Are You Not Entertained by Gladiator Hulk?

READ THE COMPLETE PLANET HULK EVENT HERE!

A barbaric alien world. A crash-landed warrior from an unknown place. A quest for freedom that becomes the legend of a king.

The PLANET HULK event is now FREE on Marvel Unlimited, along with handfuls of other events, arc, storylines, and must-read Marvel Classics.

This 2006 epic by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti, Jason Keith, Chris Sotomayor, and more, strands the Hulk on the far-flung planet of Sakaar. Sakaar is a savage landscape ruled by a corrupt emperor named Angmo-Asan, whose clans bow to his violent appetite. And the emperor’s favorite palate cleanser? Contest duels, ideally to the death.

Fans of Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok, will see clear parallels in this arc, from Hulk’s Warbound comrades Korg and Miek, to his fame as a gladiator. Although in the comics storyline, Hulk’s banishment to space is no accident—the final destination is.

Following a Gamma bomb incident that nearly took Las Vegas off the map, then-members of the Illuminati, including Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Professor X, sentenced Bruce Banner (and his unruly alter ego) to exile in space. The initial plan was to ship off Hulk to a peaceful planet free of sentient life… but a wormhole set his shuttle on a new course.

You can read the full backdrop leading into PLANET HULK in issues #88-91, or dive in right here.

"This is the story of the Green Scar. The Eye of Anger, the World Breaker."

ROUND 1: THE “GREAT DEVIL CORKER”

Shortly after landing on Sakaar, a dazed  and pretty peeved off Hulk was seized by members of the Red King’s Imperial Army. In a feat that would impress all of Earth’s heroes, Hulk was easily taken by dampening tech, then hauled on still-shaky feet before the emperor.

Angmo-Asan was smug. Quite smug. Although his new irradiated-beast-prisoner looked every inch the warrior, the public demanded a test of action.

Hulk’s first “exam” was a gut-slashing  duel against the carnivorous Cavaranthus Mazorus… AKA the “Great Devil Corker.” All the tentacles in the world couldn’t save the emperor’s favorite pet from the fury of a Hulk…

The emperor took note.

ROUND 2: THE IMPERIAL DREADNOUGHT

Come issue #94, Hulk had found allies on Sakaar. Because if you’re going to be thrown into the open mouth of Hell, might as well do it with friends. Hulk’s intergalactically-scattered crew, from Brood to “Bug,” were all involuntary gladiators, so an easy win for bonding points too.

In in their third and “final” round for freedom, a menacing shadow edged in over the Emperor’s arena. Angmo-Asan was not quite ready to part with his playthings, and had whipped up an Imperial Dreadnought ship to intimidate his gladiators into submission.

Seeing Hulk emerge unscathed from this bomb fire was amazing enough—watching him tear through the Death’s Head guards, loaded with laser cannons? Equally satisfying.

ROUND 3: THE SILVER SAVAGE

Sakaar is the dumping ground to many unwilling visitors, even former heralds of Galactus!

Hulk’s DEFENDERS’ chum Silver Surfer also ended up on the wrong side of a wormhole, and was thrown headlong into the Great Arena after his capture. Like Hulk, he too was weakened by the portal energy that drew lost souls toward Sakaar. Also, considerably more brainwashed.

As the “Silver Savage,” pacifist Norrin Radd tapped into all that Power Cosmic to pack stellar-sized punch after another to Hulk and his Warbound. Tough for ol’ Green Scar, but a delight for us readers—Surfer’s makeover is radical.

ROUND 4: REALITY

We get that awaiting impending/certain death in an alien battle-prison can make you go stir-crazy. And Hulk seemed to get a bad case of just that in GIANT-SIZE HULK (2006) #1.

In a super vivid dream sequence, Bruce Banner got to air out his primal rage by taking on his gladiator self, shredding apart several favorite heroes limb to limb.

Guess he didn’t have a pillow to scream into.

ROUND 5: THE MAW

This time, we’re back in a physical arena, just in time for Hulk’s final battle as a gladiator.

HULK (1999) #97, the midway point of the event, marked a major turning point for Hulk’s Warbound alliance.

On the run from the emperor’s camp, Sakaar’s beloved “Green Scar” was loyal to no one but his fellow prisoners… and the myth of his promised freedom was quickly spreading. It even caught the ear of Primus Vand, overlord of the empire’s elite training camp for gladiators.

Warbound Elloe had an especially complicated history with Vand, seeing as how he killed her father and all. It’s for this reason and a few more that the rebels stormed into the trenches of “the Maw.” Every prisoner in sight was freed, and Vand (plus his Sakaarian dino-hound) were taken to school with a lesson on pain.

Want to see what happens next for Hulk and his Warbound? You’ll need to read the complete event to see the People’s Rebellion unfold. Good news—it’s all free on Marvel Unlimited through June 2, so you have plenty of time to Hulk out.

Looking for more iconic arcs, complete events, and Marvel must-reads you can read for free? Read online here, or download or update the Marvel Unlimited app for iOS or Android at the Apple or Google Play app stores today.

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