Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Two words, third-person grammar and a sound effect: rage with no vocabulary for anything else, which is exactly what makes Hulk both pitiable and fun. It has escaped the page and now stands for any destructive overreaction. It is also the comics' own catchphrase: the 1970s TV show gave him a different one, "don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry", which is the line most non-readers actually quote.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Incredible HulkShow the scene
The Hulk was born in The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962), when a gamma-bomb blast turned scientist Bruce Banner into a rampaging green giant. Through the 1960s, in Tales to Astonish and then his own title, he settled into a childlike, third-person way of talking, and "Hulk smash!" became his battle cry: the moment the rage takes over and the army's tanks, walls and villains get flattened. It has stayed his signature through comics, cartoons and films, from the 1970s comics to the Avengers movies.
Sources (1)
- Wikipedia: HulkPublication history; CharacterizationReference checked
Context reviewed
