Let's talk Samuce

It's no secret that I love the Sam Sterns x Bruce Banner gay ship (Samuce for short) and their canon platonique relationship so mI wanted to talk about it and what I love about their dynamic, so today let's talk Samuce !

For the two people who didn't quite follow, Sam Sterns aka the Leader is Hulk's main antagonist and Bruce Banner is, of course, the Hulk himself. It's your typical enemies to lover kind of fanship.
But the sexiness of such a relationship isn't the reason I like it so much, as I once said it's not about shipping, it's about healing.
The romance is just a bonus fanstuff and a lot of fun to me and I want to share why it's important to me, but there's also a real platonic relationship between Sam and Bruce in canon that I dig and love and I want to talk about that too, it's part of the reason I love this ship after all.
Little disclaimer, I'm only gonna talk about comics 'cause their cartoon dynamic are pretty much the same and while the MCU honestly had a good Samuce potential it seems to be dormant for now at least so we're gonna ignore it lol.

Before we dive in you need to read this to understand how hate and therefore love is important for Sam's writing.

Both Sam and Bruce are two different faces of a same coin. They have the same past, the same motivation, they're similar in a lot of way and parallel each others while opposing each others. They complet each others, they're litteraly the ying and the yang, it's not even subtil.
This is what Incredible Hulk is about after all, "is he a man or a monster or is he both ?", in Hulk nothing is fully wrong or right and so are Sam and Bruce. It's easy to think Sam is the monster, Bruce the man but as twisted and bad as Sam is, he does still have a human heart, he seeks love, peace and forgiveness. And Bruce does have a monster within and I'm not talking about any of his Hulk alters who're actually physically monsters with a man's heart, I'm talking about Bruce himself, he has a very dark side and is craving destruction.

So let's talk comics and canon first. I'll go back to why I like to ship them romantically after that :

Bruce is about Anger and Sam is about Hate, their destiny is intimatly connected and ultimatly they're meant to hurt together.

Immortal Hulk 13 (2019) writing by Al Ewing

This is probably why none of Bruce's love stories ended well, because he destroys every people who comes near him. We'll go back to that.

I once remember someone saying that Sam's writing in Tales to Astonish was pretty much a one-sided love story and it's kinda true. He was minding his own business and he developped a huge obsession for Hulk, so strong that it litteraly changed his life, not only because of the power Hulk holds but also because through him Sam saw a hope of putting an end to his loneliness, he saw a brother and a destiny. And boy how right he was.

Tales to Astonish 69 (1965) writing Stan lee pencil Bob Powell

The tragic brothers :

Incredible Hulk vol.2 31 (2001) writting by Paul Jenkins & Sean McKeever

Sam thinking him and Bruce are bounded by destiny is as old as his story, he was already talking about destiny and fate back in Tales to Astonish. But Immortal Hulk made it even more relevent through their ancestors' tragic story.

Tales to Astonish 69 (1965) writing Stan lee pencil Jack Kirby

Immortal Hulk was a blessing for Sam simps because not only did it add a lot to his personnality and powers, but also to his relationship with Bruce.

Immortal Hulk is full of parallel between them both :

Immortal Hulk
Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

And you know what's funny? In this moment of weakness and vulnerability, Bruce cried for Betty and Sam cried for Bruce.

But their parralel is even more obvious through the Immortal "origin story" of both of them.

Bruce pov : Avengers 684 (2018) writing by Al Ewing
Sam pov : Immortal Hulk 34 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Butch Guice

I talked about Sam's writing longer here if you wanna see more parallel between them.

But anyway, Immortal Hulk also developped their "destiny". In Immortal Hulk you learn how Sam and Bruce are somehow blood related through their great great grandfather and that their respective great grandfathers (two bothers) had a deadly fight in which Sam's great grandfather got killed by Bruce's.

Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

Now there's an interesting thing about gamma, it reveals your true self and when the two brothers are exposed to its light, it projects the Leader and Hulk's shadow. Most people think it's just a way to say "our great grand children" are Sam and Bruce but consider this.

First of all their name, Samuel Sterns and Robert Sterns. I don't need to remind you that Sam's name is Samuel Sterns and Bruce is Robert Bruce Banner and not just Bruce Banner.

Second, Samuel (the first) has the exact same face as Sam, Hulk confused them both when he met his "ghost" Below. (Note that these ghosts don't just randomly show up, they have a reason to and here the reason is Hulk "is" Robert)

Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

And the same goes for Robert. Look at his faceshape, his jawline, his nose, his brows even. He's a "human" Hulk, his face is litteraly Hulk's. There's also a lot of parralels between Robert and Hulk

Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

And of course this one with Hulk's shadow visible again :

Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

And when Bruce goes full destructive and crazy he calls himself Robert rather than Bruce so it seems pretty clear that at least their destiny (if not a part of them) live through Sam and Bruce, that's probably the reason they keep fighting each others and when Hulk spared Sam rather than letting him die he might have broke that circle. After all it took Samuel's death by the hand of Robert to open the door and it closed when Hulk lend his hand to Sam.

But there's an interesting third person in that story, the reason Robert killed Samuel, his wife, Beatrice. The first thing you should notice is how her name is oddly similar to Bruce.

You learn later that Samuel and her had an affair, out of loneliness. Because Samuel's wife and his kid left him and Robert was abusive to Beatrice, so they found comfort in each others.

Unfortunatly Robert found out, killed Samuel out of anger and he casted away his wife, Beatrice, as she was pregnant because he thought the baby was Samuel's (but considering Hulk has his face it was his) and revealing that Beatrice's maiden name was Banner.

Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

And so we can wonder, if Sam is Samuel and Hulk is Robert, then is Beatrice Bruce ? Is it why Sam can only find comfort with Bruce the same way Samuel could find it with Beatrice ?

Bruce is Sam's comforting thought :

Incredible Hulk vol.2 31 (2001) writting by Paul Jenkins & Sean McKeever

Everytime Sam feels in deep danger or scared and need someone to comfort him, he thinks about Bruce.

He explains it very well in Immortal Hulk, he has nobody else to pray to. But Sam finding comfort through Bruce isn't something new, it was already very visible in the run that inspired Sam's writing in Immortal Hulk, the one Bruce's "rejection" comes from, he already called for Bruce back then to comfort him and Bruce even mocked him until he realized he meant it and agreed to stay with him.

Immortal Hulk 34 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Butch Guice

When you think of it, Sam calling Bruce for help was his last words as the Leader and his first words as he was "reborn" as a human and freed.

Immortal Hulk 42 (2021) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Alex Lins, Adam Gorham, Rachael Stott

Immortal Hulk 50 (2021) writing by Al Ewing

Sam respects Bruce :

It's frustrating for every Hulk fans, the way Bruce's friends tend to poorly treat him and his DID (which is a friendly reminder that Bruce has a DID). Ironically one of the only character who has always respected each of Bruce's alter as their own person was Sam. The way he talks about them or to them change to one another, the way he calls Bruce's neuroA mind a strength rather than blaming him over it like his so-called "friends".

Immortal Hulk 38 (2020) writing by Al Ewing

He is also one of the only character who aknowledge (and enjoy) how powerful and smart Bruce is even without Hulk. Something Marvel themself tend to forget.

Incredible Hulk 606 (2010) writing by Greg Pak pencil by Paul Pelletier

Sam has a lot of respect for Bruce, he sees him as his equal, he has fun during this intellectual duel with him. He even seems to consider Bruce as more important (maybe even smarter) than heroes like Reed Richards.
He wants him to rules with him, he wants him by his side, on his own will rather than forcing him. That's the difference between Bruce and Hulk to Sam, he doesn't mind using Hulk, mind controlling him even, Hulk is nothing but a weapon and the mindless he is the better for Sam.

Incredible Hulk 281 (1982) writing by Bill Mantlo pencil by Sal Buscema

But for Bruce it was always different, he always took time to have small talks with him, he always tried to convince him to join him rather than forcing him.
His feelings for Bruce are complicated because he hates Hulk with all his heart but he has no reason to really hate Bruce after all, even if he tried to destroy his happiness out of pettiness and revenge a few time. That's why it's less "funny" (he has a weird definition of fun yes) to beat Bruce if he's Bruce and not Hulk. Because, at least until he "rejected" him, Sam had a grudge against Hulk but not so much on Bruce.

Incredible Hulk 342 (1987) writing by Peter David pencil by Tood McFarlane

And that's the thing, Sam's feeling for Bruce evolved from "Bruce is Hulk so I hate him" to "Bruce and Hulk are two different persons so I don't give a shit about Bruce" to "Bruce is the only one who can understand me and be my friend" to "he rejected him I will destroy humanity and all worlds with him 'cause I have no reason to keep my humanity anymore anyway"

Sam is lonely :

Immortal Hulk 34 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Butch Guice

It's not deeper than that really, Sam is lonely. He said it himself several time, he has nobody in his life and he tries to compensate, to find someone, anyone to be by his side, to love him and to admire him. As I explained already that's why he took the name of the Leader, because he wants to be one, a charismatic person people will follow and admire and love. That's how his obsession for Hulk started, not out of hate but out love. I'm not talking about a romantic love here, but still stronger than a mere friendship. He was looking for the family he never had, as he was hated by his own, that's why he often called Hulk his "brother" and we'll talk about his bro issues later, 'cause this alone deserve a whole post considering it's litteraly the root of his existence as the Leader and of his rivalry with Bruce (and as I say above as his destiny), for now let's focus on our matter.

And it's kinda sad 'cause he knows he's being fueld by Hate and he's still trying to find Love, still trying to save himself. And it's even sadder that to him the only person who can do that, who can save him is the person he keeps trying to hurt and keep away from himself somehow. The only person who "could" understand, who could be his friend, Bruce. That's why Bruce's "rejection" (and really it wasn't even a rejection, Sam misunderstood what Bruce was saying but he did care for him back then) is the reason he turned all evil and powerful, through his hate and ressent for him.

Immortal Hulk 34 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Butch Guice

And yes Sam's design in this pic is made after David Tennant.

But what about Bruce?

I mostly talk about Sam's pov on Bruce 'cause really there's not that much to say about Bruce and it's the most frustrating part of Sam's writing to me, his relationship with Bruce is merely explored. You have "he's Hulk archnemesis" and that's pretty much it, no deepness, nothing.
Until Immortal Hulk that is because Al Ewing did a crazy good job to give them a real connexion and depth after almost 60 years of history and I hope whoever will come next to write Sam will respect and keep that. As excited as I am for MCU Sam, I'm afraid the Synergy might keep them away once more but we'll see, it's way too soon to even mention it.
So what about Bruce? It's hard to say, Bruce certainly hates Sam as much as Sam hates him but he also kinda cares for him surprisingly. Maybe because he's Bruce, his heart is kind and he tends to easily forgive but he does care and while it's certainly not that present it's still shown a few time.
Like when he stayed by Sam's side and worried for him.

Incredible Hulk vol.2 31 (2001) writting by Paul Jenkins & Sean McKeever

Or how Sam is alive and "loves" him in his perfect utopia (and it's in fact some kind of recurring dream him and Hulk both have, Sam being friend with them). He saved him when Ross wanted to torture him in Scorched Earth.

Sadly Bruce's pov on Sam wasn't that explored in Immortal Hulk 'cause it was mostly focusing on his alters (and honestly I loved that so I won't complain lol) but I wish we could have a moment, a team-up, between them both.

We did have a crazy good heartwarming bitter-sweet moment between Sam and Hulk in Immortal Hulk 50 though, of Savage Hulk forgiving Sam and kinda making Sam forgiving himself and probably telling Sam everything he wishes someone would tell him instead. And it's not really surprising that it ends with Savage, if any alter, 'cause Savage wants the exact same thing as Sam, he wants to be loved.

And when you think of it, Bruce created the Leader.

Immortal Hulk 34 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Butch Guice

It's crystal clear here, who was making experiment with gamma isotopes in a military base in New Mexico? Bruce. Bruce accidentally created the Leader through his experiments. It's very Frankenstein-ish. It's actually litteraly the plot of the Frankenstein book. A good scientist creating a monster and regretting it. The monster coming for him after"growing up" alone, destroying his life, killing his loved ones because he blames him and humanity for his own loneliness. Asking the Dr to give him a solution to his loneliness by providing him a monster bride (or a Hulk, y'know). When we tell you Bruce and Hulk are inspired by Frankenstein it's true and the inspo doesn't stop here, Sam is also inspired by it through his own writing and through his relationship with Bruce.

So what about the ship?

It's canon they care for each other but what about the romantic ship?
Of course like any fictional ship it's not that serious, it's just some fun, nobody expect it to be canon in any way and certainly not me but there's some interesting dynamic between them that could make their ship interesting to write and explore, that's why I love it so so much even if I'm not really that invested in ships, I mean, I like a good ship art of fanfiction and I'll share it if the art behind is good (unless it's pretty disturbing to me like underaged shit) but that's pretty much it, that's why I like several ships for a same character, I care about the Art haha. And really I don't think you need a reason to like a ship other than "I like it". You like it 'cause it's hot even if it doesn't make any sense? Go for it. And it's sad ships became the number one reason to start a war online 'cause really it's a lot of fun indeed, even for a grown-ass 35 y/o like me. But the Samuce ship is more than that to me, in this ship I find some kind of comfort.

I don't really know how to start this part, how to talk about the few reasons I love them, I know why and I have all the ideas in mind but I don't know how to make it nice to read or how to express it so I'll just throw everything in a chaotic disorder.

Bruce needs someone to express his anger and destructive side and Sam is someone who's not only ok with it but wants Bruce to express it. And because Sam is a villain, Bruce would not feel as much remorse with him as he would with anyone else. With Sam he can be the monster he has to hide with others, he's the only one who won't blame him for that.
Just like with Bruce, Sam can be the human he tries to hide and has to hide to protect himself. As I said it's a typical Ying Yang dynamic so it works the same way and they need each others to fonction. Comics made it very clear for Sam of course, how he needs Bruce to be. For Bruce it's less certain and just a fantasy at this point, let's be honest, but it would make sense. Bruce is a very toxic person to be around, even if he means well, even if he tries to protect people, he still ends up hurting people, Hell, Betty is a good exemple of that. When you think of it the most fonctionable and healthy love stories he got were always his alters' love stories.

No matter what, every person who comes near Bruce suffer, that's why it's hard to fully appreciate Bruce/Betty. And don't get me wrong, even if Samuce is my fav ship, I deeply love Bruce and Betty together but when you know their history, how selfish and controlling over Betty he is, it's hard when you love her to really want her to spend her life with him.

Immortal Hulk 35 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Mike Hawthorne

And I know Bruce "means well", but it doesn't really matter how good you mean when you litteraly destroy someone's life by projecting your own traumas on them. Don't get me wrong, I love Bruce, almost as much as I love Sam, truly, deeply. I understand his reaction. But that's also why I love him so so much, he's very imperfect (and fictional, so don't fight me because I pointed out his toxic behaviors with "he's an abuse victim" stuff, it's fictional anyway so I can like an imperfect character, it what makes them so interesting. Bruce's struggle to stay on the right path while he was created and written to be so close to become a villain is the reason he's so good.

He can't understand why Betty is Red Harpy, even with all his gamma knowledge, because he can't accept that someone actually enjoy being a Hulk (and really Bruce is the only one who doesn't like that, for everyone else it was a second chance but we'll talk about how gamma mutation works too later 'cause, again, it's long and complicated and deserve its own post). Every gamma spawn is different and Betty's mutation (as Red She-Hulk or Red Harpy) is about independance, because all her life she was under a man's influence. Her father, Bruce, even her writers who overly sexualized her in a gross way (that one time she won a fight by turning a woman naked 🤡), she's the character everybody wanna fuck.

Through her mutation she was freed from all that, she became her own person.

Incredible Hulk 14 (2024) writing by Phillipe Kennedy Johnson art by Nic Klein

And you see, that's something people failed to understand in the MCU She-Hulk show, how Bruce can be an incredibly awful person for "someone's sake". Remember when he abducted She-Hulk, forced her to stay on an island against her will and told her she had to let go of her life because he couldn't properly control his Hulk before so certainly Jen was like him? Well it was a pretty damn comics accurate point actually, Bruce IS a twisted person, he's inspired by mad scientist, of course he has a twisted horrible side but that's why this character is so good and so complex, because he's not "bad" or "good", he's a gray character who tries to be good but who fail and does terrible thing for "goodness sake" and I have a hard time understanding why you would try to forgive or justify his shitty behaviors 'cause first of all, again, he's fictional no matter the love you have for him, meaning he's "allowed" to be shitty and loved by real people and second it's part of the complexity of his writing and the reason he's such a good character, he's not meant to be all good but he tries.

I love Betty's interactions with Joe and I'll support this ship 'til death but I have a hard time supporting Bruce and Betty together.

Incredible Hulk 344 (1988) writing by Peter David pencil by Tood McFarlane

But that's also the point of Bruce and Betty's relationship. Hulk is a tragedy, everything about it is tragic, there's this joke among Hulk readers, especially Bruce/Hulk fans "we never get to be happy" 'cause it's true, there's no good ending to Hulk. There's no good ending in Bruce and Betty. But just like we still hope for Bruce/Hulk's happiness, we still wish somehow it could work out between Bruce and Betty 'cause we love Bruce. I love Bruce and as such I hope he can find peace and happiness and be with Betty no matter what. But it means sacrificing Betty's happiness and chara dev and I don't want that either because I also deeply love Betty lol.

And it's funny 'cause when you think about it, Sam is a more decent boyfriend than Bruce himself 'cause when he was in love with Red She-Hulk, he allowed her to be Red She-Hulk and even reassure her about it when she had doubt.

World War Hulks (2010) writing Jeff Parker pencil Zach Howard

Unrelated but I always thought this moment was kinda sad 'cause it shows how Sam understand the gamma, how it turns you about who you really are and just helps you reach your full potential but still is so broken by his parents that he can't realize it applies to him too, even without his mutation he was smart (btw Red She-Hulk kicked his ass litteraly the next panel lmao). And honestly it's not the only point where Sam is more decent than Bruce. He can be a very good hearted lad because that's what he used to be and his human heart still beat deep inside, he never had the "strength" to kill it like his brother did to himself. But it's kinda funny to see that even in that part of their character, they oppose each others.

I really hate the Sam/Betty ship 'cause fuck how I hate the lazy "villain falling in love with their nemesis' love interest" trope, it's boring as fuck. I'm more of a "villain falling in love with their nemesis and chaos ensure" kind of person as you can guess, 'cause the relationship between a villain and a hero is meant to be complexe and deep and way more interesting than a character written to be a love interest.
Have you every wonder why ship like Naruto x Sasuke or Sora x Riku (Kingdom Hearts) are waaaaaaaaay more popular than the hero x their canon love interest? It's not because yaoi (though I'm sure this is the motivation for some), that's because a character written only to be a love interest is boring (and often sexist anyway), they have no personality other than to be in love with the character they're into (it's, fortunatly, less true nowaday, just like Betty became her own character, Sakura in Naruto became more than the girl in love with Sasuke etc etc). While a  relationship between two rivals, two enemies, is often deeper, more complicated, more interesting. We all love some angst rather than a happy easy love story so of course these enemies or rivals to lovers tropes are way more popular than "hetero-quota". And y'know, that's why it's always funny having people crying over homo relationship "if it doesn't make sense to the story it shouldn't be" 'cause fuck how many useless poorly written hetero romance do we get daily? It's a Hulk post so let's keep talking about Hulk alright. Was Natasha Romanoff x Bruce Banner necessary to you? What was the point other than to push an agenda? Add a romance? And it's incredibly sexist 'cause not only do you reduce a character like fucking Black Widow to a love interest, as if a woman needs that to be relevant, but the whole "I'm a monster too 'cause I can't get pregnant" was just plain gross, ableist and horrible to hear. So yeah I'll go for the gay ship alright.

Anyway, let's go back to Sam and his flirting. Even if he was a decent human being in this moment, he's still the one who turned Betty into a Hulk so y'know, he's still pretty much a terrible person too. Like, he will litteraly poison you and turn you to a Hulk and then be the most respectful man ever, it's kinda funny (and happened in Annual 11 too, though it was a bit more creepy 'cause the 70s).

And that's the thing, neither Bruce nor Sam really deserve the sweet relationship they seek 'cause they're both very selfish in their own way, no matter how genuine they are about their feelings and how "good" they mean for the person (Sam turning his crushes into gamma monsters was also to "help" them. He is, again, mirroring Bruce's behaviors but in a totally opposed way).
And that's why when I draw or write them together I don't imagine them as "happily ever after" but rather as "alone together", even if I can draw them smiling together, they still have, like, a tragic side.

It's a very tragic relationship 'cause let's imagine a very crazy twisted world were they end up in a romantic relationship alright (look, the multiverse's rules mean it does exist) Bruce's true love is still Betty so Sam can never get his full love just like Bruce cannot get Betty's love. It's more of a "suffering together" kind of dynamic. And one would say "but if Bruce and Sam is as tragic as Betty and Bruce, then why liking it more?" because not only do they both think they deserve the suffering, making their relationship less painful and more acceptable, 'cause nobody is destroyed or suffer from it as they're already suffering their self destructive behaviors alone anyway, unlike Betty who would have a normal life. But also because through Bruce, Sam can heal. Bruce destroyed Betty through his love but he can heal Sam with it and certainly it makes everything more interesting (especially for me 'cause I care more about Sam than I care about Bruce or Betty even if I deeply, deeply, deeply love them both).

And knowing Sam's personality, it would just be incredibly moving to see him care about someone, seeing him act selfless, seeing him being comfortable to trust again, 'cause that's his biggest problem after all. He's afraid of loving and trusting. He's afraid of being human so of course it would be super cute and moving to see him accepting his humanity out of love.

Bruce is afraid of being loved 'cause he's scared of hurting but he deeply wants to be loved, Sam is afraid of loving because he's afraid of getting hurt again but he deeply wants to love. With each others they are themself, they know each others' "weakness", hidden side and they accept and love it. Together they can express what they need and what they are safely (especially in a NSFW kind of dynamic but we're gonna stay SFW here alright, it's not a 18+ place). But y'know, there's something very cute about that proud Leader rejecting his fantasies out of pride and learning to accept it and himself through that one person he hates (and it's super fun to write).

To me their ship is about healing. Learning to love and accept themself fully through someone else. It's about two twisted person who have been abused way too hard by life and people and finding self love, humanity and peace through each others. Sam allows Bruce to unleash the violence he burries inside of him, Bruce allows Sam to express the humanity he's so ashamed of. They can be "weak" together. Two sinful men spending the eternity together, two lonely men being alone together for all eternity and watching everything dying together. It's beautiful in a very tragic and sad way, kinda like everything about Hulk.

Sam is upset at Hulk for thwarting him again and again. But he's upset at Bruce for not joining him. He's upset he let him in, upset he makes him feel alone and human.

Gamma Games 3 (2004) writing by John Turman pencil by Ramon Perez

They do kinda enjoy each others presence, I think it's comforting for both. We proved it was comforting for Sam but I think it's also comforting for Bruce, having someone who understand him, having small talks between two deadly fights, they do understand each others. 

Immortal Hulk 34 (2020) writing by Al Ewing pencil by Butch Guice

Though Sam seems kinda unaware of that, maybe out of pride but mostly out of fear, he'd rather stay in denial. Maybe out of loneliness and certainly out of traumas and hurt. But Bruce does understand him, they're the same, they have the same goal just different methods. They have the same past but different ways to deal with their traumas.

They're both immortal too. I like the idea, the sad idea, of having them both together at the end of time sitting together and talking. As I said above, it's an "alone together" kind of ship.
Probably because I played too much Kingdom Hearts too and I kinda picture them in a "dark meridian" kind of place, sadly smiling as they talk.

the Dark Meridian in Kingom Hearts

I guess I'm just a dramatic desperate romantic, what can I say.
But writing/drawing Sam and Bruce together, or learning to really know each others, is a lot of fun. The angst between them is a lot of fun. Sam's desperatly seeking comfort and affection and Bruce kinda allowing that is a lot of fun.
And honestly the way Sam's love for Bruce is written really depends on whoever is writing it. Al Ewing seems to lean to something platonic and brotherly in Immortal Hulk but Jenkins was way more ambiguous. I'm not saying he had romantic intent, it's probably an accident, but Bruce's jokes about holding his hand and his face when Sam confess he's scared to him is really coded like a romantic confession, kinda implying that Bruce is what connects him to his humanity. And you can disagree, you can think it's a stretch but this affirmation is CANON, because that's when Sam thought Bruce rejected him and therefore cutting his connexion to him that he finally abandonned his humanity to become TOBA's vessel of hatred and mask so he was his last connexion with humanity.
They have that kind of twisted relationship, Bruce could save Sam, 'cause if he's about hate everything he needs is love (of any kind, brotherly, friendly, it works too). While Sam has the power to destroy Bruce and lead him to a path of destruction and evilness. They mirror each others so they are what the other could become, a reflexion. And it's sad Marvel doesn't push this more and how we had to wait for Immortal Hulk to make it "canon" when it's the reason Sam was created, to mirror/oppose Bruce.

Incredible Hulk vol.2 31 (2001) writting by Paul Jenkins & Sean McKeever

And it always had me wonder, what would have been if Bruce was able to save Sam that day? Would they be friends? Would they work together? Would we have an Avengers Academy kind of scenario with Sam apologizing and trying to redeem himself in a grumpy way?

But it doesn't have to make sense, it doesn't have to be canon and honestly I'm perfectly fine with the platonic tragic brotherly relationship, I don't necessarly want them to be more than that. I think this ship would matches Sam's internal struggles and desires and history and make everything better but hey, that's just me and I'm perfectly fine if it stays "just me" and absolutly nobody other than me enjoy it (though it's untrue 'cause I know a few people who actually enjoy this ship too haha).

I just love them together in every kind of dynamic. Friendly, deadly, brotherly, romantic, whatever I just wanna see them together and I don't care if it's to kill each others or kiss each others.
Honestly I always had a deep soft spot for tragic brothers/sisters story too, of two people who were meant to support each others and who ends up killing each others (probably why I love Arcane so much).

Incredible Hulk 610 (2010) writing by Greg Pak, pencil by Paul Pelletier

For the record I own the original penciled page above lol

I love the angst and the pain and I love how fucking miserable they feel without each others, 'cause they hatred is what keep them alive.

Fall of the Hulks : Alpha (2010) writting by Jeff Parker, pencil by Paul Pelletier

Honestly I'm sure I wouldn't have loved it if it was a romantic relationship rather than what we have because as I said above, one of the best part of such a relationship is how it's NOT written to be romantic. I understand why some people are annoyed at shipping in platonic relationship "stop making everything romantic or sexual" I get that and that's true. But that's the thing, relationship written just to be romantic are boring to me because nothing else matter and a good relationship (at least to me) must be born of something else, of a more powerful bound. It shouldn't just be about a a person in love with another and having all their story about it, it should be about a whole history (again, I'm talking for myself, some romances are very good as they are) and Sam and Bruce have this... this destiny bound, this potential (remember that I'm NOT talking about the relation between Sam and Hulk, it's another thing, Hulks are other personality with their own feelings and such). And we're still at the "beginning" of their potential so I don't want a romance to put a stop to it, I rather keep it for the fanstuff.

So yeah, I'm very aware they won't be more than that, especially now that they're long distant cousins (even if honestly there's no real problem with that 'cause it's not like they grew up as family knowing each others in an incestuous dynamic). Marvel is leaning to a platonic mortal brothers relationship and I'm fine with that. I'm fine with anything as long as they interact. Supporting a ship doesn't necessarly mean-- shouldn't mean-- wanting it to be real. It can be deep or totally crack, what matters is the harmless fun you get through it. and I get a lot of fun with them.
Sam needs Bruce to evolve, to be who he is. For the best and the worst, so I care about their relationship, it's really no deeper than that, even if I like to make everything deeper haha!

Until next time, enjoy~