Hulk
The angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes; let rage be your weapon.
Bruce Banner, better known as the Hulk, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of The Incredible Hulk (May 1962). In his comic book appearances, the character, who has dissociative identity disorder (DID), is primarily represented by the alter ego Hulk, an immense, green-skinned, hulking brute possessing a limitless degree of physical strength, and the alter ego Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a physically weak, socially withdrawn, and emotionally reserved physicist. Following his accidental exposure to gamma rays while saving the life of Rick Jones during the detonation of an experimental bomb, Banner is physically transformed into the Hulk when subjected to emotional stress.
- Affiliation
- Avengers
- Real Name
- Bruce Banner
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The Hulk's creation was inspired by a combination of Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as stated by Lee. Lee also compared Hulk to the golem of Jewish mythology. In his comic book appearances, the Hulk's level of strength is usually conveyed proportionate to his anger level. Commonly portrayed as a raging savage, the Hulk has been represented with other alter egos like a gangster (Joe Fixit), a merged personality (Professor Hulk), a brilliant warrior (Green Scar), Banner's inner child (Big Guy), Big Guy's self-hating father figure (Devil Hulk), a genius scientist in his own right (Doc Green), and several minor alter egos. Despite Hulk and Banner's desire for solitude, the character has a large supporting cast, including Banner's love interest Betty Ross, his best friend Rick Jones, his cousin She-Hulk, and therapist and ally Doc Samson. The Hulk alter ego also has key supporting characters like his co-founders of the superhero team the Avengers, his queen Caiera, fellow warriors Korg and Miek, and sons Skaar and Hiro-Kala.
In Their Own Story
The Hulk first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 (cover dated May 1962), written by writer-editor Stan Lee, penciled and co-plotted by Jack Kirby, and inked by Paul Reinman. The series lasted six issues until March 1963. The character immediately guest-starred in The Fantastic Four #12 (March 1963). Months later, Hulk became a founding member of the superhero team the Avengers, appearing in the first two issues of the team's eponymous series (Sept. and Nov. 1963). A year and a half after The Incredible Hulk was canceled, the Hulk became one of two features in Tales to Astonish, beginning in issue #60 (Oct. 1964). This run introduced the super-villains the Leader, who would become the Hulk's nemesis, and the Abomination, another gamma-irradiated being. Beginning with issue #102 (April 1968) the book was retitled The Incredible Hulk vol. 2, and ran until 1999.
Reader's Guide
In his comic book appearances, the Hulk's transformation often leads to destructive rampages and conflicts that complicate Banner's civilian life. The Hulk's level of strength is usually conveyed proportionate to his anger level. Commonly portrayed as a raging savage, the Hulk has been represented with other alter egos like a gangster (Joe Fixit), a merged personality (Professor Hulk), a brilliant warrior (Green Scar), Banner's inner child (Big Guy), Big Guy's self-hating father figure (Devil Hulk), a genius scientist in his own right (Doc Green), and several minor alter egos. Despite this, he tries his best to do what's right while battling villains such as the Leader, the Abomination, the Absorbing Man, and more. The character has appeared on a variety of merchandise, such as clothing and collectable items that was inspired by real-world structures (such as theme park attractions), and been referenced in several media.
Did You Know?
- In the debut, Lee chose gray for the Hulk because he thought gray was a scary color and he wanted a color that did not suggest any particular ethnic group. After seeing the first published issue, Lee chose to change the skin color to green.
- Lee gave the Hulk's alter ego the alliterative name 'Bruce Banner' because he found he had less difficulty remembering alliterative names. The character's official full name is 'Robert Bruce Banner'.
- The Hulk got his name from a comic book character named The Heap, who was a large green swamp monster.
- Issues #180–181 (Oct.–Nov. 1974) of The Incredible Hulk introduced Wolverine as an antagonist, who would go on to become one of Marvel Comics' most popular characters.
- Co-creator Kirby received a letter from a college dormitory stating the Hulk had been chosen as its official mascot, leading Kirby and Lee to realize their character had found an audience in college-age readers.