10 Incredible Comic Book Panels That Changed Everything
2. Doctor Banner, Jolted By Gamma Rays
Marvel Comics
You know we had to have at least some Kirby in here, and while it probably isn't the choice most would expect, there's something altogether horrifying and beautiful about Bruce Banner's origins.
The greens, the yellows and the narration itself all lend a magnetic quality to Banner's gamma ray-infused transformation, seen for the first time in The Incredible Hulk #1, and serves as a reminder that, while the Hulk himself might be a hero, his comic has its roots firmly in the horror genre.
Kirby would, of course, lend his talents to both Marvel and DC, and later create a number of iconic characters for both companies. And again, while this might not be the most famous Kirby drawing out there, there's something oddly captivating about Banner's gamma-based accident - an element owed in part by yes, Lee's iconic narration, but more importantly by Kirby's and Paul Reinman's art.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
