Marvel Unlimited, Marvel’s digital comics subscription service, is once again offering all fans free access to some of Marvel’s most iconic stories from recent years, including now-classic Marvel Comics events and critically acclaimed runs featuring the Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and more.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to take a look back at these classic stories and maybe help you decide whether or not you would like to check them out. Our next series follows a familiar face to an unfamiliar place. The Hulk has been banished to an alien planet where he is about to become either a hero or a worldbreaker.
Planet Hulk
After the latest incident involving the Hulk trashing yet another major city, Reed Richards, Tony Stark and others decided it was time to send the big green guy away once and for all. Their plan was to send him to a remote, uninhabited planet where he could finally be alone. Only, this didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Hulk’s ship was taken to a different planet by the name of Sakaar, where a sadistic dictator ruled over his people with an iron fist and forced many of them into gladiatorial games for his amusement. It’s a planet in turmoil, where the people are waiting for the arrival of their savior known as the Sakaarson. In order to fulfill that prophecy, Hulk will have to do one thing he’s never been very good at – he’ll have to play well with others.
As the legend grows of the one that comes to be known as the Green Scar, the people of Sakaar begin to believe. They are willing to follow the Sakaarson into battle and dethrone the Red King who has been responsible for so many of their deaths. Now they just need to convince the Hulk to be the hero they think he is.
This story may stand out as a bit strange. It’s on a completely new planet, with only one character you’ve ever heard of. If you’re more a fan of the Earth-bound stories with heroes fighting in the streets of New York, it may not appeal to you right away, but it is definitely a very fun story. You might just want to give this one a chance.
Aside from the names of some of the locations, it is very easy to forget that this story takes place on an alien planet and not Earth. It’s really a simple story of a hero leading an army to overthrow a powerful dictator. The planet on which the story occurs hardly affects the way in which it plays out. Plus, there are a lot of new fun things for Hulk to smash on this planet.
Now, if this story sounds familiar, that’s likely because it was loosely used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Ragnarok. The plant is still Sakaar and Hulk is still entered into the gladiatorial games. He even becomes friends with Korg and Miek during his adventure. Just don’t expect Thor to show up at any point.
Instead, there are a lot of other great characters in the story – some familiar and some unfamiliar. One familiar example is a member of the alien race known as the Brood, who is a part of Hulk’s team in this battle. There’s also another very popular Marvel character who makes an appearance, but I won’t spoil that one. Aside from that, characters like Caiera, Elloe and Hiroim make their first appearances and become (almost) instant fan-favorites.
You can read “Planet Hulk” for free now. And be sure to check back as we look back the rest of these classic Marvel Comics stories over the next several weeks.