Warning: This article contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law episode 1.
Typical, you wait ages for a mutant to come along, and then a bunch of them drop all at once. After Professor X’s cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ms. Marvel blew all our minds by confirming that Kamala Khan isn’t an Inhuman in the MCU after all, but a mutant. This was a huge move from Marvel Studios as it made clear that the studio is willing to change a character’s origins from top to bottom to fit them into its no-doubt ambitious plans for the X-Men.
Spoilers incoming!
And maybe, just maybe, it’s possible that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has pulled the same trick. The first episode of the latest Marvel show to hit Disney Plus landed this Thursday, and it turned out to have a lot to offer those who care deeply about Marvel lore. For starters, we now know more about Steve Rogers’ love life than we did before. Meanwhile, we also got our best explanation yet for why Bruce Banner became the Hulk that’s got us wondering something pretty momentous. Is Bruce secretly a mutant himself?
We’ve always known there was something special about Bruce Banner’s blood, but She-Hulk helps us understand the full picture for why that is. The pilot episode’s opening scenes reveal that Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) transforms into She-Hulk when her cousin (Mark Ruffalo)’s blood accidentally enters her system during a car crash.
Later on, in Banner’s lab, he explains to Jen that just a drop of his blood would constitute “a lethal dose of gamma radiation” for anyone else, but not for her. Bruce reveals that, due to their familial connection, they both possess “a rare combination of genetic factors that allow [them] to synthesize gamma radiation into something else.” The something else, of course, being a giant green rage monster.
Interestingly, Jen’s body synthesizes gamma radiation differently (some would say better) than Bruce’s, as her transformation is far less unstable and Bruce is able to use her blood to heal his injured arm. The exact reasons behind the Banners’ unique genes are left unclear, although it’s possible they’re not just unique but… mutated.
Could Bruce have been a mutant all along?
Back in The Incredible Hulk, Banner’s blood is the key to unlocking General Ross’ plans for a new super-soldier serum, but we simply assumed this was just because of his transformation into the Hulk and not the importance of his own genes. TIH also made it seem like anyone who came into contact with Banner’s blood would become a Hulk or something similar, like Abomination and Samuel Sterns. She-Hulk retcons the chances of this happening as very slim, unless you have the Banner genes.
With Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky returning later this season, we may get a better understanding of how it all works soon, but for now, the obvious answer to why the Banners are so special is that they’re secretly mutants. Bruce’s talk about something in their genes allowing them to unlock the potential of gamma radiation is extremely similar to Bruno’s explanation for why Kamala can bond with her great-grandmother’s bangle and no one else can — because she’s a mutant.
In Marvel Comics lore, Hulk is officially classified as a mutate. A mutate, like Spider-Man and Captain America, is someone who was given powers by some external factor, so their genetic alteration was artificially induced, not natural. The MCU has already blurred that distinction, though, thanks to its retcon about Kamala, whose own innate mutated genes required the Clandestine bangle to bring out her powers. So it seems feasible that Bruce and Jen could be classified the same way.
It’s also worth pointing out that Bruce and Jen’s powers manifest in different ways, which recalls how mutants in the same family often have related if separate abilities —like Cyclops, with his optical energy blasts, and his brother Havok, who fires energy blasts from his torso. Again, the jury is still out on whether this is really where Marvel is going with this, and while it would certainly be a bold development, outing a founding Avenger as one of them would be an intriguing way of establishing the X-Men in the MCU.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law continues Thursdays on Disney Plus.
As an expert enthusiast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and its intricate narrative threads, I'm well-versed in the latest developments, including the potential mutant revelation in the first episode of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." My depth of knowledge allows me to draw connections to established Marvel lore and speculate on the implications of these narrative twists.
The article discusses the surprising revelation in the MCU that Kamala Khan, introduced in Ms. Marvel, is a mutant rather than an Inhuman. This significant shift in character origins demonstrates Marvel Studios' flexibility in adapting its storytelling to align with broader plans, particularly for the X-Men franchise.
In the context of "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," the focus shifts to Bruce Banner, portrayed by Mark Ruffalo, and the possibility that he might be a mutant. The article highlights the unique genetic factors shared by Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) and Bruce Banner, leading to a special ability to synthesize gamma radiation. The idea of Banner being a mutant is proposed, suggesting a potential retcon in the character's origin.
The discussion delves into the revelation that just a drop of Banner's blood could be lethal due to gamma radiation for anyone else, except for Jennifer Walters. This revelation leads to speculation about the Banners' genes being not just unique but possibly mutated. The article hints at the possibility of Bruce Banner having been a mutant all along, a significant departure from the traditional narrative of Banner's transformation into the Hulk.
The article draws attention to the differences in how Jen and Bruce's bodies synthesize gamma radiation, raising questions about the nature of their unique genes. The speculation is fueled by the similarity between Bruce's explanation of their genetic factors and Bruno's explanation for Kamala's mutant abilities in Marvel Comics.
The concept of mutants and mutates in Marvel Comics is explored, with a focus on the Hulk being officially classified as a mutate. The article notes that mutates, like Spider-Man and Captain America, acquire their powers through external factors, which challenges the traditional classification of Hulk. The MCU's retcon about Kamala Khan's powers, rooted in her innate mutated genes, opens the door to the possibility that Bruce and Jen could be similarly classified.
The article also points out the distinctive manifestation of powers between Bruce and Jen, drawing parallels to mutants in the same family having related yet separate abilities in Marvel Comics. The speculation about Bruce Banner potentially being a mutant is presented as a bold development that could serve as an intriguing way to introduce the X-Men into the MCU.
In conclusion, the article navigates through the revelations in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" episode 1, weaving connections to established Marvel lore, and speculating on the potential implications of Bruce Banner being revealed as a mutant. The expert analysis is grounded in an understanding of the MCU's narrative choices and the broader context of Marvel Comics.
