Originally posted by carver9
It wasn't the energy source that was killing Hulk, it was the connection lost between him and Banner that was killing him.What is being stated in this thread is nothing but a made up myth.
Sorry but it really isn't a myth at all, it is stated in black and white terms in multiple issues.
Strange detects the energy of Franklin's artificial universe emanating from Hulk:
After assessing the other Hulk in the HR universe, Strange comes to the conclusion that Hulk has become a nexus for dimensional energy. He then unambiguously states (and I quote): "More and more energy from the pocket universe, and others, will focus through you. You'll become stronger, but sooner or later the strain will tear you aprt! You'll die..."
Heroes Return made multiple references to the energy flowing through Hulk being something beyond his power and unrecognisable by Samson and the US government:
Dr Doom noted that Hulk was leaking harmful "transdimensional" energy:
"For months, Hulk has been the channel for the power of the two universes..."
Finally, we have the situation explained to us in utterly black and white terms by the omniscient narration:
That last scan makes it explicit not once, but twice that it was the interdimensional energy being channeled through Hulk that was killing him. The only effect of the separation was to create the rift between universes which Hulk acted as an energy conduit between.
1. "...a nexus through which energy bubbled like lava, progressively weakening the Hulk..."
2. "...the Hulk had been dying, his body systems breaking down, overloaded with energy so alien and intrusive that it was eating him alive, like cancer"
You could, if you were so inclined, wish away some of the stuff like Doom's readings as proving nothing, but Strange's assessment and that of the omniscient narration are absolutely 100% explicit: it was the energy of the Heroes Reborn universe which Hulk was channeling that were killing him.
Hulk eventually went super Saiyan during those days because he couldn't control his powers. He learned during that time the importance of him and Banners connection.
The Hulk began to visibly glow and leak energy because more and more of the HR universe energy was poring through him, as explicitly stated; it had zero to do with him losing control of his own personal power. This is why the energy was unreadable to everyone and was doing weird stuff like shorting out electrical systems.
Hulk learned of Banner's importance to him on a psychological level, not a physical one; he missed Banner "like a cripple needing a crutch", but the negative physical effects of this period were very explicitly attributed to the dimensional energies flowing through him.
Cheers.
