Hero of the Day (from the 41st century, Hulk character)

HERO OF THE DAY

Real Name: Unknown, perhaps none

Identity/Class: Extra-Temporal (41st Century, Earth-8386) Human technology user

Occupation: Soldiering, against anyone else on the planet

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: Ally of the Hulk, formerly told what to do by a Kang robot

Enemies: Every Human on his planet, a Kang robot, (formerly) the Hulk

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: Hero

Base of Operations: The 41st Century

First Appearance: Incredible Hulk II#286 (August, 1983)

Powers/Abilities: None himself, although Hero wore armor that protected him from the poison gases in the atmosphere of his world. His battle pack also supplied him with rations. Hero's helmet had earphones that always replay the message "Destroy the Enemy". Hero also carried a gun that emitted gamma rays in strong enough doses to kill most things.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond

History: He grew up in 41st Century Earth, in a timeline where Earth had been conquered by Kang. Kang promoted warfare, but after he left, his orders were mindlessly repeated by robot versions of himself.

(Incredible Hulk II#286) - The man now known as Hero of the Day received an award called Hero of the Day given to a new soldier every day, and had his picture posted up on signs all around his world. Hero was immensely proud, but as the day ended, another soldier shot him at the same time he was hit by lighting from a 'gamma storm'. Sent back through time to contemporary Earth-616, Hero met the Hulk. After a small scuffle, lighting from a gamma storm occurring in the present struck both the Hulk and Hero. The Hulk and Hero arrived in the future a day after Hero had left. Hero saw a poster for the new Hero of the Day and realized he wasn't supposed to live long enough to learn that his fame was meant to be fleeting. Upon meeting more enemy soldiers, the Hulk and Hero fought side by side and fended them off, though the Hulk was captured. The imprisoned Hulk was led to the king, which turned out to be Kang the Conqueror, who said the same orders (Destroy the Enemy) playing in everyone's heads. Hulk freed himself while Hero rescued the Hulk by blowing Kang's head off, revealing him to be a robot. The Hulk then proceeded to destroy the robot. Hero tried to show all the soldiers they didn't have to listen to the king anymore, and tried to teach them to change. But not knowing anything besides war, the soldiers reacted predictably, and cut Hero down. Kneeling at his body, the Hulk and Hero disappeared.

(Incredible Hulk II#287) - Returning to his own era with Hero, Hulk gave him a burial.

Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema, and Kim DeMulder

I thought Hero was a pretty interesting character and I think perhaps the real Kang could find a way to rescue him. I also wouldn't mind seeing his world again.
I always loved that story, too--Snood. ---'Stroy 'Nemy! 'Stroy! 'Stroy! 'Stroy!

Here are the meanings of some of Hero's language:
Stroy=Destroy
Nemy= Enemy
Tacking= Attacking
Structs= Instructions

Per the "order" of Edward Tyndall (AKA Coeloptera, who should not be confused with our very own Beetle, Kim Henckel--Kyle):

In regards to the "Hero of the Day" profile, the basic concept for the character (his programmed combat, the talking helmet, and his truncated language) all seem to be derived from a 1964 Outer Limits episode titled "Soldier," written by Harlan Ellison for the show.

In that episode, a soldier from the future is struck by an energy beam at the same time [as] one of his foes. The confluence of energies tear[s] a hole in time and thrust[s] the soldier, one Quarlo Klobregnie (I believe that's how it's spelled) serial letters RMENTNDO, into the past. His foe is caught between times for much of the episode as a linguist and his family try and teach Quarlo that war does not have to be his entire life. In the end, his foe manages to be freed from the time rift and tracks Quarlo to the linguist's home. There, Quarlo attacks his foe (who he refers to only as "Enemy") and they both perish. In the end, we are left to wonder if Quarlo attacked the enemy to protect his newfound friends, or merely as a reflexive response to the programming he has followed his entire life.

The reason Quarlo was released to a linguist was simple, he was the only one who figured out what Quarlo was saying after he was eventually captured by the police (after melting a cop car and causing general havoc). Strapped down, Quarlo ranted thusly: "Nem's Quarlo Klobregnie! Prite! Arem ee-en tee-en deeoh!" The linguist figured out this was "gutter English, vastly speeded up" and interspersed with his own slang. He was saying, "My name is Quarlo Klobregnie, private. RMENTNDO." Quarlo's helment also constantly ordered him to "Find enemy. Kill enemy." Overall, [this was] one of the finest episodes of the Outer Limits.

There was an apology to Harlan Ellison in one of the Hulk's letter cols, as his credit for "inspiring" the story several issues earlier was accidentally omitted--Kyle Smith.

Hero of the Day has a profile in World War Hulk: The Gamma Files.

Profile by: Sammy7D

Clarifications:
No known connection to:
Gilgamesh, aka Hero, Forgotten One, and many other aliases, @ Eternals I#13, Thor I#287, Avengers I#300

Appearances:
Incredible Hulk II#286 (August, 1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Kim DeMulder (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)
Incredible Hulk II#287 (September, 1983) - Bill Mantlo (writer), Sal Buscema (pencils), Chic Stone (inks), Al Milgrom (editor)

Last updated: 10/25/02

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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