Bruce Banner is usually seen as the weaker half of The Incredible Hulk. While many people respect Banner for his high intelligence, most depictions of the scientist show him as a stereotypical “98-pound weakling” with thick glasses and stick-thin limbs. So, it might come as a surprise to know that Banner can clobber not just one but two Hulks – with a single blow!
To understand how such a fight could even be possible, one must understand that Banner suffers from multiple personality disorder, a condition exacerbated by his exposure to gamma radiation. Thanks to his irradiated body, Bruce’s violent and savage alternate personas can now physically manifest as incredibly powerful “Hulks.” When the Hulks are in Banner’s mind, however, the rules are significantly different.
During writer Peter David’s acclaimed run on The Incredible Hulk, he explored Banner’s MPD in great detail. At one point, David even had the sorcerer Doctor Strange cast a spell that allowed Banner to communicate with his alternate personalities in an abstract “mindscape” that Bruce could enter at any time. Curiously, in this mental world, Banner’s strength was much greater than it was in the “real world,” as the mindscape reflected the power of Bruce’s mind and high IQ. Nevertheless, he was still not powerful enough to take on his alternate Hulk personalities, who easily pushed him around.
While Strange’s “conference call” spell was initially intended to help Banner communicate with the Grey Hulk, things got complicated when it turned out that the savage Green Hulk was still in Banner’s mind – behind a mental block in the shape of a huge door. Soon after, Banner became so angry that he broke through this mental barrier and physically transformed into the Green Hulk. The Grey Hulk subsequently tried to lock his savage counterpart behind the mental door but could only hold him off for so long.
By The Incredible Hulk #376, the Grey Hulk – jealous of the Green Hulk’s greater strength – decided to enter the door, confront the Green Hulk, and destroy the savage personality permanently. Unfortunately, Banner was under a great deal of stress at this time, as the Hulk’s ex-girlfriend Marlo Chandler had recently re-entered his life, upsetting Banner’s wife Betty. As the women argued, the Hulks both broke through the door and Banner transformed – into a grotesque green/grey/flesh-colored being that kept shifting and changing to reflect his inner turmoil.
The Green-Grey-Banner Hulk went on a rampage through the city, although he wasn’t actually aware of the destruction he was causing since both Banner and the Hulks could only comprehend their mental battle. Banner begged the Hulks to calm down, but they just kept punching and throwing each other – which caused the physical Banner/Hulk to literally beat himself up in front of a terrified and confused populace. Things got serious when the mental versions of the Green and Grey Hulks started to choke each other – causing the physical Banner/Hulk to try and strangle himself.
Just as it seemed as if the Hulk would literally kill himself, Betty Banner reached the warring monster and cried out for Bruce, telling him he wasn’t “puny Banner” and that he could be strong enough to end the conflict. Finding strength in her words, Banner screamed at his alternate personalities, telling them that if they wouldn’t listen to reason he’d “speak your language” – just as he swung out with both fists and hit the Hulks, telling them, “It’s time you muscle-bound morons realized… that Banner… is the strongest one there is!”
Unable to withstand the force of Banner’s punches, the Green and Grey Hulks ed out, causing their physical body to morph back into Banner. In the aftermath, Banner’s psychiatrist Leonard Samson located Banner and managed to conduct an intense hypno-therapy sessions that resulted in Banner merging his consciousness with his Hulk personas, creating the smart “Professor Hulk” personality. Yet it’s significant that, although his body was clearly no match for the Hulks’ strength, Banner’s mind ultimately proved to be the dominant personality – granting him the strength to take down beings with literally incalculable power.
