HULK’s True Love Story Was Ruined By a Marvel Mistake

Long time fans of the Incredible Hulk know that of all the things which torture Bruce Banner, the loss of those he loved–either as Bruce or the Hulk–stings worst. While names like Betsy Ross or Caiera from Planet Sakaar come to mind, the most tragic of Hulk’s lost loves is the one least remembered: Princess Jarella, from the sub-atomic kingdom called K’ai.

Created by Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe and iconic science fiction writer Harlan Ellison, this originally intended one-off character would appear sporadically throughout the Incredible Hulk series as she became one of Hulk’s greatest love interests. Tragically, her story was cut short by a death that saw waves of protest from faithful fans who shared their hero’s grief. The worst part? Fans would learn decades later that Jarella’s death was actually a mistake, and a product of an incomplete story Marvel simply left unfinished.

Jarella first appeared in Incredible Hulk #140 (1971) as the princess of K’ai, a seemingly primitive world with flashes of sorcery and advanced technology whose people are humanoid creatures with blonde hair and green skin. The Hulk stumbled upon it during a visit to Marvel’s Microverse where he helps battle their enemies called the Warthos and is surprised to be welcomed and accepted by its people, including the beautiful and kind Jarella. By using a spell so Hulk can understand their language, their magic enables Bruce Banner’s personality to become dominant within Hulk’s form. Jarella and Hulk eventually fall in love and are married as they continue to protect their kingdom from the Warthos and from the armies of the traitorous warlord Visis.  Although it would seem that Hulk had found a happy ending, fate had other plans as the supervillian Psyklop returned him to Earth as part of his plan to steal Hulk’s powers.

Jarella would consistently reappear in the Hulk’s life where unlike his former love Betsy Ross, Jarella accepted and loved the Hulk unconditionally, a love that was reciprocated by both Bruce and his Hulk personality. Together they would battle and defeat Visis and his armies as well as Psyklop’s latest attack but her visit to Earth during Incredible Hulk #202-205 would be her last. During a fight between the Hulk and Crypto-Man in New Mexico, Jarella ( who despite being a skilled combatant and strategist, had no superpowers) was crushed to death saving a child from the walls of a collapsing building. In a tragedy that brings to mind Captain Stacey’s death in Amazing Spider-Man, Hulk tries in vain to revive her, unable to contain his anger and emotions when Doctor Strange or the doctors at Gamma Base were unsuccessful.

Upon Jarella’s death, Hulk fans protested to Marvel about this shocking death to a character that they loved as much as their favorite misunderstood hero. The late great Len Wein, who had written the story that killed her, stated that Jarella’s death was not supposed to be permanent. “Being an alien species, what appeared to be death to us was in fact a step in what was to be her metamorphosis into a higher power. I never got a chance to bring her back before I left the title, and thus she’s remained dead.” Writer Roger Stern followed after him with little to no mention of Jarella and her burial would not occur until Bill Mantlo took over in Incredible Hulk #245 (1980).

Hulk returned to the Microverse to discover that Hulk and Jarella’s removal and absence had a profound effect on K’ai as the world was now a barren wasteland with its current inhabitants reduced to a nomadic lifestyle. After a fight with the cosmic Elder of the Universe known as the Gardener over the right to bury Jarella in a revered location, the powerful Soul Gem is able to revive life on Ka’i and Hulk is returned to Earth, at peace with the knowledge that his beloved has been laid to rest. Jarella would occasionally return in other Hulk storylines, either as a character in Hulk’s past or as a returning spirit, but she remained deceased as Bruce (and the Hulk) moved on to find love elsewhere.

While it would have been interesting to see what effect Jarella’s resurrection would have had on Hulk’s future at Marvel, unfinished or incomplete story-lines are a common byproduct of the genre due to the ever-changing atmosphere of the comic book industry and Hulk and Jarella’s love was simply not meant to be. Although Jarella would not be the last love of Bruce Banner or Hulk‘s life, she was loved, fictionally and by Hulk fans, and thus would never be forgotten.

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