R.I.P. HULK HOGAN

You were a legend perched above all legends.

Through Rocky III, you took the pro-wrestling torch and blazed your way through the WWF and thereafter, MTV, sharing your moral cheer via that formidable phenomenon known as Hulkamania. 

Your earthquaking impact on popular culture was further entrenched by your television and feature appearances in No Holds Barred, The Ultimate Weapon, Assault on Devil's Island, Little Hercules, Santa with Muscles, 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, Muppets from Space, Gnomeo and Juliet, McCinsky's Island, The Secret Agent Club, Spy Hard, Mr. Nanny, Suburban Commando, the Thunder in Paradise saga (as Randolph J. "Hurricane" Spencer), Hogan Knows Best, Brooke Knows Best and let's not forget your energetic cameo in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. 

Whether playing the good guy or heel, you always taught us something worth while, defining right from wrong by mirroring our best attributes and even our flaws. On that basis, you were one of us at heart, Hulkster: the pure and honest personification of what a "real American" is all about.