Search results
The Illuminati are a fictional secret society group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters joined forces and secretly work behind the scenes. The Illuminati was established to exist (via story retcon) in their first published appearance in New Avengers #7 (July 2005), [1] written by Brian ...
- Everything you need to know about the iconic Hulk story that partially inspired Thor: Ragnarok.
- A Visual History of Hulk
- Thor: Ragnarok's Comics Inspirations
- Explained!
By Jesse Schedeen
Posted: Oct 30, 2017 10:30 pm
While Thor: Ragnarok may be named after a certain Asgardian thunder god, this new MCU film also focuses a great deal on Hulk. In the process, Ragnarok draws heavily from one of the most popular and influential Hulk storylines in Marvel's history - Planet Hulk.
What exactly is Planet Hulk, and how is it informing the latest Thor movie? Read on to learn everything you need to know about this critical Hulk saga.
The Basics
Planet Hulk served as a major chapter in Hulk's growth as a character in the mid-2000s. This yearlong story saw Hulk dragged away from Earth and crash-land on the alien world of Sakaar. There, Hulk was forced to battle for his life in a gladiatorial arena, all for the amusement of Sakaar's bloodthirsty emperor, a tyrant known as the Red King. However, Hulk being the strongest one there is, it wasn't long before he found himself turning the tables on the Red King and leading the brave warriors of Sakaar in open rebellion. Over the course of Planet Hulk, the Jade Giant became a monarch, grew stronger than ever and even found love. But sadly, as with pretty much everything in the tortured monster's miserable existence, it wasn't to last. By the time Hulk returned home to Earth, he was madder and stronger than ever, and ready to take out his wrath on the heroes who banished him in the first place.
Major Characters
Hulk is the main protagonist of Planet Hulk, naturally. The story offers a fairly unique take on Hulk, as the intense radiation of his interstellar journey boosted Hulk's strength and gave rise to a new persona known as the Green Scar. While not as intelligent as Bruce Banner, the Green Scar Hulk proves cunning enough to unite a planet and become the new emperor of Sakaar. In the process, Sakaar's natives come to believe Hulk is the Sakaarson, a savior prophesied to rescue their world. The Red King is the main villain of Planet Hulk. Like an old-fashioned Roman Emperor, the Red King lords over Sakaar and leads a hedonistic lifestyle while he forces slaves to fight and die for his amusement. His chief lieutenant is Caiera, a skilled warrior who eventually defects to Hulk's side and even falls in love with the refugee Earthling. Hulk also rallies a number of other strong, accomplished warriors to his side, including Miek, a Brood, Elloe Kaifi, Lavin Skee, Hiroim and Korg. Together, they form the "Warbound," a group of comrades honor-bound to fight alongside one another until death. Unfortunately, one of them ultimately betrays Hulk and his newfound empire. Hulk grows close to Caiera.Planet Hulk also features a memorable guest appearance by Silver Surfer, who is captured by the Red King and forced to battle Hulk in the arena.
Origin and Background
The Planet Hulk storyline ran in the pages of Marvel's monthly Incredible Hulk comic from April 2006 to May 2007. It was written by Greg Pak and illustrated by artists Aaron Lopresti and Carlo Pagulayan. Planet Hulk built on an earlier story where the Illuminati (a secretive group that included Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Mister Fantastic, Namor, Professor X and Black Bolt) tricked Hulk into boarding a space pod and exiled him from Earth. Their intent was to banish Hulk to a peaceful planet where he could finally be alone and no longer threaten humanity. However, his pod was knocked off course and landed on Sakaar instead.
Planet Hulk traces Hulk's meteoric rise from gladiator slave to rebel freedom fighter to emperor of Sakaar to fallen monarch. It's very much a tragedy in the way so many classic Hulk tales are, with the character finding purpose and a family on his new world and then losing it all by the end.
Planet Hulk wound up impacting the larger course of the Marvel Universe in several key ways. It was immediately followed by a 2007 crossover storyline called World War Hulk, where Hulk and his Warbound return to Earth to exact vengeance on the Illuminati. In the end, Hulk is narrowly defeated by the combined might of SHIELD, the Sentry and Tony Stark's anti-Hulk satellite weapon. The character temporarily regressed to his usual savage state in the aftermath, though his intelligence and memories of his time on Sakaar have continued to ebb and flow in the years since. Hulk eventually meets his son, Skaar.The other big development involves the debut of Skaar, the son of Hulk and Caiera who survived his mother's murder on Sakaar. Skaar eventually made his way to Earth and reunited with his father (paving the way for Incredible Hulk to be temporarily renamed "Incredible Hulks").
Mar 30, 2022
House of the Dragon: Cast, Time Period and Targaryen Family Tree Explained
Mar 30, 2022 - This song is all fire and no ice.
Game of ThronesJesse Schedeen
Feb 25, 2020
Star Wars: The High Republic Explained
In 1971's Avengers #88 by Harlan Ellison, Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema and Jim Mooney, we see three fifths of the Illuminati seemingly doing a trial run for what they plan to do with the Hulk years later. The Hulk, by the way, is kidnapped by a villain we haven't seen in decades, Psyklop, who ends up sending Hulk to a miniature planet known as K'ai ...
Illuminati: New World Order was released by Steve Jackson Games and cast the player as a puppet-master pursuing world domination on behalf of their chosen mythic secret society, the game offering ...
- Joe Sommerlad
The Illuminati are a fictional secret society and group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters joined forces and secretly work behind the scenes. The Illuminati was established to exist (via story retcon) in their first published appearance in New Avengers #7 (July 2005), written by Brian Michael Bendis. They each represent a certain ...
The Illuminati were a covert think-tank originally consisting of Earth's most influential heroes, each representing a different political or superhuman community. They met in secret for a number of years, brought together by events too important to face as individuals. They were initially relatively successful, despite their considerable differences, each bringing with them a perspective ...
People also ask
Who are the Illuminati?
How did the Illuminati make decisions?
Where did the Illuminati come from?
Why did Hood create the Illuminati?
What is the real world 'Illuminati'?
What happened to the Illuminati?
Jun 19, 2023 · Published Jun 19, 2023. Secret Invasion was the culmination of years of plotlines. Writer Brian Michael Bendis had begun building it in New Avengers #1 in 2005, crafting the story for three years before unleashing it with artist Leinil Yu. During this time, Bendis also created the Illuminati, a covert group of Marvel's greatest leaders — Iron ...
