Marvel's "First Hulk" Makes Bruce Banner Seem Reasonable (& Weak)

Summary Marvel's original Hulk, Tammuz, was even more brutal and powerful than Bruce Banner.

Tammuz's control of his powers sets him apart from the internal struggle between Banner and the Hulk.

Tammuz's ability to direct his fury outwards on enemies highlights Banner's weakness in The Incredible Hulk #15.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Incredible Hulk #15!The Hulk who existed centuries before his more infamous counterpart makes Bruce Banner and his counterpart look quite puny by comparison. As Bruce and the Jade Giant continue to be at odds with one another, the vile entity known as the Eldest reflects on the first Hulk that ever gave them trouble.

In The Incredible Hulk #15 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Danny Earls, the monster ruler Eldest tells the story of Tammuz, aka 'Enkidu', a gamma mutate from several millennia ago. Under the guise of a beggar, Tammuz comes to a city that's been overrun by monsters guided by Eldest. When confronted, Tammuz transforms into his twisted counterpart and brutally slaughters Eldest's forces.

Tammuz talks to several survivors from the city who tell him how their city was conquered by Eldest. The original Hulk warns the survivors to leave, saying they will not be safe from the violence about to come.

Marvel's First Hulk Was So Much More Brutal Than Bruce

Bruce Banner might be the most famous gamma mutate in the Marvel Universe, but the first person to be touched by the odd, cosmic power was Tammuz, a man who lived thousands of years ago. After a gamma-irradiated meteorite crashed to Earth near his village, Tammuz was sacrificed by being kicked into the crater the meteorite created, only to travel through the Green Door, the metaphysical gateway that empowers all gamma mutates. Tammuz returned to life as a Hulk-like being, and he spent the next several centuries traveling alone, with no clear indication as to what happened to him.

In the same way that Hulk has leaned into the body horror angle in recent years, Tammuz is just as frightening when it comes to transforming from an average person into a monster of unbelievable size and strength. But Tammuz (or Enkidu as he's known in later years), has a greater control of his powers. He seems not at odds with himself like Banner and Hulk are. Not to mention he savagely brutalizes several of Eldest's enforcers, ripping them apart like they were rag dolls. Hulk may say he's the strongest there is, but Marvel's original gamma mutate is better.

Tammuz Reveals What Hulk's Potential Could Be

It's no secret that Banner and Hulk are rarely on good terms. Right now, the hatred they share is weakening the two of them and allowing Eldest to take advantage of them. Even though Tammuz was a 'fractured son' like Banner, he doesn't direct his fury inwards, but rather, outwards on his enemies. This is an internal strength that Banner/Hulk sorely lacks and ultimately makes them weaker. If they could be a bit more like Marvel's original Hulk, then Banner and his alter ego could perhaps know true strength.

The Incredible Hulk #15 is available now from Marvel Comics.

The Incredible Hulk #15 (2024) Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: Danny Earls

Colorist: Matthew Wilson

Letterer: Corey Petit

Cover Artist: Nic Klein