Comic Coverage

Humble Beginnings

You know, as different and varied as our life experiences are, we all have one thing in common: profoundly embarrassing photos from our younger years! Whether it's the dorky hairstyles, goofy clothes, or some bizarre, faddish phase we went through, photographic proof of those awkward times haunts us all. In fact, even comic book characters have embarrassing aspects of their early years they'd just as soon forget...even a box-office bigshot like Iron-Man!

In between Tony Stark's original grey armor and his more familiar red and gold togs was a suit of golden armor.  Patterned after his bulky grey suit from his debut in Tales of Suspense #39 (1963), Version II (appearing in the very next issue) featured several upgrades... including a skirt-like apron! (click on the image for a larger view)

Why the apron?  It's not clear...though considering Tony's love for the ladies, perhaps the metallic skirt was designed to be extra protection for his..uh... "command center".  Whatever the reason, the apron made an already cumbersome costume design even more odd looking, not only for it's nebulous purpose, but also for it's decidedly non-metallic, almost cloth-like appearance.  Mercifully, the gold armor (and the apron) lasted only a few months, making way for the more streamlined look of Stark's red and gold armor.

Of course, Iron-Man isn't the only comic book character to harbor a secret shame from his earliest adventures...as you'll see in upcoming installments of Humble Beginnings!

Humble Beginnings: Batman! I Choose YOU!

Much like our own early years, comic book characters can have awkward or downright comical aspects of their past they'd just as soon forget...even heavy hitters like The Batman.

Like Iron-Man's unfortunate iron skirt from last week, the earliest Batman adventures also featured some highly questionable costuming.

As anyone with a pulse knows, the origin of Batman's costume comes from that fateful night in Bruce Wayne's study as he contemplated how to strike fear into criminal hearts... 

Yes...good choice, Bruce!  A bat IS a frightening, ultra-creepy creature...and the perfect motif for your war on crime.  Unfortunately, THIS was the sight that was supposed to send the bad guys running for the hills?...

(from Detective Comics #30, 1939)

Hmmm...let's see...what do those wacky ears remind me of?...

Ahh, that's it!  "Batman! I choose YOU!"

(not from Detective Comics #30, 1939)

Humble Beginnings: These Boots Are Made for Lacing

Much like our own embarrassing youths, superheroes can have odd or downright goofy aspects of their earliest adventures they'd just as soon forget. As the very first comic book superhero, that's especially true for Superman. With the exception of the Phantom (who'd been appearing in newspaper comic strips since 1936), there weren't any "costume standards" for Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to follow as they created a look for Superman...so they turned to the past for inspiration. The result was a crazy-quilt of colorful wardrobe elements taken from circus acrobats, science fiction heroes, and ancient strongmen...most of which remains unchanged  seventy years later.  The only elements of the original costume that saw immediate change were its primitive triangular S-symbol (which continued to evolve through the 1940's) and....the boots!

Lasting only a few issues, the original boots resembled those used by performing strongmen (who were still quite popular during the 1930's).  I use the term "boots" lightly, since they appear to be more like sandals or slippers with crisscrossed lacing to secure them to Superman's lower leg.

Panels from Action Comics #1 (click on the panels for a larger view)

Some might argue that Superman's entire costume has always been a goofy anachronism ("He wears his underwear on the outside of his tights! Haw, Haw!"), but putting that aside, I think we can all agree that it a was a good thing to ditch the blue ballet slippers.

Humble Beginnings: The Omnipotent Breezy-G!

Arguably the first "cosmic" comic book storyline, Fantastic Four #48-50 (1966) featured the debut of not only the "Emo before Emo Was Cool" Silver Surfer, but his giant bucket-headed boss Galactus as well...which makes it no mystery why these issues have become known as "The Galactus Trilogy". Since I've got a thing for the omnipotent types, I've always been fond of the planet-devouring, morally ambiguous Big Guy...even though his earliest appearances featured some endearingly goofy "wardrobe malfunctions".

In literally his first appearance, the final panel of FF #48 revealed Galactus in all his cosmic glory...which was almost canceled out by the big, dopey letter "G" in the middle of his chest! That's right...a universe-spanning alien space god inexplicably sporting an Earth alphabet letter as if he was some kind of sweater-wearing frat boy (or superhero)...inside of a white circle, no less!

In later reprints, the G-circle (and bare arms and hands) of Galactus would be re-colored to match the surrounding armor...but even with the more subtle coloring, that G still cracks me up every time.

Okay, so now you know where the "G" in the "Breezy-G" title comes from...but what about "Breezy"? The answer comes a few years later in Fantastic Four #74-76 as Galactus returns minus the "G" and...to paraphrase the bearded sages of ZZ Top...

He's got legs, an' he knows how to use 'em!

Note to Galactus: When issuing a fist-shaking Mighty Oath, it's probably best not to aim the camera straight at your baby-smooth bare legs and cosmic kilt. It kinda undermines the Cosmic Authority thing, you know?

Humble Beginnings: Spider-Man...a.k.a. "Mr. Peepers"

One of my favorite Humble Beginning moments appeared in the very first Spider-Man story from Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962). For the most part, the costume created by young Peter Parker looked exactly as it does today some 46 years later...but toward the end of the 11-page story, a peculiar new detail appears in this panel:

Those beady little eyes peeping through the mask's white "eye" shapes made their first and last appearance here in this panel...which I can back up with the same panel from the page's original art (which was recently donated to the Library of Congress):

Why the eyes? My guess is that artist Steve Ditko added them to amp up Peter Parker's shock at recognizing the burglar who killed his Uncle Ben. I have to admit, though...as jarring as the dot-eyes look, when subsequent reprints removed them, the scene lost much of the emotional impact those odd little dots imparted.

Humble Beginnings: Half-Mask Fever

As a relatively new comics fan back in the mid-70's, I remember how thrilled I was to come across a library book that gave a basic overview of comic book history. Though I no longer recall which book it was (possibly the Steranko History of Comic Books), I still vividly remember getting my first glimpse of all the "major milestone" covers. Seeing the debuts of Superman (Action Comics #1) and Batman (Detective Comics #27) was quite a revelation, but the biggest surprise might have been the cover of Captain America Comics #1 (1941), depicting a costume and shield that didn't quite match up with the Cap I had recently become familiar with.

Note the odd "half-mask" that just kind of rests on the top of Cap's head, along with his decidedly non-circular shield. Even as a kid, the bare neck made little sense, especially since his shoulders and upper torso were protected with some sort of scaled material (which I later found out to be "duralumin chain-mail"). And what about that triangular shield?  How did Cap throw it?

Well, apparently Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (Cap's creators) had similar misgivings, since Cap's more complete mask and circular shield showed up in the very next issue. Although no explanation was given for the change (which was typical of that era), one was finally offered forty years later in Captain America #255 (1981). In arguably the best retelling of Cap's origin, collaborators Roger Stern and John Byrne added some interesting new details...one of which made it clear why the half-mask was never going to cut it functionally as well as aesthetically (click on the panels for a larger view):

Shortly after his costume's much-needed revisions, Cap also received his circular shield upgrade...from President Roosevelt himself! 

See, this is what I enjoy so much about creative comic book storytelling... taking long-forgotten details (such as Cap's unfortunate half-mask and triangular shield) and finding interesting ways to weave them into the official history of the character. Of course, not all wonky costume elements deserve an official explanation (some are better left forgotten), but in certain cases, it can really add some richness to a character's history.

Humble Beginnings: Where'd You Park Your Broomstick?

Most Spider-Man fans will agree that the Green Goblin is one of the Wall-Crawler's greatest foes (if not THE greatest). Beyond the psychodrama of their long conflict, a big part of the Goblin's appeal is his sheer visual impact. Frightening elements like his rictus-grin and bulging yellow eyes are balanced out by goofier touches like the curly-toed boots and pointy ears...but the most arresting element of the Goblin's get-up is, of course, that wonderful bat glider. Both functional and frightening, Norman Osborn's high tech invention would belch out billowing clouds of smoke while dipping and diving like a real bat (not to mention eventually becoming the instrument of Osborn's death). 

However, the Green Goblin's first appearance way back in Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964) hardly conveyed the complex master villain he would eventually become. As I touched upon earlier this year, the Green Goblin was initially a bizarre, somewhat whimsical figure who convinced Spider-Man to star in a phony Hollywood movie. Amplifying the loopiness of the Goblin's debut was his first flying device...no, not the bat glider, but his original flying broomstick! Looking a bit like a vacuum cleaner, the Goblin would ride perched upon the mechanical broomstick while (miraculously) not tipping to the left or right while flying. 

Like all of my Humble Beginnings subjects, a much-needed upgrade soon came along, in this case the aforementioned bat glider (in the Goblin's next appearance three issues later). But he'll always have that peculiar, impossibly stable flying broomstick to live down.

Humble Beginnings: A Deeper Shade of Gray

So...Bruce Banner.  Transforms into an impossibly muscled-up green guy named the Hulk when he's enraged, right? Well, if we're talking about his debut in The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962)....no.

Sporting grey skin instead of the familiar green, and not much bigger than a pro wrestler, the Hulk's first appearance also featured a decidedly different trigger for Bruce Banner's transformation. Instead of intense stress or rage, creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby took another page from the horror movie playbook and used dusk and dawn to bring about the metamorphosis.

As it turned out, the Hulk's grey skin color was problematic for both colorist Stan Goldberg and the printer, so by issue #2 his trademark green skin was here to stay. It also didn't take long for the sun-based transformations to give way to the rage and stress-fueled hulk-outs. 

In the years following the gray-to-green switch, reprints of issue #1 re-colored the Hulk's skin green...seemingly erasing the original gray model from comic book history.  That is, until creator John Byrne reaffirmed in issue #318 (1986) that the Hulk was indeed gray at the very beginning, which lead to an extended run of issues by Peter David that featured a cunning Gray-skinned Goliath calling himself "Joe Fixit". Proof positive that even somewhat out-of-focus "humble beginnings" can be used to create clever new directions for familiar characters.

Humble Beginnings: Happy EEEWWW Year!

So far, my Humble Beginnings posts have dealt with the visual quirks of various characters as they were just starting out. However, some of the weirdest moments from that awkward formative phase weren't visual but emotional. You see, long before characters became the familiar personalities we know today, their creators experimented with different approaches before the proper tone was struck. In the case of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, that experimentation took a decidedly unsettling turn in an early issue of The X-Men.

First, it should be established that all of the mutant super-team's members were clearly identified as teen-agers...all of whom were trained by Professor Charles Xavier at his School for Gifted Youngsters. Some forty-five years later, the image of Xavier is that of a fatherly mentor figure...but in this panel from X-Men #3 (1964), Professor X was more of a Professor Letch!

Uh, Chuck?  Perhaps the reason you have "no right" to tell Jean Gray of your love for her has nothing to do with your leadership status or your wheelchair....but maybe the fact that she's a teenager and you're an old dude!  Eeeewwwwwww!

Now, as far as I know, this twisted emotional angle was never brought up again (X-Men experts can correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm shocked it ever made it into print in the first place. As much as standards have evolved over the past half-century, I still don't think this sort of thing went over particularly well with a 1964 audience.

Humble Beginnings: The Fire Inside

"I think of fire in connection with emotions, because when you become 'stirred up', when your emotions control your actions, it affects not only yourself, but the people around you."

–Dr. A.R. Laurer, from the Coronet educational film Controlling Your Emotions (1950)

Part of the groundbreaking nature of Marvel Comics in the early 1960's was writer/editor Stan Lee's decision to depict superheroes in a much more realistic way than what had come before. Unlike the idealistic paragons of other publishers, Marvel characters would be quick to anger, easily frustrated, prone to sulking and sarcasm, distrustful, self-conscious, and pessimistic.  

In other words, they mirrored the very kids and young adults who read their adventures!

In fact, from the very beginning in Fantastic Four #1 (1961), teenagers would find the perfect symbol of their volatile emotions and fiery passions in Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch. However, unlike the controlled "glowing ember" look that's defined the Torch for most of his history, the first two issues of The Fantastic Four depicted Johnny as only a featureless and vaguely humanoid flame-shape...an obvious analogy of the roiling, chaotic emotionalism of the teenage years. Driving that point home is the dialogue in the second panel below, taken from Fantastic Four's origin story.

Ideally, through experience and maturity, teenagers eventually learn to harness and control their emotions...once again symbolized by the Torch a few issues later.  The cover of Fantastic Four #3 marked the debut of Johnny's aforementioned "glowing ember" look, obviously the result of harnessing and controlling his power. Ultimately, it's a great little "parable" for the maturing process, as wild "fiery" youths focus and gradually improve themselves in their journey toward adulthood.

Of course, anyone who's followed my blog for awhile should know that whenever there's a mention of the Human Torch, his "polar opposite" Iceman can't be far behind...and this is no exception.

Much like the indistinct early look of the Torch, teen mutant Bobby Drake looked like a lumpy, featureless snowman on the cover of X-Men #1 (1963).

Although it took Bobby a bit longer than Johnny to fine-focus his emotions...er, powers, by X-Men #9 (1965) he'd assumed his familiar crystalline form. Ah...but much like a real kid learning self-control from a parent or mentor, note how his older teammate (and parent-figure) Cyclops taught him to exert more control over his icy powers.

Self-control analogies aside, I think that final line of Bobby's wonderfully sums up the tempestuous teenage spirit of the Marvel Comics glory years. 

Humble Beginnings: Yellow is Just Not Your Color

From the standpoint of sheer originality and audacity, Stan Lee's 1964 concept of a blind superhero simply can't be surpassed. Sure, DC had a 1940's character named Doctor Mid-Nite who was blind in the daylight, but his special infrared goggles effectively removed that handicap. By contrast, Marvel's Daredevil was completely blind, yet was able to function at superhuman levels using his remaining senses, hyper-sharpened by that space-age panacea of vitality: radiation.

In addition to his unique modus operandi, Daredevil also had a unique, incredibly compelling origin story. Unlike the usual millionaire playboys or scientists-turned-adventurers, Matt Murdock was raised by a single dad, a broken-down boxer who pushed his son to excel in school and escape the poverty that imprisoned them. Following the freak accident that stole Matt's sight and heightened his senses, his dad was murdered by mobsters when he refused to throw a boxing match...leading Matt to seek out his killers using his superhuman abilities. Ahh, but at his dad's request, Matt had promised long before to never become a fighter...so to honor his father, Matt decided to create a masked identity to avenge him.

Like I said...compelling. Unfortunately, despite all the great things Daredevil's origin had going for it, a great costume wasn't one of them. Unlike the slick, devil-themed red costume we've long associated with the character (see above), Matt's original outfit was an extremely UN-intimidating yellow, with red elements that resembled the togs of a circus acrobat. Here are the specific panels from Daredevil #1 detailing Matt's thought process in creating this spectacular eyesore...

 

Er...I hate to break it to you, Matt...but those kids who taunted you in your youth? Well, they're still laughing at you in that get-up (along with most of comics fandom)!

Man...as great as those radiation-enhanced senses were, apparently an enhanced fashion sense wasn't one of them. Happily, the yellow suit lasted a mere six issues before being replaced in issue #7 by the familiar, eternally-cool red costume (as designed by the late, great Wally Wood).

Humble Beginnings: WATCHMEN Edition

"She was the daughter of Zeus alone. No mother bore her. 

Full-grown and in full armor, Athena sprang from his head."

– from Mythology, by Edith Hamilton

Unlike the birth of that ancient Greek goddess, creative works seldom (if ever) come about so suddenly and completely. Speaking as someone who's worked in the field for a few decades, the creative process is more like a vigorous workout or, in some cases, an unruly brawl as ideas and images are coaxed (or pulled kicking and screaming) out of the ether and into reality. In fact, it's heartening to know that not even Olympian works of comic book art like The Watchmen sprang "full-grown and in full armor" from the heads of creators Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. 

Included in the supplemental section of the highly-recommended Absolute Watchmen, Moore and Gibbons' earliest concepts for their legendary masterwork are explored...making it clear that even something at this level was a gradual process of thinking, exploring, revising, and refining.

The most telling example of this intense, amorphous process is the evolution of Rorschach. My favorite Watchmen character from the start (and one of my all-time favorites)...it's hard to imagine him looking any other way. In fact, since he was based on a previous, similarly-costumed character named The Question, you'd think his creation would've been a slam-dunk compared to the other core Watchmen characters. As the progression below proves, that simply wasn't the case (click to enlarge):

Left: Rorschach in a full body-suit of shifting patterns, as described by Alan Moore in his written proposal (taken from an early color guide for colorist John Higgins). Obviously a huge departure from The Question's look and closer to a traditional superhero's. Could you imagine Moore's Rorschach dialogue coming out of this version of the character?

Center: Still sporting the body-suit, a hat and trench coat are added to the mix...making him look more like an elaborately-tattooed flasher than the spooky, subdued figure we're familiar with.

Right: Finally...there's the sociopathic-yet-strangely-noble character we all know and love.

Later today, I'll be seeing him come to life in the Watchmen movie. Stay tuned for my full review later this weekend!

Has March 6th ever been this exciting?

Humble Beginnings: Make Way for Mr. McLightningpants

When comic book superheroes ushered in a modern sort of mythology, it was only fitting that one them resembled a figure from ancient mythology. As comics' first super-speedster, the most distinctive feature of the Flash's costume was the winged, wide-brimmed helmet that evoked Hermes, the fleet-footed messenger of the Greek gods, later renamed "Mercury" when the Romans co-opted the Greek deities.

However, there was one feature of Jay Garrick's original costume that definitely wasn't based on ancient images of Hermes. Appearing on the cover of Flash Comics #1 (1940), check out the snazzy yellow lightning bolts adorning Jay's blue pants!

(click on the image for a larger view)

 

The "leg lighting" only stuck around for two issues...or, to be more precise, one and a half issues. By the middle of Flash Comics #2, the leg lightning started popping in and out, until finally disappearing for good by the story's end.

From that point forward, the leg lightning was history...with only a few random exceptions over the next year or so.  Sometimes a tiny icon of a lightning-legged Flash would appear on covers that featured other characters from the anthology title (such as Hawkman), yet the interior stories stuck with the lightning-free blue pants (click on the icon art to the left for a closer look). 

When the cover icon was discontinued after issue #7, the last remnant of the leg lightning had faded away. That is, until it inexplicably returned on the covers of Flash Comics #8 and #10... as well as in an utterly random single panel in issue #13! (click to enlarge)

Were there any additional appearances of Flash's infamous lightning legs? I'm not sure...but maybe my pals over at the Flash-centric Speed Force website have more to add. 

Humble Beginnings: Wolverine...the Whisker Phase.

With an (apparent) hit movie under his belt, Marvel's Wolverine remains a remarkably popular solo character apart from his association with the X-Men.

The reasons for this enduring popularity aren't a big mystery. His ornery personality, loner status, vicious fighting style, and (of course) those claws connect with the meaner, more mercenary spirit of the age...replacing the straight-up heroism of earlier superheroes with a more compromised, complicated brand of morality.

So, where did this short, hairy, sawed-off-shotgun of a character come from, anyway? Contrary to what younger fans might assume, Wolverine didn't make his debut in an issue of The X-Men. In fact, Marvel's X-Men was little more than a reprint title on life-support when Wolverine literally burst onto the scene in The Incredible Hulk #180 (1974).

As Canada's Weapon X, Wolverine was dispatched to the forests of Quebec to bring down the brawling Hulk and a supernatural beast named the Wendigo. In that issue's final panel, Wolverine jumps into action wearing a costume that looked a bit different than the one we're familiar with. Designed by Marvel Art Director John Romita Sr., the costume had one feature that, in hindsight, seems to fight against Wolverine's ultra tough-guy image: those cute stylized whiskers surrounding his mask's mouth opening!

John Romita Sr.'s original concept sketch 

(from the collection of Vince Oliva)

With his second appearance in the legendary Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), Wolverine retained most of his costume's original look....minus the goofy whiskers, which were replaced with a much cooler-looking black mask.

There you have it. As much of a snarling tough guy the comic book and movie Wolverine can be, never forget there was once a time when he willingly wore a costume with whiskers!

SNIKT?  No....SNICKER!

Humble Beginnings: Hawkman...Cool or Comical?

Remember those goofy lightning pants worn by the Flash during his first fleet-footed appearance? Well, rest assured...since Flash Comics #1 (1940) was a multi-feature anthology title, he had company in the "Somewhat Embarrassing Original Costume" department: his pal Hawkman!

One of the most visually striking characters in comic book history, Hawkman stood apart from the futuristic supermen and sci-fi gadget masters so popular at the time and, instead, evoked the mystery and mythology of the ancient world. Instead of using a rocket-harness or a raygun, archeologist Carter Hall used wings, a mystical Nth Metal flying harness and archaic weapons like spears, swords, battle-axes, nets, and a mace to battle criminals.

In addition to its mythic roots, it's likely that Hawkman's look was also inspired by the Hawkmen of Mongo, central characters of the Flash Gordon comic strip and movie serial.

As you can see from the live-action Hawkmen of the movie serial (above right), designing a hawk-themed costume (complete with feathered wings and winged headgear) was tricky business, proving it can be a fine line between "cool" and "comical".

This cool/comical conceptual struggle was on full display throughout Hawkman's debut. While most superhero costume designs evolve gradually over months or even years, Hawkman's hawk-themed headgear morphed and changed several times within the same story...as if illustrator Dennis Neville couldn't settle on a look. Here's a brief "fly-over" of his varied approaches...

The story "splash page": Not counting a tiny cameo on the cover, this was the first official appearance of the Hawkman headgear...and as you can see, it's quite a mess. An entire hawk's head sits like a mini parade float on top of Carter Hall's completely exposed face.

After creating his costume on the previous page, this close-up shows quite a different take on the headgear. Now covering half of his face, Carter is able to see through the hawk head's "eye" slits. This was essentially the look the mask settled on...but not in this story.

Another page, another version of the headgear. This time around, the eye slit appears to be located under the hawk head's darkened eye slit, along with a noticeably shorter beak.

Two pages later, the return of the splash panel's "hawk-on-top" version...though this one is more a skull-cap with a smaller hawk's head sprouting from the frontal lobe. Just goofy beyond belief.

By the time Hawkman showed up for the inaugural meeting of the Justice Society of America later that same year (All-Star Comics #3), the headgear's design had settled on the look it would have for most of the Golden Age era...though it would still shift around depending on who was drawing him. The hawk's head now covered most of Carter Hall's face, with only his chin and ears giving any indication there was a human face behind it. The protruding beak still was still "large and in charge", but a bit more under control than the original headgear in Flash Comics #1.

As if settling on a headgear design wasn't challenging enough, another problem with the early Hawkman costume was just making sure his pants stayed on! As you can see from this trio of All-Star Comics covers, colorist errors made Hawkman look more like a flying Chippendales dancer than a battle-ready wartime superhero!

At some point, someone finally had enough of the full-beaked hawk head mask and came up with these dramatically simplified alternatives. The final version (right) dumped the beak and wings altogether...which was a far cry from the original "parade float" headgear from Flash Comics #1. Speaking of that final mask, leave it to writer and retro-continuity king Roy Thomas to use the progression of Hawkman's headgear as an explanation for the new mask of his protege' Hawkgirl. From All-Star Squadron #11 (1982):

(click on the panels for a larger view)

Humble Beginnings: "My, What big TEETH You Have!"

In the early years (or "Golden Age") of superhero comics, most of the villains heroes encountered were just garden-variety gangsters or, if they did wear a costume, still just human beings at the end of the day. However, that paradigm began to shift with the appearance of clearly IN-human, monstrous characters like Solomon Grundy.

Based on a dreary 19th-century nursery rhyme (was there any other kind?), Grundy was a chalk-skinned zombie who arose from Slaughter Swamp in All-American Comics #61 (1944) to become an arch-enemy of the original Green Lantern and, later on, his Justice Society teammates. True to his undead nature, Grundy remains one of comics' most recognizable and colorful villains well in the 21st century (despite his black & white color scheme).

However, there's a visual aspect of Grundy's earliest appearances that didn't survive into the modern era: his gigantic slab of teeth!

Looking like something between the Japanese caricatures of WWII and celebrity wingnut Gary Busey, Grundy's gigantic chompers were so bizarre and distracting, they nearly canceled out his otherwise imposing presence.

Flash forward to Showcase #55 (1965), Grundy's first appearance in the second (or "Silver") age of superhero comics. Judging from the cover (click to enlarge), Grundy is still sporting some rather large teeth, but nowhere near as slab-like as his 1940's incarnation.

Soon, Grundy would not only lose the goofy teeth but gain considerable bulk as well, in effect becoming a white-skinned version of Marvel's popular Hulk character (right down to the primitive third-person speaking style).