Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Strongest Hero There Is

I'm seeing a lot of appreciation for the Hulks greatest moments from the Avengers. Hulk had a lot of fun smashing, and we had a lot of fun watching him smash. But where are the appreciation posts for Bruce Banners greatest moments? I see a lot with him and Tony, and some stuff about him wearing a purple shirt. But I see nothing for when he called Black Widow's bluff, or when he stood against Nick Fury, or the one moment I expected to find by now, his reveal of "I'm always angry."
It was that moment he proved himself a superhero. Bruce looked back at his team, and through the quiet, humble voice he had used pretty much the whole film, he told them he had always been full of anger. He showed them he had the rage they needed, and proved he had the will they had been counting on. And then he punched an alien humpback death whale in the mouth and saved the day.
Yes, it was giant gamma-soaked, adrenaline-fueled strength that smashed that whale, but it was Bruce within the Hulk who let it happen. Just as it was Bruce who caught Tony when he was falling from the sky. The Hulk can smash a tank, but Bruce Banner can tame a monster. That's what makes him the strongest hero there is; he kept an uncontrollable force at bay. He sacrificed himself to let this other guy take the lead. And he stayed strong enough to still remain in control through all the wild emotion to defeat the big bad and catch the damsel in distress. Not that I'm saying Tony is a damsel. What I'm saying is that is the stuff of heroes. There are all kinds of giant monsters and super strong things out there in the Marvel universe. So it's not the strength and ability to smash that makes him a hero. What makes him a hero is the ability to fight a constant opposing force and make such sacrifices in his life, all for the greater good. And even if it didn't make him a hero, it still makes him an amazing person.
Bruce is still human. So all the stress of the team meeting, enhanced by a magic scepter, got to him. He lost it a little bit when the was wind knocked out of him. These instances reminded us of just how hard he must be fighting. It's not an easy task. He is angry, all the time! He must give constant effort to make it work. And he is. These instances also are why he had the moment of doubt that all heroes go through. Sitting in a pile of bricks, surrounded by the unforeseeable consequences of his actions, he wondered one more time about whether or not his efforts were worth it. Whether he was worthy. But then Bruce came back to his team, suited up, and became a superhero.

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