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Planet Hulk
Planet Hulk
Release date February 2, 2010
Rating Unrated
Director Sam Liu
Frank Paur (Supervising Director)
Writer(s) Greg Johnson
Craig Kyle
Joshua Fine
Producer(s) Eric S. Rollman
Craig Kyle
Joshua Fine
Stan Lee
Frank Paur
Editor George P. Rizkallah
Distributor Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Music By Guy Michelmore
Running Time 81 Minutes
Previous Video Hulk Vs (Hulk vs Wolverine/Hulk vs Thor)
Next Video Thor: Tales of Asgard
For other uses of Planet Hulk, see Hulk (Disambiguation).

Betrayed by his fellow heroes, the Hulk is sent to a distant world where he will no longer be a threat. However, he lands on a planet where he is forced to fight in gladiator-like battles. The people there believe the Hulk to be a savior who will stop the oppression of the Red King. But Hulk wants no part of their fights. Will he save their world...or destroy it?

Story[]

Force of Destruction[]

A countdown is heard before a large boom.

Apologies to a friend

The Hulk grumbles then opens his eyes. He looks around to find himself in an empty spaceship. The displays power on and a holographic recording of the Illuminati comprised of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Mister Fantastic, and Black Bolt appear before him. Hulk sees that his arms and legs are bound in some kind of machine. Iron Man apologizes but says that Bruce Banner is a force of destruction when angry and they had no choice. The Hulk roars in anger.

During the night on the planet Sakaar near a large rock monument a prophet prays to his god to send a warrior savior as the prophets have foretold. He knows that Sakaar is divided and will die soon. He then begins sprinkling sand into a pattern on a mat on the ground.

As the ship rockets through space Iron Man explains that even the best heroes of Earth cannot deter him for he fears nothing. In his rage Hulk rips his arms free.

On Sakaar the man asks for someone who will stand his ground in the face of death.

Hulk pounds away at the machines holding his legs until they break. He leaps forward at the image of Iron Man. While the armored hero continues to explain that the madder Hulk gets the stronger he is, and there is no limit to his rage.

A sign of things to come

The man continues to pour his sand into an image resembling an atom.

Iron Man explains that they are sending him to a planet where there are no intelligent life-forms, just vegetation and game. Meanwhile, Hulk smashes the displays showing Iron Man and eventually punches a large dent in the side of the ship. The ship begins to go out of control. Iron Man says that Hulk will be alone with no one to hurt.

The onboard computer says that the guidance systems is offline and the trajectory is altered. Hulk continues destroying the inside of the ship. The ship nears a planet and begins to break apart. Instead of landing on the planet it enters a large wormhole nearby. Iron Man continues to explain that Hulk always wanted to be left alone.

Weakened by the very thing that gives him strength

Inside the ship warns of an emergency breach. Hulk and everything inside float in the gravityless environment before slamming into the floor. Meanwhile he is pounded by some mysterious energy. The emergency fire systems begin to spray the inside of the ship covering Hulk in water.

A whole new world

The man finished his atom-like image. He stands up and takes off his hood. He asks his god to send the savior, the Sakaarson to save the planet. In the sky behind him the wormhole opens up and the ship rockets out. The man watches in astonishment as it crashes into the distance.

Taken Captive[]

The next day the smoking wreckage of the ship lies on the ground. Hulk forces the hatch out and the water comes pouring out. He gets up and looks around at the strange planet. He hears some strange noise and turns around. An army of yellow insect-like creatures move over the nearby hill.

Overwhelmed

Hulk hears one of them behind him and turns to see it jump down from the ship with a spear in its hand. Hulk grabs the spear, swings it around, and throws it. The rest of the creatures swarm over the Hulk trying to overwhelm him. One of the creatures stabs him in the leg with a spear. The creatures continue to surround him carrying spears and swords.

In anger Hulk pounds the ground forcing the creatures away. He reaches into the ground and pulls up a large chunk, lifting many of the advancing creatures with it. He flips the chuck and squishes the creatures. A swarm of creatures attack but Hulk swats them aside. More creatures attack and cover Hulk.

Three men walk up and watch the action. One of them speaks in an alien language.

Hulk made obedient

Hulk swats away the creatures then pulls the spear out of his leg. However, Hulk drops to one knee because of the injury. One of the men levels some kind of gun at Hulk and fires a disk at his chest. The disk attaches itself to Hulk's right pectoral. The disk begins to glow and something spreads out from it and into his body.

The three men advance on Hulk, their language suddenly become understandable. They say that the emperor claims everything of value that comes out of the Great Portal. Hulk falls to the ground and the creatures surround him.

However, one of the creatures claims that the Hulk and ship belong to them. He claims that the law states that it belongs to whoever first finds it. But the Imperial Guard ignores it and tells the creatures to kneel. They reluctantly agree to.

Behind the kneeling creatures Hulk stands up. The guard talks about the talkbots reaching Hulk's brain so he can understand them. He then orders the Hulk to also kneel before him. Hulk refuses and reaches for the man, and the creatures scatter.

The man uses his staff to fire some kind of beam at the Hulk's disk. The Hulk screams out in pain as the beam continues. The beam stops and Hulk falls to the ground unconscious. The man walks away triumphant.

Today's Contenders[]

New allies

Hulk awakes in a dungeon of some sort. A grey insect-like creature named Miek begs a rock-like creature named Korg to free him. Miek believes he will die easily because he has a thin shell. But Korg tells him to sit down. Just then Miek notices that Hulk is awake. Hulk finds himself chained to the wall.

Miek walks up to Hulk begging him to break his chains and break down the doors setting them free. Another warrior named Laven Skee stops Miek. Laven tells Hulk that he won't regain his strength for a while because he passed through the portal. Hulk demands to know where he is. Laven explains that he has been sold as a slave and they are in an Imperial transport.

Hulk says he is no one's slave and tries to break out of the bonds. Laven tries to calm him down. He says that the chains are Shadowforged and therefore unbreakable. He suggests that Hulk save his strength for the games. Laven explains that they are on their way to the coliseum where their deaths are to be the day's entertainment.

Hulk looks around at the other fighters. In addition to Hulk, Laven, Korg, and Miek are three creature similar to those that attacked Hulk earlier, Hiroim, Elloe Kaifi, and Android. They all have similar disk on their chests.

Miek claims he is a hider, not a fighter. But Laven states that they must all stick together if they are to survive. Korg asks what Laven plans to do. Laven explains that Korg, because he has great strength and endurance, will hold the front line. He asks that Hulk fight alongside Korg. But Hulk doesn't look too pleased.

Heroic robot

He points out that Hiroim's battles during the Spike Wars were legendary and he has great speed and agility. Android says he is proficient in hand-to-hand combat and requests that he also be on the front line. But Laven suggests that it stay in the second position with him and Hiroim.

He tells Miek and the other natives to join Elloe in the final position. However, the other natives object since they are hived and he is outcast. Laven reiterates that they will fight as a team or die. But the hived natives claim he asks too much, especially since he served the Red King.

Elloe gets upset when they question his loyalty. She points that that Laven is a prisoner because he joined the resistance against the tyrant. Laven calms her down saying that they have arrived.

Forced to fight

The hovering transport arrives inside the coliseum in Crown City. There are many observers but the stadium is far from full. The announcer, Primus Vand, welcomes everyone to the games while on a hovering decive. The bottom drops down by cables letting the slaves out. The cables detach and the transport floats away leaving the floor behind. The announcer welcomes the gladiators to the games.

A rack of swords rises up out of the floor beneath Miek. Laven walks over and grabs one followed by everyone except Hulk. Primus then introduces their opponents, the Kronans. A large part of the coliseum floor opens up to reveal a lava pit.

Not friends anymore

Korg is shocked into complete surprise when three Kronans, which is what species Korg is, emerges from the lava pit. One of them has a missing arm. He recognizes one of them as Margus. He walks up to his fellow Kronans believing that they were dead. However, Margus punches Korg away while the rest of the Kronans advance.

Laven sees that Korg is knocked unconscious. But when he turns around he sees Hulk walking the other way. Both he and Miek fail to bring the green giant back. The rest prepare for battle since Android got his wish and they are now the front line.

However, Android is glad and sprints forward. It leaps at the Kronans and slashes but to no effect. The rest of the slaves charge after Android. Hiroim leaps over a Kronan and slashes at its back. The audience cheer as the battle commences.

With Miek following, the Hulk reaches a large door in the coliseum and tries to push it open. Laven slashes at a Kronan while dodging the attacks. Hiroim leaps backwards missing the punch of a Kronan. He dodges to the side and slashes at the Kronans back.

Laven slashes at his opponent and moves to help Hiroim. He leaps over and slashes the one-armed Kronan's eye. Together, Laven and Hiroim push the blinded creature down as another Kronan approaches. The Kronan leaps into the air and the two run away before it stomps down where they were. As they run Laven is knocked across the stadium floor.

Too gruesome for kids

Elloe watches and tells the hived natives to help. However, they do not want to take orders from anyone and instead attack the downed Kronan. They rush him and begin hacking at him with their swords but to no effect. The one-eyed and one-armed Kronan stands up and squashes one of the bugs while the other two run away. The Kronan smashes a second native then grabs the third and squeezes causing his eyes to burst.

While continues trying to open the door Miek sees the natives go down and comments on how messy it was.

He'll Fight[]

Meanwhile, Android jumps over a Kronan and breaks his sword on the enemy's back. Android looks at its broken sword when Hiroim pushes him out of the way of a lava ball. Hiroim throws his sword which lodges itself in the chest of a Kronan. The Kronan has lava in his hand. The Kronan breaks the sword leaving a piece in his chest.

Elloe runs up and throws Hiroim another sword. The two stand together as the Kronans advance.

Behind them Laven struggles to get Korg up. He believes that only Korg can defeat them. But Korg still sees them as his brothers despite the control the disk obviously have. Just then Laven is stabbed through the back by a Kronan.

Making Hulk care

Hiroim and Elloe turn in horror. Hulk turns his head, still not able to open the door, and sees Laven looking at him. Laven then rests his head and dies, a pool of blood forming beneath him. Hulk looks down in sadness. Elloe starts to cry. He walks over and kneels by Laven's body.

Korg looks over and sees that Margus was the killer. He walks over and begs his former friend to stop. However, Margus throws both of his fists at Korg. Korg catches both and seeing that his friend can't be reasoned with headbutts him. He runs forward and begins pummeling his former friend. He slams his fist into Margus and breaks off pieces of his body. Korg then punches Margus across the ground.

The other two Kronans see Margus fall and rush towards Korg. Korg picks up his fallen enemy and throws him at the two. The three completely break apart.

Android and Hiroim walk over by Elloe next to Laven. Meanwhile, Miek begs Hulk to hurry before the Red King sees them. Hulk asks who he is talking about and Miek says the Red King is the one who owns the planet while the rest just live there.

Primus asks if the king is please. He says he is but wonders why the green one didn't fight. The announcer assures him that the Hulk will fight. The Hulk spots the Red King and walks towards him intending to smash him. Hulk walks past the bewildered other slaves on his way to the king.

Most Ferocious Predator[]

Meanwhile, Primus promises a brief educational lesson by showing the feeding habits of the planet's most dangerous predator, the Cavaranthus Mazorus or more commonly named the Great Devil Corker.

Behind the heroes a number of tentacles arise out of the lava. Android utters an expletive just before a tentacle smashes him in half. The top half of his body lands near Hiroim and Elloe. The remaining slaves stare into the enormous mouth of the gigantic creature. Hiroim, Korg, and Elloe are quickly grabbed by the creature's tentacles.

Not a fair fight

The Red King watches the events with amusement. Miek runs away as Hulk roars. The Corker's head moves towards the Hulk when the green giant leaps into the air. He moves towards the Corker and punches it in the head. Shockwaves ripple throughout the Corker's body and it dies. The tentacles flail about dropping the three slaves.

Red King looks on with joy while Caiera, his right-hand woman, looks on with concern. Eventually the tentacles fall still and the slaves get up. The crowd cheers them on. Hulk stands up, looks at Red King and the destruction around him, and roars.

Protecting her king

Red King stands and congratulates the slaves, offering to have Primus put an extra bone in their cell. However, Hulk leaps up at the tyrant. He readies a punch when Caiera knocks him out of the air. Hulk falls on the ground below. Caiera then asks to execute the Hulk. But Red King offers to take care of Hulk himself.

Hulk sits up when Red King lands, now clad in a large suit of armor and giant sword. He offers Hulk a choice, to die on his feet or grovel in the dirt. Hulk tries to get up but his disk flashes leaving him on the ground. Red King then kicks Hulk back. He goes to stomp on him but Hulk catches the foot and pushes him back.

Red King flies back but lands on his feet. He then leaps at the Hulk and slashes his face. Green blood spurts out of the wound on his cheek and onto the floor. Behind him the imperial guards keep the other gladiators away. Hulk wipes away the blood and growls. Hiroim throws a sword at Hulk's feet and tells him to use it. Red King taunts Hulk.

Hulk raises the sword and charges Red King. His blow forces the tyrant back. Red King backs off when he notices a cut in his cheek. Hulk charges again but is stopped by Caiera. The two clash swords with Caiera confident that Hulk is no match for her. The two fight with neither gaining ground. Caiera jumps up and slashes at Hulk forcing him back a bit.

Love at first fight

They stare off before Hulk leaps into the air at Caiera. Just as he is about to slash her a beam blows him back across the stadium. Caiera watches as Hulk crashes down and turns around to see that the blast came from Red King. The audience jeers at this turn of events Red King fires another blast slamming the Hulk into the opposite wall. Red King prepares for another blast when the audience begins to jeer him.

Primus recommends that the king finish off the Hulk. But he lets Hulk live since he doesn't want his people to think of him as unfair. He addresses the crowd to tell him that he is sparing the Hulk's life so that he can entertain them. The audience cheers at this and Red King walks over to Caiera. She wonders if the king should let Hulk live considering that he is bleeding because of the green giant. Red King responds that he won't be letting Hulk live.

The Truth[]

Back in their cell Hulk pounds on the door trying to open it. Eventually he gives up and just rests against it. He looks over at the other slaves who are given Laven a memorial service.

Heroic sacrifice

Hiroim gives a eulogy, saying that Laven tried to unite them all. In his honor they agree to become the Warbound. Miek is excited at the thought of belonging to something like a hive again. They all begin to state where they came from and why they are there. Hiroim starts by saying that he is shamed.

Years ago, he questioned the idea that Red King is in fact the Sakaarson. He was challenged by his peers in the Shadow Priesthood, including the Prophet who prayed for the Sakaarson later, who saw Red King as the Sakaarson since he stopped the Spike Wars. They noteed that he was uniting the kingdoms just as the prophecy foretold. They noted that Hiroim saw this himself. However, Hiroim claimed that it was the king's Death's Head guards that ended the wars, not he.

Not all agree with the crown

He claimed that Red King also used those same guards to oppress the kingdoms. Hiroim reminded them that the prophecy spoke of the World Breaker as well as the Sakaarson. The other priests claimed that they had to stand as one while they ushered in a new era. He said he would herald the real Sakaarson and left.

The priestess looked outside to see a young Red King, then Red Prince, and young Caiera on a balcony overlooking the cheering people below.

Back in the present, Hiroim explains that they stripped him of his name and priesthood and cast him into slavery. Giving up, Hulk sits down against the wall behind Elloe. Elloe says that some of the guards feel that Hulk is the true Sakaarson, but Hiroim denies this as desperation. When Elloe asks why he thinks so he points out that the Hulk is fighting only for himself.

Miek begins to talk about his time as a larva. But before he can get too far Elloe stops him. Korg goes next saying he is from Krona. He explains that the Kronans are plunderers of worlds and nothing has every stood in their way as they took what they wanted.

In the past, his ship travelled through near a planet. They entered the atmosphere. The planet was "as green as the Hulk" and was the third planet from the sun. They almost missed the planet, and in hindsight Korg wishes they had. They spotted a native and tried to capture it for study. A large dome dropped from beneath the ship and landed on the native.

The ship landed just as the skies grew dark. Four Kronans left the ship and headed towards the dome. However, the storm grew worse until a tornado appeared. Just then Thor smashed his way out of the dome. Korg claims it was their strongest dome and Thor went right through it. The Kronans attacked but Thor swung Mjolnir around and charged.

A tribute to the comics

He knocked the lead Kronan back who then skidded to a halt in front of the others three. Two of the Kronans charaged and Thor smashed one of their arms with Mjolnir. The god then threw the second Kronan towards the one-armed one. The third Kronan picked up a large tree and charged Thor. But the god rushed up and smashed the Kronan to bits. When the tree fell Thor kept pounding the Kronan's body until nothing was left.

Korg was forced to use a weapon designed to fight armies. He pressed a button on his suit and a six-legged robot jumped out of the ship and landed near Thor. The robot stood up, towering over the hero, and fired its eye beams at him. Thor dodged at first but eventually was knocked back against the dome. The robot fired again engulfing Thor in a mushroom cloud.

Overhead lightning struck the robot and a fire started in the surrounding area. The robot advanced as Thor got up. Just then another hammer flew into the robot. The four aliens looked on in astonishment as Beta Ray Bill and Stormbreaker entered the battle along Thor.

Brothers of arms

The two raised their hammers and shot lightning at the robot. The robot was stopped before it exploded. The Kronans left but were pursued by Beta Ray Bill. Their only option was to flee through the Great Portal. Their ship crashed on Sakaar and Korg didn't see his brothers again until that day.

Miek then asks if it is his turn. But Elloe decides to go next. She explains that she is the daughter of ex-governor Ronan Kaifi who started the resistance. Hulk overhears this but gets tired and lays down with his back to the group.

Freedom Fight[]

The next day the coliseum's audience is chanting "Sakaarson" over and over. Caiera thinks they are chanting for their king but Red King knows better.

The Warbound are underneath the stadium readying for combat and dressed in more armor. They can hear the chanting. Elloe points out that they think Hulk is a savior, but Hulk disagrees. Hiroim explains that if they win the next two challenges they get their freedom, so Hulk should at least fight for himself.

The gate rises and the Warbound enter the stadium. There are more people than before. Primus points out that the Hulk singlehandedly defeated the Corker with one punch, but still got injured by the King. The announcer says that their next opponent will be the Wildebots, the most fierce marauders of the Chaleen Plains.

The gates open all around them and giant robots appear from each one. Hiroim orders the Warbound to circle and put their shields up. However, Hulk simply charges the robots slicing one in two. Two leap at him but Hulk again slices the two in half. Caiera looks on in surprise.

Wild robots

Another Wildebot charges the Warbound's circle and attacks Korg's shield, but he is able to withstand the attack. Hiroim orders them to attack and stabs a Wildebot in its eye. Elloe cuts a tube while Hiroim continues to attack his Wildebot and eventually knocks it down. He orders them to move. Korg swings at a Wildebot with an ax while Elloe continues slashing away.

Together, Korg and Hiroim push a Wildebot into the air while Elloe jumps and knocks its head off. Another Wildebot runs up behind her and Korg stops it. A Wilderbot attacks Miek and Elloe stabs it in the eye causing it to fall. However, Elloe is knocked down and a Wildebot starts stabbing the ground trying to get her.

Just then Hulk flies in and punches the robot back. He grabs the Wildebot and throws it into another. He leaps on a third robot and smashes it apart pulling wires out of it. A Wildebot comes up behind him but Hulk grabs its leg and breaks off the point. He uses the point to stab it through the head. He lifts the robot and rips it in half. The other Warbound watch in amazement.

The audience cheers at Hulk's victory. Miek drops his second shield and proudly taunts the fallen robots as he kicks the head of one. Red King overlooks the action and orders that "it" be sent in.

The Eggbreaker attacks

A hole opens up and the king of the Wildebots arises, the Eggbreaker, a giant worm-like robot. Once on the surface it lets out a mighty roar. Korg asks how it got its name. Elloe explains that it eats the young of the natives. Miek looks terrified.

Hulk stands defiant and leaps. However, the Eggbreaker knocks him out of the air with its tail slamming him into the opposite wall. Hulk stands and makes another charge but is knocked back by the Eggbreaker's laser attack. He falls behind the Warbound, blood dripping from his wound. Eggbreaker fires its lasers again but they miss Hulk. Hulk charges once more continually missing the laser fire. Hulk leaps up but is swallowed by the giant robot.

The robot raises its head and roars. Red King looks pleased, but Caiera does not.

Swallowing Hulk does not work

The Eggbreaker continues roaring but does not attack. Eventually parts of it begin to fall off and it starts to short circuit. Soon enough the Hulk pounds his way out of the Eggbreaker. He opens a hole for him to get out and continues smashing apart the creature. He grabs two massive cables and leaps out, tearing them from its body.

Hulk lands near the Warbound and turns towards the creature. Explosions emanate from inside the Eggbreaker until it finally falls apart. Hulk then looks towards Red King who is clearly angry. The green giant then turns and walks away. The Warbound watch him go and soon follow.

Hulk can provide life as well as death

Before leaving Hiroim turns to spot a small plant growing out of a pool of Hulk's blood. Shocked, he turns to Hulk to see the cuts on his back quickly healing. The gate rises and Hulk leaves. As the rest follow Miek picks up a piece of the Eggbreaker.

Infectious Battle[]

Later that night, Caiera is walking in the dungeon wearing a cloak and hood. She walks up to two guards who do not recognize her. She removes her hood and the two immediately recognize the lieutenant. She orders them to open the door. They protest because of the Hulk but she orders them to obey.

She enters to find Elloe sleeping on the ground, Hiroim by a fire, and Hulk standing there waiting. She tells him to follow but he refuses. She then smiles and asks him to come. Hulk looks around and follows.

Caiera makes a deal

Caiera takes him to a large pit of lava. She asks him what he knows of the king, and he responds that the king is a coward. She pulls out his sword at that comment and tells him he is the savior of the people. Not frightened, Hulk says he has heard otherwise.

Caiera tells him he's wrong because she's seen otherwise. She puts away her sword and tells about when the Spikes came to their world when she was thirteen.

Years ago something crashed on a mountain near the large monument that the man prayed near earlier. People from a nearby village stopped and looked up. A young Caiera opened her front door to look out. Her mother and father set up the table to eat along with her little sister. She watched as the top of the mountain glowed.

The Spikes arrive

On the mountain, a large ship began spreading something from its top. The cloud spread over the village and began raining down spore-like objects. A spore landed on a man who fell down. Another nearby man ran over and looked as the first man's body began protruding large spikes. The man turned around to find an animal also hideously transformed.

Caiera watched it all from the doorway. Eventually her father pulled her inside and left, closing the door behind him. The spores began pounding at the village while fires broke out. Caiera looked out the window as her people were all transformed. She turns as her little sister grabs her hand.

Just then the spores began breaking in through the roof and one hit her mother. Caiera pulled her sister back and shielded her. Caiera describes that she has the power of Oldstrong which protected her. In the past Caiera was hit by a spore but was unaffected. She picked it off her back and threw it away.

She looked over at her mother who was quickly transforming. Just then her father broke in through the door. He utters her name before his body begins transforming even more hideously than before. Her father moves into to attack.

Still cradling her sister, she grabs a sword off the wall. She ran forward and stabbed her father in the stomach. Just then her hideous mother rose up. She ran forward and stabbed her mother through the stomach too.

Caiera kills her family

As her mother slid off her sword she looks at her sister who was also transformed by the spores. The sister screams out.

Later, Caiera pulled herself out of a pile of rubble. The transformed village stumbling towards her. She looked defeated until the Death's Head guards blasted the creatures away. Once they were gone the Red Prince strode out from behind. He walked up to Caiera and seeing that she was not infected offered her his hand.

In the present, Hulk asks why she is telling the story. Caiera says that Hulk's actions are turning the people against the King and she cannot allow that. She knows that the resistance will try to break out Elloe that night. She will ensure that they will go free if Hulk goes with her. He asks about the disk, and Caiera explains that it will not work beyond the mountains.

She explains that it is peaceful out there, desolate of people, and he can be free. Hulk has heard this before and refuses. He tells her that if the King wants him dead he's going to have to do it in front of everyone. He turns and walks away leaving Caiera looking displeased.

Hulk is Savior[]

He walks back to his cell where the guards look shocked that he's alone. They ready for battle but the Hulk grabs the door and opens it. After he enters the guards quickly close the door. Hiroim asks what she wanted but Hulk says it didn't matter. He lays down to go to sleep.

Miek walks up and taps Hulk on the shoulder. Hulk tells the bug to go away but instead Miek continues. Hulk sits up angry at Miek. Miek gives him the piece of the Eggbreaker he took, with a chain attached so it becomes a necklace. Miek says that the prophets foretell that the Sakaarson will look into the eyes of death and stand his ground. To the natives the Eggbreaker is death and Hulk destroyed it.

Hulk finds a friend

Miek calls Hulk their savior and puts the necklace around his head. Miek walks away. Hulk watches him go then looks into the mechanical eye.

Later, Elloe hears some noise as the doors open behind her. The two guards lie dead in the doorway. The rest wake up and Elloe says they can get out. Two resistance fighters and Felan enter. Elloe puts on her helmet and tells the others to leave.

However, Hulk continues to lay there saying that if they leave they will die. Elloe says they can live if they leave immediately. But Hiroim reminds her that he spoke with the Shadow Guard. He thinks Hulk knows something, but Elloe counters that he's a stupid brute. She asks Korg to join but he says that if they win the next day they are free anyways. Miek believes that Hulk is the Sakaarson.

Felan says they need to leave immediately to get Elloe to An-Sara. Elloe grabs a gun and the four resistance fighters leave, closing the door and locking the four remaining Warbound inside. They soon hear the sounds of battle outside. Hiroim and Korg rush to the door but cannot get through despite Korg's poundings.

Hulk lets Elloe go

Miek looks worried and crouches near Hulk who doesn't even move. Eventually the sounds stop after a scream. Hiroim stops Korg's poundings. Hiroim puts his hand on the door offering another eulogy. Miek looks back at Hulk who is still resting, though not peacefully.

The day the Warbound enter the coliseum, which is now completely full. The crowd cheers at the entrance of the Hulk. However, the imperial guards must pull Miek out. Miek is scared until he hears the crowd cheering for him, and then he gains a sudden boost of confidence.

Primus reiterates how the group has managed to survive all odds. The group readies their weapons. He then introduces their next opponent, the man who nearly single-handedly defeated Crown City and the most notorious outlaw on the planet. He introduces Battlin' Beta Ray Bill.

Korg immediately recognizes him as the one who drove them off the planet. He realizes Bill must have followed the Kronans through the portal and ended up on the planet. Hiroim asks if Bill has any weakness. Korg states that if he does they won't be able to find out.

Bill begins walking towards the group. Bill asks for forgiveness then charges his hammer and swings it at the group. All four Warbound go flying back. Miek slams into the back wall and falls to the ground. Korg and Hulk hit the ground and skid to a halt. Hiroim hits the ground but flips to stand upright.

Hiroim charges Bill who readies Stormbreaker. Bill swings just as Hiroim jumps over Bill. Hiroim swings his sword but Bill counters with Stormbreaker and throws a punch knocking Hiroim back.

Beta Ray Bill too much for Korg

Korg hits Bill in the head with his mace but to no effect. Bill is reminded of the Kronan and turns around. Korg swings again but Bill simply catches the mace one-handed. He headbutts Korg knocking him back.

Just then Hulk stands up and faces Bill. Bill recognizes the fellow Earth hero through the tales of his rage from Asgard. Hulk then slams his sword down breaking it upon Stormbreaker. The shock knocks Hulk back and he throws away the pits of sword remaining.

Hulk charges and the two fight. Bill pounds Hulk with his hammer forcing him back. Eventually Hulk is knocked back and skids along the ground. Miek stands and manages to jump out of the way before Hulk comes flying at him.

Bill leaps and lands near Hulk. He explains that the disks in their chests demand that one of them die. He then states that he will not be defeated. Hulk charges but again Bill forces him back. Hulk charges once more and the two start trading blows. Hulk hits Bill across the face knocking him back.

The crowd cheers while Red King and Caiera look worried. The two continue trading blows. Hiroim sits up and notices more of Hulk's blood that is creating plant life. He quotes part of the Sakaarson prophecy that states that the Sakaaron's blood will restore life to the planet. He turns to watch the two fighters continue to fight.

Hulk charges but Bill throws Stormbreaker knocking the green giant down. Bill recalls Stormbreaker and walks towards his fallen foe. Hulk sits up and spots four swords nearby. Hulk stands and throws them at Bill. Bill knocks down three but the fourth hits his disk which shortcircuits and is destroyed.

Bill comments how he is now free. But Hulk still hits him across the stadium and leaps after him. Bill crashes to the ground and Hulk lands on top of him landing a blow powerful enough to destroy the ground around them. Hulk begins pounding Bill's face into a bloody mess. The crowd cheers him on, until they see that Hulk is not stopping.

Korg stops Hulk from becoming the Worldbreaker

Hulk continues pounding on Bill, who is not moving at all, until Korg stops him. Hiroim tells Hulk there is no reason to kill Bill anymore. Covered in blood, Hulk looks down at Bill then stands up. Korg says the king has to let them go now.

Prove Your Loyalty[]

Primus declares them the winner while the Red King makes his way to the stadium floor and approaches the Warbound. He congratulates them all and says he is very proud. Hulk interrupts saying he just wants their freedom. He tells that they haven't earned it just yet. They have to prove their loyalty to the empire to become free citizens.

Execute Elloe for their freedom

He turns to see his guards pulling a female prisoner with a bag on her head. He removes the bag to reveal Elloe. Elloe apologizes. He says that she is a traitor and that to walk out they must kill her. Red King looks pleased with himself but Caiera looks nervous.

Hulk refuses and the rest of the Warbound agree with him. Elloe looks up in surprise while Red King looks even happier. Red King addresses the crowd saying that sympathizing with rebels is against the law and punishable by death. He holds out his stand and shoot a beam into the Warbound's disks.

The group falls to the ground when Beta Ray Bill stands up. The sky suddenly grows dark and a lighting bolt strikes Stormbreaker. The blast wave destroys all the disks in the arena including all those on the guards and other prisoners. Red King steps back while Caiera readies her sword.

Bill exclaims that there will be no more slaves. He flies up and throws Stormbreaker into the sidewall letting all the prisoners free. The prisoners escape and begin attacking the guards. Bill commands Stormbreaker to return. Bill tells Hulk that they are free and can return to Earth. Hulk says Earth is not his home anymore and walks away. Bill watches and leaves the planet.

Hulk threatens the king

Death's Head guards enter the stadium and Hiroim tells the prisoners to run as they cannot fight them. The prisoners begin fleeing while Caiera kills many with her sword. Just then Hulk grabs Red King and threatens to crush him if he doesn't leave Hulk alone. Caiera turns around and sees the two through all the fighting. She rushes over killing another prisoner along the way, but by the time she arrives Hulk is gone and Red King is on the ground gasping for air.

Outside the coliseum Hulk meets up with the Warbound. Hiroim says they need to flee and Elloe suggests the aqueducts to the mountain reservoir at An-Sara. She claims the governor is a supporter of the resistance and they can be safe there. However, Hulk walks away.

Miek follows saying that Hulk needs to protect their "hive" but Hulk isn't interested. Miek says that they are friends and that he knows being alone is bad. But Hulk states that he doesn't need friends and walks away. Elloe tells Miek that they need to leave. The four leave in the other direction. Hiroim hesitates as he looks in his hand at one of the plants from Hulk's blood. He crushes the plant and walks away.

King's Orders[]

In his palace Red King is throwing a fit destroying everything around him. He orders Caiera to hunt down and kill the Hulk. However, she doesn't believe she should leave his side at this time. But he pushes her away and orders her to do it. Caiera backs out of the room looking angry as a pot barely misses her head. She continues walking out as a statue flies across the room.

At An-Sara the Warbound are lead by Governor Churik into an underground hideout. Elloe was worried that with all the attacks on the resistance he might have been found out. But he says he's been doing it long enough to know how to hide. Miek stops when he hears sounds of a hive, but Elloe pushes him on.

A large stone door opens and Churik apologizes for the room not being comfortable but says they will be safe. The four enter and Elloe thanks Churik for risking so much. Churik says that she is risking more and that her father would be proud. He leaves and closes the door behind him. Miek still looks around as if listening to something.

A moment's peace

Elsewhere, Hulk leaps across the surface of Sakaar. He is in a mountain range with no life visible around him. He stops and continues on walking. He spots the aqueducts and the reservoir. He turns around to face the giant rock monument. He looks up at the sky at the stars and galaxies he can see above. Just then Caiera hovers up behind him.

The four Warbound sleep but Miek wakes when he hears sounds of a hive. He opens the door and walks out. He finds a cage full of native slaves who were trilling for him. Miek asks if they need saving but they respond that Miek is the one in danger.

Elsewhere, Churik enters an empty room and pulls a small device out of his robes. He activates it and it floats above him. He says he has news for the king and the device projects a hologram of the Red King. He tells the kings that he has the gladiators.

Miek walks through the underground caverns and soon spots the room. He over hears the governor and king talking. Churik says he as all but the Hulk and the rest don't know where he is. Red King assures the governor that the Hulk will be dealt with and is of no concern. Red King orders the governor to kill the others.

Just then Miek reveals himself saying that they should not hurt his hive. Red King's hologram disappears telling the governor to take care of him. Churik turns around and grabs a sword. Miek leaps forward and onto Churik knocking him down and the sword out of his hand. Miek grabs the hologram device and throws it at Churik. The governor dodges and the device destroys the rack of staffs behind him.

Betrayed

Miek charges and the governor grabs a dagger in his boot. He slices one of Miek's four arms off. Miek falls back grasping his stump. Churik runs forward and tries to stab him but Miek grabs him with two of his remaining arms. With his third he grabs a sword and stabs Churik. Chuirk slumps down while Miek sits up to catch his breath.

A Challenge[]

At the monument Caiera announces herself and her orders. Hulk says he will soon be going after Red King. Caiera states by the ancient traditions she challenges Hulk to a fair and even match. Since he has no weapon she drops hers.

Hulk turns around to see Caiera leaping into the air. When she gets close he grabs her leg and throws her against the rock. She flips before hitting and leaps off the rock towards Hulk. She lands in front of him and launches a powerful blow to his chest. The shockwave sends ripples through his body that destroy his armor.

Caiera holds her own in a fight with Hulk

Hulk falls to his knees and blood oozes from the wound. Caiera thinks she has won until Hulk grabs her arm and pulls it out of his chest. He punches her into the rock and she falls down. The two stand up and Caiera sees Hulk's wound healing. Hulk throws a large rock towards her but she kicks it in two out of the air.

Meanwhile, Elloe cannot believe that her father's and her friend would betray her. She wonders how Miek can be sure and Hiroim points out Miek's wounds. He says that they were betrayed and they should be thanking the divine creator that Miek stopped him.

Korg asks if Miek did it all by himself and Miek states that he is a fighter, not a hider. He then reiterates that the Red King definitely saw him. Hiroim states that the King knows his plan has gone wrong and that they have to leave.

Caiera runs up to Hulk but he blocks her attack. She drops and sweeps his feet out from under him. Hulk moves to the side and she lands a blow on the ground where his head was. He grabs her leg and slams her into the ground. Caiera looks up and sees a ship heading towards the village, the same kind of ship that carried the Spikes. She tries to warn the Hulk but he instead punches her.

The Spikes have returned

In the village the people look up at the approaching craft. It crashes through a tall tower and lands in the village. The people struggle to stay standing as the impact hits the village, though some even fall to their deaths from balconies. The ship opens up releasing a cloud of spores.

The spores begin raining down on the village transforming the people. People try to flee but the spores end up hitting them in the back. The invaders crash through roofs and topple spires. Some of the spores begin walking around finding victims.

The Warbound exit a building to see the spores coming down and infected villagers heading towards them. Hiroim remembers the invaders well as three infect villagers leap down towards them.

Caiera does backflips to escape the Hulk. She tries to warn Hulk but he runs up saying that he doesn't care. He throws a punch but she leaps to the side. He slams his fist down and she grabs it but the force of the blow crushes the rock beneath her.

As they square off she explains that his friends are also in the village and will be infected. But Hulk states he doesn't have any friends. She then throws him where he lands on his back. She grabs her sword, looks at him, then walks away. Hulk gets up and follows.

She jumps off a cliff onto her hover device. She states she once thought Hulk had honor. But she now believes that the Red King is right and Hulk is just a monster. She flies off as Hulk watches.

This Way[]

Hiroim doing what he does best

Back in the village the rain of spores has stopped, while Elloe slashes her way through infected villagers. Hiroim kicks one and slashes another in half. An infected woman comes up behind him but he doesn't even turn around as he stabs her.

Uninfected villagers run from those infected. But several are grabbed by the infected. Hiroim tells them all to get up the stairs and behind the Warbound. They start running up though one man is still grabbed.

Caiera hovers to the village and lands. She sees the infected chasing the rest on the other side of a canyon. Behind her a woman opens the door screaming only to be dragged back in. To her side a group of infected stumble down the stairs towards her.

Korg grabs a spore and crushes it in his hand. He tells the villagers to continue moving. The Warbound guard the people.

Caiera continues up the stairs slashing all the infected in her way. One comes up behind her but she cuts it in half. She looks up to a roof to see a group of infected climbing the side of a building to get the young villager. She begs her infected mother to stop. Caiera flashes back to her own sister and leaps up. As the mother gets close Caiera lands and slashes her. Though more infected rise up to meet her.

Far away Hulk can hear the screams of the people. He starts to walk away but steps on something. He looks down to see the eye of the Eggbreaker. He kneels down to pick it up and looks at it.

Miek becomes more confident that Korg

Caiera continues slashing apart the infected. She leaps down the side of the building carrying the child. Once on the ground she spots the Warbound defending the villagers in the cave from the infected. The group is backed up into the mouth of the cave. For once Miek is confident while Korg is unsure. They look down at the army of infected scaling the stairs.

Just then Hulk comes crashing down. He stands up and towers over them. He raises his fists and slams them down scattering parts of the infected in all directions. Miek runs up to Hulk but the giant tells the bug to get back. The infected swarm over the Hulk.

Hulk becomes infected

Hulk rises causing infected to fly away. Just then one of the infected's tongue hits Hulk's back. Hulk screams in pain as it leaves a spore. Hulk rips it off but more infected do the same. Miek is shocked that his friend is also infected. Hulk continues to fight them as spikes begin to grow out of Hulk's body.

Caiera runs through the city carrying the child. They run past the dead bodies of the villagers. Fires have broken out throughout the village. A device floats in front of Caiera and projects an image of Red King.

Red King admits the truth to Caiera

Red King congratulates Caiera for luring the Hulk there. She begs for help since the Spikes have returned. But Red King admits that he sent them there. He reveals that they are his weapons. He used them to find an Oldstrong to serve him and he used them to find her. Now he uses them to get rid of the Hulk. Caiera is horrified because he killed her parents and people, but he says that she should leave now before joining them.

Just then a shadow begins to pass over the area. Caiera turns around and looks in horror.

The infected Hulk continues to battle the infected villagers. He throws two and slams a third into a rock. Miek wants to help but Korg stops him. Elloe watches as more infected run up the steps. However, Hiroim notices a large vessel in the sky. Hulk yells at them to get into the cave. The Warbound hurry the villagers inside.

Is He Dead?[]

Protecting the innocent

Inside the ship a Death Fire bomb is dropped on the village. Hulk pounds into the ground and lifts a large chunk out. He lifts it up and uses it to cover the mouth of the cave. On their stairs, Caiera comforts the frightened girl.

Red King goes too far

The bomb drops into the village and goes off. The entire village is engulfed in the explosion. Everywhere the infected are wiped away by the blast. The Hulk still struggles with the infected when the blast reaches him. Soon even he is surrounded by the blaze.

Inside the cave the Warbound can see the explosions subside on the other side of the rocks.

Loss of innocence

Caiera walks along through the burning village. The child in her arms turned to ash. As she climbs a set of stairs the remains of the child dissolve away. Caiera begins to cry then finally screams out. She sees a spore walking still and stabs it. She turns to see a group of Death's Head guards using flamethrowers on the remaining spores.

She walks up to the still smoking body of Hulk, now returned to his normal self. She kneels next to him feeling for any breath. Just then the holographic device floats behind her and projects an image of the Red King.

Red King asks he Hulk is dead and she confirms it. He tells her he wants the body paraded through the streets. He then asks about the other Warbound. She says the Hulk saved them. Red King says to bring them back so he can handle their executions personally. The hologram disappears.

Hulk Fights Back[]

Hulk fallen

Back at Crown City the people look on as Caiera leads a parade of the guards, the captured Warbound, and the Hulk's body covered in a red blanket. The people look saddened at not seeing the Hulk move. The procession moves towards the palace.

Inside the palace, the procession enters to find Red King in his combat armor preparing his sword. He tells Caiera not to be glum as it is a great day for the planet. But the more he talks the angrier she appears.

He address his citizens via his hovering camera. The camera follows as he walks past the Warbound explaining that they are violent criminals. The people watch on large screens. He moves over to Hulk's body saying that you cannot kill what is already dead. He removes the blanket and hunches over.

Hulk gets up again

Just then Hulk's eyes open. He grabs Red King and brings their faces close together. Red King closes a shield covering his face just before Hulk punches him across the room. Red King goes flying across the room as the guards try to attack Hulk.

Hulk grabs his hovering death bed and swings it around sending the guards flying. Red King leaps and slashes with his sword but Hulk defends with the bed. However, the force moves both of them back. As Hulk's skidding he drops down and lets Red King go flying into the other wall.

Caiera watches the guards attack then uses a control to release the Warbound. Korg, Hiroim, and Elloe attack guards and gather their weapons while Miek grabs a shield. They back into a circle with Caiera while the guards surround them.

Red King punches out of some rubble and hits the Hulk. Red King uses jets on his boots to blast forward and slash at the Hulk. Hulk grabs the sword and the two fly backwards. Eventually Hulk stops the two.

Just then Red King activates an electric current in the sword shocking Hulk. Hulk is pushed back but continues holding on. When he's on his knees Hulk breaks the sword in two. He uses the broken piece to stab at Hulk but only hits part of the armor. Hulk throws an uppercut sending the Red King flying.

Red King regains himself and sends a flurry of missiles towards the green giant. Hulk is sent back flying while the missiles continue to pound him.

While the guards close in Caiera and her sword show she is more than a match for a large group of them. Korg punches one and sends the group behind him flying back. He grabs two on either side of him throws them into more guards. More guards attack from behind but Korg blocks their attacks with his arm and sends the group flying.

Fighting the Thunderclap

Hulk gets out of the rubble, his body literally on fire. Red King is astonished but fires a flamethrower hitting the Hulk. Hulk endures the blast then thunderclaps sending the debris and flames away from him. The force of the clap destroys the flamethrower.

Hulk leaps into the air and pounds the ground beneath him. The shockwave destroys the ground around the two tumbling the Red King around. Red King moves away a rock and punches the Hulk. But Hulk grabs the Red King and rips off the arm of the armor. He throws the Red King to the side. He sits up and orders all the Death's Head guards to his position.

In a large facility hundreds of the Death Head's guards activate. They walk out of their cubicles releasing them from tubes attached to them.

In the palace, Hiroim and the Warbound continue to fight the guards. Two attack Elloe but she ducks and the two smash their weapons against each other. She knocks them both down and attacks several more guards. Miek uses his shield like a sled and knocks down more guards.

Hulk tackles Red King, flips the tyrant around, and kicks him away. He skids to a halt while Red King smashes into a wall. Red King flies forward knocking Hulk into the opposite wall. Hulk tries to get out of the wall but punches his face then kicks his stomach. He kicks Hulk again sending him through a series of columns.

Red King goes to punch him again but Hulk grabs the fist. He brings Red King closer to him and smashes the other arm. Hulk leaps after the king and starts smashing the armor apart. Red King slams into the ground and Hulk continues to pound the armor away. He continues until all that's left of the armor is the helmut. He takes that off and crushes it in his hand.

Caiera's new team

He picks Red King up with both hands and the King suddenly begs for Hulk not to kill him. But Hulk says that someone else will. He drops Red King at the feet of Caiera and the Warbound. She looks incredibly angry. She raises her sword and Red King begs her to stop.

However, Caiera digs her sword into the floor near Red King's head. She pulls out a small sack tied to her waist. She says Red King doesn't have to fear her, but his own legacy. She turns the sack over and drops a spore onto Red King's hand.

The spore digs into Red King's hand beginning to transform his body starting with the arm. He stands and runs away horrified at what's happening. He runs through the palace and falls to the ground. He finds himself confronted by his Death's Head guards.

Red King killed

Red King stands ordering that they "kill them all." Red King stands as spikes cover his bodies and it horribly transforms. The guards detect the Spike infestation and ready their flamethrowers. Red King looks completely shock as they open fire obliterating his body.

Uniting the Kingdom[]

Later, Caiera is standing next to a large window overlooking the city. Hulk walks up and Caiera turns to face him. Hulk is wearing the Eggbreaker's eye. She tells him that all of Sakaar now looks to him. However, Hulk is still not sure they are right. She says that they believe him to be their savior, but Hulk claims he was never called anything but a monster.

New leaders of Sakaar

Caiera counters that the people of Earth didn't really know him, not like they do. She touches his face as he looks away. He says that he's always moved from fight to fight and now doesn't know what to do. Caiera says that whatever happens she'll be there and they move in to kiss.

Just then Hiroim, his his Shadow Priest garb tells them that the people are ready for them. Behind him are the other Shadow Priests and the Warbound. Hulk and Caiera walk out with locked arms. As the two pass the others the Shadow Priests bow.

Hulk finds what makes him happy

As they exit onto the balcony the people cheer at the sight of Hulk. Down below people cover every street. The others follow him to the balcony. Off in the distance the coliseum is now covered in plant life. Back at the balcony Caiera holds the Hulk, who finally looks happy.

Quotes[]

"I am truly sorry for what we've had to do. But we had no choice. When you get angry, Bruce, when you're overcome by rage, you are a force of destruction. You fear nothing. And even the mightiest heroes of Earth cannot deter you. The madder you get, the stronger you get, and there is no limit to your rage. We picked your destination carefully. A planet full of vegetation and game, no intelligent life-forms. There will be no one there to hurt you and no one you can hurt. I know you must hate us, Bruce, but you always said you wanted to be left alone. May you finally find peace."

-Iron Man, only lines

"O most divine creator. I seek thy hand, and pray for the health of Sakaar, for we are a divided and dying world. Through the ancient prophets, you have promised us a warrior savior. A warrior who looks into the eyes of death and stands his ground. A warrior with boundless strength whose power knows no end. And this warrior shall strike down all evil, unite all kingdoms, and through his blood shall restore life to all of Sakaar. O most divine creator, deliver to us our savior, the Sakaarson."

-Prophet

"Warning. Guidance system offline. Trajectory altered."

-Onboard computer

"By order of the Lord Emperor of Sakaar, all debris of value which exits the Great Portal is Imperial property."

-Imperial Guard

"The talkbots have reached your brain by now, beast, which means you understand me. So, on your knees! Kneel!"
[Guard is forced to knock out Hulk]
"Close enough."

-Imperial Guard

"No, no. Miek no good. Miek dies easy. Somebody break the door. Let Miek out! You, brick man, knock it open!"
"Sit down."
"But Miek not a fighter. Miek a hider. Oh, very thin-shelled and very...Hey, look. That one awake. You, snap your chains! Free us!"
"That's enough, Miek."

-Miek, Korg, and Laven, first lines

"Where am I?"
"Inside an Imperial transport. You've been sold as a slave."
"The Hulk is no one's slave!"

-Hulk, first lines, and Laven

"Miek a hider. Not a fighter."
"Today, we are all fighters, Miek. And we must stand together if we hope to survive this."

-Miek and Laven

"I am proficient in hand-to-hand combat. I, too, should be on the front line."

-Android, first line

"Greetings, citizens and Oligarchs. Welcome to the Crown City Coliseum! Allow me to introduce today's contenders, the gladiators. Hoping they live longer than the last ones. And now, allow me to introduce their opponents, red hot and ready to rumble, the Kronans!"

-Primus Vand, first line

"No! It can't be! Margus? Margus, I thought you were all dead. What..."

-Korg

"You got your wish, Android. Now we're the front line."

-Hiroim, first line

"Korg, we can't defeat them. Only you can."
"They are my brothers."
"They used to be! Their minds are gone! Korg, please!"

-Laven, last lines, and Korg

"Hurry! Faster! The Red King will see us!"
"Red King?"
"There. This is his planet. We just living here."
"Finally!"
"What?"
"Now I know who to smash!"

-Miek and Hulk

"Well, sire?"
"Not bad. But what about the green one there? Does he not fight?"
"Oh, he'll fight."

-Primus Vand and Red King, first line

"A stunning upset, yes. So, perhaps it's time for a brief educational interlude. Let's explore the feeding habit of our planet's most ferocious predator, the Cavaranthus Mazorus, more commonly known as the Great Devil Corker!"

-Primus Vand

"Oh, fratz"

-Android, last line

"Impressive display, monster. I'll have Primus throw an extra bone in your cage tonight."

-Red King

"Permission to execute him, my lord."

-Caiera, first line

"The choice is yours, monster. Die on your feet or groveling in the dirt."

-Red King

"Ha ha. You don't learn, do you?"
"Oh, I learn. Now Hulk slash!"

-Red King and Hulk

"He bled you sire, in front of the crowd. Is it wise to let him live?"
"Who said anything about letting him live?"

-Caiera and Red King

"We pass to next life one Laven Skee. Friend to some, enemy to others, respected by all. He died trying to unite us. We must honor his death by becoming Warbound."

-Hiroim

"My name is Hiroim the Shamed and you shall know the truth of who I am."

-Hiroim

"Sacrilege! The divine creator has answered our prayers by delivering to us the Sakaarson."
"Hiroim, it is written that we shall know the savior by his fulfillment of prophecy."
"You've seen for yourself. The Red King has struck down evil by ending the Spike Wars."
"He is now uniting the kingdoms."
"It was his Death's Head guards that ended the war, the same guards he uses to oppress those very kingdoms. You forget, the prophecies speak of the World Breaker as well as the Sakaarson."
"The Shadow priesthood must stand as one, Hiroim! Will you not join us in shepherding in this new era?"
"When the real Sakaarson comes, if one ever does, only then will I herald his arrival."

-Past Shadow Priests and Hiroim

"May the divine creator have mercy on your soul."

-Past Shadow Priestess

"They stripped me of my name, banished me from the order and cast me into slavery."

-Hiroim

"My name is Korg of Krona, son of O-Korg and killer of my brothers. You shall know the truth of who I am."

-Korg

"My name is Elloe, daughter of ex-Governor Ronan Kaifi, founder of the resistance. You shall know the truth of who I am."

-Elloe Kaifi

"The crowd honors you, my lord."
"They do not chant it for me."

-Caiera and Red King

"Hear that? They think you're the savior of this planet."
"They're wrong."

-Elloe Kaifi and Hulk

"And here they are, led by the fierce green gladiator known as the Hulk! Though he defeated the Great Devil Corker unscathed, he earned his first wound in the arena from the King himself! Now, let's see how he fares against the most lethal marauders of the Chaleen Plains, the Wildebots!"

-Primus Vand

"Incredible!"

-Caiera

"Whoa!"

-Elloe Kaifi

"Why is it called the Eggbreaker?"
"So named for its habit of seeking out and consuming native hatchlings."

-Korg and Elloe Kaifi

"So much for their Sakaarson."

-Red King

"Come with me."
"No."
"Please."

-Caiera and Hulk

"What do you know of my king?"
"He's a coward."
"He is no coward! He's the savior of our planet."
"That's now how I heard it."
"Then you have been misinformed because I was there."

-Caiera and Hulk

"I was thirteen years old when the Spikes descended on our world. They spread quickly, infecting every living creature they touched. Mine was the first village in their path. We were overrun within hours. I didn't understand it at first, but I had the power of the Oldstrong and it protected me from infection. To survive their attacks, though, I...I was forced to cut down my friends and my family. And that's when the Red Prince arrived with his Death's Head guards. He was little more than a boy himself, but he saved me."

-Caiera

"You'll never have to fight again."
"Yeah, I've heard that one before."

-Caiera and Hulk

"Go away, Miek."
[Miek continues tapping on Hulk's shoulder.]
"What part of that didn't you understand!?"

-Hulk

"What is that?"
"Eye of the Eggbreaker. Prophets say Sakaarson will look into eyes of death and stand ground. To natives, Eggbreaker is death. Hulk is savior."

-Hulk and Miek

"Took you long enough."
"My apologies, Lady Elloe."

-Elloe Kaifi and Felan

"Come on everyone, we're leaving."
"Step outside, and you all die."

-Elloe Kaifi and Hulk

"Divine creator, draw their souls gently into thy embrace."

-Hiroim

"E.T. We love you, Miek! You're the bug, Miek! Flex your thorax!"

-Audience

"This mob of misfits survived their first two rounds against all odds. Will they earn their freedom after today's match or be the latest victim of the plant's most notorious outlaw? The one-man army that nearly toppled Crown City. Prepare yourselves for Battlin' Beta Ray Bill!"

-Primus Vand

"Does he have any weaknesses?"
"If he does, we won't live long enough to find them."

-Hiroim and Korg

"Forgive me."

-Beta Ray Bill, first line

"You, I hold no guilt about killing."

-Beta Ray Bill to Korg

"Hulk, I know of you. The halls of Asgard echo with tales of your rage."
"They ain't heard nothing yet."

-Beta Ray Bill and Hulk

"I act by the will of others, Hulk. The disk in my chest and in yours demand that one of us must die. You have my sympathy because it will not be me!"

-Beta Ray Bill

"This is impossible."

-Red King

"By the prophets. 'And through his blood, he shall restore life to all of Sakaar."

-Hiroim quoting the prophecy

"You broke the disk. I'm free."

-Beta Ray Bill

"Hulk! You've won. It's over! You don't need to kill him!"

-Hiroim

"Unbelievable! You saw it, folks, the greatest upset in coliseum history! Despite three matches against Sakaar's most indomitable opponents, the victory falls to the gladiators! And look, the Red King is approaching, no doubt to congratulate our champions."

-Primus Vand, last line

"All you have to do is kill her, and you can walk out of here."
"No."
"Really? Does he speak for all of you?"
"He does."
"Yes."
"We are Warbounded."

-Red King, Hulk, Hiroim, Korg, and Miek

"No more slaves! Just free people, tied only by the bonds they have chosen! Claim your freedom!"

-Beta Ray Bill

"Hulk! We are no longer anchored to this world. I can take you home."
"Earth is no home of mine."

-Beta Ray Bill, last line, and Hulk

"I'm going to say this once. It's over. You come after me, and I'll crush you. Got it!?"

-Hulk

"Hulk, you're coming with us, aren't you?"
"No."
"But you green savior. You need to protect our hive."
"This ain't my hive."
"But Miek knows having no hive is bad. Alone is bad."
"Get out of my way, Miek."
"Please. Please. Miek is Hulk's friend."
"I DON'T NEED ANY FRIENDS!"

-Hiroim, Hulk, and Miek

"There have been so many attacks on our safe houses and the underground, I was worried they'd gotten to you, too."
"Well, when you've been in the fight this long, you learn how to survive."

-Elloe Kaifi and Churik

"Thank you. I know you're risking a lot to do this."
"Not as much as you, Elloe. Your father would be very proud."

-Elloe Kaifi and Governor Churik

"You should be hurting Miek's hive!"

-Miek

"And you killed him? All by yourself?"
"Miek a fighter, not a hider."

-Miek

"Listen to me! Those are Spikes! We have to stop them!"
"That ain't my fight. This is!"
"What about your friends? They're in that village, too!"
"I don't have any friends!"
"I once thought you were a man of honor, Hulk. Now I see my king was right. You're nothing but a monster."

-Caiera and Hulk

"We win this."
"Whatever you say, bug. I'm with you."

-Miek and Korg

"Caiera, well done. You lured the Hulk there."
"Sire, we need help! the Spikes have returned!"
"I know. I sent them."
"You what!?"
"Don't be so surprised. The Spikes have always been my greatest weapon. They helped me find you. And now they'll rid this world of that green monster and his friends."
"You unleashed them onto my village!?"
"I needed an Oldstrong as my shadow, and that was the only way to find one."
"But...But my people! My parents! You killed them!"
"Unless you wish to join them, Caiera, I suggest you leave. Now."

-Red King and Caiera

"I'm scared."
"Shh. It's all right. Just close your eyes."

-Little Girl, last line, and Caiera

"My loyal citizens. You'll be relieved to know that the violent prisoners responsible for the destructive riot have been apprehended. Unfortunately, the most savage of them all will not be feeling the executioner's blade, for you cannot kill what is already dead."

-Red King

"I'm not dead. I'm just mad."

-Hulk

"Wait! Stop! Stop! Don't kill me! Please!"
"That pleasure belongs to someone else."

-Red King and Hulk

"Caiera, you're my shadow. You can't!"
"It's not me you have to fear. It's your legacy."

-Red King and Caiera

"Kill them! Kill them all!"
"Spike infestation detected."

-Red King, final line, and Death's Head Guard

"I knew you'd come."
"Almost didn't."
"All of Sakaar now looks to you."
"What if they're looking in the wrong direction?"
"You are their savior."
"I've never been called anything but a monster."
"Hulk, those from your old world did not understand you. They did not know you. Not like we do. We've witnessed your true strength."
"All my life, I've moved from one fight to the next. Now I don't know what to do."
"Then allow me to take that journey with you."

-Caiera and Hulk, final lines

"He came from a place called Earth, exiled by the creatures who live there. They feared his power. But here, that power was used to strike down evil, to unite the kingdoms, to restore life to all of Sakaar. And through him, may we finally find peace."

-Prophet, final line of the video

Trivia[]

The Illuminati
  • Namor and Professor Charles Xavier are not present in this version of the Illuminati. That is because in the comics Xavier was missing following the House of M storyline, and Namor opposed the group's decision to abandon Hulk instead of trying to cure him.
  • The rays that hit the Hulk inside the wormhole are supposed to be gamma rays. The producers use this as the explanation as to why Hulk doesn't become Bruce Banner and why he's not at full strength to begin with.
  • The opening sequence basically shows the entire movie including Hulk breaking out of his bonds, the Spikes, and Hulk's blood causing plant life to grow.
  • According to the comics, the bugs like Miek are the only true native creatures. All others came through the portal.
  • Kronan's are typically villains of Thor and are said to come from Saturn.
  • Kronans apparently have white blood.
  • Given the expletive use of fratz it is akin to using damn, shit, or fuck.
Gamora and Pip
  • In the coliseum audience you can see Skrulls, Adam Warlock, Pip the Troll, Gamora, Star-Lord, and the Grandmaster.
  • Hulk jumping into the Eggbreaker's mouth and destroying it from the inside is similar to events in the 1997 Walt Disney Animation Studios's film Hercules and the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
  • In the comics, the Spikes attacked after Red King had kidnapped Caiera.
  • The Spikes strongly resemble to the Flood from the Halo series. Both creatures infect another and hideously disfigure them then control the host. Both even come with green blood.
  • The four daggers that Hulk throws at Beta Ray Bill were intended for Miek, who instead opted for two shields.
  • It may seem like an inconsistency that Hulk cannot understand the aliens before the disk but does so after it is gone. But the guard does talk about talkbots entering his brain. Likely, they remained there regardless of the presence of the disk.
  • Korg, like Caiera, is immune to the Spikes.
  • By the endm there are sixty-nine deaths shown on screen. Three hived bugs, Laven, four Kronans, Android, the Great Devil Corker, eight Wildebots, the Eggbreaker, three members of Caiera's family, six spores, thirty-one infected, two villagers, one girl, six imperial guards, and the Red King. Of course many more die off-screen.
E not I
  • The comics spelled his name Lavin with an "i" while the subtitles and end credits spell it Laven with an "e"".
  • The end credits uses images from the original comic book story.
  • Unusual for most movies and videos, the end credit music plays over the company logos at the very end of the video.
  • Unlike previous Marvel animated features, this movie is not rated.
  • It is the second DVD to focus on the Hulk character after Hulk Vs.
  • This is the first time since Ultimate Avengers that Fred Tatasciore has not voiced Hulk in a series or direct-to-video movie.

Goofs[]

  • Lip movements do not always match the dialogue.
  • Why is Korg the only Kronan that gets to wear clothes? Other than the obvious filmmaking need to visually separate Korg from his former allies, there is no explanation.
  • In the flashback, four Kronans leave the ship, one is destroyed by Thor, yet when Beta Ray Bill appears there are still four of them.
  • Why did it never occur to anyone to destroy the obedience disks before Hulk did? If it took the immense strength of the Hulk, couldn't Beta Ray Bill have done so since he is nearly as strong?
  • After Beta Ray Bill's obedience disk is destroyed it falls off. It then randomly reappears, though broken, and disappears.
  • While the bomb couldn't destroy Hulk or Caiera it should have destroyed their clothes.
Transformation does not match
  • Once Red King is infected his body's transformations are not consistent between shots. When he is first infected his arm bulges, but when confronted by the Death's Head guards his arm appears fine.

Continuity[]

Destruction heard across the Nine Worlds

Cast[]

Actor Role
Rick D. Wasserman Hulk
Lisa Ann Beley Caiera
Mark Hildreth Red King
Liam O’Brien Hiroim
Kevin Michael Richardson Korg
Sam Vincent Miek
Advah Soudack Elloe
Michael Kopsa Laven
Paul Dobson Beta Ray Bill
Additional Voices
Marc Worden Iron Man
Lee Tockar Android
Additional Voices
Russell Roberts Primus Vand
Donald Adams Governor Churik
Additional Voices
Cam Lane
Ellen Kennedy
Chantal Strand
David Kaye
Doug Abrahams
Additional Voices

Crew[]

See also Planet Hulk (Video) Full Credits.
Job People[1]
Distributor Lion's Gate Family Entertainment
Production Marvel Animation
In Association with MLG Productions 8, Inc.
Based On Marvel Comics Planet Hulk by Greg Pak and Carlo Pagulayan
Editor George P. Rizkallah
Music Composed By Guy Michelmore
Music Supervisor David Ari Leon
Voice Director Jamie Simone
Executive Producers Eric S. Rollman
Supervising Producers Craig Kyle
Joshua Fine
Co-Executive Producer Stan Lee
Producer Frank Paur
Screen Story Greg Johnson
Craig Kyle
Joshua Fine
Screenplay Greg Johnson
Director Sam Liu
Supervising Director Frank Paur
DVD Cover Designer Alex Ross

Greg Pak, who wrote the original story, was brought on as a creative consultant for the film.[2]

Soundtrack[]

The soundtrack
See also Planet Hulk Soundtrack.

The orchestral score was composed by Guy Michelmore and is conducted by the Seattle's Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra.

The entire soundtrack is available for download on iTunes and Amazon.[3]

DVD[]

The DVD cover

Acclaimed comic book artist Alex Ross designed the cover to the DVD.[4]

Special features include on the two disc edition:[5]

  • Opening Sequence: Thor: Tales of Asgard
  • Audio commentary by Supervising Producer Joshua Fine and Screenwriter Writer Greg Johnson
  • Audio commentary by Director Sam Liu, Character Designer Philip Bourassa and Key Background Painter Steve Nicodemus
  • "A Whole World of Hurt: The Making of Planet Hulk" featurette
  • "Let the Smashing Commence!: The Saga of Planet Hulk" featurette
  • "Rise Up" Astonishing X-Men music video
  • "Watch Your Step" Spider-Woman music video
  • Wolverine and the X-Men: "Wolverine vs. Hulk" episode
  • Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D motion comic
  • Astonishing X-Men: Gifted motion comic
  • Digital copy
  • CD-ROM with digital comics

The single disc edition contains a single commentary, one featurette, and Thor: Tales of Asgard preview.[6]

Trailer[]

A second trailer was included in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. This trailer used shots of the two Hulk Vs videos to set up Hulk's destructive power.

Background[]

One of the reasons Planet Hulk was chosen was because it would have been very cost prohibitive in live action. And the reason for the direct-to-video adaptations was to do things that couldn't be done live.

When making the movie they thought of this as the story of Spartacus.[7]

Greg Johnson, Frank Paur, and Joshua Fine wanted to do another Hulk story but felt they had done enough. However, they felt that Planet Hulk presented a different take on the character as it wasn't Bruce Banner trying to find a cure or Hulk as the villain. In the story he is presented more as the hero liberator of the planet who gets to make his own decisions. Rick D. Wasserman, voice of the Hulk, said "This is a softer, more introspective Hulk. [...] And I think perhaps at the end of this story we get a glimpse of the fact that he may start clueing into the idea that he may be a hero." [8]

In adapting the twelve issue story into a comic book, the producers prioritized everything in the story by importance. They felt the Hulk's story was most important and removed what did not contribute to that. They knew they could not include every fans' favorite moments. One thing they cut out was Hulk being auctioned off and the gladiator training.[9]

When designing the look of the film they looked at the backgrounds as a character itself. They knew they needed to make it feel alien and unlike Earth.

In the comics, it was Mister Fantastic that spoke to the Hulk, not Iron Man. The producers changed it feeling that since the Iron Man film the character was more recognizable. Additionally, the rights to the Fantastic Four are currently held by 20th Century Fox.

Joshua Fine came up with the idea that the prophet would make the symbol of an atom to represent the Hulk.

Originally Hulk was supposed to talk when he first landed on Sakaar. Additionally the comic had him much more talkative than even the script had. But the producers wanted to start him off as the more familiar Savage Hulk and ease the audience into the talking Hulk.

Laven was designed to be like Captain America in his leadership and nobility.

During the fights, the stadium and audience are computer generated when seen from afar. In close ups they are traditionally animated.

Lavin, in the comics, survived the first two fights but did eventually die. They killed off Laven earlier to emphasize Hulk's storyarc. They wanted to show that Hulk starts off with not wanting to fight, which causes order to break down, and subsequently kills Laven.

Android, in the comics, lived. The producers killed him off because they couldn't figure how he would help Hulk's story.

The producers had Hulk get cut up so much to emphasize that he is no longer the strongest one on the planet. They wanted to showcase the danger he is in to show that he is still mortal. Though he is still shown to be incredibly powerful.

The producers did not have Hulk change back into Bruce Banner as they felt it was too dangerous for him. The producers rationalize that Hulk never transforms back into Bruce Banner because Hulk takes over whenever Bruce is in danger and the planet was constantly dangerous. In the comics he did briefly change back. This is possibly inspired by a What If...? story that explored what would happen if Bruce Banner, not Hulk, had crashed on the planet. The story stated he was quickly killed.

Korg's flashback was almost a perfect adaptation of Journey into Mystery #83, Thor's first appearance. In the comic, Donald Blake hikes across Norway when the Kronans land. They are not called Kronans but merely the Stone Men of Saturn. They see Blake and chase him into a cave after he loses his cane. He finds another in a secret chamber that transforms him into Thor. Thor then escapes out the back where he learns about his powers. NATO's planes attack the Kronans but are stopped by a hologram. The aliens drop a cage on Thor but he escapes. They then use the Mechano-Monster to attack Thor. After he defeats the robot with one blow the aliens retreat. Beta Ray Bill wouldn't actually appear until twenty years later.

The model used for Doctor Strange was the same from Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme. Similarly, Thor was exactly the same from Hulk vs Thor.

The producers used high contrast for Korg's flashback and low contrast for Caiera's to mirror the style of the comics upon which the flashbacks are based.

Greg Johnson kept sending notes to Greg Pak on the pronunciations of the character's names so he could get it right. For example, he thought Caiera was pronounced like Sierra.

The battle with the Wildebots actually occurred later in comic story. But the producers felt they would make good villains for the second battle.

Wherever the Red King dominates, like the palace, is usually dominated by red colors. While wherever Hulk dominates, like the dungeon, is dominated by green colors. Though because the two colors are complimentary the producers had to play with the palette so it did not look like Christmas.

The eye of the Eggbreaker was invented for the movie to fulfill part of the prophecy, and to represent the Hulk's friendship.

To visually show Hulk's storyarc the producers started him mostly naked and hunched over. By the end he is wearing normal clothing and standing upright and squared shouldered.

First faithful adaptation of the character

The producers changed Silver Surfer, who was in the original comic story, to Beta Ray Bill for two reasons. The first was because Beta Ray Bill fit within the story better. The other was that they would have had legal problems getting the Silver Surfer. The character's rights are currently held by 20th Century Fox. Bill also fit in since he also is an alien that travels the cosmos. The producers incorrectly thought that he was not used in animation before and thought they were the first. He appeared in Silver Surfer, though his story was heavily altered.

The producers attempted to make the fight between Hulk and Beta Ray Bill different than Hulk and Thor in Hulk vs Thor.

Hulk pummeling Beta Ray Bill was to show that he could easily become either the Sakaarson or Worldbreaker.

The producers intended that the obedience disks prevented Beta Ray Bill from using his full powers, which is why he couldn't destroy the disks before.

In the comics, when Miek found the governor's slaves he also found a queen from his own kind. He then transformed into a harder shelled bug calling himself King Miek. The story almost made it into the movie but was one of the last things cut. The producers didn't feel like it helped the overall story much. To substitute it, they made Miek more confident.

The producers had Churik cut of Miek's arm so that Elloe would have proof of the governor's betrayal.

The producers were concerned with Hulk fighting a woman. But they felt that since she was so powerful it wouldn't be a problem.

The producers considered the shot of Caiera holding the dissolving ash child the most powerful in the comic book.

The ending was made upbeat, as opposed to the comics, because the producers wanted the film to be complete and not just a jump start for another. In the comics, the Warbound rose up and overthrew the Red King. Caiera married Hulk and became pregnant. However, the ship that transported Hulk began to overload and destroyed most of the life on Sakaar, including Caiera. Hulk and the remaining Warbound eventually decided to head to Earth so Hulk could get his revenge on the Illuminati.

Rick D. Wasserman had never read a single comic book. He read enough to get an idea of the immediate backstory but not the whole Hulk history. He felt that because there was so many version and such a history he would go crazy trying to become a historian of it all. He didn't want to cloud his mind with information from every storyline. The only Hulk he previously knew was the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno series from the '70s.[10] He had worked with Fred Tatasciore, voice of the Hulk on previous movies, and wanted to do something different. He listened to Tatasciore but never talked to him about the role. He wanted this Hulk to be his own. Wasserman eventually went on to play Thor alongside Tatasciore's Hulk on The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Rick D. Wasserman never recorded dialogue with any other voice actor. In fact he never met any of the others. He wanted to maintain a feeling of Hulk being alone. He found the roaring parts to be difficult because he didn't know what he was respond to. He also found the sensitive, quiet parts hard since Hulk hasn't done that before. Because he's voiced narration for the UFC he found the scene where Hulk pummels Beta Ray Bill the funniest because he's seen so much like it before. His favorite line is the last line of the film.[11]

Many of the producers admit that they thought of Kevin Michael Richardson as Korg when reading the comic.

Mark Hildreth as the Red King is the favorite villain of Greg Johnson and Joshua Fine in all the direct-to-video movies.

Production was completed sometime before September 30th, 2009, according to financial reports.[12]

The movie was screened at Comic-Con in San Diego.[13]

The world premiere was on January 14th, 2010 at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles and New York City. The events was sponsored by New York Comic Con and Newsarama.com in association with Marvel Animation and Lions Gate Home Entertainment. In New York, World Wrestling Entertainment's Matthew Kaye moderated a panel featuring Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, Hulk editor Mark Paniccia, President of Marvel Animation Eric Rollman, and INCREDIBLE HULK writer and the architect behind the original "Planet Hulk" comic book storyline Greg Pak. At the Los Angeles premiere G4's Blair Butler hosted a panel featuring the Award-winning HULK writer Jeph Loeb, screenwriter Greg Johnson, supervising director Frank Paur, supervising producer Joshua Fine, and the voice ov the Hulk Rick D. Wasserman. In addition to discussing the movie they also talked about the original comic book story, Fall of the Hulks, and World War Hulks.[14][15][16][17]

The panels and a brief clip were streamed live online. At the panel Greg Pak teased the idea of making a movie involving the X-Men and the Brood and another on the Marvel Civil War. Joe Quesada teased the The Death of Captain America.[18][19]

The producers chose an early February release as they did not want to interfere with Iron Man 2.

The producers announced their intention to do the sequel story World War Hulk based on the reaction to this film. Greg Pak stated that if they did the first scene of the sequel would be the last scene of this film. However, with The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Marvel Entertainment Thor: Tales of Asgard was the last of Marvel's films with Lions Gate Home Entertainment and it is unlikely World War Hulk would ever be made.

Producer Craig Kyle later wrote Thor: Ragnarok, which also adapts Planet Hulk. In that film, Thor arrives on Sakaar and forced into gladiator battles alongside Korg and Miek while Hulk is the champion of Grandmaster, instead of Red King. The live film also features elements from Hulk vs Thor, which Kyle wrote along with Ragnarok co-writer Christopher Yost.

Reception[]

Overall, critics felt that Planet Hulk was one of the best animated features from Marvel. They praised the intense action and beautiful scenery. They pointed out how this Hulk is unlike anything audiences have seen before. Critics pointed out the excellent voice acting and soundtrack, and enjoyed how well the long story was adapted given the time limitations. Though it is generally noted that the movie does not contain quite the rich pathos that the comic series had. Criticisms are usually pointed towards poor video quality on the DVD and special features that don't have anything to do with the movie.

Feature[]

"Screw on Head" at Marvel Animation Age said, "Planet Hulk is very good. I was able to attend a special screening of the new Planet Hulk animated feature at the Paley Center in NYC and this movie is so good, actually, that I'll certainly purchase it to see it again when it’s released on February 2nd." He felt the story had a solid pace and delivered great action. He enjoyed that the action didn't hold back and was satisfied with the violence. He found the story engaging and felt Caiera was the best character in the film. Having not read the comic story, but familiar with it, he liked the surprises. He was initially worried that the movie would be too much like the 2000 film Gladiator but found the film wasn't tired or overused. He liked Greg Johnson's script and the unexpected moments that shocked him. He found it simple yet enjoyable. He said Rick D. Wasserman did a good job, but sometimes came off as silly. He felt the rest of the cast was solid. He liked Samuel Vincent's work made Miek very likeable and had some great laughs. He felt the animation was solid. He liked that it was consistent, unlike Hulk vs Wolverine which he felt deviated towards the end. He thought the backgrounds were beautiful and some of the best from Marvel animated features. He thought that Sakaar never got boring to look at, especially since alien worlds in other media tended to look repetitive. While he felt the character's design looked good, they weren't as distinctive as Steve Gordon's work in Ultimate Avengers or Jeff Matsuda in Hulk vs Wolverine. However, he felt that the designs weren't fresh and different and looked like several other animated features. He said the movie made him want to go out and read the original comic. He felt the selling point was the abundance of action and set pieces while still getting it to all fit. He would rate this above The Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, Ultimate Avengers II, and Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow. He thought it combined the great pace of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow and deliver on the heavy subject matter like Ultimate Avengers and Hulk Vs. He highly recommended the movie saying "There are times when this doesn't feel like a Marvel movie, given the setting and the fact that sometimes the movie focuses on characters besides the Hulk, but that's okay. The story is so strong, and it delivers the Incredible Hulk and some other surprises so faithfully and satisfyingly, that I did not mind. Showing a Hulk that we haven't really seen before, Planet Hulk is honestly one of the most satisfying Marvel animated features that I've seen to date."[20]

A new kind of Hulk

Ed Liu of Toonzone.net said that fans would normally not consider the Hulk to be the center of so many good animated features such as Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers II, and Hulk Vs. "Now, Marvel and Lionsgate have released Planet Hulk, an outstanding direct-to-video animated movie that is easily the best to date from the animated branch of the House of Ideas." He said that Planet Hulk tried to adapted a massive graphic novel into an eighty minute movie like Justice League: The New Frontier. He said that fortunately the producers did a terrific job of streamlining the comic so the movie can stand alone. He felt it was emotionally satisfying and highlighted parts of the source material without the restrictions of the larger universe of the comics. Though he noted that the movie is essentially a collection of intense fights separated by expository flashbacks. But he did feel the movie did an excellent job drawing the audience into the alien world. He felt that unlike The New Frontier, this movie managed to provide backstory for most of the half-dozen new characters while still giving Hulk a story arc of his own. He felt the sets, character designs, and voice acting helped to bring the screenplay to life. He said the characters were beautifully streamlined from their more detailed comic book versions. He praised Rick D. Wasserman for his performance as a sullen Hulk who is not too far from his explosive rage. Though he noted that the movie did not adequately explain why Hulk doesn't turn into Bruce Banner. He noted that all the voice actors did good jobs, particularly with Miek. He felt Miek could have been annoying like Henry Pym, Jr. in Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow but had the second-best story of the movie and stole every scene he's in. He felt that the movie beat the action scene standard set by Hulk Vs, saying that the fights were massive. He noted that the blows were more powerful than that seen in typical television cartoons and previous PG-13 movies. He also noted that the movie was more violent than any Marvel or DC animated movie with many on-screen deaths, though it never felt gratuitous or excessive. He was sorry that the comic series' sequel World War Hulk would probably not be adapted since the rights of so many of the characters are tied up in other studios. He feels the sequel story would so well adapted in animation. "Planet Hulk is a sure-footed winner for anyone looking for supremely well-done animated superhero mayhem."[21]

James Harvey of WF DVD Report highly recommended the movie saying that even though he read the original comic story he was still gripped by the exciting opener. He felt that the DVD's claims that the movie was an "intergalactic action of Hulk-sized portions" wasn't an exaggeration. He said that while other shows and videos may have lots of action but this movie reminded him of what action-packed really was. He said it was filled with violence that never gets tedious and was nice to see Hulk really get to unleash his rage. He said the story was condensed and some changes made but they all made sense. He claimed it was somewhat predictable but was always enjoyable. He said that though not every character is developed enough are to make the audience root for them. He enjoyed that even though the story was condensed it didn't feel rushed. He feels that the movie is the best animated feature in the series. However, he did notice some animation problems that have been occurring since the first videos, but not any different than other animated features. But he did feel that the animation was excellent and beautiful, though not as much as Hulk Vs. He enjoyed the backgrounds and felt the alien world was breathtaking. He praised Rick D. Wasserman for his performance and felt that even though it was jarring to see Hulk talk so much it felt natural for the movie. He liked how Wasserman could pull off both the noble Hulk and smashing Hulk. He also praised all the cast. He praised Guy Michelmore's score as another solid soundtrack. He liked the epic music and praised it as one of the best he's done. He strongly suggested buying it off iTunes or Amazon. He claimed that nothing felt out of place and everything fit together nicely. He loved the change the producers made to the ending. He liked that Sakaar wasn't ravaged and Hulk wasn't left alone again. He enjoyed the idea of Hulk finally winning and wasn't alone anymore. He also liked how it could easily lead into World War Hulk. He felt it was the most enjoyable animated feature from Marvel. He claimed that while Ultimate Avengers, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, and Hulk Vs were the ones he returned to most and Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow was the most under-appreciated film, this movie could become the favorite of the animated line. "It's not perfect, these recent direct-to-video animated features from both Marvel and DC both have their flaws, but the few flaws found here, which really just amount to a bit of obvious animation shortcuts and focusing on certain characters, have little to no affect on how enjoyable Planet Hulk really is. This is Hulk unleashed, and I think fans of this great character would be foolish to pass up the chance to see one of the best Hulk stories to ever come down the pipeline animated and treated with the utmost respect. Plus, come on, this film is just whetting our appetites for World War Hulk now. If you want to see "Hulk Smash," then look no further!"[22]

Phil Pirrello of IGN said that Marvel Animation movies have been hit or miss in the past. But he said this movie was above-average and doesn't shy away from the fact that it's basically the 2000 film Gladiator with Hulk as Maximus. "For comics fans seeking a pleasant distraction, or looking for something to tide them over until the next live-action Hulk movie arrives, one could do worse than watching this gory, action-packed Marvel story." He pointed out that the producers streamlined the source material into an eighty minute movie that hit the necessary action beats to satisfy fans. However, he said the serious pathos of the story was missing, though there still is adequate character drama. He felt the flashbacks provided decent depth to the otherwise two dimensional characters but didn't like the "campfire" approach to the story. He said that the movie needed a bigger budget to fully realize the scale of the battles. Fans should be glad that most of the original story and fights are intact. The swap of Beta Ray Bill for Silver Surfer worked onscreen and seemed to better match the Hulk. He felt that the third act felt separate from the main arc, but was entertaining regardless. Though he felt that the end battle between Red King and Hulk was a bit rushed as it tried to set up a World War Hulk sequel. "Planet Hulk is a bullet of a movie that provides several graphic "Hulk Smash!" moments without forgetting to link them to some semblance of characters that we care about. It's not a perfect movie to be sure, but it certainly qualifies as one of Marvel's better efforts in the direct-to-DVD realm. [...] Planet Hulk is one of Marvel's better direct-to-DVD titles, an adaptation of the 2006 storyline that maintains just enough character drama to keep the heavy action scenes from dominating the running time. It's Gladiator, starring Bruce Banner in the Russell Crowe role. And that's just as good as it sounds."[23][24]

IGN named Planet Hulk and Hulk Vs, particularly Hulk vs Wolverine, as two of the ten best Marvel films both live action and animated.[25]

The movie has a rating of 6.8 on the Internet Movie Database. Among the community, it has a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.

DVD[]

Needs a better look

Ed Liu of Toonzone said that the Blu-ray was a revelation as the best looking animated direct-to-video so far. The image was crystal clear and brought out every detail. Though he felt the soundtrack matched the same quality. He didn't feel there was enough boom to the might of the blows. He also felt that the extras fell short. The two making-of featurettes provided good insight into the making of the comic and movie. He was disappointed by the commentary with Joshua Fine and Greg Johnson feeling that it mostly described what was happening on the screen and not really substantive. He said it was mostly covered by the featurettes. He felt the second commentary with Sam Liu had more interesting behind-the-scenes information, but that it was also filled with patches where he doesn't talk. He noted that the rest of the features were promos for other Marvel projects. He noted that the Thor: Tales of Asgard preview looked a lot like Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow. The Wolverine and the X-Men episode "Wolverine vs. Hulk" was a good tie-in to Hulk Vs. Though he felt that the motion comics wouldn't satisfy fans of either the comics or animation.

Phil Pirrello of IGN said in his review of the Blu-ray gave the video presentation a six out of ten. He felt that the low budget animation did not hold up in high definition. There was a muted quality. The color and contrast was strong but should have been better. Hulk's green came across more as pea soup then as he should be. The opening sequence looked good. But he did noticed motion blurs where there shouldn't have been. He said it wasn't a deal breaker but was distracting. He gave the audio another six out of ten saying the mix was heavy on the score and bass. It works best with the dialogue and delivered consistently loud and clear presence. He said it suffered when delivering the ambient sound and should have added some depth to the battles. He felt the sound mostly catered to the overpowering score and sometimes crowded the main action, like sword clangs and body blows. He gave the special features a seven out of ten. He pointed out that only four features were dedicated to the movie itself. He felt the two commentaries were the standout features. He said the commentary with Greg Johnson and Joshua Fine was the best feature that talked about adapting the story and provided plenty of trivia and answers. Though he felt the commentary with Sam Liu was more technical and general fans would enjoy the other one more. He said the "World of Hurt" feature provided lots of insight into the making of the feature. "Smashing" had good look into the making of the story. Though he felt that the opening sequence to Thor: Tales of Asgard would have Thor fans confused at the direction they took. He wondered why Thor looked like a cross between Marty McFly from Back to the Future and Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. He also wondered why all the Vikings spoke in British accents and why Marvel spent money on the project. He also questioned why the movie put music videos on the disc. "About half of the special features included here are directly relevant to the movie, and we're still not sure why the world needs Spider-Woman "Watch Your Step" music video, but fans of the comic will be glad they Netflix'd this title regardless."

James Harvey of World's Finest DVD Report said that Lions Gate continued stepping up the special features from Hulk Vs as this had a nice selection of features. He said the video and audio transfer was superb. He felt the movie looked stunning with beautiful vistas. He claimed the audio was the most aggressive track of the Marvel animated features. He felt the two commentaries nicely complimented each other and cover the entire production. Though he noted that there were moments of dead air and pointing out what's going on screen. He felt the two documentaries were good compliments to the commentaries. He said fans of the comic and film would appreciate those. He enjoyed the sneak peaks, trailers, and motion comics. "The bonus features are definitely worth checking out, nicely complimenting the main feature, which is given a marvelous audio and video transfer, I might add. All things considered, it's a top-notch release that shouldn't be passed up. Planet Hulk is an action romp from start to end, and this Blu-ray release is the best way to experience this cosmic Hulk smash-out."

Planet Hulk made a strong debut on the home video sales charts. The feature hit the DVD sales chart at #5 in its first week, selling an estimated 155,000 copies for the week ending February 7th, 2010. The Planet Hulk animated feature also made a strong debut on the Blu-ray charts, placing #3 with estimated sales of over 42,000 copies. These sales numbers do not take into account rental, OnDemand, or legal download numbers. This is higher than Hulk Vs, which sold 180,000 in its debut week in January 2009.[26] In its second week it sold 63,400 more DVDs for a total of 202,000.[27]

References[]

  1. Animated "Planet Hulk" Cast And Crew Details, "Hulk Versus" 2009 Year-End Sales at Marvel Animation Age
  2. Planet Hulk: Inside Look at the Premiere at Marvel
  3. Tracklist for "Planet Hulk" Score Soundtrack, Soundtrack Now Available For Download at Marvel Animation Age
  4. FIRST LOOK: Planet Hulk DVD Box Art at Marvel.com
  5. Planet Hulk Animated Feature Smashes to DVD/Blu-ray February 2 at CraveOnline
  6. Press Release, New Images From Upcoming "Planet Hulk" Original Animated Feature at Marvel Animation Age
  7. Live Streaming of Planet Hulk premiere
  8. Planet Hulk Preview at IGN.com
  9. "Planet Hulk" Feature Supervising Director Frank Paur Talks To Marvel Animation Age at Marvel Animation Age
  10. Toonzone Interviews Rick Wasserman on Voicing "Planet Hulk" at Toonzone.net
  11. Planet Hulk: The Hulk Speaks! at Marvel.com
  12. Marvel Reports Q3 and Nine Months EPS of $0.26 and $1.20 at Yahoo! Finance
  13. Image, Details For Upcoming "The Super Hero Squad Show," "Planet Hulk" Premiere at Marvel Animation Age
  14. Planet Hulk Hits the Streets at Marvel.com
  15. Newsarama & New York Comic Con Present Planet Hulk! from New York Comic Con
  16. PLANET HULK Adds JOE QUESADA, MATT STRIKER, BLAIR BUTLER at Newsarama.com
  17. Newsarama/NYCC Present Special Bi-Coastal PLANET HULK Event at Newsarama.com
  18. Johnson Discusses Bi-Coastal World Premiere For "Planet Hulk" Animated Feature at Marvel Animation Age
  19. Planet Hulk Premiere Rocks Two Coasts at Marvel.com
  20. Review: Planet Hulk Animated Feature at Marvel Animation Age
  21. "Planet Hulk" is a Smashing Success at Toonzone.net
  22. "Planet Hulk" Blu-ray Review at WF DVD Report
  23. Planet Hulk: Blu-ray Review at IGN.com
  24. Planet Hulk DVD Review at IGN.com
  25. IGN Playlist: Best Marvel Movies at IGN
  26. Animated "Planet Hulk" Feature Debuts To Strong Home Video Sales In First Week at Marvel Animation Age
  27. Animated "Planet Hulk" Continues Marvelous Home Video Sales In Second Week at Marvel Animation Age

External links[]

Direct-to-Video Features
Dracula: Sovereign of the DamnedThe Monster of FrankensteinUltimate AvengersUltimate Avengers IIThe Invincible Iron ManDoctor Strange: The Sorcerer SupremeNext Avengers: Heroes of TomorrowHulk Vs: (Hulk vs Wolverine / Hulk vs Thor) • Planet HulkThor: Tales of AsgardIron Man: Rise of TechnovoreIron Man & Hulk: Heroes UnitedLego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum OverloadAvengers Confidential: Black Widow & PunisherIron Man & Captain America: Heroes UnitedLego Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers ReassembledLego Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers ReassembledMarvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight!Hulk: Where Monsters DwellLego Marvel Super Heroes – Guardians of the Galaxy: The Thanos ThreatMarvel Rising: Secret WarriorsMarvel Rising: Chasing GhostsMarvel Rising: Heart of IronLego Marvel Spider-Man: Vexed by VenomMarvel Rising: Battle of the BandsMarvel Rising: Operation ShuriMarvel Rising: Playing with FireLego Marvel Avengers: Loki in TrainingLego Marvel Avengers: Time TwistedLego Marvel Avengers: Code Red
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