Have Existed in the Real World at the Same Time

The Incredible Hulk #315 by John Byrne and Keith Williams

While it’s rare to see the Hulk and Bruce Banner exist in the real world at the same time, it has been done before. In The Incredible Hulk #315, Doc Samson was able to successfully separate Banner and the Hulk. However, the circumstances were much different, as the separation was done by a friend rather than a sadistic foe, and this resulted in Banner and Hulk becoming even closer than they'd ever been once they re-merged, as they both understood one could not live without the other.

In other words, Hulk wasn’t hellbent on hurting Banner upon their separation in Incredible Hulk #315 like he was in Incredible Hulk #18, as it took the events of the ‘Starship Hulk’ story arc to make Hulk that angry at Banner. So, when Hulk got the opportunity to actually attack Banner in the real world (not metaphysically in the mindscape or in another dimension), he took it, allowing Hulk to finally smash the one MCU Avenger he currently hates the most in Marvel Comics.

The Incredible Hulk #18 by Marvel Comics is available now.