Changes: Marvel's The Incredible Hulk 2 (Earth-113599)

Revision as of 03:20, 22 September 2019

Marvel's The Incredible Hulk 2 is a 2010 live-action superhero film produced by 20th Century Fox and Marvel Studios based on the superhero, the Incredible Hulk. It is the overall fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a direct sequel to the previous Marvel Studios film, The Incredible Hulk. It was released worldwide on November 19th 2010.

Production

The Incredible Hulk 2 was originally disputed within Marvel Studios, since even though the first film received generally positive reviews, feedback and box office, it still wasn't quite the hit they were initially hoping for. But they decided to try again with a sequel, managing to sign on with director Neill Blomkamp, giving him an increased budget from Shane Black.

It was already known from the end-credits scene that The Leader would be the main villain of the movie, and Samuel Sterns' portrayer, Tim Blake Nelson, was very excited and enthusiastic to take on the role. But Blomkamp was also interested in a doing a psychological film, and not just having it be action. It was later confirmed the film would be taking much inspiration from the Peter David Hulk stories, causing rumors to begin circulating that the classic Gray Hulk would make an appearance in the film. Blomkamp on Facebook posted the cover of a classic Hulk story featuring the short time super villain Half Life hinting at his possible appearance in the film.

It was later confirmed at Comic Con that their would be larger references to the universe in the movie, especially S.H.I.E.L.D. with a confirmed guest appearance from Cobie Smulders, reprising her role as Agent Maria Hill, originally in Black Widow and Hawkeye. The film held principle photography in late 2009, and was released on November 19th 2010 around the world.

Cast

Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk

Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/The Leader

Kal Parekh as Ted Masterson/Half-life

Liv Taylor as Betty Ross

William Hurt as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross

Edward Norton as Philip Sterns

Adrian Pasdar as General Glenn Talbot

Michael Angarano as Rick Jones

Ty Burrell as Leonard Samson

Salma Hayek as Katherine Waynesboro

Shad Moss as Jim Wilson

Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill

Samuel L. Jackson as Director Nick Fury (Cameo)

Plot

The movie starts with the inside of Bruce's body, once again start to mutate and become green, before mutating even further and becoming a multitude of different colors showing the title sequence The Incredible Hulk 2.

In the middle of a slum in Rio De Janeiro, Bruce wakes up. He brushes his teeth, puts on his clothes, eats breakfast, studies Portuguese, does his job at a local Liquid Brewing Plant, and then starts to work on his own attempts at a cure, which makes little to no progress. Doing this rinse and repeat for weeks on end. It then shows on his computer Bruce has been talking online with a mysterious man named Mr. Blue who brainstorms with him about the effects of Gamma Radiation and how to potentially cure it. Including ingesting a special flower which Blue ships to him, but when Bruce eats it the measurable effects of Gamma Isotopes in his blood are minimally changed. It shows at the other end of the computer Samuel Sterns at a public library talking to Bruce Banner under the Mr. Blue alias. Samuel then gets called by his own brother Phillip Sterns, his boss, telling him that break time is over and he needs to get working again. Samuel angrily gets up only to be revealed that his job is a shop clerk for a Supermarket in Bristol, Rhode Island.

Samuel tells Phillip it's an hour before the regular costumers come in. But Phillip says he needs to stay at the counter for any of the early birds. He can't keep playing scientist on the computer all day. Samuel responds claiming doing science should've been his life, if Caltech wasn't so strict with their admissions. Phil says they weren't strict, Sam just isn't smart enough for a school like that. Samuel insists he is, that he just can't articulate or write his thoughts coherently. Phillip though dismisses everything he says as excuses. Samuel suggests his brother should imagine how different the world would be if Albert Einstein, Tony Stark, or even Bruce Banner decided to just be a clerk. Phil tells Sam he's delusional comparing himself to them, that he needs to stop living in the past and just be happy he has a job in the first place. It's more than most people in this economy can ask for. Samuel is deeply angry that his more successful brother doesn't understand his adversity, but nonetheless starts working. In South America, it shows Bruce suffering the same fate doing tedious work at the Liquid brewing plant once again.

On the job, Bruce begins talking to his fellow co-worker Martina. He starts to act very charming and masculine, until a group of workers begin to harass Bruce and show overall Xenophobia towards him, which causes Bruce to become very shy and timid again. They tell Bruce to "remember his place" and he starts to get angry. But before he can transform, Bruce starts to do breathing exercises to calm his pulse down and eventually just gets back to work. Distracted by that he cuts his hand and a drop of his blood spills into one of the drinks as it gets shipped across the world and people start to have ill-effects due to consuming it. In the Pentagon, there is a meeting in place with a group of the Military's top Generals. Glenn Talbot says this case of radiated soda is an international epidemic, they need to get a grasp on how to halt this dangerous product before it spreads any further. The generals all converse their ideas until Thaddeus Ross blurts out the reason for this is obvious, the Hulk. General Talbot asks what Ross is talking about. He says how Bruce Banner went off the grid three years ago. The soft drinks in question came from a factory in Rio De Janeiro, and they were all soiled by Gamma Radiated blood. Talbot says it was probably the flawed machinery they used to distribute the liquid but Ross says the scientists checked the numbers, traces of iron in it like blood. Nobody could've had a count that high outside of Banner himself.

Talbot asks if he thinks Bruce might've been hiding out in Brazil this whole time, and indirectly blew his cover. He claims that's precisely what he is saying, they need to send some soldiers over there and finally bust him. Talbot agrees to send a team to the Rio De Janeiro as soon as possible, Ross insists he'll be there. The Hulk has been a personal mission of his for years and he's not going to pass up the opportunity to finally get him. Ross also informs Talbot he needs the Judas Bullets. Talbot asks why he would ever need that for, they're in limited quantity and only supposed to be used against warheads. He mentions that regular weapons do nothing against the Hulk, when he finds him he wants to seriously put him down, and Adamantium is the only thing that can possibly pierce his skin.

Samuel Sterns starts packing his stuff in a backpack before walking out of the supermarket door. Phillip approaches him and asks where he thinks he's going, Samuel explains how there's a conference for Biology in Willowsdale that he is planning to attend. Phillip says how that's in Virginia, and Sam responds they're going to discuss Gamma Radiation and Bruce Banner's work. Samuel further adds on he saved up for the flight, he told him months ago that he was going to leave at this time. But Phillip says he never agreed to it and he's not getting a break. Phil then says how he told Samuel to get his head out of the clouds and stop obsessing over Bruce Banner, how he's a monster and Samuel needs a new idol. They keep arguing until eventually Samuel ends up quitting his job and knocking over items in the store, much to Phillip's irritation.

Bruce Banner is at his Brazil home late at night where's he is trying to practice meditating, but when he starts to relax gets flashes of past times he's turned into The Hulk. When he hurt Private Benjamin Tibbets in his transformation, his fight with the Abomination, and much more. The meditation is then interrupted when Mr. Blue leaves him a new message. Saying how he is going to a convention where he might learn some new ways he can counteract his Gamma Radiated tendencies. While Bruce tries typing a thought-out response, a group of Military soldiers (lead by General Ross) break into the slum and start looking around. Bruce hears them and sneaks out running through the forest. The soldiers say there's no sign of him in the apartment and General Ross says to search nearby. Bruce takes refuge inside the Liquid Brewing plant hoping to hide out there, until running into the man he had trouble with before.

He accuses Bruce of trying to rob the plant and Bruce at first is very calm and subservient, before becoming much more prideful and even arrogant towards the man which provokes him to punch Bruce. When he gets up his eyes are glowing green. The camera cuts to the soldiers searching around before hearing a nightmarish roar. General Ross says it's from the factory. When they go inside, they see the man brutally beaten on the ground. As they go forward the roars get louder and louder until they confront The Hulk himself! He gets in a skirmish with the soldiers who start using their latest equipment against The Hulk but he still manages to fight them off. Hulk roars once again while General Ross (on the ground) pulls out a special weapon and uses one of the Judas Bullet to shot the Hulk in the back of his leg, he roars out in pain and spills green blood. Now afraid, Hulk then jumps into the middle of the jungle and into the distance. General Ross gets up and helps his soldiers, they curse saying how Hulk got away. But Ross notices a pile of Hulk's blood on the ground and, getting an idea, orders his men to harvest it. He calls Talbot and tells him about the Hulk blood he was able to take, how they might be able to use it to bio-engineer some sort of weapon against him. Talbot tells him if he's talking about Project Greenskin there was already a consensus they wouldn't weaponize Gamma Radiation the way A.I.M. tried to, discussion over.

At the Biology conference, multiple different Professors, Scientists and guests enter the large auditorium. Including Betty Ross and Leonard Samson, who discuss how her father looked the other way for her misdeeds so she could keep her job at Culver University, but how it doesn't feel right. Leonard says she has a lot of empathy and encourages her to enjoy what she has and just try to good with her position. Betty laughs and tells Leonard not to play Therapist with her. Just because they're dating doesn't mean he's her shrink. Meanwhile, Samuel Sterns quietly enters behind everyone. Glenn Talbot and a few other Military personnel get up on stage. One of the Generals proceeds to proudly announce that the United States Military is officially opening Project Greenskin at the end of the month. Talbot is shocked and disgusted at what he's hearing. The speaker however goes on saying how the Hulk is one of the biggest dangers the world has ever known. With a recently acquired sample of the Hulk's very blood they'll be able to make something that can counteract his own Gamma Radiation based abilities and finally stop the monster's rampage. Any Biologists from around the country who would work on the Project in Los Alamos would receive large financial compensation for their work. The whole room applauds except for Betty, Leonard, Glenn, and Samuel.

Act 1

As Betty is leaving the conference she is approached by Samuel Sterns who observes that she didn't seem too happy about the big announcement in there. Betty rants that the Military is spending billions to find new ways to kill or hurt the Hulk instead of trying to help him, it's not right, she then asks who he is again. Samuel introduces himself and says how Science has always been a passion of his, eventually confessing that Bruce Banner is his idol. That gets Betty's attention and he says how he agrees with everything she's saying, suggesting they should start a protest. Betty tells him that's a good idea, she's been on the American Biology Board for years and has sway from her father. Sterns afterwards practically begs Betty to let him join the protest too. Insisting that he'd love nothing more than to defend the Hulk, he just lost his job and has nothing to lose. The next day, Bruce wakes up in shredded clothes and in the middle of the jungle. He starts wondering around until hearing footsteps near him, thinking the soldiers must've found him again starts running and hears the footsteps going faster and getting closer before running into a young man who says that he's Bruce's friend, and doesn't want to hurt him. He helps Bruce up and takes him to the van, where Bruce reunites with his old friend, Rick Jones.

He greets Bruce and introduces the man he saw before as Jim Wilson, a friend who's on the run with Rick from the United States government. When Bruce eats some food he asks Rick and Jim how they found him. Rick points out that there were news sighting in the Amazon Rainforest of a green giant and they knew it couldn't be anything else, Bruce is surprised claiming how he's managed to go almost a year without an incident. Bruce then asks how Betty is doing, Jim is about to comment on how she's dating Samson but Rick stops him, before explaining how she was working quietly at Culver University but that the Military is planning on on starting something called Project Greenskin in Los Alamos to make a weapon strong enough to kill him, which Betty and many other people are protesting. Bruce tells them they need to go back to the United States so he can help her stop that, but Rick asks if that's a good idea they'll probably arrest him since he is a fugitive from the Government after all. Bruce says that's exactly why, if he turns himself in there'll be no reason for the Military to go forward with this. Once he's there they'll just need to figure something out. Rick tells him he's sacrificed so much running with Bruce and now he wants to just turn around and Banner responds by shouting that it's the only way. Bruce quickly after the outburst though gets more timid and apologizes to Rick and Jim for lashing out. But they both agree with him that Project Greenskin is bigger than all of them and agree to take Bruce to New Mexico.

At the University of Los Alamos - New Mexico, General Ross steps outside of the car to walk inside, but it is surrounded by protesters. He looks at his daughter, Betty, in the crowd screaming over a loudspeaker in disgust. He goes inside and looks over to see scientists working on the blood and runs into Glenn Talbot who angrily tells Thaddeus that he lied to him, went behind his back to get approval on this sickening display. Ross says it might not even matter, since these "pinheads" haven't been making any real progress despite his endless funding. Talbot is then approached by a man who introduces himself as Ted Masterson, the Professor of English Literature at the university and asks when he'll be able to return to teaching since they dedicated all the school's resources to this project. He says probably not until Ross's team gets the necessary results. Ted says this is his job and he's receiving no financial compensation for this sabbatical and how wrong this all is, taking away jobs for biological engineering. Talbot says he's preaching to the choir but has other work to do and if Masterson really wants some answers he needs to talk to the Public Relations supervisor down the hall. Outside, Samuel Sterns tells Leonard Samson and Betty that they've been at this for weeks with nothing to show for it, Betty claims there aren't enough people. Samuel responds saying he's going to the front to give a rallying cry. Leonard doesn't think that's a good idea saying if Samuel gets too radical the whole protest could be in hot water. But Betty disagrees saying how sometimes you need to "step on some toes" to get things done.

Samuel walks off while right after he leaves Rick, Jim and Bruce's van pulls up to the Protest while Bruce notes how he was coincidentally born in Los Alamos and his father worked at this very place, it's some of the earliest memories he has. Rick says how Bruce can stay in the car if it makes him uneasy, but Bruce insists he wants to power through it, he didn't come all this way for nothing. Jim helps him out of the car and the three of them re-unite with Betty and Leonard. Betty is happy to see Bruce and hugs him tightly. That seems to calm him down and he goes to kiss Betty but she stops him and before she can explain why Ross notices Banner outside and commands security to take him in ASAP. The security does as instructed while Talbot informs the soldiers he's too dangerous and to shot him on site. Meanwhile, Samuel gives an awkward, poorly recited speech about how they can't let their Government use tax-payer dollars to fund this illicit and destructive research. It is a disgrace to biology and will only be used to further a police state. Eventually though, a security guard comes up to him and arrests Sterns claiming he's "The Leader" of this protest. Samuel seems kind of delighted claiming that he's never been the leader of anything before.

They also go over to Bruce Banner and start shooting at him, Jim Wilson tries to stop them but is shoved to the side. Bruce becomes too stressed from the situation and transforms into The Hulk. The security guard holding Sterns leaves and tries to take down The Hulk. Samuel starts squealing with glee, telling Bruce to destroy these tyrants. He follows Hulk into the building, where he causes more chaos while General Ross and Glenn Talbot try their best to run from the Hulk's wrath. Hulk then runs into the main laboratory until Samuel Sterns sneaks up behind and says how he is he is a huge fan of him, of Bruce Banner. That he understands why he's so angry, that they will cure him soon. He reveals that he is Mr. Blue and he only wants what's best for him. These lines remind him of what his enemies told him too, and Hulk becomes angry. He starts chasing Samuel Sterns yelling "Little man talk too much!" before punching Sterns across the room.

It is then revealed he landed right into the vile of Hulk's blood, which drips right into his head wound. Causing all of Samuel's wounds to heal and his cranium to begin enlarging ten fold, while Sterns says how he doesn't understand, Hulk was supposed to his friend, he betrayed him, for no reason. Hulk finds General Ross and Glenn Talbot and smashes the roof above them, as they quickly escape into another room. As Hulk continues destroying things while Samuel Sterns slowly starts getting up and sees the entire world around him in large, complex calculations. He also begins hearing the thoughts of everyone around him, he holds his head in pain as his Cranium begins to enlarge even more. He picks up a weapon next to him and goes to the Hulk, using his newfound superhuman intelligence to land carefully calculated strikes on the green giant with a gun carrying the remaining Judas Bullets.

Hulk falls to the ground and Samuel holds his head, saying how Hulk hurt him. Nobody can do that to The Leader. He begins using his Telepathy then to channel out all the outside voices and focus just on The Hulk getting inside his head. There, he sees a young boy transforming into a Hulk with all different colors and personalities, Samuel simply says under his breath looking at all of them "Who are you, Bruce Banner". He looks to the green personality represented by all the rage Bruce felt while abused as a child, and a different gray personality which was defined by a time Bruce was in college and getting scolded by the Dean for his reckless experiments, he starts to get frustrated by his belittling/yelling. Bruce couldn't take it anymore and punches him in the face, getting expelled from the school on the spot. Samuel Sterns looks at that and says Bruce was afraid, that's why he hit him. All his life, he's been angry, afraid and spiteful towards the world for mistreating him. Samuel says he completely understands, that's why he's always felt so close to Bruce Banner. They're kindred spirits. But enough being a mindless dumb monster Samuel tells him to "give the world what it deserves" and begins powering the Gray Hulk.

In real life Hulk starts transforming from his normal green hue into something smaller, and more Grayish. He gets up and thanks Samuel Sterns for letting him free, since puny Banner was always too weak to let him loose. Samuel tells him they can finally join together to fight this world, but Gray Hulk tells him to get lost. He's gonna explore and crack some skulls, before jumping out of the roof. In the chaos outside Betty, Leonard, Rick and Jim see the Gray Hulk jump out. All of them speechless as to what could've happened in the building. Back inside, Samuel says how Hulk will have to return to him, he won't say no to the Leader forever. General Ross tells Talbot to help anyone who's hurt outside, he's going to investigate. When he steps into the lab Ross gawks in horror at The Leader's horrific appearance. The General asks what happened and The Leader explains in advanced detail how the blood from Bruce Banner seeped into his head wound and he awoke to the world. Truly becoming wise enough to be the Leader.

General Ross says he's infected and needs help now. The Leader says he hears Ross' thoughts, he wants to lock him up, experiment on him. He's an enemy to people like him and The Hulk. Sterns then uses Telekinesis to fling him into the wall, knocking Ross out. Leader then goes into General Ross' mind deeper and sees Gamma Radiation and thoughts of his first time in the army in that very same place. The Leader keeps a gun with him and starts dispatching of the other soldiers and scientists, with Ted Masterson hiding away avoiding the Leader's rampage. Across Los Alamos, the van is looking for Gray Hulk and finally stops next to a destroyed milk truck outside Banner's old home in Los Alamos. They all walk inside to see the new owners evacuated and Gray Hulk looking at an old picture of himself as a baby he found there. He says how he was too soft, too weak before. But he's nice and powerful now. Betty almost starts crying asking "Bruce" why he's gray now. But that only frustrates the Hulk, claiming he was pathetic as Bruce Banner. Someone finally let him out, he isn't weak like this baby in the picture or dumb like the Green Hulk. He's exactly who he's supposed to be. Rick stands up denying it. Gray Hulk asks what he's talking about and Rick says Bruce was logical, friendly, and kind, unlike him. This makes the Gray Hulk even more livid. He walks over and begins threatening to savagely kill all of them, Jim pulls out a gun and Gray Hulk easily crushes it. Shortly after that though, he reverts back to Bruce Banner in a weakened state.

Bruce wakes up hours later in their house. He asks everyone what happened, Rick tells him that he transformed at the protest, he went into Los Alamos University, but when he jumped out his skin was Gray. Bruce is confused by this saying how that transformation did feel different than usual. Jim says how he was aggressive and cruel, instead of angry, comparing it to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Leonard adds how the strangest part of it all was how Gray Hulk kept referring to Bruce as if he was a different person, to an extent that Green Hulk never did. Bruce says it's over now and he's happy to be with Betty again. As he goes to kiss her it is revealed through unspoken dialogue that she and Leonard are dating. Bruce is shocked by this, but Leonard tells him that Bruce left without a word and they were working together to try and find a cure, they didn't expect to fall in love. He says he understands and isn't resentful towards them at all. Rick tells Bruce it's alright to be shocked by this, but he insists that he totally understands.

Bruce tells them they can't stay in this house, the military will be stopping by sooner or later and there's no point in surrendering now that they stopped Project Greenskin. Betty then insists they need to find an old friend, someone who's probably the only real Hulk expert out there. Leonard thinks that's a good idea. Obviously whatever this sub-mutation Gray Hulk is, it's better for everyone if he gets to the bottom of it. Everyone leaves the room to start packing as Bruce puts his hands over his face, preparing for the inevitable love triangle to unfold.

Act 2

In the Pentagon, General Talbot is asking Ross to repeat what happened at Los Alamos University. He claims that one of the protesters, turned into a Gamma Mutant and threw him against the wall. He has to be the one who killed all the backup and caused the evacuation. Talbot denies it at first though, saying how one man couldn't have caused an entire school to evacuate like that, it has to be a group of Gammas. But Ross says he didn't see anyone else except him. Irregardless though, Talbot claims they have to take it back and get this disaster under control, but this is all on Ross for spearheading Project Greenskin risks and all, he has to clean it up too. In Los Alamos, The Leader is experimenting with the Gamma Radiation equipment used in the laboratory walking over the dead bodies of both soldiers and scientists. He starts talking to himself saying how they deserved to be killed. They shunned him all his life and now he's smarter then all of them. Sighing in delight at the fact he's finally smart. Sterns then hears a crashing in the nearby room before finding Ted Masterson attempt to escape out the window. Leader surprised that someone survived his onslaught.

He breaks Masterson's leg with Telekinesis and the professor begs for his life, saying how he just wants to leave. Leader seems unimpressed which then causes Ted to claim that he can't believe he's going to die at the hands of some science experiment gone wrong, comparing it to the books he taught in class. The Leader responds saying he isn't a mistake. Gamma "freaks" like him and The Hulk should inhabit this world. Everyone should aspire to be like them, not the other way around! The Leader says he can make that possible and begins going over the Project Greenskin results and realizes the weapon they're creating is actually capable of causing extreme mutations when used against regular humans. He begins finishing their work and adding it onto the Judas Bullets (now calling them Gamma Bullets) and uses them against Ted Masterson in addition to a bunch of animal test subjects, while the camera pans away everyone can be heard screaming, before becoming ferocious.

The next couple of days it shows the heroes driving through the countryside, eventually getting to Smokey National Forest in Tennessee. Jim stops next to a waterfall claiming that these are the coordinates Betty told him to go, but that there's no road. It's a dead end. She responds quickly saying exactly as they all get out of the car and Bruce asks her who this person is she wants to see, Leonard and Rick as well wanting to know. But Betty says they don't like it when they're talked about out loud, they'll all see soon enough. Betty leads the team into a cave where she presses her hand on a mysterious rock. Suddenly, a section of the cave opens and Katherine Waynesboro emerges. She hugs Betty and asks Bruce how he's been doing. He sarcastically responds "feeling a little Gray". Katherine tells everyone to come inside, there are top of the line facilities to help. Leonard seems confused reminding Katherine that this is a cave. They follow her the same way she come out only to see a large base built inside of it, Katherine proudly says "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.".

It shows Military Soldiers and convoys all stationed outside Los Alamos University with General Ross and General Talbot escorting Phillip Sterns outside the building where the Leader is held up in. Phillip thanks them for not bombing the whole school with his brother inside, and Talbot says they can't for any potential hostages. Ross tells him if he can't get this under control, they will have to take desperate measures. The Leader inside his lab is working to build something until he hears over a loudspeaker Phillip's voice. He tells Samuel he's sorry for what happened at the shop, but turning towards crime isn't right. He's meant for more than this. Leader responds back by telepathically telling Phillip that he told him his whole life he'll never be anything, but that he's The Leader now.

Phillip tries to apologize for that, and tells Samuel to come out and "do the right thing". The Leader says okay and and opens the doors while Phillip is disgusted at his brother's disfigured appearance along with Talbot, while Ross watches firmly. Samuel says that he brought his "pets" along too as Gamma Induced Test Subjects start storming out of the Facility and fight the soldiers, before finally being finished off by Ted Masterson now with pale white skin and a mutated glow. The Gamma Animals easily rip through all the soldiers while Masterson touches Philip making him fall to the ground near dead and turning his skin the same white color, he tries to go after General Talbot who horrified realizes who he is infected by some sort of Gamma Half-life. The Leader fights too using his advanced guns and Telekinesis to literally fling tanks and helicopters across the desert. General Ross tries hold his ground against it but doesn't last long once everyone Half-life touches begins rising up as mindless gamma mutants. After they start to get outnumbered the remaining Military Soldiers start trying to evacuate along with the rest of the town, as Half-life and his creatures begin infecting everything. Samuel Sterns starts laughing claiming that he's created a new species of man, noticing that even Phillip himself had turned into one. He's the Leader of even his own brother.

Leader goes back into the facility and says how he needs to spread this, they need purge everything that isn't like them and spread this Gamma Radiation based power everywhere. He needs more creations like Half-life, like Hulk to make that a reality. The Leader then sits down and closes his eyes, while the veins in his head begin to enlarge and glow green. It is then revealed he is using Telepathy to get inside Bruce Banner's head again, as it cuts to Bruce himself at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. He sees Betty, Jim and Rick sitting at the other table all talking to each other and starts to have great resentment due to being left out. He calms down by breathing and eventually just leaves. While in the hallway he comes across a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who introduces herself as Maria Hill along with Katherine Waynesboro.

Agent Hill says they have a planned process for trying to fix him. Since his transformations are triggered by his emotional state, they need to take a psychological evaluation before they can proceed. Katherine Waynesboro says it will only take fifteen minutes. Bruce says alright and goes with them to a large room with two chairs in it. He sits down in one of them silently, laying down to try and relax. Suddenly, Leonard Samson comes into the room and tells Bruce he will be the one handling this since he's worked with him for years, right before he became Hulk and would be the best to help him cope with the stress and panic that is plaguing his life. But Bruce says he doesn't want to talk to him about this, and even goes as far as to ask for someone else. Leonard Samson starts asking him questions about why he doesn't want to talk to him and Bruce tells him to stop.

But Leonard says he's just trying to help Bruce and he needs to work so this psychiatry session could be effective. Dr. Waynesboro notices his blood pressure is rising and her along with Maria Hill go in to try and pry Samson out, but Bruce screams that he's furious that he "stole Betty from him" that in addition to the Leader's telepathy causes Bruce to do a full on transformation into the Gray Hulk. Dr. Waynesboro comments "that's new" as Gray Hulk says that he's sick of Leonard Samson taking what should be his, he's not his therapist, he's his competitor and the Hulk hates losing! He punches him through a wall and then tells Maria Hill how he doesn't want her fancy acronym organization to cure him of this power and tries to attack her but she jumps out of the way. A bunch of security comes in and starts trying to subdue him and Gray Hulk says he wants to play a little game and starts throwing them into each other and violently beating anyone in his way. Agent Hill rushes into the lobby trying to get more help and runs into Rick Jones. She asks him what's wrong with Hulk, he's gray and not just angry and violent, but cruel now. Rick says that's what's wrong with him now, on top of all his other issues. Gray Hulk fights his way through security and goes to Betty's room.

He tries to seduce her and tells her he can provide more than Leonard Samson ever could, more than Banner easily. But she denounces Gray Hulk saying he's a beast who ruined everything. Hurt by that he says "screw you, you ungrateful bitch!" breaking down the walls and escaping the facility, leaving all the damage in his wake. In Los Alamos, The Leader smiles as he managed to get out Gray Hulk. He gets up from his chair and grabs some tools before he begins finally working on making an upgraded version of the Gamma Bullets. The camera pans to the side revealing it to be his very own Gamma Bomb! As it shows in the next scene Gray Hulk is putting on a large dress suit and walking into Las Vegas, Nevada.

Act 3

General Ross in his office is talking to the President over the phone, saying how the entire city had to be quarantined because of this disaster with Samuel Sterns. That they need to formulate a plan of attack, that these types of monsters aren't like anything they've ever fought before. Sterns himself actually has more abilities then even The Hulk does! General Talbot and a few other soldiers walk into the room, while Ross tells the President he'll call him back. He hangs up and Talbot says they've all discussed it, and have figured out they can't stop Sterns alone. General Ross asks what he's talking about and he says they've been following Military protocol all this time and have only encountered failure and casualties. That he's going to ask S.H.I.E.L.D. for help.

Ross says that's not necessary and Talbot responds claiming that he ignored Ted Masterson back in Los Alamos and now he's a monster because of it, he stood ideally by and let Ross' project continue and potential solutions slip by without hesitation. But now it's gone too far, and drastic measures need to be taken. As they all walk out General Ross throws his phone across the room. At the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base in Smoky National Park Agent Maria Hill is performing medical treatment on Leonard Samson while Betty watches, she comments on how scared she was of this new monster Bruce has become. But Leonard says it wasn't Bruce, it was something else. When people are afraid and backed into a corner they act out in stress. Agent Hill says she doesn't like this, a malevolent Gray Hulk running around the country doing god knows what. S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to get a grip of this as soon as possible. The whole country is suffering a Gamma Meltdown. Betty asks what else is infected. Agent Hill explains Samuel Sterns, a protester at the Los Alamos experimentations has become some sort of super powered Gamma Mutant like The Hulk, he's held up the entire town exhibiting abilities of Telepathy and Telekinesis.

Leonard says how Samuel was there the day green Hulk turned gray. Maybe he had something to do with the transformation. Agent Hill tells them they can't keep feeling around in the dark like this, they need definitive answers before they proceed, finding Hulk is the best step for doing that. She says how Dr. Waynesboro has been working with them, to develop a machine that can probably track his Radiation levels. It isn't perfect and will take some time to adjust, but it should give them a general location sooner rather than later. Betty says they both have to go, they're his friends and if anyone will be able to talk him down they will. Hill tries to say it would be too dangerous, but Betty refuses to back down. Saying she needs to help Bruce, after all this he needs her more than ever. After debating from both her and Leonard Agent Hill agrees to let them.

Betty and Leonard go to Rick and Jim telling them to head back home, that this is starting to get too dangerous for both young men. They try and argue, especially Jim who says he wants to help them, that his uncle would be so proud if he found out. But Leonard convinces them out of it, saying how they've both helped enough as it is. Betty also tells them that Maria Hill can pull some strings to get them not only pardoned of any warrants from the Government but back in school too. They think it's a good deal and take it, while Betty and Leonard prepare for what's next, with Betty commenting wherever Bruce is she hopes it's somewhere calm.

The next scene shows inside the Coliseum casino a man is playing roulette and loses a lot of money. He sighs and heads outside behind an alleyway to meet up with a loan shark he owes a lot of money to, saying how he just lost the game and needs one more week and hundred dollars to pay him back double, that his lucky streak has to come back. But the Loan Shark says it ended tonight, that Joe Fixit had to teach him a lesson. After that out of the shadows, Bruce Banner (now as Gray Hulk) emerges and starts using his great strength to beat the poor man senseless, even enjoying the pain he's causing. While in Los Alamos, The Leader is further growing Hulk's malevolence. He then walks into another room and begins admiring his fully completed Gamma Bomb. He talks to himself aloud about detonating it and creating more Gamma Mutants around the country. But when he begins to put in the necessary codes, he notices the machine has an error. He begins using his intelligence to think what could be wrong, and realizes the device is missing an essential piece.

He has to find it, but it would so inconvenient to steal it on his own. The time is now, he has to finally show The Hulk his greater destiny. He then takes out a map and looks at Nevada, pinpointing specifically to the Las Vegas area. In the very city, Leonard, Betty, and Agent Hill get out of a S.H.I.E.L.D. van in the middle of the strip. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent says how they've tracked Bruce's gamma trail to the Coliseum Casino right across the street. Leonard insists not to send backup since he wants to appeal to Bruce's "logical" side instead, Agent Hill says he knows Hulk better than any of them. Betty then takes out her Radiation sensitive tracker and starts scanning the area. It then shows in the Casino lobby Gray Hulk is getting paid by some gangsters who are talking about how they need Joe to rough up some other punks. But before they can finish speaking Gray Hulk hears someone yell "Bruce!" before looking to see Leonard and Betty starring right at him. The gangsters ask who Bruce is and Gray Hulk tells them to leave "NOW!" and the gangsters run off. He reminds them again that he is not that weakling, Bruce Banner. Leonard Samson starts telling him how his distancing of his alter-ego is a sign of multiple psychological issues, and Gray Hulk starts becoming enraged asking why Samson isn't dead yet. Betty says if Bruce truly loves her he would let her be happy, she did love him but didn't even know if he was coming back, he was the one who left after all. That drives Gray Hulk over the edge saying how he's "not Puny Banner!" and starts going after them. They begin running through the Casino shattering through tables, walls and even the ceilings!

Meanwhile in the streets of Las Vegas, Half-life in a trench coat and fedora is walking through the city getting noticed by a drunk homeless man. Gray Hulk chases Leonard and Betty to the connected Hotel into the master suite. While he gets in there he hears someone behind him, only to feel himself being touched by Half-life. He shutters to it, but doesn't drop dead like the others. Half-life says how the Hulk is now a perfect soldier, the camera revealing everything Half-Life to be saying is just the result of The Leader's Telepathy back in Los Alamos. That Hulk should abandon Betty, because he is his true intellectual partner. The Leader said he saw into Hulk's mind, all the abuse he's suffered, he relates to it all. They can make this whole world pay, together destroying it. Gray Hulk looks at him and simply says he doesn't want to take over the world, he just wants to live and tries to punch Half-life. Who uses his Gamma Induced strength to block it while Leader controls him to say "Wrong answer!" The Half-life and Gray Hulk begin engaging in their own battle as Leonard and Betty make their escape. Outside, Maria Hill is trying to evacuate the Casino as the ongoing fight ends up causing the Coliseum to crash down and crush Half-life's body. Gray Hulk escapes just in time and grabs Betty jumping all the way to the Hoover Dam.

He yells to Betty saying how she wanted to talk before, he's listening now! They have an honest and frank discussion, where Betty says to Gray Hulk how she was always thinking about him even when she was with Leonard, that she gave up believing that the Hulk was stopping them from loving each other. That she loves him so much and always wants him to be part of her life. Betty then says how maybe Hulk won't accept her, that he's evolved past her and is better off alone. But no matter what she'll never stop pining after him, even if he stays being the Gray Hulk forever. This touches Hulk so much that he faints and almost rolls off the ledge and into the water until Betty with all her strength grabs his arm, realizing how light he is now, only to open her eyes looking down to see Gray Hulk had transformed into Bruce Banner again while the sun starts to rise.

Back in the city, the debris is getting cleaned up while S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel being watched by Military generals. Agent Hill tells Ross she is happy they decided to work together to stop Sterns, but he claims the higher ups forced him to and if it were up to him they would continue working on their own. He tells some Military soldiers to check the area, that Hulk couldn't have gotten far, Talbot says he can interview the suspects for any leads. After that everyone sees Betty and Bruce Banner slowly walking to the scene. General Ross hugs his daughter and asks if she's alright, she says she's fine. Ross then looks at Bruce with disgust and says how if it wasn't for S.H.I.E.L.D. he'd be in prison right now, but they won't be able to protect him forever. He tells General Ross he knows and goes to sit down until being approached by Leonard Samson. Bruce apologizes to Leonard for how he acted and he says it's no worries and tells Bruce he just needs to listen. Samson explains his theory that Bruce suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder, likely brought on by the traumatic events in his life and exacerbated by The Leader's Telepathy. Bruce asks why it hadn't been an issue for him all these years. Leonard says it might've been, sometimes the disorder is subtle and repressed deep into the sub-conscious. He also says how Bruce's different identities might be qualities that he was trying to shut out like rage, malice, guilt, etc. It could give insight to his entire abilities and how Gamma Radiation could be linked to someone's emotional status or secret desires.

Bruce tells him that makes sense, Samuel Sterns wanted to be someone smart his whole life, so he gained Telepathy and Bruce wanted to be someone strong, so he turned into the Hulk. Leonard and Bruce both get up and are approached by Agent Hill who informs him that per their agreement with the Military, he needs to go back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base and keep him away from the public. Bruce not wanting to fight says he'll go quietly. At the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, a drive thru security guard investigates a big truck driving in only to find The Leader and be terrified by him, before the operator can call security Sterns uses Telekinesis to knock him out. More security starts going after him and he hears their thoughts as they start to approach, he pulls out his Gamma Gun and opens the cargo hold releasing armies of Gamma Mutants, who begin terrorizing all the soldiers and causing chaos all over the entire structure. The Leader walks through it all using Telekinesis to push everything out of the way as he makes it to the inner-levels. Meanwhile, inside of a military plane General Ross gets a call from the Government claiming the Yucca Mountain Repository is being attacked by Sterns and some army of Gamma Mutants. General Talbot says they have to secure it immediately, that base is full of enough nukes to blow the country up ten times over. Agent Hill calms them both down saying she can send S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents to handle it but Ross and Talbot claim it might not be good enough. As everyone is arguing Bruce stands up saying "It has to be me!" They all go silent and look at him. Leonard Samson says they at very least need to get his Hulk powers under control before they use him for something like that.

But Bruce yells that by the time they're done Sterns could have taken over the entire western hemisphere. That they all played a part in creating this thing and it's all on them to stop it. Talbot stands up for Bruce saying this could be a good way to use the Gray Hulk. Betty and Maria concur, Ross and Samson are still skeptical, but not seeing any other way agree to it. Bruce insists he'll just jump from the plane into the compound, let the Gray Guy loose and take care of Leader. Maria says they can send Military and S.H.I.E.L.D. backup just in case. General Ross opens the door and Betty wishes him luck. Before they kiss Bruce falls out of the plane and in mid-air starts to transform. In the road outside the Repository a creator falls on the ground revealing itself to be Gray Hulk, who comments on how gross the Gamma Mutant soldiers are and begins to fight them off. The Military and S.H.I.E.L.D. backup soon arrive to secure the perimeter.

Gray Hulk begins breaking into the Repository as it shows The Leader going through all of the abandoned Nuclear equipment, until he finds what he's looking for and hears Gray Hulk smashing his way in. Hulk runs into the hallway until the metal walls start to break and shatter from Leader's Telekinesis. He then subdues Gray Hulk before Telepathically attacking him once again. The Leader asks Bruce if he's reconsidered the offer to join him. Gray Hulk says never, claiming he's only here to settle the score he started. The Leader claims that Bruce's mind is complicated and even with his brilliance it took him awhile to figure it out, but now he finally realizes that he and the Gray Hulk could never see eye to eye, he's too rebellious, too headstrong, so he has to go look for something else. Leader then goes into Bruce's head as Gray Hulk starts holding it in pain and the Leader asks again "Who are you, Bruce Banner?" he then reaches into a memory Bruce had at his first job.

He miscalculated one of the temperatures and pressures for the experiment and right before it exploded Bruce ran out of the room, being the only survivor. The Leader smiles when he starts understanding how Guilty Bruce felt about it. Realizing he needed this submissive and mentally weak version of him to be his perfect Hulk. The Leader then uses his Telepathic powers to transform Gray Hulk into Guilt Hulk who starts attacking all the army soldiers on behalf of Leader and the Gamma Mutants. While he's doing that though, inside Bruce is trying desperately to regain control of his mind but the Green and Gray Hulks won't stop fighting amongst themselves for control. The Gray Hulk beating the Green Hulk down and telling him how all these personalities have been repressed for too long, he can't stay angry forever. The Green Hulk says that he's only angry because he has to be... to protect himself... to protect everyone. Gray Hulk responds that he's always trying to be a hero but doesn't owe this world a damn thing, puny Banner is the only one who cares about those people, and he's gone! Green Hulk becomes enraged claiming that he is Banner and with his new found anger overpowers the Gray Hulk and takes control of the mind again.

After that The Leader starts suffering a painful migraine when Bruce successfully resists his Telepathy and transforms out of the Guilt Hulk into the much more familiar Green Hulk. Hulk then lunges forward and with a single punch takes down an entire portion of the Repository building, punching The Leader forward into a wall. He destroys the Gamma Bomb, the parts he needs, and everything in the lab he could use to replace it. The Leader, bruised and beaten on the ground starts screaming asking Hulk why he's trying to help those who hated him all his life, both of them! That he was just trying to make the world in his image. Hulk responds saying "That's the problem. You're ugly". The Hulk then picks up the Gamma Gun and murders the Leader but shooting him with it, destroying him with it as it was originally designed to. After that Hulk walks out of the broken building while everyone starts clapping for him. He then turns back into Bruce Banner while the plane lands, Betty and Leonard help him back up, Leonard telling Bruce he's green again. Banner says he can't believe he's saying this, but he hopes it will stick this time.

Hours later, it shows Bruce at the Pentagon in a change of clothes. Betty still can't believe the story about how he overcame the Gray Hulk with Bruce saying he thinks it's one of the first genuine steps towards recovery he's made in a long time. Maria Hill and Talbot approach him with Maria saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Military have a deal to keep Bruce away from society until he's fully recovered. They're thinking of sending him to Alaska, it's peaceful there, perfect place to reflect. Betty asks where her father is and Talbot says he refused to thank Bruce even after all that he did, disgusted the Military doesn't have a say in his fate anymore, which makes Betty roll her eyes. Bruce then shakes General Talbot's hand while hugging Betty. As he's walking in the hallway she catches up and passionately kisses Bruce. Saying that her and Leonard didn't work out and she'll wait every second for him until he can come back. Then they can be together, forever. He smiles and keeps walking opening the door into a bright light coming out in the middle of a cabin in Alaska. Agent Hill tells him this is where he'll stay. He can always call Agents for help but other than that he'll most be left alone to handle the recovery process. Hulk tells her thank you and she leaves.

He goes into the cabin before sitting down and closing his eyes. Telling himself repetitively to clear out all his thoughts, embrace how he truly feels. Bruce does just that and opens his eyes revealing them to be bright green.

End Credits

Teasing Captain America

It shows Maria Hill in Greenland at the S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost. She is talking to Director Fury about how Hulk's being secluded in Alaska to deal with his mental issues. Nick Fury seems annoyed by that answer, but quickly gets over it. Instead telling her that they've found the "Holy Grail of discoveries" in the ice, the real deal of General Ross' Gamma experiments. When she asks what, he simply uses a keycard into a secret room and shows her the shield of Captain America in pristine condition with multiple scientists trying to de-frost the remaining snow off of it.

Trivia

Samuel Sterns' alter ego at the beginning of the movie Mr. Blue is what Betty called herself when she was keeping contact with Bruce Banner in the comics.

The Gray Hulk in the comics was the first super powered version of Hulk. The first time he transforms in the movie is very similar to the The Incredible Hulk #1.

Bruce Banner takes on the identity Joe Fixit when transformed into Gray Hulk. Also acting as an enforcer in Las Vegas, a similar path that the Comic Hulk took after his Gray personality resurfaced years later.

Agent Maria Hill is the same supporting character & S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent from the MCU Movie Black Widow and Hawkeye

Jim Wilson (like in the comics) is the nephew of Sam Wilson aka The Falcon this is confirmed to be true through dialogue in the movie.

Samuel Sterns compared himself to Albert Einstein and Tony Stark, the later of whom is the superhero Iron Man and titular character of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchises of the same name.

Agent Hill and Director Fury are de-frosting Steve Rogers in the end-credits scene, original 1940s World War II hero Captain America. The inspiration for the Bio-Enhacenment Project and Gamma Enhancement, an essential element of the first movie's plot.

Judas Bullets are created from a metal called Adamantium. The hardest metal in the world both within the comics continuity and the MCU.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of The Leaders appears to be an amalgamation between the 616 character by the same name and his older brother the Madman. Who's motivation was largely derived from a romanticized obsession with Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Sterns in the film is both an underachiever, like The Leader, and infatuated with Bruce Banner, like Madman.

In the Peter David run Clay Quartermain plays a similar role that Psychologist Leonard Samson played in the film.

In the comics Half-life's name is Tony Masterson and was transformed from one of the Leader's experimental gamma bombs. This version of the character is referenced in the movie by having him be still retain his occupation as a professor of English Literature.

At Hoover Dam when Gray Hulk is about to fall over the edge but transforms as the sun begins to rise. This is a reference to the comic book fact Gray Hulk would transform whenever the sun set and turn back when it rose.

Adamantium being only of the only known substances capable of piercing Hulk's skin is a reference to his popular rivalry with the character Wolverine. Who's claws are too made of Adamantium and are more than capable of slashing the Hulk's flesh.

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 Samuel tells Phillip it's an hour before the regular costumers come in. But Phillip says he needs to stay at the counter for any of the early birds. He can't keep playing scientist on the computer all day. Samuel responds claiming doing science should've been his life, if Caltech wasn't so strict with their admissions. Phil says they weren't strict, Sam just isn't smart enough for a school like that. Samuel insists he is, that he just can't articulate or write his thoughts coherently. Phillip though dismisses everything he says as excuses. Samuel suggests his brother should imagine how different the world would be if Albert Einstein, Tony Stark, or even Bruce Banner decided to just be a clerk. Phil tells Sam he's delusional comparing himself to them, that he needs to stop living in the past and just be happy he has a job in the first place. It's more than most people in this economy can ask for. Samuel is deeply angry that his more successful brother doesn't understand his adversity, but nonetheless starts working. In South America, it shows Bruce suffering the same fate doing tedious work at the Liquid brewing plant once again.
-On the job, Bruce begins talking to his fellow co-worker Martina. He starts to act very charming and masculine, until a group of workers begin to harass Bruce and show overall Xenophobia towards him, which causes Bruce to become very shy and timid again. They tell Bruce to "remember his place" and he starts to get angry. But before he can transform, Bruce starts to do breathing exercises to calm his pulse down and eventually just gets back to work. Distracted by that he cuts his hand and a drop of his blood spills into one of the drinks as it gets shipped across the world and people start to have ill-effects due to consuming it. In the Pentagon, there is a meeting in place with a group of the Military's top Generals. Glenn Talbot says this case of radiated soda is an international epidemic, they need to get a grasp on how to halt this dangerous product before it spreads any further. The generals all converse their ideas until Thaddeus Ross blurts out the reason for this is obvious, the Hulk. General Talbot asks what Ross is talking about. He says how Bruce Banner went off the grid over a year ago. The soft drinks in question came from a factory in Rio De Janeiro, and they were all soiled by Gamma Radiated blood. Talbot says it was probably the flawed machinery they used to distribute the liquid but Ross says the scientists checked the numbers, traces of iron in it like blood. Nobody could've had a count that high outside of Banner himself.
+On the job, Bruce begins talking to his fellow co-worker Martina. He starts to act very charming and masculine, until a group of workers begin to harass Bruce and show overall Xenophobia towards him, which causes Bruce to become very shy and timid again. They tell Bruce to "remember his place" and he starts to get angry. But before he can transform, Bruce starts to do breathing exercises to calm his pulse down and eventually just gets back to work. Distracted by that he cuts his hand and a drop of his blood spills into one of the drinks as it gets shipped across the world and people start to have ill-effects due to consuming it. In the Pentagon, there is a meeting in place with a group of the Military's top Generals. Glenn Talbot says this case of radiated soda is an international epidemic, they need to get a grasp on how to halt this dangerous product before it spreads any further. The generals all converse their ideas until Thaddeus Ross blurts out the reason for this is obvious, the Hulk. General Talbot asks what Ross is talking about. He says how Bruce Banner went off the grid three years ago. The soft drinks in question came from a factory in Rio De Janeiro, and they were all soiled by Gamma Radiated blood. Talbot says it was probably the flawed machinery they used to distribute the liquid but Ross says the scientists checked the numbers, traces of iron in it like blood. Nobody could've had a count that high outside of Banner himself.
 Talbot asks if he thinks Bruce might've been hiding out in Brazil this whole time, and indirectly blew his cover. He claims that's ''precisely'' what he is saying, they need to send some soldiers over there and finally bust him. Talbot agrees to send a team to the Rio De Janeiro as soon as possible, Ross insists he'll be there. The Hulk has been a personal mission of his for years and he's not going to pass up the opportunity to finally get him. Ross also informs Talbot he needs the Judas Bullets. Talbot asks why he would ever need that for, they're in limited quantity and only supposed to be used against warheads. He mentions that regular weapons do nothing against the Hulk, when he finds him he wants to seriously put him down, and Adamantium is the only thing that can possibly pierce his skin.