The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Encyclopedia
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is a video game developed by Radical Entertainment
and based on Marvel Comics
' Hulk
. The game was released on August 24, 2005 in the United States and in September 2005 in Europe.
environment in which the player can visit most locations and interact with the environment while not engaged in missions. The game's bosses
include Devil Hulk
and Mercy
, and the game's main villain is the Abomination
.
Boasting "Unstoppable Movement" means Hulk can run across walls and other vertical surfaces, climb any wall by digging his fingers into concrete, leap huge heights and distances all under the player's control. Hulk's combat abilities also reflect this increased power; cars and buses are simply smashed out of the way while fully charged attacks will toss vehicles, enemies and unlucky pedestrians into the air. At his most powerful, the Hulk can perform one of five different ultra-powerful Devastator attacks including the Critical Atomic Slam and the Critical Thunderclap. These attacks will clear enemies out for a multi-block radius, flatten entire buildings, and cause massive damage to enemies.
The game includes the voice talent of Ron Perlman
, Richard Moll
, and Neal McDonough
, who is reprising his role of Bruce Banner which he first began in the 1996 Incredible Hulk animated series.
as he attempts to create a machine to cure himself, transforming into the Hulk and letting off steam in an area where he cannot endanger innocent people. Banner is making little progress on the machine, however, and his health is deteriorating rapidly. Banner's friend Doc Samson
contacts Banner and asks him to come to his hideout where they can build the machine together, but Banner refuses, as he does not want to endanger anyone.
Suddenly, Banner's cabin is destroyed by a missile. The Division, a specialized branch of the NSA dealing with the threat of mutated humans, is attacking. The Division is jointly led by the psychotic mutant-hater Emil Blonsky
and the Hulk's old foe General Thunderbolt Ross
. Banner transforms into the Hulk, easily beats his assailants, and escapes to Samson's hideout in a secluded church. As Ross berates Blonsky for allowing the Hulk to escape, Blonsky impulsively grabs a vial from the remains of Banner's cabin and is engulfed in gamma rays.
As the game progresses, Samson uses a special device to control the Hulk through post-hypnotic suggestion
, and sends him on various errands into the city and the badlands, either to help construct the machine or to hinder the ever-growing presence of the Division. Time is running out, as a new, darker personality is slowly taking control of Banner's mind.
Meanwhile, Ross and Blonsky's mutual animosity towards each other grows into open hostility, due to Blonsky's increasing paranoid and irrational behavior, especially his overstepping his authority to secure a mysterious prisoner, "Mission Directive", in the secret military research facility known as the Vault. After an argument with Ross, Blonsky loses control and transforms into a massive reptilian-like creature. Having become what he hates - a mutant - Blonsky dubs himself the Abomination. The Abomination goes on a rampage until the Hulk arrives. Although the Abomination is the stronger of the two, his transformation is not fully stable, and the Hulk beats him in combat. When the battle is over, Blonsky transforms to his human form before his men can arrive and blames the Abomination's rampage on the Hulk.
When Hulk is sent to fetch fuel rods from a nuclear power plant to power the machine, he finds Blonsky's bodyguard Mercy waiting for him. The two battle, and when the Hulk emerges triumphant Mercy reveals that she had no choice but to follow orders, as Blonsky has placed a tracking device in her skull and is monitoring her every move. Mercy attempts to reveal to the Hulk the true identity of Mission Directive and why Blonsky is so obsessed with it, but before she can Blonsky orders an air strike on the area. Mercy is killed and while Banner escapes with his life, the stress of the situation takes its toll and his evil alter ego, the Devil Hulk, begins to emerge.
Under the Devil Hulk's influence, the Hulk destroys civilian buildings, killing many innocents, under the illusion that Samson is ordering him to destroy Division locations. When Samson sends Hulk on a mission to retrieve a package from Division headquarters, he is lured into an ambush, as it is revealed that Samson has been conspiring with Ross, fearing the threat of an out-of-control Hulk. Ross faces the Hulk in a gigantic Hulkbuster mech, which the Hulk destroys. Having no choice, Samson puts the Hulk to sleep with his hypnotic device.
Banner is taken to the Vault, where Blonsky prepares to peel open Banner's mind, as he has become obsessed with discovering the secret of controlling gamma-based transformations. The agony of his interrogation draws out the Devil Hulk's power once more, and the Hulk breaks free. When Blonsky is cornered by the Hulk, the stress causes him to become the Abomination again, and his identity is revealed in front of the entire Division. Blaming the Hulk for ruining his life, the Abomination flees the Vault, as does the Hulk.
Back at the church, Banner confronts Samson for betraying him, but forgives him when Samson reveals that he used Banner's captivity as a diversion to secure a vital component of the machine. Before the machine can be completed, however, Ross discovers the church and orders it destroyed. The Hulk defends the church as Samson makes the final adjustments. Now Banner journeys into his own tortured psyche to defeat his inner demon. The Devil Hulk mocks the Hulk, calling him a weak child, but the Hulk stands his ground, beating the Devil Hulk in combat and banishing him from Banner's mind.
Emil Blonsky is not so fortunate. An outcast from society robbed of his dignity and position, he pleads with the Abomination for his life back. Instead, the Abomination appeals to Blonsky's obsession with Mission Directive, saying it will be the only way for him to get his revenge. He then mutates into a larger and much stronger version of the Abomination and heads for the badlands. The Abomination breaks back into the Vault, destroying all in his path. The Hulk follows, expecting a fight, and is surprised to find a heartbroken Blonsky cradling the dead body of a heavily mutated woman.
In tears, Blonsky reveals that Mission Directive was his pregnant wife, Nadia. Early in her pregnancy, Nadia was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
, and Blonsky exposed her to gamma radiation in hopes of curing her. Instead, it transformed her into an aquatic mutant, and his reasons for obsessively pursuing the Hulk were in hopes of learning how to control the transformation and change her back. Banner tries to comfort Blonsky, but Blonsky, having lost everything he loved, blames Banner for his misery and transforms back into the highly mutated Abomination. Vowing to "return the favor a thousand times over", the Abomination heads for the local dam, as during his tenure with the Division Blonsky deduced that the destruction of the dam would destroy the city before it could be evacuated.
Both the Hulk and Ross' Division forces pursue the Abomination, and they have a final battle on top of the dam. After being beaten by the Hulk, the Abomination plays his final card. "You didn't win, Banner. Nobody ever wins when you're involved. When they print the morning edition, do you know what the headline is going to say? No survivors." With a final whisper of "Nadia...", the Abomination smashes the dam apart, disappearing underneath the massive wall of water and presumably drowning. However, Blonsky is denied even a pyrrhic victory
, as the Hulk creates a landslide to stop the flow of water, saving the city in the nick of time.
Despite this heroic act, Ross sees to it that the world blames the Hulk for the dam's destruction. Samson laments this turn of events, as he and Banner were nearly successful in curing Banner. Samson offers his help again, but Banner turns him down, as the world will never trust the Hulk, and he sets off on his own. The game ends as it begins, with the Hulk rampaging mindlessly across the badlands.
Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
and based on Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. The game was released on August 24, 2005 in the United States and in September 2005 in Europe.
Gameplay
The player controls the Hulk in an open worldOpen world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
environment in which the player can visit most locations and interact with the environment while not engaged in missions. The game's bosses
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
include Devil Hulk
Devil Hulk
-Publication history:The Devil Hulk was created by Paul Jenkins, Ron Garney, and Sal Buscema. He first appeared in The Incredible Hulk Vol.2 .-Fictional character history:...
and Mercy
Mercy (comics)
Mercy is a fictional villain at the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:"Mercy" Abigail Wright is an extremely unpredictable and dangerous foe, and has given multiple explanations to her origin, including being an alien, and angel, or, most recently, a woman who gained her powers...
, and the game's main villain is the Abomination
Abomination (comics)
The Abomination is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
.
Boasting "Unstoppable Movement" means Hulk can run across walls and other vertical surfaces, climb any wall by digging his fingers into concrete, leap huge heights and distances all under the player's control. Hulk's combat abilities also reflect this increased power; cars and buses are simply smashed out of the way while fully charged attacks will toss vehicles, enemies and unlucky pedestrians into the air. At his most powerful, the Hulk can perform one of five different ultra-powerful Devastator attacks including the Critical Atomic Slam and the Critical Thunderclap. These attacks will clear enemies out for a multi-block radius, flatten entire buildings, and cause massive damage to enemies.
The game includes the voice talent of Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
, Richard Moll
Richard Moll
Charles Richard Moll is an American actor and voice artist,best known for playing Bull Shannon, the bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1983 to 1992...
, and Neal McDonough
Neal McDonough
Neal P. McDonough is an American film, television and voice actor.-Career:In 1991, McDonough won the Best Actor Dramalogue for "Away Alone". McDonough has made many television and film appearances since then, including Band of Brothers, Boomtown, Star Trek: First Contact, Minority Report and The...
, who is reprising his role of Bruce Banner which he first began in the 1996 Incredible Hulk animated series.
Plot
The game's prologue reveals that Bruce Banner has exiled himself in a cabin in the American badlandsBadlands
A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...
as he attempts to create a machine to cure himself, transforming into the Hulk and letting off steam in an area where he cannot endanger innocent people. Banner is making little progress on the machine, however, and his health is deteriorating rapidly. Banner's friend Doc Samson
Doc Samson
Doc Samson is a fictional character, a superhero and psychiatrist in the Marvel Comics universe, known as a supporting character in stories featuring the Hulk.-Publication history:...
contacts Banner and asks him to come to his hideout where they can build the machine together, but Banner refuses, as he does not want to endanger anyone.
Suddenly, Banner's cabin is destroyed by a missile. The Division, a specialized branch of the NSA dealing with the threat of mutated humans, is attacking. The Division is jointly led by the psychotic mutant-hater Emil Blonsky
Abomination (comics)
The Abomination is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
and the Hulk's old foe General Thunderbolt Ross
Thunderbolt Ross
General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross is a fictional character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as an adversary of the Hulk, sometimes as a supervillain. Ross is a United States military officer, the father of Betty Ross, ex-father in-law of Glenn Talbot and the father in-law...
. Banner transforms into the Hulk, easily beats his assailants, and escapes to Samson's hideout in a secluded church. As Ross berates Blonsky for allowing the Hulk to escape, Blonsky impulsively grabs a vial from the remains of Banner's cabin and is engulfed in gamma rays.
As the game progresses, Samson uses a special device to control the Hulk through post-hypnotic suggestion
Post-hypnotic suggestion
A Post-hypnotic suggestion is a behavior or thinking pattern that presumably will manifest after a subject has come out of the so-called "hypnotic state" .According to a psychologist at the University of New South Wales:...
, and sends him on various errands into the city and the badlands, either to help construct the machine or to hinder the ever-growing presence of the Division. Time is running out, as a new, darker personality is slowly taking control of Banner's mind.
Meanwhile, Ross and Blonsky's mutual animosity towards each other grows into open hostility, due to Blonsky's increasing paranoid and irrational behavior, especially his overstepping his authority to secure a mysterious prisoner, "Mission Directive", in the secret military research facility known as the Vault. After an argument with Ross, Blonsky loses control and transforms into a massive reptilian-like creature. Having become what he hates - a mutant - Blonsky dubs himself the Abomination. The Abomination goes on a rampage until the Hulk arrives. Although the Abomination is the stronger of the two, his transformation is not fully stable, and the Hulk beats him in combat. When the battle is over, Blonsky transforms to his human form before his men can arrive and blames the Abomination's rampage on the Hulk.
When Hulk is sent to fetch fuel rods from a nuclear power plant to power the machine, he finds Blonsky's bodyguard Mercy waiting for him. The two battle, and when the Hulk emerges triumphant Mercy reveals that she had no choice but to follow orders, as Blonsky has placed a tracking device in her skull and is monitoring her every move. Mercy attempts to reveal to the Hulk the true identity of Mission Directive and why Blonsky is so obsessed with it, but before she can Blonsky orders an air strike on the area. Mercy is killed and while Banner escapes with his life, the stress of the situation takes its toll and his evil alter ego, the Devil Hulk, begins to emerge.
Under the Devil Hulk's influence, the Hulk destroys civilian buildings, killing many innocents, under the illusion that Samson is ordering him to destroy Division locations. When Samson sends Hulk on a mission to retrieve a package from Division headquarters, he is lured into an ambush, as it is revealed that Samson has been conspiring with Ross, fearing the threat of an out-of-control Hulk. Ross faces the Hulk in a gigantic Hulkbuster mech, which the Hulk destroys. Having no choice, Samson puts the Hulk to sleep with his hypnotic device.
Banner is taken to the Vault, where Blonsky prepares to peel open Banner's mind, as he has become obsessed with discovering the secret of controlling gamma-based transformations. The agony of his interrogation draws out the Devil Hulk's power once more, and the Hulk breaks free. When Blonsky is cornered by the Hulk, the stress causes him to become the Abomination again, and his identity is revealed in front of the entire Division. Blaming the Hulk for ruining his life, the Abomination flees the Vault, as does the Hulk.
Back at the church, Banner confronts Samson for betraying him, but forgives him when Samson reveals that he used Banner's captivity as a diversion to secure a vital component of the machine. Before the machine can be completed, however, Ross discovers the church and orders it destroyed. The Hulk defends the church as Samson makes the final adjustments. Now Banner journeys into his own tortured psyche to defeat his inner demon. The Devil Hulk mocks the Hulk, calling him a weak child, but the Hulk stands his ground, beating the Devil Hulk in combat and banishing him from Banner's mind.
Emil Blonsky is not so fortunate. An outcast from society robbed of his dignity and position, he pleads with the Abomination for his life back. Instead, the Abomination appeals to Blonsky's obsession with Mission Directive, saying it will be the only way for him to get his revenge. He then mutates into a larger and much stronger version of the Abomination and heads for the badlands. The Abomination breaks back into the Vault, destroying all in his path. The Hulk follows, expecting a fight, and is surprised to find a heartbroken Blonsky cradling the dead body of a heavily mutated woman.
In tears, Blonsky reveals that Mission Directive was his pregnant wife, Nadia. Early in her pregnancy, Nadia was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
, and Blonsky exposed her to gamma radiation in hopes of curing her. Instead, it transformed her into an aquatic mutant, and his reasons for obsessively pursuing the Hulk were in hopes of learning how to control the transformation and change her back. Banner tries to comfort Blonsky, but Blonsky, having lost everything he loved, blames Banner for his misery and transforms back into the highly mutated Abomination. Vowing to "return the favor a thousand times over", the Abomination heads for the local dam, as during his tenure with the Division Blonsky deduced that the destruction of the dam would destroy the city before it could be evacuated.
Both the Hulk and Ross' Division forces pursue the Abomination, and they have a final battle on top of the dam. After being beaten by the Hulk, the Abomination plays his final card. "You didn't win, Banner. Nobody ever wins when you're involved. When they print the morning edition, do you know what the headline is going to say? No survivors." With a final whisper of "Nadia...", the Abomination smashes the dam apart, disappearing underneath the massive wall of water and presumably drowning. However, Blonsky is denied even a pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
, as the Hulk creates a landslide to stop the flow of water, saving the city in the nick of time.
Despite this heroic act, Ross sees to it that the world blames the Hulk for the dam's destruction. Samson laments this turn of events, as he and Banner were nearly successful in curing Banner. Samson offers his help again, but Banner turns him down, as the world will never trust the Hulk, and he sets off on his own. The game ends as it begins, with the Hulk rampaging mindlessly across the badlands.