Bruce Banner's relationship with Hulk has been reshaped through the simple explanation of an experienced Marvel hero. Since the release of The Incredible Hulk #1 in 1962, the core sequence of events in Hulk's origin story has remained largely unchanged. Bruce Banner saves Rick Jones from a Gamma Bomb test, gets caught in the explosion, and transforms into Hulk. While later stories have expanded nearly every aspect surrounding this critical moment, the fundamental elements of the origin story have surprisingly undergone little revision. This consistency has given a sense of continuity to the Hulk mythology, allowing each major reinterpretation to enrich the original tale.

However, the meaning of the bond between Bruce Banner and Hulk has dramatically evolved. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby designed Hulk as a reflection of Cold War nuclear anxieties. Later, new writers and artists reframed Hulk as both a survival mechanism and a physical manifestation of Bruce's buried emotions by delving into Bruce's childhood trauma. Recently, Al Ewing's The Immortal Hulk added a new mystical layer to the Green Goliath as a true force of nature.

The mythology of Hulk continues to grow with new interpretations of his origins and psychology sixty-four years later. With Infernal Hulk becoming an unstoppable force, Bruce Banner is forced out of retirement to seek non-physical solutions. Remembering his journey in Hulkland, he decides to ask for help from Brother Voodoo, the only hero who knows this realm. Brother Voodoo agrees to help Bruce Banner but first detonates a real bomb on Hulk's human counterpart. When Banner claims he has nothing to do with Infernal Hulk's actions, Brother Voodoo explains that Banner is an example of an addict trying to hide his addiction.

Marvel is introducing a new blue Hulk powered by a different source than Bruce Banner, and this character has its own unique enhancements. Indeed, Bruce Banner checks several boxes. As Brother Voodoo explains, Banner wants to destroy the part of himself he hates, but at the same time, he constantly defends himself by claiming that the one causing harm is Hulk, never himself. In Banner's mind, his life will be perfect only when Hulk stops attacking. While this seems true, Hulk draws his power from Banner's memories and emotions, and Banner must at least... take responsibility.