10 Amazing Facts About The Hulk

After exploring Wolverine and Superman in previous lists, it’s finally time to delve into the world of the Hulk. Unlike the clear-cut moral figures like Captain America or Superman, the Hulk isn’t your typical superhero. He doesn’t fit the mold of a vigilante like Batman either. More of an anti-hero with complex motivations, he embodies a Freudian concept rather than a straightforward hero. From his origins during the nuclear age to his role in the Avengers, these are some of the most captivating Hulk facts and story arcs.

10. The Hulk Was Initially Discontinued After Only Six Issues

For over five decades, the Hulk has solidified his place as a cultural icon, representing not just raw power but the embodiment of rage. Despite his fame, the Hulk's journey began with an abrupt cancellation. After his debut in 1963, Marvel only managed to publish six issues of *The Incredible Hulk* before the series was discontinued due to a lack of interest from readers. Initially, the Hulk was a character of great inconsistencies, switching between a thoughtful hero and a fast-talking villain across the issues.

At first, Bruce Banner's transformation into the Hulk was not triggered by his anger, but by his deliberate exposure to gamma radiation. Each time he wanted to change, Banner would intentionally blast himself with gamma rays in his lab. Oddly, the Hulk would sometimes retain Banner's human head, requiring him to wear a Hulk mask. Additionally, the transformation only occurred at night during the first two issues, much like a vampire or werewolf. After being canceled, the Hulk resurfaced in other comics as a villain, appeared as a guest in *The Avengers*, and slowly evolved into the Hulk we recognize today.

9. Lou Ferrigno Has Appeared in Every Live-Action Hulk Adaptation

In the original Incredible Hulk TV series, the character of David Banner was portrayed by Bill Bixby. But when the transformation took place, Lou Ferrigno took on the role of the Hulk in all his towering, green glory. Lou Ferrigno began his career as a deaf bodybuilder, even appearing alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Pumping Iron, which helped him gain the recognition he needed. Standing 196 centimeters (6’5″) tall and weighing 129 kilograms (285 lbs), Ferrigno was the ideal fit for the part of The Incredible Hulk.

Lou Ferrigno portrayed the Hulk from 1978 to 1982 and later became the voice behind the Hulk in both the 1990s animated series and the 2008 film starring Edward Norton. In 2004, Ferrigno also made a cameo appearance in Ang Lee’s Hulk as a security guard, and eventually lent his voice to Mark Ruffalo’s version of the Hulk in The Avengers. It’s Ferrigno who delivers the iconic line “puny God” after the Hulk slams Tom Hiddleston’s Loki into the ground. Ferrigno has been so closely tied to the Hulk for decades that it’s hard to picture the Hulk saying “Hulk Smash!” without his signature voice.

8. Bruce Banner Was Once Renamed David Banner Because His Name ‘Sounded Gay’

When the 1978 live-action adaptation of The Incredible Hulk was made, several adjustments were implemented. One major change was that the Hulk did not speak. This decision was driven by the notion that it would seem silly to see a clearly painted man yell 'Hulk smash!' Another less noticeable modification involved Dr. Banner's name. Kenneth Johnson, the executive producer of the show, explained that this change was aimed at making the character seem more realistic, suggesting that people typically don’t have alliterative names like Bruce Banner. While this may hold some truth, it does undermine the argument slightly when you consider that the actor portraying Banner was Bill Bixby.

Stan Lee, however, shared a different perspective on why the name was altered from Bruce Banner to David Banner. According to Lee, the real reason was that Johnson and other Hollywood executives felt that 'Bruce' had too much of a gay connotation. Lou Ferrigno confirmed this, recounting that he was told 'Bruce' sounded 'gayish.' Both Lee and Ferrigno found this reasoning absurd, but despite their stance, Johnson has repeatedly denied this explanation. However, it's difficult to dismiss the credibility of Ferrigno and Lee’s claims on the matter.

On a related note, the show MadTV offered their own portrayal of a gay Hulk in a parody sketch.

7. The Gray Hulk

When most people think of the Hulk, they instantly picture the color green. This association is undeniable. However, when the Hulk first debuted in 1963, his original color was gray. Unfortunately, the printer’s inability to maintain a consistent gray hue resulted in the Hulk appearing in varying shades of gray, sometimes even black, from panel to panel. To resolve this issue, Stan Lee chose a more reliable color for printing: the now-iconic green.

In 1986, the gray Hulk made his return when writer Peter David introduced a new persona: Joe Fixit. Unlike the green Hulk, Joe Fixit could speak, utilize Banner’s intellect, and even wield firearms. During this period, Banner would transform into Fixit during the night, as Fixit embodied all of Banner’s dark, violent thoughts. Joe Fixit worked as a bouncer for a ruthless Las Vegas gangster, spending much of his time beating up bad guys and supervillains just for the thrill of it.

6. A Short Film Unveils Tony Stark’s Cameo in The Incredible Hulk

Almost every Marvel movie includes a post-credits scene that teases what’s next in the cinematic universe. Before The Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., these post-credit sequences often featured either Samuel L. Jackson or Agent Coulson discussing the Avengers initiative with whichever hero was featured in the movie. But in The Incredible Hulk (2008), it was none other than Robert Downey Jr., appearing as Tony Stark. This cameo has an interesting backstory.

Marvel created a short film featuring Agent Coulson from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., titled The Consultant. The film takes place between the events of Iron Man 2 and the first Thor movie. In The Consultant, Coulson and another agent are tasked with preventing General Ross from suggesting that the Abomination be used in the Avengers program instead of the Hulk. The only way to outmaneuver Ross is to convince him that they actually need the Abomination, but withhold him by presenting a convincing reason. After some thought, the answer becomes clear: Who is pompously arrogant, internationally famous, and utterly annoying? The obvious answer is Tony Stark. This one-shot was eventually included with the Thor Blu-ray, and the video above is a part of that release. The rest can be found here.

5. Hulk: The End

In one of the most harrowing comic stories ever, the entire human race is wiped out by nuclear war. Those who survive the initial destruction gradually perish from radiation sickness. The only survivor? Dr. Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk. As weeks stretch into years, Banner realizes that his mutation has made him not only immune to the effects of the nuclear disaster but potentially immortal, thanks to the Hulk's regenerative powers. Left alone on a desolate Earth, you'd think it couldn't get more tragic.

But it does.

After two centuries of solitude, irradiated mutant cockroaches attack Banner. In response, he transforms into the Hulk to battle them, only to be overwhelmed and consumed. However, the Hulk's healing factor revives him, prompting Banner to discover that the Hulk can heal from even the most fatal injuries—including death itself. Desperate and exhausted, Banner pleads for the Hulk to allow him to die. The story concludes with Banner, on the brink of death, transforming into the Hulk one final time.

4. Unusual And Lesser-Known Powers

The Hulk is quite an exceptional hero when it comes to superpowers. While many superheroes' abilities fit into familiar categories like enhanced strength, intelligence, speed, or control over elements like fire or lightning, the Hulk’s power set is far more diverse—and not all of it is widely known.

To start with, the Hulk's strength grows in direct proportion to his anger. If he encounters an adversary he can't overcome, his rage will only increase, making him more powerful. His leaping abilities are impressive, allowing him to jump enormous distances, and he's even been known to leap into space. Among his more unusual powers, the Hulk has a gland that enables him to breathe underwater by creating pressure within his lungs. Even stranger, he can see ghosts. This rare ability makes him one of the few Marvel characters capable of seeing Doctor Strange in his astral form. Additionally, the Hulk has an innate ability to find his way back to the site of the gamma radiation accident that created him.

3. Planet Hulk

During the Civil War conflict, the Hulk becomes a serious threat to both the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. When the government mandates that all superheroes register and disclose their secret identities, the Hulk goes on a destructive rampage through Las Vegas, resulting in numerous casualties. Tony Stark, along with other members of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, devise a plan. They deceive Bruce Banner into believing that they need his scientific knowledge for a deep-space mission, which he agrees to. However, once in space, they aim the ship directly at a wormhole.

The plan is to send the Hulk to an uninhabited planet where he can’t hurt anyone. But instead, the Hulk is transported to Sakaar, a world filled with intelligent life. The Hulk is captured by the planet's inhabitants, who enslave him. After a fierce battle for freedom, he rises to lead a resistance army, conquers the planet, and then leads his new army back to Earth seeking revenge.

2. He Once Tore Wolverine In Half

In Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk, a six-issue series penned by Lost writer Damon Lindelof, S.H.I.E.L.D. finally reaches its breaking point after the Hulk goes on a violent rampage across New York City. Nick Fury hires the only person he knows who might—and would—kill the Hulk: Wolverine.

Wolverine tracks Banner to a monastery, where the Hulk is worshipped as a deity by a group of beautiful, half-dressed women. Needless to say, the Hulk is not pleased by Wolverine's intrusion. The two engage in a brutal confrontation. How does Wolverine fare? In the opening issue, the Hulk rips Wolverine in half as if he were paper, tossing his lower half four miles away to land on a mountain peak, leaving him to crawl back. It’s a gruesome scene. Check out the video for a pretty intense motion comic, if you can handle it.

1. The Red Hulk’s Identity

One of the most intriguing recent story arcs in the Hulk comics introduced the enigmatic Red Hulk. Spanning 23 issues, readers were slowly drawn into the mystery surrounding this new character and how he came to be. Throughout the series, the Red Hulk battled and killed the Hulk’s oldest foe, the Abomination—something the Hulk himself had never been able to accomplish. This created a buzz among Hulk fans, who began speculating about the true identity of the Red Hulk.

The Red Hulk possesses similar abilities to the green Hulk, including his incredible strength. However, he can actually overpower the green Hulk by absorbing the gamma radiation that fuels his powers, forcing the Hulk to revert back into Bruce Banner. Ultimately, it’s revealed that the Red Hulk is none other than Bruce Banner’s arch-nemesis, the man responsible for ruining his life by relentlessly hunting him for years: General “Thunderbolt” Ross.