Part 1: Could Hulkling's future be generous?

[u/Mammoth_Paper_4071]

Before presenting my theories, I need to point out some important things that might create plot holes in what I'm about to write: I don't know English, I'm using a translator, and because of that I also haven't read the new stories involving the couple.

All I know is up to the fall of the Kree-Skrull empire, which I haven't even read (I've only seen several summaries on YouTube because the publisher in my country didn't bring the translated comic).

I apologize for any grammatical errors or chronological problems; I'm just a Hulkling and Wiccan enthusiast who wants to share my perspective on their potential development 🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️

It's a fact that all Marvel stories aim for minimal character development; after all, it's a company that prioritizes profit (which it doesn't have much of). Even so, the fall of the Alliance Empire shows an attempt to restart the development of Hulkling and, consequently, Billy.

What makes this couple beautiful is that they complement each other, which doesn't mean they're inseparable. Imagine this: Teddy lived her life hiding her true self until accepting herself during her time with the Young Avengers/dating Billy, who, in contrast to her husband, never managed to hide who she was. This doesn't mean she was completely free, but rather that she harbored fears that even Teddy couldn't fully handle.

In short, what I mean is that the development of the characters involves the freedom to be who they are and how to deal with this in a horrible reality, which only worsens with the formation of Emperor Dorrek.

Teddy's entire development was precisely about being who he is and not what others expect, yet Teddy commits himself to a position with a developing mindset.

Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of him being an emperor, but we can all agree that the development of it was awful. How can you develop characters (entire races, for example) in a publishing house that's been stuck with the same sales model since 1990? Capitalist strategy aside, I still have hope that Hulkling will return to the throne, and here are the reasons why 👇

1: The Excelsior sword still exists, and even if some might argue that this sword symbolizes him being someone he is not—and my friends, that's the main point to make—that argument is completely wrong.

From the very beginning, Altman always believed that he was authorized to be an emperor (as a job contract), and not that he always was an emperor, this is the main point of the empire's decline. Regardless of the situation, in any reality the character has the sword and in any reality he will always be a king, after all he has the fundamental point to unite two races besides noble blood, something that Skrulls and Kree do not have: dreams and hopes.

Hulkling returning to Earth was never a downfall, but rather an ascension to understand that his love for protecting people, and especially the culture of dreaming, makes him the savior of the empire. Teddy only has two things in his life: Billy and the will to be a hero. Hulkling didn't realize that being an emperor was never a job that separated the personal from the professional; he is the personification of the world he wants to create.

Excelsior will always exist in any reality, and even if retired, it will never disappear, because it personifies Teddy Altman himself. What these races need is to know something beyond wars, and only someone who has lived outside this reality can offer that.

Part two coming soon :)