Summary
Red Hulkmay not have been that well received by some fans when he made his debut inHulk Vol. 2 #1back in 2008, but over the years he’s proven himself to be a respected fixture in the Hulk comic books. At first, some felt he was a lazy reskin of the normal Hulk given cheap, overpowered abilities, but he’s developed into a fascinating character in his own right.
There area few different Hulk colors, most with their own origins and unique powers. When the Red Hulk first appeared, his identity was a mystery but was later revealed to be General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Bruce Banner’s longtime nemesis. As the character has grown in popularity, he’s been given his own series and has received some of the best Hulk storylines in recent years. These stories show Red Hulk has gone from a bit of a gimmick to a valuable addition to the Marvel pantheon of Hulks.
8Hulk: Red Hulk
Introduced A New Menace
These days, Red Hulk’s identity is such common knowledge it’s easy to forget that it was once one of the biggest mysteries in Marvel Comics. His first appearance came inHulk#1, with Doc Samson recounting how he’d seen a strange new Hulk not only fighting The Abomination but finishing him off with a gun.
The next few issues then did a great job of introducingsome of Red Hulk’s unique abilitiesas he faces off with the Avengers and the heroes slowly learn new details about him. It was in these early appearances that Red Hulk proved himself to be a formidable fighter and more than a match for Earth’s mightiest heroes. Unfortunately, it would take a while longer to flesh him out as a character.
7Hulk: Red & Green
Showed Red’s Smarts
If fans were initially skeptical that Red Hulk was little more than a lazy reskin, thenHulk#7-9helped put some of these concerns to bed. The story arc begins with the classic Hulk failing to put a stop to Red Hulk and sees She-Hulk leading an all-female team against him.
Red Hulk proves himself to be one ofthe strongest Hulks so farby beating these female heroes without too much trouble. The interesting part, though, is how he beats them. These issues reveal that the Red Hulk isn’t some mindless brute; he has a plan in place, and it’s a lot of fun watching him out-think the heroes. More than his unique heat-based powers, it was this introduction of Red Hulk’s crafty side that set him apart from the other Hulks early on.
6Fall Of The Hulks
Fall of the Hulkswas a massive event that spanned all of Marvel’s Hulk books at the time. This event featured the Intelligencia, a group ofsome of Marvel’s strongest villainswho plan on kidnapping the world’s smartest people and transferring their knowledge to the long-time Hulk villain, MODOK. Pretty much the most comic book-sounding plot ever but still very entertaining.
The event featured all the current Hulks, but its most exciting parts had to do with Red Hulk. The books stopped short of revealing his identity but did teach readers that Red Hulk (and Red She-Hulk) had been created by the Intelligencia. It was an important step in the history of the character and the end of this event directly led to the next big reveal.
5World War Hulks
Finally Revealed His Identity
World War Hulkswas a major event for the Hulk family for lots of reasons. After years of cross-over events and big reveals, Marvel had a surplus of Hulks on its hands.Fall of the HulksandWorld War Hulksboth served to cull their numbers a little bit. One of the biggest things to come out ofWorld War Hulks, however, wasRed Hulk’s true identity.
Hulk#22saw the reappearance of Red She-Hulk, who attacked an exhausted and overheating Red Hulk. She gets the better of him and manages to drain Red Hulk’s powers. As Red Hulk reverts to his human form, he’s revealed to be none other thanThunderbolt Ross. This was a pretty big deal considering the character was meant to be long dead. After two years, Red Hulk’s true identity was finally out in the open. With this mystery solved, Marvel could focus on giving one ofthe smartest Hulkshis redemption arc.
4Red Hulk: Haunted
Took Him Out Of His Comfort Zone
For a long time, Red Hulk was little more than a thorn in the side of Hulk and the other heroes. After his identity was revealed, Marvel started giving Red Hulk more interesting storylines and was able to focus more on his personality.Red Hulk: Haunted, which is a classic fish out of water tale, is a great example.
This story begins with Doctor Strange telling Red Hulk that a ghostly entity has attached itself to his spirit. This entity is causing him to see ghosts, which starts to drive him crazy. Inone of Marvel’s best horror comics, the Red Hulk is forced to rely on supernatural heroes like Doctor Strange and Morbius for help. The supernatural is well outside of Thunderbolt Ross' area of expertise, and it was humbling for him to have to work with the kind of heroes he wouldn’t normally take seriously. This story arc went a long way in redeeming the character and proving that he could be a relatable protagonist.
3Hulk Of Arabia
Let Red Hulk Be The Hero
Over the years, Marvel has turned plenty of its villains into heroes.Hulk#42was the first time readers got to see Red Hulk in a heroic light. The arc begins with Red Hulk attempting to redeem himself by working for S.H.I.E.L.D. under then-director Captain America. Things are going well until Red Hulk discovers his old friend, Colonel William Krugauer, has been killed in the Middle East.
The fledgling hero goes AWOL and takes it upon himself to solve the mystery behind his comrade’s death. This leads to Steve Rogers sending the Secret Avengers after Ross and lots of hero-on-hero action. This time, though, Ross is in the right, and the arc highlights Ross’s more admirable qualities, particularly his loyalty and need to redeem himself. Comic book villains becoming heroes is a bit of a trope, butHulk of Arabiais one of the better-written examples.
2U.S.Avengers
Gave Fans A Fun New Red Hulk
If there’s one thing Marvel loves to do, it’s give fans new versions of existing heroes. Then give fans new versions of those versions. In 2017, Red Hulk received this treatment with the introduction of General Robert L. Maverick. Maverick was a member of the new superhero team, theU.S.Avengers,and could transform into the Red Hulk with the help of a special device.
They might not be remembered as one ofMarvel’s best superhero teamsbut the U.S.Avengers had a good run. Maverick was a fun new take on the Red Hulk. He wasn’t as powerful as the normal version and could only stay in Hulk form for a very limited time. His character was also a lot less dark and tortured than Ross' Red Hulk. Perhaps the best part of this run, though, was Red Hulk’s redesign. Maverick’s Hulk sports his signature aviators and facial hair, which perfectly suit this less serious, more bombastic Red Hulk.
1Red Hulk: Scorched Earth
Humanized Ross
Which Red Hulk storyline is best is a matter of opinion, but there’s a strong case to be made that it isScorched Earth.Being so soundly defeated by Hulk at the end ofWorld War Hulksforced Red Hulk to eat up a heaping slice of humble pie. Ross had been obsessed with Banner’s Hulk for years and had been soundly defeated by his nemesis.
Rather than gloating, Banner tells Ross to start making up for his sins. Which is exactly what he does. He is tasked with stopping Scorched Earth, a doomsday plan put in place by The Leader and MODOK. In the process, readers are gradually introduced to a very different Ross. The storyline delves into why exactly Red Hulk ever joined the villains in the first place and the regret he feels for making that mistake. Stories likeHulk of Arabiamay have introduced Red Hulk as a hero, but it wasScorched Earththat made him feel like a human.
