Forget Marvel, presenting Gandhi the "Hulk"

Mahatma Gandhi - we all know him and adore him for being a hero. But what if he is a superhero? All we know is that he is a pacifist from the outside - but could it be he is a beast from the inside? What would happen if Gandhi had the power of Hulk - and saved the day as a superhero? This is Gandhi: The Best Within

Cover of Gandhi: The Beast Within. Image Source: firstpost.com

What occupied your childhood? For me, it was lots of video games and books - including comics. Marvel and DC are two of the well-known comic publications out there. Out of these, Marvel is one influential company that not only produced more than 32000 comics but gave rise to countless superheroes that have become an inspiration for all.

While these comic characters are fictional heroes, there are some true non-fiction heroes as well. Heroes who have brought such significant changes to the world which seems incredible. One such hero is our beloved father of the nation - Mahatma Gandhi.

But what if Gandhi was actually a superhero in disguise? What if he is actually a Hulk who turns into a beast when he gets all fury and angry? I mean, after all, he follows non-violence and the policy of Ahimsa. What if he is a pacifist for a reason - to hide his anger and the consequences that his anger brings?

Well, I know, it sounds ridiculous and absurd.

But wait! There exists a comic that portrays Gandhi as a Superhero that turns into a Hulk-like character when he gets angry. "Gandhi: The Beast Within" is a comic/novel written by Jason Michalski, in which Gandhi is parodied and caricatured to be a Hulk-like superhero. The hero, aka Gandhi, turns into an absolute beast when anger takes over him. He fights the villain - and saves the day. That's not all; the comic also features Adolf Hitler, giant monsters, flying saucers, killer robots, and even Nazi dinosaurs.

Spoiler alert - there are more historical personalities in this comic that you wouldn’t expect (so read along!)

Comic Panels

On first look, the 110-page black-and-white comic book Gandhi: The Beast Within is influenced by the famous ‘What If?’ series by Marvel, in which the traditional Marvel heroes' stories are told from a different universe where the plot greatly differs. Michalski's comic similarly shows a parodied version of Gandhi's life with a superhero plot twist.

“I was in a diner one day with a friend talking about historical figures and I just blurted out the title of the book,” says Michalski to a comic news outlet.

The story is set in the 1900s, during the time when Gandhi was in South Africa. Gandhi gets exposed to a mysterious alien power source - only to discover that he is cursed with hidden power. Even though Gandhi is celebrated as a figure of non-violence, sometimes even ahimsa cannot control his curse. When rage kicks in, and provoked with anger, our pacifist Gandhi turns into a monstrous beast. By dedicating himself to a life of peace, Gandhi manages to evade the horror of the curse. But this didn't last long.

The leaders of the world find out and decide to use him as a weapon to destroy Hitler. The time was set in world war 2 when the war broke out between the Axis and Allied powers. President Roosevelt, Josef Stalin, and Winston Churchill ‘kidnapped’ Gandhi (you read that right) to fight against Hitler. They got to know his powers, and his cursed rage, which the leaders thought they could use to fight Adolf Hitler.

Character Design. Image Source:  mid-day.com

But their plans didn’t work out. Gandhi was true to his nature and put non-violence above him. So what did the world leaders do? They strapped Gandhi on an atomic bomb. On the airplane boarded were Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin. The trio planned to drop Gandhi over Hitler’s secret base.

“I have held up my end of the bargain by living a life of peace and harmony”, Gandhi pleaded in the comic, “in order to keep this curse contained within me. You clearly do not understand the consequences of what you are about to do.”

Stalin rolls his eyes and Roosevelt orders his man to drop the Gandhi bomb.

Comic Panel

Gandhi: The Beast Within offers a hilarious narrative. The comic also hints at various comic easter eggs. Hitler has a Bat-pole, like the one Batman and Robin had in the 1960s television series - starring Adam West. For the comic, the Hulk is chosen as an ideal inspiration.

Oh and if you are startled already by this parody, then that's not all. Coming up next in the series is Gandhi: Rocket to Russia - where the leader faces a new evil born out of the Cold War between the US and Russia; and even a potential part three as well.

"If all goes well, there will be a part three. America could use our Gandhi right about now," says Michalski.