Since last year, the brilliant mind of Al Ewing and artist direction of Joe Bennett have brought new life to Marvel's big green monster. The Immortal Hulk doesn't just revitalize Bruce Banner and his infamous and powerful alter ego, but it brings a new level of horror to the pages that Marvel fans rarely see.
Through the first 28 issues, we've been blessed with a beautiful array of villains plucked from the past of Bruce Banner. From Absorbing Man to the Avengers and even his own father, the Hulk has been put to the test in this epic saga, and we're slowly nearing the end with the next five issues. As we prepare for the epic conclusion of one of the year's best series, let's look at five classic Hulk villains we'd love to see and five we'd rather not.
10 Don't Want: ZZZAX
The Hulk's history with the electrical entity Zzzax goes all the way back to 1975. Zzzax is a powerful electrified creature who can absorb and release electrical energy, which actually gives him the ability to take control of the human nervous system. In his past run-ins with the Hulk, Zzzax has even taken control of the monster.
Regardless of the rich history that the Hulk and Zzzax have, the villain simply doesn't mesh well with the series at hand; as is the case for plenty of villains below. It would be interesting to see the drawn interpretation of Zzzax in this horror story, but that probably won't happen and really doesn't need to.
9 Want: Wendigo
A character like Wendigo is the perfect type of villain that would seamlessly mesh into this type of story. This being is the result of a curse that turns the possessed into a werewolf essentially, with all the abilities you need to bring down the Hulk: superhuman strength, speed, healing factor, etc.
Who knows how Ewing would work the curse and Wendigo into the present storyline or if it could be done at all. However, you could expect great things from a Joe Bennett-drawn Wendigo.
8 Don't Want: Lord Armageddon
The Trojan ruler Armageddon is another familiar face for the Hulk, debuting in Incredible Hulk #413. The history of the two characters stems from the death of Armageddon's son, Trauma, who was defeated by the Hulk in the field of battle.
As fun as it is watching Hulk go against all-powerful beings such as Armageddon, this particular antagonist just doesn't fit the story. Armageddon works much better in situations in which Hulk is up against ancient armies like the Trojans. There really wouldn't be any way to accurately incorporate Armageddon in the story, which is really no hit to the character or the storyline.
7 Want: Bi-Beast
The origin story of Bi-Beast is one of the strangest in all of Marvel Comics. It's an android with two faces created by an Inhuman sub-species called the Bird People. Both of Bi-Beast's faces have different areas of expertise, containing the knowledge of both warfare and culture. The Bi-Beast has been a longtime nemesis of the Hulk, even kidnapping Bruce Banner at one point in time.
Bi-Beast would be a great villain in Ewing's Immortal Hulk series, as he brings the mystical horror that the series thrives on. Like most of the other villains we would want to see in this storyline, Joe Bennett could do some great and horrifying things with the Bi-Beast character.
6 Don't Want: Tyrannus
The immortal Tyrannus is another treasured Hulk villain ever since he kidnapped the love of Bruce Banner's life, Betty Ross. Tyrannus is an immortal Roman with superior intellect, telepathy, and alleged sorcerer skills.
As great as the history of the Hulk and Tyrannus is, the relationship just wouldn't make sense for The Immortal Hulk. It's always interesting to see the way the Hulk squares off against supposed immortal beings, but there isn't too much the creators of this story could do to fit Tyrannus into the dark and terrifying feel.
5 Want: U-Foes
The villainous U-Foes are yet another Hulk enemy with a terrific and bizarre origin story. These four individuals tried to mimic the accident that gifted the Fantastic Four their abilities and were wildly successful. They each developed unique powers much different than Marvel's first family and were actually interrupted in their expedition by none other than Bruce Banner's Hulk.
It'd be incredible to see what Ewing and Bennett could do with the U-Foes and how they'd incorporate them into the story. The foursome would pose a serious challenge for the Hulk and bring another fantastic classic villain into the horror comic.
4 Don't Want: Original Abomination
As timeless as Emil Blonsky's Abomination is and as great of a classic Hulk villain he's been through the years, it's definitely a good thing he's been left behind in The Immortal Hulk. They've mentioned the existence of Blonsky's Abomination, but they've also gone as far as to introduce a brand new, and wildly more terrifying, version of Abomination.
Rick Jones is a longtime Marvel regular, serving as a sidekick to a variety of heroes including Bruce Banner's Hulk. As the new abomination, Rick Jones is stuck begging for death in the body of a monster. Ewing and Bennett have done a brilliant job making this monster one of the most horrific we've seen in the storyline so far, and actually takes Blonsky's Abomination to task for being one of the Hulk's greatest enemies. At this point, everyone should be happy that they bagged the old Abomination and went with this new twist on the classic villain.
3 Want: Madman
Nearly every Hulk fan and pretty much every Marvel fan knows of the classic villain that is Leader. However, what most might not be familiar with his brother, Philip Sterns, better known as "Madman". Sterns studied under Banner and actually subjected himself to similar gamma radiation, resulting in him becoming somewhat of a Hulk-like creature himself.
Since it's more than likely that the Red Hulk won't become part of The Immortal Hulk story, it'd be incredible if they were somehow able to bring the Sterns brothers to light. Madman is just the type of terrifying monster that would fit perfectly into the narrative that Ewing has created.
2 Don't Want: Maestro
At this point in the story, it's unlikely we're going to see any kind of Hulk-like creature go toe-to-toe with Bruce Banner. One of the most classic villains who fits in that category is Maestro. He's actually a version of the Hulk from an alternate and futuristic reality who has taken the Hulk to task on a number of occasions.
It seems as though the creators of The Immortal Hulk have left these types of characters behind in their story, and that's honestly a great thing. They've done such a fantastic job at introducing such terrifying new monsters for the Hulk to take on and it'd be a shame if they made Banner square off with just an alternate version of his alter-ego. Like almost all of the villains mentioned above, Maestro is a terrific longtime enemy who just doesn't fit into this new story of the Hulk.
1 Want: Leader
As we covered above, the relationship between the Hulk and the Sterns brother is one of the most interesting in Marvel comics. We've already gone over the fact we'd want Madman, the brother of Leader, so why not give Leader his very own spot on the list.
Leader is probably one of the most notable and famous Hulk villains and really could fit into most Hulk storylines. Although it'd be tough to show him in the horror-inspired Immortal Hulk, it's safe to say everyone would love a surprise appearance from him. He doesn't hold up in the strength department but often outwits the Hulk with his superior intellect. The presence of the Sterns brother, and Leader especially, would be a great twist for the story, but at this point, we may be out of luck.