# Avengers: "I'm always angry" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 19, 2016, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536 "2016-02-19T09:34:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/1 "2016-02-19T09:34:54Z")
In the first Avengers movie, Cap asks Banner what is secret is and Banner replies with “I’m always angry” and turns into the Hulk. What did he mean by that? He’s always angry, that’s why he can turn into the Hulk at will? But sometimes he turns into the Hulk without wanting to do it, so what is he trying to say? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/2 "2016-02-19T10:14:05Z")
Sometimes he’s so angry he can’t keep it in check. The rest of the time he can keep it in check but can give into it if he so chooses. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/3 "2016-02-19T10:21:07Z")
He’s an angry white male who can turn comic-book angry at times. Seems clear to me. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/4 "2016-02-19T12:06:55Z")
He turns into the Hulk when he becomes enraged - not just being angry, but growing angrier too fast. He’s learned that he can reduce the chances of this happening by keeping himself in a constantly-pissed-off state. Whatever it takes, mentally, to keep himself pissed off - thinking about the unfairness of his condition, dealing with the relative simpletons (almost everybody) fumbling about, etc - he’s doing it. Constantly. He’s effectively increasing the range of his non-Hulky anger. So if he gets jabbed with something pointy, sure, he’s angry about it. But since he was already angry about _“that bitch, over there, eating crackers like she owns the place”_, he’s not so much growing angrier as he is refocusing his existing rage on this new annoyance. And apparently that won’t trigger the Hulk-response. That’s why he’s always gritting his teeth in an wry smile, or wringing his hands, or being snarky - because he’s pissed the fuck off, and trying not to show it. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/5 "2016-02-19T13:43:06Z")
> [@Randolph](#): > > He turns into the Hulk when he becomes enraged - not just being angry, but growing angrier too fast. > > He’s learned that he can reduce the chances of this happening by keeping himself in a constantly-pissed-off state. Whatever it takes, mentally, to keep himself pissed off - thinking about the unfairness of his condition, dealing with the relative simpletons (almost everybody) fumbling about, etc - he’s doing it. Constantly. He’s effectively increasing the range of his non-Hulky anger. > > So if he gets jabbed with something pointy, sure, he’s angry about it. But since he was already angry about _“that bitch, over there, eating crackers like she owns the place”_, he’s not so much growing angrier as he is refocusing his existing rage on this new annoyance. And apparently that won’t trigger the Hulk-response. > > That’s why he’s always gritting his teeth in an wry smile, or wringing his hands, or being snarky - because he’s pissed the fuck off, and trying not to show it. That is a really good explanation! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/6 "2016-02-19T14:32:57Z")
That also is why his first transformation in The Avengers was so out of control and painful. He had been keeping The Other Guy in check with controlled transformations, and when an uncontrolled transformation came on due to the deck collapsing under him he fought it the entire time. This made the Hulk have to fight his way out, rather than just coming out. End result; A Really Pissed Off Hulk[sup]TM[/sup]. Just my fanwanking theory. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/7 "2016-02-19T15:19:02Z")
Agreed with everyone else. Plus, I totally get it. I’d always be angry, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/8 "2016-02-19T17:52:49Z")
Banner always being angry could be a side effect of the accident, but I thought it was a reference to South Park’s “T.M.I.” episode. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/9 "2016-02-19T17:59:09Z")
> [@Uniqueorn](#): > > In the first Avengers movie, Cap asks Banner what is secret is and Banner replies with “I’m always angry” and turns into the Hulk. > > What did he mean by that? He’s always angry, that’s why he can turn into the Hulk at will? But sometimes he turns into the Hulk without wanting to do it, so what is he trying to say? Without reading anything but the OP: I took Banner to mean that his transformation into the Hulk is triggered not simply by anger, but by the transition from an calm state to an angry one, or from an an angry state to a MUCH angrier state – that is, by losing control. Thus, but constantly staying at a state of low irritation, he is able to trigger the change at will by relaxing his control. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/10 "2016-02-19T18:07:03Z")
I was a little more surprised by Banner being basically unkillable, i.e. he can Hulk out even faster than what would normally be an instantaneous death; shooting himself in the mouth. If he was guillotined, would the blade get halfway through his spine before being stopped and presumably repelled and its damage instantly healed by green invincibility? ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/11 "2016-02-19T18:07:20Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > That also is why his first transformation in The Avengers was so out of control and painful. He had been keeping The Other Guy in check with controlled transformations, and when an uncontrolled transformation came on due to the deck collapsing under him he fought it the entire time. This made the Hulk have to fight his way out, rather than just coming out. End result; A Really Pissed Off Hulk[sup]TM[/sup]. > > Just my fanwanking theory. I took the first transformation on the Helicarrier as an act of self-preservation, not so much as being angry. Just like when Banner was talking about his suicide attempt, but “the other guy spit it out,” and in Age of Ultron when Black Widow pushed him off the ledge. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/12 "2016-02-19T18:14:25Z")
Does the Hulk ever get horny? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/13 "2016-02-19T18:42:06Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Does the Hulk ever get horny? Of course not. It would tear his pants, And the Hilk can nev ef tear his Purple Pants. It’s a trademark. You know, back for the first few years of The Hulk, he either had to get irradiated again to become The Hulk, or else the change happened by itself, for no discernable reason (Like Dr., Jeckyll’s later transformations into Edward Hyde). It wasn’t until this had gone on for ac few years that they finally decided that it was when he got angry that Banner became The Hulk – even though this was completely inconsistent with the original Legend of the Hulk. But comics evolve. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/14 "2016-02-19T18:49:08Z")
Marvel was hoping for a tie in with Snickers. If the deal had gone through Banner would have said “I’m always hungry” or possibly “I’m always hangry”. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/15 "2016-02-19T18:54:57Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > You know, back for the first few years of The Hulk, he either had to get irradiated again to become The Hulk, or else the change happened by itself, for no discernable reason (Like Dr., Jeckyll’s later transformations into Edward Hyde). It wasn’t until this had gone on for ac few years that they finally decided that it was when he got angry that Banner became The Hulk – even though this was completely inconsistent with the original Legend of the Hulk. But comics evolve. It’s interesting to read those early issues of The Hulk. Stan was obviously not quite sure what to do with him, so he was wildly throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck. For the first couple of issues, the change was triggered by nighttime. Then for about an issue, he was the Hulk permanently, but had to obey any commands Rick Jones gave him (and could even receive those commands telepathically). Then they invented a gamma gun, and he would shoot himself with fresh gamma rays to change back and forth. And sometimes, like you say, he would just change for no reason at all. One time all of him changed except his face, so he had Banner’s face on the Hulk’s body, and had to wear a rubber Hulk mask, which he just happened to have, to hide his identity. I swear I am not making this up. And somewhere in there, Stan (who never had the world’s best memory) switched from calling him Bruce Banner to calling him Bob Banner. Leading to the later sheepish “revelation” that his full name was actually Robert Bruce Banner, so you see, both Bruce and Bob are correct! No wonder the TV show called him David. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/16 "2016-02-19T19:02:47Z")
I asked this a few years ago and got some good answers. [This post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15074915#post15074915) has a similar but slightly different take. “I’m always angry” doesn’t quite jibe with Banner’s generally serene demeanor during his non-Hulk periods, and I liked **Tanbarkie’s** explanation for that. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/17 "2016-02-19T19:14:15Z")
I’ve always wondered: when “the other guy spit it out”, did he go on a rampage then? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/18 "2016-02-19T19:22:10Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Marvel was hoping for a tie in with Snickers. If the deal had gone through Banner would have said “I’m always hungry” or possibly “I’m always hangry”. I always thought that a good commercial would be with The Hulk meeting Robert Young, who at the time was a spokesman for Sanka decaffeinated coffee. In the TV commercials, Young would persuade people who were angry and on edge to try the decaffeinated brew. I imagined Young in his persona as _Marcus Welby, M.D._ (who he was playing at the time) , who Dr. Banner was visiting. Robert Young/Marcus Welby: well, now, Dr. Banner, what seems to be the problem? David/Bruce Banner: I don’t know, Dr. Welby, I just get so _ANGRY_. (Banner’s eyes start to turn green.) RY/MW: Now, now, try some of this Sanka… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/19 "2016-02-19T19:29:21Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > It’s interesting to read those early issues of The Hulk. Stan was obviously not quite sure what to do with him, so he was wildly throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck. For the first couple of issues, the change was triggered by nighttime. Then for about an issue, he was the Hulk permanently, but had to obey any commands Rick Jones gave him (and could even receive those commands telepathically). Then they invented a gamma gun, and he would shoot himself with fresh gamma rays to change back and forth. And sometimes, like you say, he would just change for no reason at all. One time all of him changed except his face, so he had Banner’s face on the Hulk’s body, and had to wear a rubber Hulk mask, which he just happened to have, to hide his identity. I swear I am not making this up. I know. I have a lot of those issues. The one with the Hulk having Banner’s head and wearing a mask was cute. At the end, the Hulk has been knocked out, and an army guy notices that he’s wearing a mask, so he starts to pull it off as The Hulk is waking up. When they pull off the mask, he’s reverted to his original Hulk Head, so his head looks like the mask, and the soldiers can’t figure out why the Hulk is wearing a Hulk mask. They explained earlier that Banner made the Hulk mask “in order to study the Hulk”. Exactly what he was studying with a mask isn’t clear. It was _Incredible Hulk_ #6 from 1962 > **[Incredible Hulk Vol 1 6](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Incredible_Hulk_Vol_1_6)** > > Featured Characters: ⏴ Hulk (Bruce Banner) ⏵ Supporting Characters: ⏴ Betty Ross ⏵ ⏴ General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross ⏵ ⏴ Rick Jones ⏵ Antagonists: Metal Master (Molyb) ⏵ (First appearance) Other... [https://search.yahoo.com/search;\_ylt=A0LEV19GbcdWnmoA8FpXNyoA;\_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA3lmcC10LTIwMQRncHJpZANzdk92TFc3QVJWZUlsc0haSUQzSnJBBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwM0BG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzIzBHF1ZXJ5A0h1bGsgd2l0aCBCYW5uZXIncyBoZWFkBHRfc3RtcAMxNDU1OTEwMjQz?p=Hulk+with+Banner's+head&fr2=sb-top-search&fr=yfp-t-201&fp=1](https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0LEV19GbcdWnmoA8FpXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyA3lmcC10LTIwMQRncHJpZANzdk92TFc3QVJWZUlsc0haSUQzSnJBBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwM0BG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzIzBHF1ZXJ5A0h1bGsgd2l0aCBCYW5uZXIncyBoZWFkBHRfc3RtcAMxNDU1OTEwMjQz?p=Hulk+with+Banner%27s+head&fr2=sb-top-search&fr=yfp-t-201&fp=1) [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=A0LEVw2qbcdWFi4AbGxXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTB0N2Noc21lBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p="Incredible+Hulk+6"&fr=yfp-t-201&fr2=piv-web#id=16&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Farticle%2F1%2F5%2F7%2F190157\_v1.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVw2qbcdWFi4AbGxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0N2Noc21lBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p=%22Incredible+Hulk+6%22&fr=yfp-t-201&fr2=piv-web#id=16&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Farticle%2F1%2F5%2F7%2F190157_v1.jpg&action=click) [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=A0LEVw2qbcdWFi4AbGxXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTB0N2Noc21lBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p="Incredible+Hulk+6"&fr=yfp-t-201&fr2=piv-web#id=121&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Farticle%2F1%2F8%2F5%2F190185\_v1.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVw2qbcdWFi4AbGxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0N2Noc21lBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNwaXZz?p=%22Incredible+Hulk+6%22&fr=yfp-t-201&fr2=piv-web#id=121&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.crackedcdn.com%2Fphpimages%2Farticle%2F1%2F8%2F5%2F190185_v1.jpg&action=click) > **[The 6 Stupidest Ways Superheroes Protected Secret Identities](https://www.cracked.com/article_20085_the-6-stupidest-ways-superheroes-protected-secret-identities.html)** > > Every respectable superhero must have a secret identity, because there's nothing more heroic than lying to everyone you know. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536/20 "2016-02-20T01:07:43Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > . . . If he was guillotined, would the blade get halfway through his spine before being stopped and presumably repelled and its damage instantly healed by green invincibility? That’s kinda the implication. How do comics super-speedsters “know” when a bullet is just about to hit them, so they can “speed up?” If they lived all their lives in fast mode, they’d go mad from boredom. (There was a beautiful sequence on that when Quicksilver was in conversation therapy with Doctor Samson.) The operative answer seems to be that heroes have a limited “danger sense” and can deploy their powers when they’re just about to be harmed. > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Does the Hulk ever get horny? I believe he had a (off-panel) sex scene with Thundra (?) quite recently. (I don’t think it was Lyra, but one of the current big bruiser babes.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avengers-im-always-angry/746536.md?page=2)