Puffball Collective
Encyclopedia
Puffball Collective
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #301
Last Appearance: Incredible Hulk # 308
Origin: Shortly after the Incredible Hulk was banished to the Crossroads (a dimension of infinite time and space containing an infinite number of gateways to any and all worlds and dimensions, where Hulk could hopefully find a world where he would finally know peace.) by Doctor Strange
for becoming too great a danger to himself and others, Hulk met an entity called the Puffball Collective. The Puffball Collective was composed of a multitude of pale yellow thistle-like puffballs. The Puffball Collective tried help the Hulk, who had lost all of Bruce Banner's intellect and persona and now had the mentality of a feral animal. The Puffball Collective inspired the Hulk to try to think and survive, to try to find food to eat before the Hulk starved to death. The Puffball Collective would sometime psychically probe Hulk's mind just to get a response out of him.
Though the Puffball Collective could not leave the Crossroads, it and the Hulk defeated the U-Foes
, who had accidentally trapped themselves there. Later the Hulk and the Puffball Collective became part of the crew of the space vessel Andromeda, helmed by Xeron the Starslayer and Captain Cybor. With the help of a powerful force field the Puffball Collective was finally able to leave the Crossroads and help the crew of the Andromeda pursue Klaatu the Energy Eater.
After Hulk and the Puffball Collective returned to the Crossroads, the Puffball Collective asked the Hulk to help it return to it homeworld. A world it described as a paradise
until it was destroyed by a dark evil that had spread across the land. Though it could now leave the Crossroads, the gateway to its world was barricaded by chains which the Puffball Collective lacked the strength to break but the Hulk could.
Finding the Puffball Collective's world was now a desolate wasteland
the Hulk finally learned the truth. The Puffball Collective was once part of a greater worldwide Collective. The small faction of the greater Collective which was the Puffball Collective secretly studied arcane magic. Using this magic it summoned a horde of demon
s. The N'Garai demons quickly started killing the Collective and destroying the planet. When the worldwide Collective discovered that the Puffball Collective was responsible for summoning the N'Garai demons, the worldwide Collective exiled the Puffball Collective to the Crossroads.
Betrayed to the N'Garai by the Puffball Collective, the Hulk escaped with the help of three parts of his subconscious
who manifested themselves as the entities Glow, Guardian, and Goblin. Once back at the Crossroads the Hulk quickly repaired the chains that had once blocked the gateway to the Puffball Collective's world, leaving the Puffball Collective to be destroyed by the very demons he summoned ages ago.
The Puffball Collective was also a telepath. It could probe the mind of the Hulk and read it like a book (Please note that a the time the Hulk had the mind of the Savage Hulk and only a few of Banner's memories.). It could also project its thoughts. Though it is never stated, one could surmise that these abilities may come from living as part of a collective of billions of such creatures.
First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #301
Last Appearance: Incredible Hulk # 308
Origin: Shortly after the Incredible Hulk was banished to the Crossroads (a dimension of infinite time and space containing an infinite number of gateways to any and all worlds and dimensions, where Hulk could hopefully find a world where he would finally know peace.) by Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
for becoming too great a danger to himself and others, Hulk met an entity called the Puffball Collective. The Puffball Collective was composed of a multitude of pale yellow thistle-like puffballs. The Puffball Collective tried help the Hulk, who had lost all of Bruce Banner's intellect and persona and now had the mentality of a feral animal. The Puffball Collective inspired the Hulk to try to think and survive, to try to find food to eat before the Hulk starved to death. The Puffball Collective would sometime psychically probe Hulk's mind just to get a response out of him.
Though the Puffball Collective could not leave the Crossroads, it and the Hulk defeated the U-Foes
U-Foes
U-Foes are a fictional comic book supervillain team appearing in various series published by Marvel Comics. The group first appeared in Incredible Hulk #254...
, who had accidentally trapped themselves there. Later the Hulk and the Puffball Collective became part of the crew of the space vessel Andromeda, helmed by Xeron the Starslayer and Captain Cybor. With the help of a powerful force field the Puffball Collective was finally able to leave the Crossroads and help the crew of the Andromeda pursue Klaatu the Energy Eater.
After Hulk and the Puffball Collective returned to the Crossroads, the Puffball Collective asked the Hulk to help it return to it homeworld. A world it described as a paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
until it was destroyed by a dark evil that had spread across the land. Though it could now leave the Crossroads, the gateway to its world was barricaded by chains which the Puffball Collective lacked the strength to break but the Hulk could.
Finding the Puffball Collective's world was now a desolate wasteland
Wasteland
-Literature:* Wasteland , the Celtic motif of the land of the Fisher King* The Waste Land, a poem by T. S. Eliot* The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, a novel by Stephen King* Wasteland , a novel by Francesca Lia Block...
the Hulk finally learned the truth. The Puffball Collective was once part of a greater worldwide Collective. The small faction of the greater Collective which was the Puffball Collective secretly studied arcane magic. Using this magic it summoned a horde of demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s. The N'Garai demons quickly started killing the Collective and destroying the planet. When the worldwide Collective discovered that the Puffball Collective was responsible for summoning the N'Garai demons, the worldwide Collective exiled the Puffball Collective to the Crossroads.
Betrayed to the N'Garai by the Puffball Collective, the Hulk escaped with the help of three parts of his subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
who manifested themselves as the entities Glow, Guardian, and Goblin. Once back at the Crossroads the Hulk quickly repaired the chains that had once blocked the gateway to the Puffball Collective's world, leaving the Puffball Collective to be destroyed by the very demons he summoned ages ago.
Physical attributes/ abilities
The Puffball Collective generally appeared as a nondescript pile of pale yellow fluff. Though it could imitate the shape of anything it encountered, it appeared to be limited to roughly its own size which was between 6 to 8 feet tall. It also could not duplicate that object's ability ( I.E. It could not lift any kind great weights like the Hulk.) The Puffball Collective could not be harmed by physical force. It could only be scattered and could simply just reform its shape. It was however vulnerable to heat and fire.The Puffball Collective was also a telepath. It could probe the mind of the Hulk and read it like a book (Please note that a the time the Hulk had the mind of the Savage Hulk and only a few of Banner's memories.). It could also project its thoughts. Though it is never stated, one could surmise that these abilities may come from living as part of a collective of billions of such creatures.