The Deadliest Hulk Was a Horseman of Apocalypse
Apocalypse once deemed Hulk worthy of a celestial upgrade, transforming him into the Horseman of War and increasing his vast power.
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Marvel’s big green powerhouse Hulk has transformed and reinvented himself in some pretty awesome ways over the course of his decades-long comic book existence. He’s been a villain, an Avenger, an alien gladiator, and even the ruler of a planet. There is, however, a lesser known part of Hulk’s past that’s worth mentioning. Before World War Hulk or Devil Hulk, the character had a stint as War, the Horseman of Apocalypse.
That’s right – in 1997, Hulk was chosen by Apocalypse in The Incredible Hulk #456, written by Peter David and illustrated by Adam & Joe Kubert. This is remarkable in many ways, not the least of which is – as Apocalypse himself notes – the Hulk is the first non-mutant to be honored with the role of Horseman. Lest we forget, Apocalypse considers humanity a blight on the planet. Any non-mutants are immediately considered chattel, and unworthy of his gifts. In this case, an exception is made as an impending celestial cataclysm has convinced Apocalypse to use the Hulk.
In the midst of fighting the X-Men, Apocalypse transports Hulk to safety. He is taken to Egypt, where Apocalypse gives him a glimpse into the ancient past. We are shown flashbacks of Apocalypse’s life as a slave thousands of years ago, forced into building the great pyramids. Apocalypse promises the Hulk to rid him of his own past, and the pain it has left behind, a pain which makes the green powerhouse vulnerable and weak. At this point in the comics, Banner is plagued by visions of his abusive father and the evil Maestro, which haunt his mind and destabilize him.
The celestial technology with which the Hulk is infused makes him even more invulnerable than he was before. Readers had already seen how mutant characters’ powers have been drastically increased by Apocalypse’s technology, so considering the Hulk’s starting off point, the results are predictably terrifying. The Hulk is given celestial armor, a sword, the same gauntlet tendrils Apocalypse uses, and a helmet designed to quiet the voices echoing in his mind, effectively turning him into a colder, more calculating version of himself; a change his enemies soon notice.
His first feat as a Horseman is to lift an entire pyramid – intact – and toss it onto a jeep without any visible effort at all. The power of the celestial sword he is given is enough to overload the Absorbing Man before he can even lay hands on the Hulk. Yes, that’s right, the Absorbing Man explodes after touching the sword of War. That’s when Juggernaut shows up. In the following issue (#457), also written by Peter David but penciled by David Brewer, Juggernaut plows into War/Hulk with full force, pushing him across the Egyptian dessert, until the unimaginable happens: the unstoppable Juggernaut is stopped. The sheer strength of War is somehow enough to arrest the Juggernaut’s magic momentum. With one of his tendrils, War tosses Juggernaut into downtown Cairo like a paperweight.
Ultimately, the only power great enough to end War’s rampage through Cairo was the Green Goliath himself. The voices from his past, such as that of his father proudly branding him a murderer, break through the protective barrier of the helmet and are enough to awaken the deep rage within. The Hulk, in a fury, rips off the celestial armor and weaponry that was fused to his body and leaps away. Who knows what would have happened had the Incredible Hulk spent any longer as a Horseman of Apocalypse – whether he would have been the tyrant’s greatest weapon, or maybe even convinced him that humans can be worth more than he had ever assumed.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/hulk-horseman-apocalypse-war-deadliest/