Unless you've managed to avoid all the trailers and clips for The Avengers, you've probably heard Tony Stark's line, "We have a Hulk."
That line brought a smile to the faces of comic book readers but it is a very valid point. The Avengers are indeed Earth's Mightiest Heroes. To live up to that name, they need to deliver the goods. In other words, they have to be able to back up that claim. There's pretty much nothing more intimidating than having a huge massive Hulk capable of smashing anything in sight.
While Bruce Banner and Thunderbolt Ross are two completely different individuals, they are both Hulks and have both been part of the Avengers. That's where the similarities end. As Hulks, they offer different things to the Avengers. We might be seeing Banner/Hulk in the movie but Red Hulk is proving he's the better Hulk to have on the team.
== TEASER ==Now we've seen many different versions of the green Hulk. We've had the pure rage one that would provide an incredible amount of strength to the team. Strength isn't everything and they do have other powerhouses on the team. We've also seen the more intelligent version of Hulk. That's where he could be an asset. An extremely powerful and intelligent member is something every team would love to have. Hulk may have been able to maintain that smart persona from time to time but it always falls apart.
Red Hulk is exactly what the team needs, especially with AVENGERS VS. X-MEN going on.
As the Avengers embarked on the battle against the X-Men after Cyclops attacked Captain America, Red Hulk was there barking out orders. As a military man, he was telling heroes with more superhero battle experience than he has what to do. He was telling them that they need to fight smart. They need to take out those they know they can defeat first. They can't think of their opponents as friends. They need to go in and put a stop to the situation as fast as possible.
It's not all about strength.
A year ago I brought up what might be the one best superpower to have. It has nothing to do with the fact that I was a high school math teacher for a while but intelligence is key. Knowing how to defeat your enemy is a bigger deal than simply being able to smash one.
Banner was a Hulk for a lot longer than Ross but when he put his military mind to use, it was a different game.
The same can be applied to the preparations for facing the X-Men. Hulk would want to go in and smash everyone and everything. Destroy it all until the battle was over. Ross knows you have to be strategic about it.
That's also what makes Captain America a great leader. He may have the super soldier serum in him but its his ability to lead that makes him one of the best Avengers and capable of leading Asgardian gods and others.
I like Hulk. He's a great character but he's not known to be a team player. Even when he was hanging out with the other Hulks, it didn't last long. Red Hulk is a smart guy. He has experience dealing with super-powered enemies. The atmosphere in the Marvel Universe is changing. The Avengers' enemies are getting smarter as well. Red Hulk may provide an enormous amount of strength but its his mind that makes him a valuable member.
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