The Hulk once turned down a cure for his condition for the dumbest reason possible - jealousy! In The Incredible Hulk #141, the Hulk is temporarily cured of his curse by Doc Samson, only to turn himself back into the Hulk because he's jealous of Samson dating Betty Ross. This classic issue, written by the legendary Roy Thomas with art by the equally legendary Herb Trimpe and John Severin, is also the first appearance of Doc Samson. Despite this pedigree, Banner’s actions in this issue seem self-serving, which makes it really seem out of place in his larger narrative.
Bruce Banner has long sought a cure for being the Hulk, many times having it tantalizingly close in front of him, only to have it jerked away. In this issue, Banner is subjected to a process that siphons off the gamma radiation in his body and stores it. The procedure works like a charm, and Banner is finally relieved of his curse.
Aiding Banner in this process is Leonard Samson, a prominent psychiatrist. After seeing the gamma radiation taken from Banner, Samson then subjects himself to it; like most people exposed to gamma radiation, he mutates, but in Samson's case it's just into a much larger version of himself with long, flowing green hair. Along with these new powers comes a new sense of confidence, which leads the formerly mousy Samson to flirt with Betty Ross. Bruce is so incensed over this development that he transforms himself back into the Hulk and goes after Samson. Hulk pummels Samson, and only the intervention of Betty keeps Hulk from killing him. Ultimately, Samson goes off into the night with Betty in his arms, and Banner goes home alone.
This may be the weakest rationale ever for turning back into the Hulk, which is what makes it seem so out of character. Bruce had striven so hard to find a cure for his condition that throwing it away in a fit of jealousy seems drastic. At the end, there are hints that Hulk may have learned his lesson, but it’s now too late: he’s the Hulk for good now, and Betty is lost to him. The issue states that Banner is one of the most tortured people on the planet, and this may explain not just why he becomes the Hulk once more, but why he transformed into the Green Goliath in the first place, given that emotional states tend to affect the type of mutation that takes place when exposed to gamma. The action is so impulsive that - in the context of later stories - it's reasonable to assume that one of Banner's other personalities may have been pushing him to regain his power. Ultimately, it's apparent that he wasn't in his right mind when it happened, underlining the fact that while the Hulk may be physically dangerous, he is now - and always has been - a product of Bruce Banner's rage.
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