The Hulk is one of the most iconic and oldest heroes of Marvel. After all, he made his first appearance 64 years ago. But he is more than just a green monster.
Like many of the legendary Marvel heroes, the Hulk was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The superhero first appeared in the comic The Incredible Hulk No. 1 in May 1962.
Those who know the movies are likely aware that an explosion transformed scientist Bruce Banner into the Hulk. But there is more to it than meets the eye.
The Gamma Energy Comes from a Horror Being
How was the Hulk created in the Marvel universe? Bruce Banner is a nuclear physicist who primarily studies gamma radiation. With options running out, he worked for the government in a desert in New Mexico. There, he researched the gamma bomb, comparable to the atomic bomb, but with gamma radiation.
One day, a test of the gamma bomb took place. However, a civilian sneaked into the base. Banner asked a colleague to stop the bomb’s countdown, but he did not. The Soviet Union agent intended to kill Banner with this. Banner saved the civilian, but was hit by the bomb. Thus, the Hulk was born.
For a long time, this was the story behind the Hulk, but with the entity “The One Below All”, gamma radiation was given another layer. This is basically the dark form of the god “One Above All”, who created the multiverse and everything in it.
After One Above All learned that Vinruviel, the mother of all horrors, exists even though he did not create her, he attacked her. However, she managed to attack him back and infect him with her dark energy. He transformed into One Below All, killed all of Vinruviel’s children, and imprisoned them in a void from which they cannot escape (Source: Marvel Database).
One Above All transformed back, but his dark side continues to exist.
Green Doors and Avatars
What does the One Below All have to do with the Hulk? In the Marvel universe, gamma energy is a form of radiation that only exists thanks to One Below All. As Screen Rant describes, it is a mix of divine power and the dark energy of the mother of all horrors.
After One Above All transformed back, his dark alter ego did not disappear. The entity One Below All exists in the Below-Place, the lowest edge of reality. This place is connected to the real world through Green Doors
. These are closely linked to gamma mutants, beings like the Hulk.
When Bruce Banner was struck by the gamma bomb, such a door opened, and he actually died. But through the place, he was revived and became the Hulk. However, the entity’s goal is not to create strong heroes and villains.
One Below All cannot act itself, only in the form of avatars connected to its place. It exists for one purpose: to destroy everything that exists.
While the lore explanation for the green hero is already intriguing, it is also worth examining the sources of inspiration for the Hulk.
Famous Literary Figures as Inspiration for the Hulk
How did Stan Lee come up with the idea for the Hulk? In an interview (via YouTube), comic legend Stan Lee revealed that he wanted to create a monster that is actually the good guy, but nobody knows it. For this, he drew inspiration from Frankenstein’s monster and the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from 1886.
Frankenstein’s monster comes from the novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus
by Mary Shelley, which was published in 1818. In the interview, Stan Lee specifically mentions the actor Boris Karloff as an inspiration, who portrayed the monster in the 1931 film adaptation.
Frankenstein’s monster is a creature that was never meant to be created and is feared by all, despite being innocent. This parallels the Hulk. He is a different consciousness from Banner with his own feelings. He is useful when it comes to defeating villains, but outside of that, he is feared for his strength and unpredictability. This contradiction is addressed in the comic series Planet Hulk.
The Hulk is lonely, and though he has superhero colleagues, he still seems like an outsider.
On the other hand, there is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It tells the story of Dr. Jekyll, a clever and respected scientist. However, he has a dark persona in the form of Mr. Hyde, which he can bring out with a serum. Hyde is violent and evil (Source: bbc.com). While Jekyll initially has control, he gradually loses it throughout the novella.
This is the parallel to Banner. When he is the Hulk, he usually does not have control, but it is his anger that transforms him into this “monster”. This raises the question: Is the Hulk really a separate identity, or is it a suppressed personality that has always been dormant in Bruce Banner and was unleashed by the gamma bomb?
Although the Hulk has gained another layer with cosmic beings, his unwanted monsterness
remains an important part of his character. He also parallels Godzilla with this. The giant lizard is merely a victim, even as it destroys everything: Everyone knows Godzilla, but few know what he really is
