NEW YORK, Sept 6 — The new superhero on the block has just arrived.
Marvel has unveiled Asian-American teenage genius Amadeus Cho as the one taking over the mantle from Bruce Banner to be one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe in its new ‘Totally Awesome Hulk’ comic.
The comic marks the first time in Marvel’s history where a Korean-American main character is written and drawn by a Korean-American creative team, Greg Pak and Frank Cho.
According to a Huffington Post interview with Marvel’s editor-in-chief Axel Alonso and Pak, Cho was a natural choice as the next Hulk as he shares many traits with his predecessor: his intelligence, impulsive nature, and like Banner, he is physically weak without the transformation.
Alonso said that part of the appeal of making 19-year-old Cho the new Hulk was the difference between Banner and Cho. While both are extremely intelligent, Cho, as a teenage character, does not have the burden that Banner had as an adult.
Cho is the fifth or sixth smartest guy in the comic book world, according to official rankings, which gives him a chip on his shoulder, Alonso added.
According to Pak, when editor Mark Pannica gave him a call and said three words, “Amadeus Cho Hulk”, he immediately jump on the project.
Pak has written Bruce Banner Hulk stories for five and a half years, and said he loved the character, but also pointed out that there is a long tradition of other people taking on the role of the Hulk.
He said that Cho would give a very different dynamic as the new Hulk, given his age, intelligence, and overwhelming confidence.
However, this is not the end of Bruce Banner. While Cho will be the only Hulk in the Marvel Universe, Alonso said there is still a spot for Banner and his story, now that he no longer has the weight of being Hulk on his shoulders.
‘Totally Awesome Hulk #1’ will hit the stores in December.
