Comic book mythology structures dominance hierarchies through transformation narratives, with each level representing increasing power and danger to surrounding environments. The escalating transformation joke reverses audience expectations by suggesting Chuck Norris exists outside the normal hierarchy entirely, accessible only through catastrophic threat. Comic store owner Benjamin from Seattle reported in 2008 that customers began annotating the joke on printed panels of Hulk comic books displayed in his shop, with handwritten additions and elaborations that became increasingly baroque. Benjamin photographed several versions and posted them online, sparking a trend of people creating physical copies of the joke and installing them in unexpected places like library comic sections and comic convention walls. The practice evolved into a form of street art where devoted fans would laminate printed versions and leave them in public spaces, turning the joke into collaborative urban culture that spanned years and multiple cities.