Jeremy Lin to appear in 'Totally Awesome Hulk' comic
The Incredible Hulk is officially Lin-sane in the membrane.
Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin, who signed a three-year contract this summer, will be appearing in Marvel Comics' "Totally Awesome Hulk" series in December.
"I was here in New York when Linsanity happened and it never stopped for me," said Greg Pak, who's writing the issue. "I followed him everywhere. I just love the guy. And at a certain point, I just found myself thinking, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if the biggest Asian-American superhero met the biggest Asian-American sports star?’"
The Hulk mantle has been taken over by Korean-American character Amadeus Cho, who made his debut in 2005 in the "Amazing Fantasy" series.
When Pak pitched his storyline idea to Lin's people, what immediately caught the 28-year-old's attention was how similar his hair was to Cho's.
"They had me with Hulk’s hair. We’re kindred spirits," Lin said. "It is an honor and a cool opportunity to become part of the Amadeus Cho, 'Totally Awesome Hulk’ storyline. Additionally, I think it’s great that Marvel is making real efforts to add diversity to its superheroes and their origin stories."
Editor-in-chief Axel Alonso was in attendance when Lin scored 28 points for the New York Knicks in a 99-88 win against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 6, 2012.
"It was phenomenal,” Alonso said. "Seeing an Asian guy basically own the floor and single-handedly win the game, you just don’t see that. ... I’ve been to Madison Square Garden countless times, but I’ve never seen the Garden embrace someone like an everyman hero like that.
"The idea of having Lin in a Marvel comic book was exciting," he continued, “and Greg did not need to have to sell me on the synergy of having Amadeus Cho team up with Jeremy. It was really a matter of finding a way that the story could connect and make sense. And he’s done just that."
- With h/t to amny.com