TheHulkdebuted early in the Marvel Age of Comics, and has been a pillar of its universe since. When the Hulk arrived in 1962, he changed the face of comics: never before had a brutish, rampaging monster starred in his own ongoing title. The Hulk’s struggle to contain the raging beast within resonated with readers.
As the Hulk is over 60 years old, there are a considerable number of stories and runs that fans should check out. The Hulk is a character that brings out the best in the creators who work on him, and the ten stories in this list represent some of the best the Hulk has to offer.
10The Hulk’s Origin Is Still One of Marvel’s Best
The Incredible Hulk#1 Written by Stan Lee and Drawn by Jack Kirby
The early years of the Marvel Universe were full of creative and compelling origin stories, and the Hulk stands out above them all.The story is well known among fans, but that does not rob it of its impact. Like many Silver Age origins, the Hulk is rooted in science fiction as well as Cold War paranoia.
So many aspects of the Hulk’s lorewere already in place: his relationship with the Ross family, including Betsy and her hypermasculine father, a military official who vows to bring down the Hulk no matter the cost. “Is he man or monster,” asks the cover to Incredible Hulk #1, and Marvel has been grappling with this question since.
9The Leader Was the First Foe Worthy of the Hulk
Tales to Astonish#62 (cameo),Tales to Astonish#63 (full), Written by Stan Lee and Drawn by Steve Ditko
The Hulk’s first villains, while giving the Jade Giant a run for his money, were largely forgettable. That is, until the Leader.The Leader is the opposite of the Hulk in many ways: whereas gamma radiation made Bruce Banner into a brutish monster, it increased Samuel Sterns’ intellect to superhuman levels. It also robbed him of his humanity.
Since then, the Leader has remained a dark and sinister presence in the Hulk’s life, and it is only a matter of time before he returns.
The Leader’s debut saw him aim high, by attempting to overthrow the government of the United States, which brought him into conflict with the Hulk for the first time. Since then, the Leader has remained a dark and sinister presence in the Hulk’s life, and it is only a matter of time before he returns.
8A Science Fiction Legend Helped Create One of the Hulk’s Most Memorable Stories
The Incredible Hulk#140, Written by Harlan Ellison and Roy Thomas and drawn by Herb Trimpe
Harlan Ellison is considered one of science fiction’s best writers, and he left his mark on the Hulk in the early 1970s.In the story “The Brute That Shouted Love at the Heart of the Atom,” Banner goes to a microscopic realm, where he not only fell in love, but also led an uprising, ina story that presagedPlanet Hulk.
Ellison was already well known to genre fans by this point, having penned the original draft of “City on the Edge of Forever,” a classicStar Trekepisode.
Ellison was already well known to genre fans by this point, having penned the original draft of “City on the Edge of Forever,” a classicStar Trekepisode. That episode follows Kirk as he embarks on a relationship with a doomed woman, and echoes of this can be seen in “The Brute…”, as the Hulk’s new love is star-crossed too.
7Doc Samson Has Become One of the Hulk’s Best Frenemies
The Incredible Hulk#141, Written by Roy Thomas and Drawn by Herb Trimpe
The Hulk barely had time to recover from his odyssey in the Microverse before meeting Doc Samson, who would become at times an ally and other times a foe.Doc approached the Hulk seeking to cure him of his gamma poisoning, only to end up absorbing massive amounts of it himself, bulking him up and turning his hair green.
The kicker of the story is: Samson was successful in curing Banner, but ultimately Bruce let his feelings for Betsy get in the way. Intensely jealous of Samson, who he thought was trying to steal Betsy away, Bruce exposed himself to gamma rays once again. Turning back into the Hulk, he fought Samson, leading to an uneasy relationship.
6For a Brief Moment, the Hulk Was Lauded as a Hero
The Incredible Hulk#278, Written by Bill Mantlo and Drawn by Sal Buscema
For the majority of his career, the Hulk has been hunted and hounded by many parties, but for one glorious moment, that came to an end.InIncredible Hulk#269, Banner subjected himself to gamma treatments, enabling him to control his transformations, as well as retain his humanity when he did, leading to an official “pardon” from the government.
Hulkwriter Bill Mantlo all had definitive runs onMicronautsandROM,as well as co-creating Rocket Raccoon.
The Hulk’s run as a public darling did not last long, and he eventually reverted to a mindless brute, driving home the tragedy of his situation. The Hulk came so tantalizingly close to all he wanted from life: was to be left alone, and to do right by people, only for it to be ripped away.
5The Hulk’s Layers Are Peeled Back Like Never Before, Revealing His True Origin
The Incredible Hulk#312, Written by Bill Mantlo and Drawn by Mike Mignola
The Hulk’s origin, as detailed earlier, is one of Marvel’s best, and later generations of creators fleshed it out further. They imparted new layers to the Hulk’s backstory, revealing his origins stretching back to Banner’s childhood.The story, titled “Monster,” brutally shows the abuse Banner suffered as a child, trauma that would ultimately be expressed as the Hulk.
The Hulk is a character of great psychological depth, and writer Bill Mantlo and artist Mike Mignola tap a vein no other creator had explored before. In the process, the Hulk becomes an allegory for abuse and trauma. The expression “hurt people hurt people” is true, and the Hulk’s life is proof of that.
4Peter David Took the Hulk to New Heights
Incredible Hulk#333, Written by Peter David and Drawn by Todd McFarlane
Peter David was already a few issues into his legendary, 11-year run on the character when he and Todd McFarlane released “Quality of Life.” The Hulk and Banner have always had an antagonistic relationship, and it is on full display here. The Hulk chugs heavy amounts of liquor, which he knows could potentially kill Banner.
The Hulk is allegedly a tricky character to write, and according to legend, Peter David got the writing job because no one else wanted it.
The Hulk is allegedly a tricky character to write, and according to legend, Peter David got the writing job because no one else wanted it.David and an all-star team of artists, including Dale Keown, pushed the Hulk into new territory, exploring the character’s psyche deeper than anyone had before.
3Future ImperfectRemains the Best “Dark Hulk’ Story
Future Imperfect#1 and 2, Written by Peter David and Drawn by George Perez
By the timeFuture Imperfecthit shops in 1992, Peter David had established himself as the greatest Hulk writer of all time, and the two-issue miniseries demonstrated why.Teaming up with the legendary George Perez on pencils, David created the terrifying “Maestro,” a future Hulk who ruled a post-apocalyptic world with an iron fist.
In addition to drawingFuture Imperfect,George Perez drew acclaimed runs onThe AvengersandNew Teen Titans.
“Dark Hulk” stories were nothing new, butFuture Imperfectis perhaps the most lasting and the most memorable. The Maestro has returned on several occasions, and it is not hard to seeFuture Imperfectas exerting a major influence on many Hulk stories and takes that would come later, including both Ultimate versions of the character.
2Planet HulkStill Gets Fans Talking, Nearly 20 Years After Its First Publication
Incredible Hulk(Volume 2) #92-105,Giant Size-Hulk#1, Written By Greg Pak and Drawn By Carlo Pagulayan and Aaron Lopestri
For a generation of fans,Planet Hulkremains one of the character’s best moments. After being launched into space by the Illuminati, the Hulk crash lands on a barbaric, gladiator world where his strength allows him to rise through the ranks, and even find love. However, thanks again to the Illuminati, it all comes crashing down.
Planet Hulkwas wildly popular, and proved highly influential. Elements of the story were used in the MCU’sThor: Ragnarök, and Marvel has returned to Sakaar several times. The cosmic side of the Marvel Universe is getting a facelift inImperial, and the Hulk will return to Sakaar one more time, but will he remain?
1Immortal HulkIs the Best Modern Take on the Character, Full Stop
Immortal Hulk1-5, Written by Al Ewing and Drawn by Joe Bennett
Across 50 issues, writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennett redefined the Hulk for a new generation by ramping up the horror elements inherent in the character.The duo introduced a number of new elements to the Hulk’s lore, such as the “Green Door,” which allows Gamma mutates to return to life again and again.
AfterImmortal Hulk,writer Al Ewing gave the similar treatment to Thor inImmortal Thor.
Immortal Hulkwas acclaimed, and ranked as one of the best books of the decade by fans and critics. Some have argued thatImmortal Hulkwas such a definitive take that it will be hard to top it. While this remains to be seen, theHulkhas been through several major creative changes since, all attempting to find him a place.
