The Incredible Hulk is arguably the most popular comic book character of all time, and has appeared in a number of adaptations both in print and on screen. This massive gamma-infused antihero has been around since 1962 and has never lost his appeal. He’s one of the earliest known anti-heroes, and one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel Comics history thanks to his rage-fueled strength.
The Hulk’s premise is simple: he starts out as super-strong, but increases exponentially the angrier he gets. This allows him to take on an unimaginable variety of challenges, from absorbing the core of a black hole to holding apart spheres of matter and anti-matter and punching through barriers of spatial or temporal dimensions.
He’s also a very tough opponent, which is why he often goes head-to-head with Marvel’s most physically powerful superheroes in crossover events. He’s not only able to defeat these characters on equal footing, but he can also absorb the excess radiation that’s created by their powers, giving him an unfair advantage.
Initially, the Hulk was gray; but over time, his appearance became more vibrant green. This came about because colorist Stan Goldberg had trouble creating the correct colors with gray, so he used a variety of shades to emphasize different parts of the character.
A couple of years later, he was made even stronger by exposure to a gamma bomb. This gave him the ability to transform at night and leave Banner confused wrecks. However, he only did this for a few weeks before becoming too tired to continue and transforming back.
Over the years, the Hulk has had a number of love interests, including Black Widow and Captain America. His most significant relationship was with Black Widow, who was able to calm him down during his transformations. This was a rare gift and is said to be very special to her.
Another notable relationship was with Amadeus Cho, a rogue scientist who helped Bruce Banner during his resurgence from the dead. This was a very important relationship to Amadeus and was one of the reasons that he became such a strong supporter of the Hulk.
Other notable relationships included with the Green Goliath’s nemesis the Leader and his archenemy the Abomination. The Leader has been a major nemesis of the Hulk since his debut in Tales to Astonish, while the Abomination was first seen in Planet Hulk in 1961 and returned to appear as an enemy in The Savage She-Hulk in 1980.
He’s also been a mentor to a young teen named Amadeus Cho, who became a super-hero himself due to his support for the Hulk. This was also an important relationship for the Hulk, as it helped him understand that he could be a hero, too.
The Hulk’s relaunch in 2012, under the new title Indestructible Hulk, was a major step in the character’s history. It was a relaunch that featured several variant covers, including a Joe Quesada sketch variant that’s still one of the most sought-after Hulk variants to this day.