The Hulk is used to smashing giant monsters and supervillains, but one particular island almost literally scared him to death.

The Hulk is one of Marvel's most troubled heroes, struggling with his inner demons throughout his comic book history. Bruce Banner's traumatic past and fractured psyche make him a uniquely compelling character. The Hulk'stroubled mind almost hit a breaking pointwhen he was confronted by an island of his worst nightmares.

"Tempus Fugit," took place inIncredible Hulk#77-81 by Peter David and Lee Weeks. Swimming at the bottom of the ocean, the Hulk encountered a monstrous squid, which gave him an arduous battle. After defeating the monster, Hulk washedashore of a nearby island, turning back into Bruce Banner. Immediately, Banner was attacked by another monster, before he was saved by Ripley and Gwen, two ordinary humans who were stranded on the island.

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After brief introductions, the three survivors were attacked by the Gray Hulk, greatly surprising Banner. Turning back intothe Hulk, Banner allowed the others to get away while he fought off his early incarnation. During their escape, Gwen and Ripley encountered General Thunderbolt Ross, who convinced them that the island was a military operation. The military was apparently using technology to produce artificial hallucinations from the enemy's psyche, in this case, Banner's mind. The Green Goliath, meanwhile, killed the Gray Hulk before fighting Fin Fang Foom and throwing him into a volcano. Whoever was running the island was observing the Hulk very carefully, gaining glimpses into Banner's past. Indeed, the story frequently presented flashbacks to Banner's teenage years, living with his aunt. During this time, the Hulk persona was an active part of Banner's mind, talking to him and convincing him to fight back against bullies and all those who laughed at him. The Hulk's influence became especially dangerous when he got Banner to plant a bomb at his school, before Banner rushed to defuse it.

Back in the present day, the Hulk was confronted by Wolverine, dressed in his original Department H uniform. After the Hulk fought Logan, he turned back to Banner, realizing that none of these recent events could be real. When Kang The Conqueror appeared, Banner's suspicions were confirmed. What Banner didn't know, however, was that "Wolverine" would stab him through the chest. Awakening in an asylum, Banner was greeted by Doc Samson, who tried to convince Bruce that he'd been an inmate for years. Unconvinced, Banner became the Hulk, strangling Samson until he transformed into General Ross, Betty Ross and Mephisto, before revealing his true form. Finally, Nightmare emerged, revealing Gwen as his daughter, "Daydream."

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Apparently, Nightmare created this island to experiment with his power, blurring the line between dreams and reality. The Hulk was his "prime test case," since The Jade Giant had interfered with his plans so many times before. The enemies who Hulk had fought were the Mindless Ones, borrowed from the Dark Dimension. Nightmare also revealed that he'd fabricated some of the Hulk's recent memories, before he even came to the island.

In a rather disturbing twist, Nightmare tauntedthe Hulk by claiming that he had conceived Daydream with a comatose Betty Ross. Enraged,the Green Goliath decapitated Nightmare, before riding off on the demon's horse. Gwen and Ripley, meanwhile, vanished, to live happily ever after. Shortly afterwards, however, Betty Ross washed ashore on the same island. Greeted by Nightmare, disguised as her father, Betty was assured that she was just waking up from a bad dream. Althoughthe Hulk survived an island of nightmares, he wasn't able to fully extinguish their creator's eternal torment.

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Nabeel Gaber is a longtime reader of a plethora of comic books. He's based in Houston, Texas, following all of the latest comic book media from movies to television. Nabeel is a graduate of Trinity University, working now as a freelance comic book features writer. In his spare time, Nabeel enjoys running, improv comedy, and all the comics he can get his hands on!

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Hulk: How Bruce Banner Survived an Island of His WORST Nightmares - CBR - Comic Book Resources