A major fight occurs in Joe Fixit #1 that combines action and levity in a way that pays tribute to a memorable Hulk MCU moment.
The following contains spoilers for Joe Fixit #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
As much as fans love Bruce Banner’s Green Hulk, the expansion of the Hulk family provided many dynamic stories over the decades. Others figures in the Hulk pantheon such as Thunderbolt Ross have become red color variations of the original. Other examples include Betty Ross’s transformation into the Red Harpy and Amadeus Cho’s stint as the Jade Giant. Even Savage Avengers featured Weapon H, an amalgamation of Hulk and Wolverine. Fans have also been treated to many stories with Bruce as a radically different version of the Hulk persona — whether it be the Devil Hulk or the grey Joe Fixit.
The latter returns to the spotlight in Joe Fixit #1. Original creator Peter David flashbacks to Joe Fixit’s history as a Las Vegas mob enforcer. It is a welcome return for fans of that era’s Hulk, mostly penned by David. This is not another half-hearted attempt at nostalgia. Joe Fixit unleashes his full might on an iconic Marvel villain and even nods to an iconic MCU beatdown initiated by Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk.
Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk Decimated Loki
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ruffalo’s Hulk has had quite a few signature moments. Hulk’s grab and smash of Loki at the end of The Avengers is perhaps his most iconic scene. He grew tired of Loki’s ego, insolence, and the Chitauri army’s invasion of New York City. Hulk slammed the God of Mischief around, providing equal parts catharsis and comedy for the audience.
Hulk’s humorous edge proved the Marvel Studios did not take Hulk too seriously as a character and wanted him to balance out his destructive qualities with a sense of fun. Thanks to Hulk’s condescending reactions and Loki’s facial expressions, it’s become a memeworthy moment that has survived into the last decade. Furthermore, it signified the overall direction the MCU took with with Banner and his angry, green alter-ego in future film appearances.
Joe Fixit Smashes Kingpin Around
In Joe Fixit #1 (by David, Dee Cunniffe, Matt Milla, Yıldıray Çınar and VC’s Ariana Maher), Joe is protecting Michael Berengetti’s mafia in Vegas. He’s already taken out members of the Maggia for the boss, and gets a crack at Kingpin. Marvel’s most powerful mob boss thinks he can shake Michael down, wanting to strong-arm him for property in a typical power struggle among criminals. Joe doesn’t have time to waste, though, as the bodyguard deflects bullets. He laughs it off, with Kingpin none the wiser (at this point in Marvel canon) that he’s a Grey version of Hulk. As Kingpin tries to confront him, Joe grabs the unprepared mob boss and slams him around like a rag doll. It’s a perfect homage to what the MCU’s Hulk did to Loki, but there’s an extra degree of shame. Kingpin’s reputation takes a major hit after the fight.
Fisk submits as Joe wrenches his arm on the floor, getting him to admit defeat in a couple different languages as if they’re kids on a playground. Eventually, Kingpin departs with a broken, bruised and battered body — not to mention his ego. In fact, Kingpin takes it out on his own goons to mask his embarassment at the hands of Joe Fixit. Ultimately, the story concludes with the Kingpin vowing revenge, no doubt teasing a sequel of sorts to this one-sided battle.
