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Since his explosive debut in May 1962, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s gamma-irradiated Jade Giant has been one of their most recognisable and successful characters thanks, in large part, to the Incredible Hulk television show (1977 to 1982) catapulting the Hulk into a mainstream, pop culture icon. So what better way to celebrate all things Hulk than by dedicating a day in May to the Green Goliath?

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The Background:
The brainchild of legendary Marvel duo Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Doctor Robert Bruce Banner’s monstrous alter ego, the Incredible Hulk, was inspired by a story of a hysterical mother summoning superhuman strength to rescue her child and classic screen monsters Frankenstein’s Monster and Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. Initially depicted as a stone-grey figure, the Hulk soon became a mainstay of Marvel Comics thanks to developments to his lore and the popularity of the live-action television series. Stan Lee also contributed to the creation of some of the Hulk’s iconic enemies, with Samuel Sterns/The Leader perhaps being his most notable adversary. Co-created by Steve Ditko, the Leader first appeared in the pages of Marvel’s science-fiction anthology series Tales to Astonish and was as smart as the Hulk was strong, matching the Jade Giant’s brawn with his genius intellect. Allied with Intelligencia, a group consisting of the greatest criminal minds on Earth, the Leader has long dogged the Hulk, either seeking to destroy him, harness his power, or manipulate him. Despite being a prominent foe in Marvel videogames and the Hulk’s animated ventures, it would take nearly twenty years for the Leader to finally appear in live-action when Marvel Studios finally paid off introducing Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) in 2008.

The Review:
The saga of the Leader’s first appearance is a sprawling, multi-layered one that technically begins in Tales to Astonish #61, where Banner is desperately trying to destroy a robot he built to withstand atomic explosions, one usurped by a dirty Commie spy. I mainly mention this issue for two reasons: the first is that it was the first appearance of Banner and the Hulk’s long-time enemy and rival, Major Glen Talbot. Talbot shares General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross’s suspicions about Banner and has come directly from the Pentagon to investigate the scientist, immediately making him a kindred spirit to Ross. The General even approves of Talbot putting the moves on his daughter, Betty, if only to “take her mind off that milksop Banner”. The second reason I bring up issue #61 is because, while fighting the robot and defending the military base, the strangely loquacious and heroic Hulk throws himself in the path of a missile and is knocked unconscious, allowing Talbot to string him up in heavy iron chains and cart him back to base. And this is where we find the hulk in issue #62, helpless and restrained before a gloating General Ross and desperate to break free before his dual identity is discovered. This issue also reveals that the spy who stole Banner’s mech suit was sent by the mysterious Leader, a helmeted scientist working around the clock on perfecting his latest humanoid creation. To discover the fate of his spy, the Leader contacts Dmitri Smerdyakov/The Chameleon, who gladly takes on the relatively simple job and flies out there, unaware that he’s sitting next to the Hulk’s young ally, Rock Jones, who’s heading in the same direction to help his friend. Despite Rick’s best efforts to reach the Hulk before everyone learns his identity, he’s caught by Talbot and booted off the base. The Chameleon, meanwhile, easily slips into the facility and uses what’s assumed to be his photographic memory to construct an elaborate mask and return to the base in the guise of General Ross!

The Chameleon approaches the captive Hulk and offers to set him free if he obeys his orders, but the Hulk obviously refuses to aid his hated enemy. When the Chameleon ushers away the guards to talk more privately, the change occurs behind his back, allowing Banner to easily escape to safety with Rick’s help. Although Rick feels guilty about deserting Banner to partner with Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America, Banner allays his guilt, saying he fears he cannot control the Hulk’s anger and would hate to hurt the boy, or anyone else. Banner then returns to General Ross and Talbot, receiving a chewing out for his disappearing act and brushing off Talbot’s threats about exposing him as a Red Agent. On his way back to his lab, Banner is blindsided by the Chameleon, who knocks him out and assumes his identity. The Chameleon discovers Banner’s Gamma Bomb project but is immediately rumbled by Betty, who intuits that he’s an imposter. Desperate to save his love, Banner transforms into the Hulk but is forced to flee when the Chameleon threatens to set off his Gamma Bomb since even the Hulk realises the danger of such a weapon. The Chameleon then lays out Talbot and escapes with Betty, only to be literally derailed by the Hulk. With the military forces closing in, the Hulk has no choice but to throw himself upon the Gamma Bomb, shielding innocents from the blast and reverting back to Banner from the effort. Although the Chameleon escapes, Banner is cleared of any formal charges thanks to Betty’s testimony, but General Ross, Talbot, and even Betty suspect that Banner is hiding something and he remains under close observation. Unbeknownst to all, the Leader is lurking in the background, left with no choice but to personally intervene since the Hulk’s strength has bested his two agents. Luckily for him, his mighty Humanoid is ready to go but, as he basks in its perfection, the Leader’s thoughts wander to his origins, which strangely mirror those of the Hulk.

Less than a year ago, the man we now know was Samuel Sterns was merely an ordinary labourer. However, like Banner, he was caught in a Gamma explosion and exposed to “one of the strongest forces known to man”. While recuperating, the uneducated labourer uncharacteristically consumed knowledge and books. One day, while studying like a man possessed, he collapsed in a feverish fit and awoke to find himself permanently transformed into a green-skinned, giant-headed despot. Dubbing himself “The Leader”, he forsook his previous life and immediately put together a spy network to slowly seize power from the world’s governments. However, he is now putting all his faith in his all-powerful Humanoid to succeed where they failed. Thanks to a specially designed (and rather fetching) headpiece, the Humanoid obeys the Leader’s mental commands without hesitation, exhibiting incredible strength and versatility as it easily bends an iron bar and pilots a helicopter. Back at the missile base, General Ross orders Talbot to oversee the transport of Banner’s latest weapon, unaware that the disguised Chameleon is still lurking amongst them or that the Humanoid is following overhead before the pink-hued android is descending upon them. The stress of the attack and Talbot’s constant bullying causes Banner to change into the Hulk, who immediately pounces upon the Humanoid. Interestingly, this is the Leader’s first time seeing or even learning of the Hulk and he’s intrigued to find another Gamma-born creation, and to test the limits of the Hulk’s brutish strength against his boosted intellect. Thus, he commands the Humanoid to battle the Hulk, altering its density so it can withstand the Jade Giant’s mighty blows and easily flinging him into the air! Realising their fierce battle could endanger others, the Hulk forces the two to topple to the tracks. He then rushes back to keep Banner’s weapon from going off and unwittingly ends up caged once again when Talbot decides Banner is a saboteur.

Despite Banner’s protests, Talbot and General Ross believe they have all the evidence they need to put Banner on trial for treason, a prospect Talbot gleefully embraces since he hopes to woo Betty in Banner’s absence. Thus, Banner is spirited to Washington, D.C. and put in a bind since he can’t prove his innocence without revealed that he’s secretly the Hulk. Luckily for him, Rick shows up and uses his “top-priority Avengers I.D.” to plead on his friend’s behalf to the decidedly Richard Nixon-esque President. Rick’s plan works and the President releases Banner, much to Talbot’s chagrin, to continue working on his new atomic device on a deserted isle. Convinced that Banner’s up to something, Talbot refuses to let him out of his sight and even threatens to shoot him unless he describes, in detail, everything he’s doing. Banner both laments that they can’t find some common ground and gets pushed to breaking point when Talbot insists that he’s working with the Hulk in some manner. Even worse, Banner’s out of his special pills and forced to flee so Talbot doesn’t see him change into the Hulk. Luckily for Talbot, the cement-lined bunker holds the Hulk at bay and the Chameleon leaked the location of the isle to the Leader, who commands a horde of his Humanoids to dogpile the Hulk, desperate to capture him for study. The Humanoid army aggravates the Hulk since they refuse to fall and his strongest blows have no effect; even flinging a boulder at them simply sees it deflected back at him! With the military closing in and the Hulk’s strength fading, the Humanoids press their attack, wearing the Green Goliath down with their relentless assault. Luckily for him, the trigger happy (grenade happy?) troops cause the Hulk and his assailants to fall into the sea, where a startled Banner avoids drowning only to be captured by a passing Soviet submarine! When Talbot hears this, he naturally assumes it proves his suspicions, while the Leader decides to try and kidnap Banner, convinced that he may hold the key to bringing the Hulk on side.

Banner is brought to an unspecified European country and presented to the commander of a Soviet weapons research centre, who refuses to feed him unless he joins the other braindead, starved scientists forced to create new and more destructive weapons. Caged in a tiny stone cell, Banner realises his only hope is to trigger his transformation and, soon enough, the rampaging Hulk is let loose once more. Despite the Russki’s powerful vaporiser weapon, the Hulk easily tears through the facility, wrecking it with his powerful leaps and thunderous claps. While the soldiers flee, a rebellious slave tends to the Hulk’s wounds, praising and feeding him while the Green Goliath snubs him. Determined to strike back, the commandant arms himself with a “proton gun”, only for the Hulk’s new ally to take the shot, glad to die a free man. Though the Hulk was annoyed by the scientist, the death of someone who was actually friendly towards him drives the Hulk into a berserker rage. Thus, he tears the facility apart in search of the commandant, only to overexert himself and collapse into unconsciousness as Banner. Back in the good ol’ US-of-A, Talbot volunteers to go behind the Iron Curtain to reclaim Banner and make him pay for his defection. Naturally, he and General Ross are quick to slander Banner and, overwhelmed by her grief, even Betty struggles to believe Banner’s innocence. Frustrated by Banner’s disappearance, the Leader contacts the Chameleon once more and learns that his targets are somewhere in Russia. The Leader contacts his unsuspecting Soviet ally to verify this and then decides to simply observe, confident that Banner and the Hulk will escape and return to the US, rather than waste his efforts heading out to Russia. The Leader’s assumptions appear correct as the issue ends with Banner coming to, remembering everything that’s happened to him in recent issues, and going on another rampage as the Hulk before storming off across Europe madder than ever.

The Summary:
This is an interesting time in the Hulk’s history. While Banner transforms due to stress or anger, the Hulk isn’t a completely mindless brute. Not unlike his first appearance, the Hulk is capable of intelligent and coherent thought and speech. He’s blunt and childish at times, but a far cry from his more savage “Hulk smash!!” years. The Hulk showcases complex thought and awareness, especially when fighting his foes, and has the wherewithal to understand where he is, who’s around him, and potential threats. Thus, the Hulk is surprisingly explicitly heroic in these issues; he engages with enemies to keep them from harming others, throws himself upon Gamma-infused weapons, and derails a train to keep people from behind harmed lest Banner’s weapon go off. I generally associate the Hulk from this period as a misunderstood creature who wanted to be left alone and only fought because he was provoked; he had no interest in anything or anyone unless they were nice or antagonistic towards him. Thus, it’s interesting to see him launch himself at missiles to spare even the soldiers who attack him on sight. The Hulk’s also surprisingly weak here; even the narration boxes talk about how he’s just “flesh and bone” and can be killed just like a regular man. He gets injured by the vaporiser ray in issue #66, though shrugs off the significance of this, but is more prone to overexerting himself and reverting to Banner. As lucid as the Hulk is, he still hates his alter ego. To the Hulk, Banner is another enemy, one he cannot see or touch, and he’s constantly striving to stay in his green-hued form rather than turn back into “puny Banner”. The same is true for Banner, who takes tranquiliser pills to help control his transformations and fears the Hulk losing control and hurting someone, especially his loved ones like Betty and Rick.

A focal point of these issues is Cold War paranoia. General Ross and suave newcomer Major Talbot are deeply suspicious of Banner because he keeps disappearing and acting all cagy. In Ross’s case, his suspicions are rooted in an intense dislike of Banner and disapproval of his relationship with his daughter. He cannot see what she sees in such a “milksop” and constantly badgers her, raving about Banner’s guilt every chance he can get, to strong-arm her into sharing his perspective. Talbot’s dislike of Banner is equally biased since he also has eyes for Betty, which Ross naturally approves of since Talbot’s a man’s man. Talbot loves his country first and foremost, however, and is determined to defend her from any threat, foreign or domestic. He keeps a close eye on Banner and immediately puts together any evidence he can find, however slim, to brand him a traitor. While Rick manages to get Banner cleared, Talbot remains aggressively suspicious and relishes the chance to get his claws into Betty once they receive irrefutable proof that Banner has “defected” to the Reds. The paranoia and fear surrounding the Soviets is the perfect backdrop for the deceptive Chameleon to enter the fray. By assuming various guises, including Ross and Banner, the Chameleon stirs the pot and raises tensions on the missile base. Although Betty’s word is enough to take the heat off Banner, the Chameleon’s constantly lurking amongst the crowd, hearing everything and stumbling upon useful titbits to feed back to the Leader, thereby showing that Ross and Talbot are right to be suspicious. However, their suspicions are misplaced and this costs them dearly, especially when the Hulk goes on a rampage! Surprising no one, the Soviets are depicted as wicked and cruel, starving their workforce and forcing kidnapped scientists to work themselves to death for their cause. However, the US military isn’t exactly squeaky-clean either. Both militaries treat Banner like shit and throw their weight around like stubborn, prideful bulls and it’s as satisfying to see the Hulk rip apart General Ross’s base as it is his decimation of the Soviet’s weapons factory.

And then there’s the main man himself, the Leader. An enigmatic and mysterious individual, we learn about his humble origins but never learn his true name (indeed, he disregards it as meaningless once he takes on his new moniker), yet the Leader is positioned as a thematic double of the Hulk. Like Banner, Sterns was caught in a Gamma blast and somehow survived and, like Banner, he was forever transformed by that mysterious radiation. However, the Leader cannot revert back to human form like Banner; his affliction is permanent and makes him an inhuman figure. The Leader was also gifted with superhuman intelligence, the Gamma radiation increasing his mental capacity to that of a super genius and giving him intellect high enough to create his own intricate spy network. The Leader presumably has agents all across the globe; he definitely has ties to the Reds, who mistakenly believe he is working for them, and agents on US soil. His most prominent point man in this story is the Chameleon, who perfectly aligns with the Leader’s more covert methods. Locked away in a hidden laboratory, the Leader prefers to stay under the radar and have his patsies do the dirty work while he perfects his Humanoid. The Humanoids are mindless automatons directly controlled by the Leader, with no thought or personality of their own. They can become intangible, hyper flexible, and super dense, making them nigh-unstoppable even against the Hulk’s mighty blows. Despite how powerful his Humanoids are, the Leader becomes obsessed with first capturing and studying the Hulk and then trying to woo him to his cause, believing the match of superhuman brain and brawn would make them unstoppable. Thus, while the two never meet in these issues, the Leader’s perfectly positioned as an anonymous puppet master, one whose intellect is depicted as being as much of a threat to the Hulk as his Humanoids. It’s a great introduction to one of the Hulk’s most persistent villains. The Leader may have aspirations for world domination but, here, he’s very low-key and happy to bide his time and even avoid getting involved, confident that an opportunity to strike will present itself and all will go according to his elaborate plan.

Great Stuff

Did you enjoy the Leader’s debut? Did you read it when it was first published and, if so, how did you think the Leader compared to other Hulk villains? What did you think to the idea that the Leader was gifted superhuman intellect rather than strength? How did you feel about Major Talbot and the suspicions regarding Banner? What are some of your favourite fights or moments between the Hulk and the Leader? Who is your favourite Hulk villain? Whatever you thoughts on the Leader (and the Hulk), feel free to share them below and be sure to check out my other Hulk content!