Marvel Confirms How The Hulk Got Away with Murdering His Father

Warning! Spoilers for Immortal Hulk #49 below!

As Immortal Hulk nears the end of its run, the penultimate issue has confirmed how Bruce Banner got away with murdering his father. For years, the abusive and unstable Brian Banner has haunted both his son and his famous alter-ego, a volatile relationship that has been rekindled thanks to the Below Place and the Green Door. While the acclaimed series has revisited Brian’s death, Immortal Hulk #49 suggests that the police, who knew Bruce’s murdered mother Rebecca, may have helped cover up the details that would have clearly implicated Bruce.

In Incredible Hulk #312 by Bill Mantlo and Michael Mignola, it’s revealed that Bruce’s trauma started way before he was ever the Hulk with his father physically and emotionally abusing his son while making his wife Rebecca suffer as well. Bruce’s childhood would end in Incredible Hulk #377 when he witnesses his father murder his mother, something future issues reveal Brian forced Bruce to lie about in court until the truth and Bruce’s testimony leads to Brian being institutionalized. Years after he is released, Brian meets Bruce at Rebecca’s grave on the anniversary of her death, beating and accusing his son of being evil and a mutant before leaving him. However Incredible Hulk #-1 by Peter David and Adam Kubert reveals that this event is part of a collection of false memories covering up the events that occurred that fateful night. In actuality, the fight in the graveyard saw Bruce strike his father out of anger, the blow being strong enough to knock him against Rebecca’s gravestone and kill him.

Although Brian Banner would return in other stories, his prominent role in Immortal Hulk brings closure not only to the mystery of his death but also his story. In Immortal Hulk #49 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett, a flashback to the murder narrated by Jackie McGee recaps the timeline of death, murder, lies and trauma that encompass Bruce Banner’s past. She notes that the police ruled the death a mugging despite a series of clues that suggested Bruce was responsible or at least involved in Brian’s death. This is likely due to the police having known Bruce’s mother Rebecca and his family which includes a brother-in-law in law enforcement.

This small detail feels less like wild speculation from an investigative reporter and more like a missing puzzle piece to an already tragic picture. Although Brian Banner’s behavior and history justify Bruce’s act of self defense, it clearly only traumatized him further, as he would remain afraid that his father would return from beyond the grave to seek revenge. While Brian does return to face his son in other storylines, these new details reveal the police were not incompetent but actually overlooked the evidence, which is more in line with the reality and horror Immortal Hulk is known for. Bruce Banner didn’t just block out the murder in his mind, he had help from sympathetic third parties who wanted to see justice served and didn’t mind breaking the rules to do so.

In Immortal Hulk #0, Brian Banner revisits his death only to be confronted by another of his son’s enemies, Samuel Sterns aka the Leader. Acting on the interests of One Below All, the Leader takes over Brian Banner‘s mind and body, having him experience the pain that he subjected Bruce to. As Immortal Hulk nears its highly anticipated conclusion, it’s sad that, much like other tragic deaths, the primary cause in this case was the lack of love between a father and his forever-doomed son.

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