I am sure you have guessed this post is about the Hulk, before I get into other details, a quick background on the Greatest Super Hero of All Time –
Few of us know that Doctor Banner’s full name is Robert Bruce Banner. The Dr. was present in the instrumentation bunker at the test site for the first underground test detonation of the Gamma Bomb. Observing that a civilian had breached security and entered the restricted test area, Banner told his colleague Igor Starsky to delay the countdown while he tried to get the civilian to safety. Starsky, secretly a Soviet agent, did nothing, confident that Banner would die in the explosion, bringing the project to a halt. Reaching the civilian, a teenager named Rick Jones, Banner threw him into a protective trench. Before Banner could get himself to safety, the Gamma Bomb detonated, and intense waves of radiation reached the surface. Banner was irradiated with highly charged radioactive particles. Due to an unknown genetic factor in his body, Banner was not killed by the radiation, which instead caused him to frequently transform into the vastly powerful, humanoid monster named “the Hulk” There are various theories on how and why Banner changes into the Hulk the most popular being, he gets “MAD”. Hulk joining the Avengers was more accidental then planned; he became a pawn of Loki who tricked Hulk into battling his half-brother, Thor. This plot was foiled, leading to Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp joining forces to form the Avengers and defeat Loki.
I have been a fan of the Incredible Hulk since I was a kid; I had one of those stretchy characters who’s arms and legs you could pull, from then on it was about watching The Hulk television series starring the legendary Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby – these my relatives would send from the US – we did not have cable TV in India back then. It’s been a good 30 years and I am still a fan of Dr. Banner, have pretty much followed all his movies/cartoons, collected figurines, gadgets and so on.
I have always thought the Hulk movies were badly done. Ang Lee’s portrayal was the worst ever, showcasing a retarded Hulk, come on! Ed Norton did a good job of portraying the green monster, but his portrayal of Dr. Banner just did not work. The Avengers saw Ruffalo potray the Hulk; his attempt is the best so far even better than Bill Bixby; the character is the way it should be, period (try spotting your favorite Hulk in the image). The Avengers glorifies the Hulk like no other movie, the scene where the good Doctor rides in on his Bike and levels the Leviathan is unreal! I was very fascinated by this scene, purely because I have never seen the Hulk riding bikes, currently there isn’t much clarity on which bike he is riding – the rumor mill is buzzing between Harley Davidson & Triumph, I think it could be the Harley – they have tried up with the movie and also showcased a bike at the LA premiere.
Because we love bikes and the Hulk, I looked around to see how the green monster has inspired bike riders and builders across decades and found some really interesting stuff. Hulk bikes, some completely dedicated to the Goliath and others with minor tributes, also helmets and vinyls a plenty have been created in the great one’s image. Check the images around the blog and the gallery below, I am sure they will inspire you to dedicate your bike or at leas
t some part of it to your favourite super hero. I have also added some of our collection in terms of figurines and gadgets, don’t miss the green cake created by Rachita (sister-in-law) post watching The Avengers. If you know which Bike Dr Banner is riding in the movie, do add your comments and let us know….
The Incredible Hulk Bikes and More….
Badbikegang 