Boris Johnson compared himself to the Hulk and the internet reacted with scorn

In an interview with the Mail On Sunday, Johnson likened Britain to the fictional scientist Bruce Banner, who transforms into the monstrous green Hulk when he is angry in the Marvel superhero comics and movies.

He said: “Banner might be bound in manacles, but when provoked he would explode out of them…

“Hulk always escaped, no matter how tightly bound in he seemed to be – and that is the case for this country. We will come out on October 31 and we will get it done.”

Twitter was quick to point out the ridiculousness of the analogy.

https://twitter.com/davidschneider/status/1172989830059495425

“The Hulk is an entity made up of two opposing sides, one based on logic, the other on anger, at war with each other for control, causing much unnecessary destruction. Hard to see the relevance to Brexit…” said the Larry the Cat parody account.

“More incredible sulk than incredible hulk” wrote David Allen Green.

Thomas Cogley tweeted: “The Incredible Hulk TV show always ended with Dr David Banner having to move on to another town, because he’d messed everything up.”

“The only difference being the Hulk was famous for keeping his trousers on,” joked Ian Hyland.

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1173006568553701376

“I also note, with reference to the Hulk, that Theresa May’s ‘red, white and blue Brexit’ has morphed effortlessly into a ‘green, violent and emotionally unstable’ Brexit” mused Stephen McGann.

“Of course, the Hulk is a child-like rage monster solely driven by id and oblivious to the damage he causes, so sounds about right”, said Martyn Peddler.

“Would this be the Incredible Hulk that is inspired by Mr. Hyde and commonly portrayed as a raging savage, inadvertently and indiscriminately destroying everything in its path, whose own alter ego has spent decades trying to quell?” responded Richard Littler.

Paul Bernal tweeted: “There’s a reason none of the Hulk movies really worked. He’s a bloody difficult ‘hero’ to build something around. He’s tragic and fundamentally flawed – and misunderstood. Tragically, in his use of the metaphor, Boris Johnson clearly misunderstood him.”

https://twitter.com/MatthewGreen02/status/1173175444205707264

“A reminder that every episode of the Incredible Hulk used to end with a lonely and regretful man unsuccessfully trying to hitch a lift on the side of the road” added @BeardedGenius.

Mike Galsworthy simply responded: “Memo to the PM: The hulk is not real”.

But others were quick to point out that the media and commentators were playing into the prime minister’s hands as the Hulk started to trend on Twitter.

Labour MP David Lammy wrote: “Don’t be distracted by Boris Johnson’s Donald Trump impression.

https://twitter.com/DeanRed123/status/1172990233899675649

“We have a prime minister hell-bent on breaking the law to impose a catastrophic no-deal Brexit on a country which has never voted for it.

“He’s not the Hulk, he’s threatening to become a criminal.”

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt tweeted: “Even to Trumpian standards the Hulk comparison is infantile. Is the EU supposed to be scared by this? The British public impressed? Is this Boris Johnson whistling in the dark?”