Surprising Facts About the Hulk

The Hulk, an origin inspired by Jekyll and Hyde

The Incredible Hulk is one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel universe. His creation in 1962 was inspired by a combination of the era's fear of nuclear power and classic monster stories, particularly Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Dr. Bruce Banner, a brilliant scientist, transforms into an uncontrollable green monster, the Hulk, after exposure to gamma rays. This duality between the timid scientist and the furious monster is at the heart of the character.

The Hulk, a color that changed

Originally, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had envisioned the Hulk as a gray character, to avoid any racial association with a color. However, due to technical problems with printing the comic book, the gray color proved difficult to render consistently. Thus, from the second issue, the Hulk became green, his signature color that we know today. This decision was made in a hurry, but it became one of the character's most distinctive traits.

An almost limitless strength

One of the most fascinating characteristics of the Hulk is his strength. His strength is directly proportional to his anger. The angrier he is, the stronger he is. In theory, his strength is limitless, making him one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe. He has lifted mountains, destroyed asteroids, and even once lifted Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, in one of the film episodes. But his strength is also his greatest weakness, as it is often uncontrollable and causes considerable damage.

Records and adaptations

The Hulk character has been adapted many times for film and television. The 70s television series, with Lou Ferrigno in the role of the Hulk, is a cult classic. The character has also been the star of many video games and has been part of the Avengers team. His lasting success is due to his ability to embody the eternal conflict between rationality and emotion, good and evil, brute force and intelligence.