The Incredible Hulk (novelization)

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***The Incredible Hulk*** is a movie novelization of the film of the same name.

## Synopsis

Scientist Bruce Banner is desperately researching a tormenting mystery: himself. He must find the cure that will counteract a radioactive element inside his body that causes him to transform, when furious, into that most fearsome and powerful of creatures: The Hulk. While Bruce aims to rid himself of his wild alter ego and live a normal life with the woman he loves, others—namely General Thunderbolt Ross and his shadowy military establishment—seek to trap him and harness the energy he contains.
But soon they are all threatened by a new nemesis, one who may be even deadlier than the military might or the Hulk himself—a mysterious and terrifying entity correctly called The Abomination.

## Differences between novel and film

Many of these differences were seen in promotional images and may have been filmed but deleted for the final cut of *The Incredible Hulk*.

* At various points in the book when Bruce Banner transforms Hulk will narrate the story. These parts are in **bold** and do not use punctuation as if in one long sentence. Hulk commonly complains about the noise during these parts. All noise seems to bother him, even Betty Ross's voice, which is why he wants to smash things.
* The flashback that comprises the opening sequence in the film is broken up into brief flashes throughout the entire book.
* The book starts off with a trucker in the Arctic, three years before the events of the film. The trucker picks up a hitchhiker who then asks to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere. The man then leaves his bag behind and takes only a gun. He intends to commit suicide. As he attempts to shoot himself his hand begins to change and stops him. He eventually transforms into Hulk who then breaks the ice and falls into the ocean below. The Hulk then walks along the bottom of the ocean until he reaches land.
* Banner makes a deal with a marketer named Bezerra to send and receive all his packages. He also makes a deal with a supply driver named Alves to go out and get him supplies.
* Banner got his dog, Ricky, while he was searching through garbage to make his makeshift laboratory. He knew he shouldn't have taken in the dog but couldn't toss it out on the street.
* Banner uses Krazy Glue to cover all his bleeding wounds.
* The person poisoned by Banner's blood is not an old man but a young boy. Eight-year-old, Jimmy Ferguson from Milwaukee, Wisconsin was making himself lunch and grabbed the poisoned bottle. His older brother Timmy, who always seems to torture Jimmy, comes in with his friends and takes the meal away from him. Jimmy wishes his brother would just go away when Timmy falls and goes into spasms.
* Thaddeus Ross's aide is named Major Kathleen Sparr. Although she keeps following his orders, she eventually begins to distrust Ross because he constantly keeps secrets that in turn harm soldiers.
* Ross has an old friend named General Joseph Greller. The two are opposites in terms of physical appearance and in temperament. It was because of Ross' short, stormy temper that earned him the Zeus-like nickname.
* The serum that Ross gives Emil Blonsky is clearly not the same that was used during World War II on Captain America. This one was the closest replication, which obviously had certain side effects.
* Ross describes a situation at Al-Haquid. The military had been using captured terrorists to test out various serums. However, pictures of the project came out and Congress killed it. Ross never saw a problem in making America's enemies useful for their purposes.
* Blonsky realizes that Ross maneuvered him into taking the serum. They arrive at the medical facility with doctors ready to go even though Ross never made any communications after Blonsky agreed. But he doesn't care since it's exactly what he wants.
* When Banner sees Betty he follows her and a woman named Marlo to Starbucks. He watches them for about forty minutes until she leaves to meet with Leonard Samson. Banner instantly hates the name Leonard.
* Stanley Lieber, of Stanley's Pizza Parlor, was once a student at Culver University who took at job at Goodman's Pizza and a good friend of the owner Marty. Marty left and Stanley took over. It eventually became the big hangout for the students and outlasted all major chains that tried to move it. Banner worked for there when he was a student. Stanley had hoped that Banner would follow in his footsteps and take over the restaurant. He also tends to measure distress by how many slices of pizza it takes to get over it; Banner was a three and might have underestimated.
* Banner actually delivers pizza for a week before trying to get the data, while also following Betty around. He delivers to a dorm room full of physics students who argue over a problem that Banner knows the answer to. He then goes to the Alpha Theta Omega sorority where they take the pizza without paying. He says his "don't make me angry" line, but they laugh and brush him off. He then considers other lines that may be taken more seriously, such as "It's clobbering time" or "I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do isn't very nice."
* When sneaking into the lab, Banner finds student named Amadeus Cho studying for finals who he gives his pizza to. After failing to find the data, Banner receives a message from someone. Banner believes that Ross may have found them, but that seems unlikely. After clicking 'Accept', Banner becomes frightened when an image of a monstrous creature rampages through walls, believing someone did find him. Eventually the monster eats some pizza and Banner realizes that it was just Cho joking around.
* The pizza that Stanley makes for Betty is her favorite: plum tomatoes, shrimp, and peppers.
* After leaving the pizza parlor, Banner thinks about jumping in front of a passing car but knows the Hulk would just stop him.
* Samson lives with Betty and is her lover. He is there when Betty brings Banner home and even makes a nice dinner for the three of them. While eating Banner begins to like Leonard.
* Banner tells Betty all about his travels. From going to Alaska, leaving out the part of the attempted suicide, to a Tibetan monastery. While in Tibet a rug dealer got Internet access he learned about Mr. Blue.
* Betty describes Samuel Sterns as an anarchist, hating authority, doesn't like to answer to anybody which got him into trouble.
* During dinner, the three begin laughing and Banner starts crying because he hadn't had any emotional releases on the run.
* Banner was unable to sleep and heard Samson downstairs. The two begin talking and drink wine in front of a fire. Leonard always hoped Banner was dead, but now is happy he's back because he can see into one of Betty's secrets.
* The reason Banner and Betty walk to the bus station is because her car is dead. Betty believes she left the lights on, but Banner believes otherwise.
* After the Battle at Culver University, it is revealed that Samson did reveal Banner's location to Ross. Ross went to Samson a year earlier and told his own story about why Banner was a fugitive.
* Betty notices that the Hulk snores just as Banner does.
* After the night in the cave, Betty and Banner go to a town called Trimpeville, a population of eight hundred whose income relies on campers.
* Banner describes a dream he had where only he, the Hulk, and giant cockroaches survived. Similar to *Incredible Hulk: The End: The Last Titan*.
* Banner does not vomit the data card voluntarily. In fact he forgot all about it. It wasn't until the card came up that he recalled swallowing it.
* After not having sex, Betty sees a scar on Banner. His scars stay while the Hulks heal. Betty then shows him the scar she got when he first transformed. She then tells him that it took two years for her to stop looking for him in crowds but she never gave up hope.
* Greller tells Ross that because of the incident at Culver University that the National Guard and FBI are getting involved.
* While watching news footage of the Culver University incident, one of the reporters calls the creature a hulk. Ross comments that the name would never stick. It does thanks to the media and even Banner finds himself calling himself that. Up to that point it was always called It, Bruce, That Other, or other anonymous names.
* Banner can't bring himself to pawn Betty's locket. Betty has to do it herself.
* In the truck, Banner asks Betty about Samson. Banner suspects that Leonard turned him in, but doesn't know.
* The boat that Banner and Betty take across the river into New York City is called *Excelsior*.
* The cab leaves Banner and Betty nearly sixty blocks from Empire State University.
* Major Sparr uses Google to try to find Mr. Blue. She then finds a YouTube video of Sterns using his technology to turn one of his students entirely blue as an oversized Smurf.
* Blonsky begins to hear much better. The engines during the flight to NYC begins to bother him, just as it would the Hulk.
* Sterns actually used Banner's DNA to make human fetuses, not just human blood.
* Sterns screams when Banner is hit with the tranq dart.
* Betty doesn't hear Ross's line about putting Banner in a hole if it was gone. She asks him about it and he lies that he said "Have a nice day."
* Ross notices that Betty is just like her mother, especially when angry.
* Sterns is unconscious when Banner's blood is dripping on him through a gash in his forehead. He is later reported dead by Sparr.
* When Ross first sees the transformed Blonsky he calls it "that abomination". Everyone else then begins calling Blonsky that like it is his name.
* Before jumping out the helicopter, Banner tells Betty how he tried to kill himself.
* Jimmy Ferguson is in New York City because his brother had been taken to NYC for medical attention. He blamed himself for wanting his brother gone. When the Abomination attacked he was separated from his family. A police officer grabbed him just as Bruce crashed into the street. He leaves the area just after seeing a green hand stretch up.
* The Abomination never speaks. The Hulk doesn't either until after the fight when he simply says "Betty."
* Ross never meets with Tony Stark. He does mention that Stark quickly developed gauntlets to contain the Abomination and took him to some place called "the Vault."
* Betty calls Leonard where he admits that he called Ross and apologizes. Betty forgives him, but does not mean it. Maybe later, but not now.
* Betty receives a letter from Banner containing her mother's locket. After the Duel of Harlem, Bruce had hitchhiked back and got enough money to get the locket.