While Hulk smashing things often gets most of the spotlight and is admittedly very fun, it's Bruce Banner that makes the character so compelling. As with Superman, their alter egos help humanize the Hulk, giving you a chance for growth that isn't always present with an insanely powerful alien or creature in Hulk's case. Bruce helps make the character the complete package.
Seeing his growth throughout the years has been fun to watch, giving a good mix of character development and smashing. This development has been vast, and here are just 10 ways Bruce changed or grown since becoming Hulk.
10 Less Withdrawn
As a kid, Bruce was very withdrawn and not particularly sociable with those that didn't share his scientific pursuits. Outside of Tony Stark, Betty Ross, and a few others, he didn't have very many people he could call friends outside of his extended family. Since becoming the Hulk, he's managed to have many relationships and grown several friendships through his time with the Avengers.
9 Better Control Of His Anger
It's a strange statement to say, considering Hulk's appearances are derived from him getting angry, but that's why Bruce managed to get a better handle on it. He was forced to confront all of the hate he had inside himself, compartmentalizing and dealing with it to stop the Hulk from becoming the dominant persona. It's admirable that he's been able to take it a step further and get on working terms with the Hulk in certain comic runs.
8 Greater Confidence
As with most scientists, Bruce hasn't always been a man filled with confidence and even lacked in the early days with the Hulk. However, as time wore on, his confidence grew, showing more initiative than he ever had before.
While he'd still prefer to be in the background, he can now command a room just as well as Tony or Cap could give enough reason. It's a stark contrast from the withdrawn child he was when growing up.
7 One Of The Greatest Minds In Marvel
It's debatable if he'd have reached these heights even without the Hulk as he was very much a child prodigy and intelligent in his own right. The Hulk provided a tangible reason to push himself and never stop pushing, becoming the supreme mind when it came to Gamma radiation. His need to rid himself of the Hulk helped him push boundaries that he may never have touched had he not had the monster inside of him.
6 Learning How To Read Others
When you're on the run as often as Bruce is, you learn to think two or three steps ahead of others, another facet that helped push him amount Marvel's elite minds. He always had to worry about villains attempting to track him down and manipulate him and the military. With a creature as all-powerful as the Hulk, he couldn't ever risk it falling into the wrong hands, unleashing a power that no one can truly control.
5 Understanding The Importance Of Hulk
Many Hulk comics have centered around Banner's desire to free himself of the Hulk. It's a compelling storyline, which is why it's cropped up in just about every movie he's been in. In both mediums, he eventually comes to terms with the fact that he needs the Hulk in his life, and more than just that, the world needs Hulk.
Hulk lets him protect those that he loves. It's also a power he knows is better suited in his hands than others.
4 Becoming A Hero
Without the Hulk persona, Bruce would never have become the hero he is today. His heroic and self-sacrificing nature would have still have been there, but he would never have been capable of the feats he is as the Emerald Giant. With the Hulk's powers, he's able to protect the innocent and even be regarded as one of the earth's mightiest heroes. It helped enhance the latent tendencies he already had, amplifying them.
3 Able To Cope With Death
This trait would have come naturally even without Hulk residing inside of him, but it helped speed up the process. When your a hero of Hulk's renown and strength, those close to you are always going to be targeted as they are the most exploitable weakness. That's been the case with numerous loves of both Banner and Hulk, but none more so than Betty. While she's naturally been brought back due to the nature of comics, her death forced him to deal with the mortality of those around him.
2 Fathering A Son
Throughout the years, Bruce has helped guide others in controlling their powers, be it Amadeus Cho or, more notably, his cousin Jennifer Walters. They all showed his knack for teaching others, the patience a father would have. That came into play when he began to train Skaar. Only it wasn't in how to control his powers, but rather how to defeat the Hulk. Their relationship only grew from there, and Skaar became an important member of the Hulk family.
1 Facing His Trauma
The lore behind the multiple Hulk personas was given an amazing boost during the incredible Immortal Hulk book and helped inject the character with new life. It also forced Bruce to face the traumas he had in his life, mainly due to the abusiveness of his father, Brian. It was necessary as his past has forever haunted Bruce, leading to the Hulk's entire existence, providing an almost security blanket for the anger and fears he felt. With them all in the open now, Bruce will need to decide what kind of person he's going to be moving forward.