THE HULK

Real Name: Albert Poole

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Scientist

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: (sorta) Blake

Enemies: People (in general)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: "Midget", "Shorty", "Shrimp"

Base of Operations: An isolated laboratory in a dense forest

First Appearance: Strange Tales I#75/4 (June, 1960)

Powers/Abilities: Albert Poole was an amazing inventor who worked on growth serums and suits of armor. His Hulk armor was designed to lift over 100 tons (although this was not field-tested).

History: (Strange Tales I#75) - In college, Albert was mocked by other students because of his height, often disparingly referred to as "Shorty." He graduated with honors, and was able to set up a laboratory in the woods with an assistant, Blake. Poole intended to design a growth formula which would increase his height and thus bring an end to the mocking he had endured. When nothing came of their research, he decided to shift gears.

Poole decided to increase his height by different means -- he dreamed up a robotic suit of armor which he could operate, thus making him taller than any human. He and Blake set to work on the armor, but when Blake accidentally wrecked an audio impulse generator, Poole furiously drove him away. When the armor -- "the Hulk" -- was finally ready, Poole entered it, but found that he had forgotten the starter key outside. Already sealed inside the armor, Poole could not open the armor from the inside unless it was already running. The only person who knew he was there and what he was working on was Blake, whom he had already driven away. He was left with no apparent way out of his dilemma.

Comments: Created by Stan Lee and Paul Reinman.

    This story was reprinted in Tomb of Darkness#22, with "Hulk" changed to "Grutan."

Albert Poole has a modern counterpart in Professor Vic Chalker, who like Albert Poole seems to be a graduate of the Wile E. Coyote School Of Technology ;) .
--Gammatotem

Profile by Prime Eternal

CLARIFICATIONS:
Albert Poole should not be confused with:

• The Hulk, Robert Bruce Banner, @ Incredible Hulk I#1
• Metallo, another Iron Man "prototype", @ Tales of Suspense I#16
• Albert Poole, who walked on water, @ Tales to Astonish I#12
• Elias Poole, crackpot inventor, @ Tales of Suspense I#31
• Lonnie Poole, paranormal, victim of Justice, @ Justice#16
• Wilbur Poole, creator of Elektro, @ Tales of Suspense I#13