If you haven’t read Civil War II # 3 yet and want to remain unspoiled then you should stop reading now! We’re going to tell you who died, and who killed the victim.
Civil War II kicked off with the death of War Machine and the near-fatal injuries of the popular heroine, She-Hulk. But the casualties are piling up and now another Avenger has bitten the dust.
As revealed by The New York Daily News, the Hulk’s human alter ego, Bruce Banner was shot through the head with an arrow by Hawkeye and killed instantly within the pages of Civil War II # 3. In the context of the story by Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Marquez, the heroes had been warned by Ulysses (an Inhuman who can accurately predict the future) that the Hulk was going to kill them. Hawkeye acted unilaterally when he believed that Banner was about to change into his more monstrous self. Fair warning, you may want to just scroll past the death page.
Related:Exclusive Preview | ‘Civil War II: Gods of War’ # 2
If you feel that it’s unjust for Banner to be killed over something that he might have done, that is the central conflict of the miniseries. Captain Marvel wants to use Ulysses to prevent attacks and crimes before they happen, while Iron Man and his followers are adamantly against that. Essentially, it’s a superhero Minority Report.
“This is uncharted territory for us,” claimed Marvel Editor in Chief Axel Alonso while speaking with the Daily News. “Only two things are for certain: it will take a long, long time for our heroes to come to terms with his loss, and the circumstance surrounding his death will leave a huge scar on the superhero community.”
Well, it’s really not uncharted territory. Marvel and DC kill off characters all the time and eventually bring them back. It’s just what they do, and one of the ongoing tropes of superhero fiction. That said, Bendis is trying to play this death off as a more irreversible demise than usual.”Right now I can tell you this is the real deal,” related Bendis. “I can’t speak for the future, I honestly can’t, who knows what will happen? But I already have plans for the body (in upcoming issues.)”
We have a prediction: Banner will be back in the comics just in time for one of the next two Avengers films. In the meantime, Amadeus Cho will continue to be the Marvel Universe’s Hulk, as the company continues to push for diversity among its primary heroes. And if Hulk fans are especially outraged by this turn of events, just remember that the status quo always resets in comics. Always.
How do you feel about the death of the first Hulk? Unleash your thoughts in the comment section below!
