Incredible Pak

Greg Pak continues to make his mark on one of Marvel Comics' most popular heroes, the Hulk. From World War Hulk to Warbound to Incredible Hercules, Pak's historic take on the character has brought the green goliath to new and epic places. Combined with the June 13 release of the revamp film, entitled The Incredible Hulk (no relation to the 2003 Ang Lee film) starring Edward Norton, Pak's shake up of the Hulk universe looks to take the character to a new elite status in pop culture. JXM caught up with Greg to chat about the latest in Marvel Comics' Incredible Hulk.

JXM: After two HUGE story arcs (Planet Hulk and World War Hulk), how have you and the jade giant changed?

Greg: During the course of Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, the Hulk gained an entire world, lost everything, unleashed his fury as never before, and learned the true price of rage. Let's just say he'll have a lot to sort through over the next few months. Me? I finally get time to get a haircut and take a nap.

JXM: With Banner sedated (for now), what can we expect from Aftersmash? Will it be an epilogue of sorts or can we expect a shocking Captain America death in the process?

Greg: The most shocking development is actually more of a birth. Coming this spring is Skaar: Son of Hulk, which follows the son of the Green Goliath as he struggles to survive and conquer on the savage planet of Sakaar. Back here on earth, the Aftersmash books include Warbound and Incredible Hercules, both of which pick up right from the end of World War Hulk, following the Hulk's allies as they struggle to make sense of the world and their lives after the climactic events they've just experienced. I'm writing Skaar and Warbound and co-writing Hercules with the brilliant Fred Van Lente.

JXM: Speaking of another jolly giant - Hercules - what are your plans for him? Will he undergo a massive makeover like the Hulk?

Greg: Hercules is one of Marvel's niftiest characters because he's not just some strong dude who calls himself Hercules. He's actually Hercules, the Lion of Olympus, son of Zeus, slayer of the Hydra, scourer of the Augean stables, etcetera etcetera. The character doesn't need a makeover - he's been one of the most popular heroes of myth and legend for thousands of years. But Fred and I are getting back to the roots of the character by tapping into insane, thrilling, and sometimes deeply disturbing myths that make up his history. He's a hero of enormous good humour and fundamentally decent impulses - who's nonetheless lost himself to rage and madness and committed some of the most horrific atrocities imaginable. That combination of fun, heroism, and dark danger makes for great drama and great comics.

The other twist that's helping this book make its mark is the pairing of Hercules with boy genius Amadeus Cho, a character I created a couple of years ago for Marvel's Amazing Fantasy #15 anthology book. During World War Hulk, Herc and Amadeus were among a tiny handful of heroes crazy enough to side with the Hulk. Now, they're the last two heroes nutty enough to keep fighting S.H.I.E.L.D. and the entire superhero industrial complex that conspired to shoot the Hulk into space in the first place.

Herc and Amadeus make for a fun visual - it's just plain fun to see the giant Greek demigod in his skirt and sandals alongside the scrappy Asian American teenager in his army jacket and sneaks. But it's their contradictory yet surprisingly complementary personalities that provide the book's real magic. Herc's a three thousand year old immortal. Amadeus is a sixteen year old smart alec. Herc's all brawn. Amadeus is all brains. But they share a deep suspicion of authority, a real joy in mayhem, and a real problem with impulse control. In short, they're a ton of trouble, and that means fun for us as writers and hopefully for everyone else as readers.

JXM: Tell us about Amadeus Cho, he has undergone a neat little arc in World War Hulk. Where will you take him in his little side quest?

Greg: What happened to his hero the Hulk during World War Hulk should have taught Amadeus about the tragic price of untrammeled anger. But Amadeus is sixteen and the seventh smartest person on the planet - which means he can be really, really dumb sometimes. So his immediate impulse post-WWH was to carry on the Hulk's vendetta against the Man - as represented in this case by the international security force known as S.H.I.E.L.D. It remains to be seen if his partnership with Hercules will help him discover what it truly means to be a hero - or tip him over into full blown Marvel supervillain status. Dontcha dare miss a single issue, friends!

JXM: Will there be a special someone planned for Amadeus or will he remain single like a genius would prefer it?

Greg: Heh. All just might be revealed in the third story arc of Incredible Hercules, which Fred and I are plotting even as we speak.

JXM: Tell us about the planned antagonists. Who will try to shake up the duo?

Greg: Various agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a few Mighty Avengers, and, of course, Ares, god of war and hated half-brother of Hercules!

JXM: The partnership of Herc and Amadeus is much like Dionysus and Odysseus, could you elaborate on how their relationship will turn out? Will it be like a road movie between the two or a perfect team-up scenario?

Greg: In most buddy pictures, there's the unhinged guy and the straight-laced guy - and they drive each other crraaaazy! The twist with this story is that we have two unhinged guys. Each of these heroes on his own generates plenty of trouble. But put 'em together and all available trouble monitoring equipment is liable to explode!

JXM: Will we be seeing the return of the Defenders as well?

Greg: No Defenders this time 'round. But we'll see at least one of Herc's former Champions teammates in Incredible Hercules #114.

JXM: Will the Hulk's Warbound be guest starring in the future issues of Amadeus' and Hercules' adventures?

Greg: For the time being, they have their hands full in their own book, a five issue miniseries called World War Hulk Aftersmash: Warbound, written by yours truly with gorgeous pencils by Leonard Kirk and Rafa Sandoval. But I'd love to have the chance to have the two groups hook up again - there are some interesting dynamics there that would be fun to play out.

JXM: Any new characters popping out of the woodwork during this run?

Greg: We'll see a certain Greek goddess have a significant influence on the story from issue #114 onward.

JXM: With the new Hulk movie coming up around the corner, have they asked you to be involved in any way? Do you have any interest in being involved?

Greg: Alas, the comics and the movies are made by different people on opposite coasts. But of course one of my nefarious long-term plans is to get involved in some of that West Coast action some day. Cross your fingers for me!

JXM: Outside of comic books, do you have plans to return to the independent film scene any time soon?

Greg: At the moment, I have my hands pretty full with my comics work, but over the next year I should be coming out with a couple of creator-owned comics that tie in with feature film projects. I'm hoping to be able to announce some of this in the next few months - the latest news, as always, can be found at www.pakbuzz.com.